Mark Lazenby, PhD, RN, FAAN
Dean and Professor
The connection between nursing and new life is ancient. It is no coincidence that in English, the name for the profession is synonymous with a mother’s first act of care for her child. Of all possible nursing specialties, caring for pregnancy, birth and babies gives us the opportunity for our most far-reaching impact on human life.
To borrow the words of Sue & Bill Gross associate clinical professor Leanne Burke—quoted in our feature article—“Healthy moms give birth to healthy babies, who grow up to be healthy adults, and every healthy adult builds a healthy community.”
In honor of the vast potential of this virtuous cycle of health, this issue of Humanitas is dedicated to nurses who care for mothers and their children. Building a healthier world is surely nursing’s ultimate goal.
Our small school—adept at strategizing for impact—has defined the priorities that bring us closer to that goal. First among these is the priority of lessening human vulnerability through the lens of social and racial justice and antiracism. We work toward a world in which the harm done by structural injustices is countered by increased access to care and greater support, rather than the opposite.
In recent years, data revealing stark disparities in the health and healthcare of diverse mothers in the U.S. have shaken healthcare professionals and policymakers. This issue’s special section, “Birthplace USA” looks squarely at the personal and societal impact of unequal maternal healthcare across racial and ethnic lines in the U.S. today, and finds examples of how nursing is working to effect change.
I’m proud to introduce our new associate dean for research, Nancy Pike, and her career in pediatric cardiology research and the care of children born with congenital heart disorders. An article is populated by the voices of faculty, students and colleagues from perinatal, neonatal and pediatric care, discussing their work, their motivations and their priorities. You will meet other nurses from these specialties throughout this issue, including several alumni of our school.
I hope you will enjoy joining the conversation.
