The Patient Influence: Introducing Associate Dean Anne Thomas
March 27, 2017
It’s a story as old as Florence Nightingale: a nurse radically changes the life of a patient, whether through a lifestyle change or for emotional support during a health crisis. But patients have just as much of an impact in shaping the lives of nurses. “Each person I work with contributes to who I have become in my nursing career,” explains Anne Thomas, PhD, ANP-BC, GNP, FAANP.
From a nurse’s aide to the MSU College of Nursing’s Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, every patient encounter has etched a contour in her career path. Thomas has embodied her encounters with patients and used them as a catalyst for improving both her craft and healthcare systems.
Beginning in high school, Thomas took a course in health careers where she worked for several semesters as a nurse aid in a hospital’s oncology unit. After experiencing the impact nurses made not only with patients during their last season of life, but on their families as well, Thomas decided nursing was what she wanted to do. The nurses not only took care of the patient’s medical needs but also addressed the complex psychosocial needs of the patients and their families.
Due to her experience in hospice, Thomas then decided to make the focus of her nursing career on primary care for older adults. As we age, we try and maintain our functional capacity so that our day-to-day lives aren’t disrupted — it isn’t until the last few years of life that additional assistance may be needed. Understanding the pathway and experiences in someone’s life is a critical piece of facilitating his/her healthcare goals when they are no longer able to care for themselves.
“Taking the time to understand what makes someone’s life meaningful and helping to facilitate those goals in a way that aligns with the patient and their family’s values is the best part of my nurse practitioner role,” avowed Thomas.
Thomas has held academic leadership positions in several nursing schools as well as the National Institute for Nursing Research and the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health. Previous to coming to MSU, Thomas was the Dean of Nursing at the University of Indianapolis. During her time as Dean, she pioneered academic clinical partnerships with three healthcare systems in central Indiana as well as a program that facilitated a seamless educational transition for associate of science in nursing students.
These partnerships addressed the need to provide a high quality, consistent workforce pipeline of nursing graduates from both the undergraduate and graduate programs. During clinical and didactic rotations, students had the opportunity to participate in projects that aligned current healthcare strategic initiatives with educational goals. In return, the collaborating healthcare system nurses were significant contributors to the students’ learning experience. This resulted in systematic healthcare change sand positively influenced the quality of patient care outcomes.
While pursuing employment, Thomas was swayed by Michigan State University’s mission as a land grant institution. The opportunities to create and lead academic pathways, research, and healthcare well into the future were numerous. She was also impressed by the passion and commitment of the administration, faculty, and staff to create an environment that facilitates excellence in the classroom and extends into global venues.
“I am pleased to welcome Dr. Thomas as an integral voice on my executive leadership team,” stated Dean Randolph Rasch. “As a former dean of a successful school of nursing, she comes to MSU with tremendous experience and a passion for our land-grant mission.”
Now the MSU College of Nursing’s Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Thomas has several new academic initiatives underway including the implementation of the BSN-DNP curriculum and creating a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner program. She will also be facilitating the scholarship and research of the faculty and developing academic partnerships that enhance our educational initiatives.
“Nursing must be responsive to societal needs and the programming at the College of Nursing is well positioned to create the nursing leaders of the future,” stresses Thomas. “It is an exciting time to be a Spartan Nurse!”
