Mary E. Burman, PhD, APRN, BC
Dean and Professor

• Welcome from the Dean
• For more information about the School of Nursing, also check into the following links:

  • Accreditation

  • Campus Visit Information Booklet

  • Faculty Positions Available

  • History

  • Mission & Philosophy

  • Pictorial Tour of Nursing Facilities

The mission of the Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing (FWWSON) is to promote excellence in professional nursing for diverse populations, with an emphasis in rural health, through education, scholarship, outreach, and service. The FWWSON has a rich history providing professional nursing education since 1951.  Over the years, we have emphasized rural health and rural nursing, and have endeavored to meet the needs of students across the state and region through our innovative outreach efforts.

We have many excellent educational programs (click HERE to go to our program listing for both the undergraduate program tracks and the graduate program options). We have three different tracks to the Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing, including our traditional Basic BSN track for those with a high school degree, our RN-BSN track for RNs with associate degrees who would like to have a bachelor’s degree, and our accelerated BSN track, for students with bachelor’s degrees in disciplines outside of nursing. We have also several master’s degree options:  psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, family nurse practitioner and nursing educator.

Small classes allow faculty to know students as individuals and students are viewed as a partner in the teaching/learning process. The new Health Sciences Center has state-of-the-art classrooms and simulation facilities that nursing students use as they develop the knowledge and skills to be outstanding practitioners. The College of Health Sciences also provides an interprofessional environment, where students and faculty can work collaboratively across a number of disciplines, including social work, pharmacy and medicine. Our outreach efforts are significant and, through advanced telecommunications, our campus is the entire state, serving communities across Wyoming and beyond with premier professional nursing education programs.

In addition to our educational mission, the faculty of FWWSON engage in research that helps to meet state and regional health care needs.  Through our scholarship we are working to better understand the experience of health and health care and how nursing can partner with clients to maintain and enhance health. A fundamental aspect of professional nursing practice is being able to critique and use the ever growing amount of research in health care. Consequently, students are introduced to evidence-based practice and have the opportunity to work closely with faculty on their research through the Nightingale Center for Nursing Scholarship.

Finally, outreach and service are a critical part of our mission.  Our faculty partner with hospitals, nursing homes, clinics and schools across the state and region in order to create the best experiences for students as they develop as professional nurses. In addition, our faculty are involved in helping to shape nursing and the health care system through their own faculty practices and the translation of research and theory into practice.

The FWWSON has an atmosphere that is friendly, scholarly, professional and forward-minded. Join an exciting and dynamic community where active learning and teaching-student partnerships, scholarly practice, interprofessional education and practice, and rural health care are valued. 

Sincerely,

Mary E. Burman
Dean and Professor