Walden University Winter 2007 Commencement Includes First Master of Science Program in Nursing Graduates

Minneapolis—January 24, 2007—Walden University, an accredited online institution, will celebrate the graduation of more than 2,400 students, including its first class to receive the MS degree in Nursing, on Friday, Jan. 26, at 5:30 p.m. at the Adam’s Mark Hotel in Dallas. RADM Carol A. Romano, assistant surgeon general and chief nurse officer in the U.S. Public Health Service, will give the commencement address at the traditional ceremony, which can be viewed live via webcast at www.WaldenU.edu.

“Walden graduates have the knowledge and skills to be leaders in their professions and contribute to positive social change in their communities and throughout the world,” said university President, Paula E. Peinovich, PhD “Our newest graduates, representing 15 countries around the world, are equipped to make a direct impact as qualified, inspired leaders dedicated to taking their professions to new heights. Walden University is particularly pleased to contribute to solving the critical shortage of registered nurses our nation is facing by preparing highly qualified nurse educators to meet the needs of the many institutions who prepare registered nurses for service to humanity. The nursing shortage is a pipeline problem, and Walden is able to contribute to creative solutions through our MS program in Nursing.”

RADM Carol Romano, PhD, RN, will address graduates, faculty and guests on the reported public health challenges for this century, the Surgeon General’s priorities for the health of the nation and the role of the U.S. Public Health Service. Her speech will also focus on the importance and value of nurses as partners with consumers, other medical professionals and health and human service workers to effect social change.

The nation is experiencing a shortage of nurses. In fact, more than 1 million new and replacement nurses will be needed by 2012 (according to the February 2004 Bureau of Labor Statistics Monthly Labor Review). Demand for master’s-prepared R.N.s is growing, and Walden is one of a select number of universities positioned to help by increasing the number of nurse educators and managers.

Walden’s commencement speaker, RADM Romano, provides leadership and coordination of Public Health Service nursing programs and professional affairs for the Office of the Surgeon General and the Department of Health and Human Services. She is the deputy chief for the Department of Clinical Research Informatics, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, where she manages a complex program of administrative planning for clinical research information systems, quality improvement initiatives and research support. RADM Romano has worked at the National Institutes of Health for 34 years.

RADM Romano is a recognized leader in the field of nursing informatics. She was involved in designing and implementing one of the first computerized medical information systems in 1976, which provided electronic medical orders and clinical documentation for patients in ambulatory and hospital environments. She was a co-architect of the world’s first graduate curriculum in nursing informatics at the University of Maryland, and she has mentored numerous students in this field.

For more commencement information, visit www.WaldenU.edu/commencement.

About Walden University
Since 1970, Walden University has offered working professionals the opportunity to earn advanced degrees through distance learning. Today, this comprehensive, accredited online university offers master’s and doctoral degrees in education, psychology, management, public policy and administration, and health and human services, as well as master’s programs in engineering and IT and a bachelor’s completion program in business. Walden University is a member of the Laureate International Universities network, the largest global network of accredited campus-based and online universities. For more information, visit www.WaldenU.edu.

Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association, www.hlcommission.org; 1-312-263-0456.