Nurse School Head Kathy Rideout to Depart Post at Year's Conclusion
Kathy Rideout, EdD, PPCNP-BC, FNAP, has been a transformative figure in the University of Rochester School of Nursing for over a decade. After serving as the school's dean since 2012, Rideout announced her decision to step down from the position, effective June 30, 2023.
Rideout began her career at the university in 1986 as an advanced pediatric nurse at Strong Memorial Hospital. She later joined the School of Nursing faculty and quickly made an impact, overseeing an overhaul of the approach to nursing education. This overhaul incorporated more sophisticated technology and experiential learning techniques to better prepare students for the real world.
Rideout has been a quiet leader with a personal approach, often addressing students, staff, and faculty by their first names. She has made time to meet individually with each new faculty and staff member who is hired, fostering a sense of community and camaraderie.
Under Rideout's leadership, the school has consistently ranked in the top 25 in research funding from the National Institutes of Health over the past 10 years. The school also ranks 26 among master's programs, according to U.S. News & World Report.
One of Rideout's most significant achievements has been her work in promoting diversity and inclusion. She developed groundbreaking diversity initiatives, leading to national recognition as a four-time winner of the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award. Rideout has been a strong advocate for more diversity and inclusion at the University and in the nursing profession.
Rideout has also overseen a period of substantial growth in all three missions of the school: research, education, and nursing practice. She has been an influential voice in national discussions on nursing leadership and education, and has personally mentored countless students over her tenure as dean.
In 2013, Rideout was appointed as a vice president at the University of Rochester Medical Center. She has been instrumental in steering the school through a period of robust financial growth, culminating in a $15 million vertical expansion of Helen Wood Hall. The new addition to Helen Wood Hall will provide technologically-enhanced learning and simulation areas when it opens in the spring of 2022.
The school created and expanded the UR Medicine Center for Employee Wellness, serving over 55 companies in the greater Rochester area. Rideout's commitment to employee wellness has been a cornerstone of her tenure as dean.
Yvette Conyers, president of the Rochester Black Nurses Association, praises Rideout for making leadership more approachable. Former dean Ford describes Rideout as a quiet leader with strong personal relationships and respect for all.
A committee led by Eli Eliav, DMD, PhD, will launch a national search for a new dean of the University of Rochester School of Nursing. Rideout will return to her role on the faculty as a professor of clinical nursing and pediatrics at the conclusion of the academic year.
Rideout's departure marks the end of an era for the University of Rochester School of Nursing, but her legacy will undoubtedly continue to shape the school for years to come.
