UW Nursing School Faculty Member Receives Excellence in Leadership Award

A faculty member with the University of Wyoming’s Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing is this year’s recipient of the Excellence in Leadership Award, presented by the Wyoming Nurses Association (WNA) during its September convention in Casper. 

Carrie Barr, a senior lecturer and director of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs, was selected for the award for providing support to the values of the WNA and the profession of nursing in Wyoming, according to a press release from the WNA.

“I am deeply honored to receive the Excellence in Leadership Award from the Wyoming Nurses Association,” says Barr, who has been with the UW School of Nursing since 2022. “While I’m grateful for this recognition, it truly belongs to our entire undergraduate nursing team -- the dedicated faculty and staff who work tirelessly to support our students every day.

“When I joined UW in 2022, we came together to strengthen our BSN programs through collaborative curriculum improvements and shared mentoring efforts,” Bar continues. “Our ongoing success is a testament to their expertise, commitment and teamwork. This award represents what we can accomplish when faculty and staff unite around our shared mission of creating exceptional student-centered programs to prepare future generations of nurses to serve Wyoming’s communities.”

For undergraduate students entering the BSN program, several options are available, including the Basic BSN, which is an on-campus program for students aiming to become registered nurses. The Bachelors Reach for Accelerated Nursing Degree (BRAND) program is an accelerated option for students with bachelor’s degrees who desire to become registered nurses. Additionally, the BSN Completion option is for graduates with a Wyoming associate degree in nursing who wish to earn a BSN.

A major accomplishment of Barr’s recognized by the WNA press release points out that she, as the first director overseeing undergraduate students entering any of the three BSN program options, streamlined curriculum across programs and mentored new faculty in teaching, exam writing and course development.

Ashley Lair, an assistant lecturer with the nursing school, notes Barr’s mentorship of faculty has improved her academic skills. In her case, Lair says Barr has added improvement, as a whole, to the program.

“Since Carrie began in her role as the program director in 2022, she has provided me with valuable guidance to improve my teaching approaches, test development skills and understanding of program-level curricular work,” Lair says. “I appreciate all that Carrie has done to help me grow professionally and to help our program improve.”

In addition to Barr pursuing her Ph.D. in nursing education through the University of Northern Colorado, recent statistics point to her successful efforts as director of the BSN program components, including a first-time pass rate of 100 percent for BASIC pre-licensure students for the past two years -- up from a pass rate of 80 percent before her arrival.

“We are so excited to see Carrie’s hard work and dedication, as our BSN director, receive recognition from the Wyoming Nurses Association,” say Sherrill Smith, dean of the Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing. “Our students and faculty recognize her leadership ability, referring to her as the ‘glue that holds it all together’ to ensure the success of our undergraduate program.”

“Carrie Barr’s recognition by the Wyoming Nurses Association is a proud moment for the Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing and the College of Health Sciences,” adds Patrick Hardigan, dean of the College of Health Sciences. “Her leadership in strengthening our BSN programs, mentoring faculty and championing student success exemplifies the impact our faculty make across Wyoming.

“This award is not only a tribute to Carrie’s dedication, but also to the collaborative spirit of our nursing team, whose shared commitment ensures we are preparing the next generation of nurses to meet the health care needs of our state,” he says. “On behalf of the college, I extend my congratulations and gratitude to Carrie for her outstanding leadership and service.”

To learn more about the Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing in the UW College of Health Sciences, go to https://www.uwyo.edu/nursing/index.html

About UW’s College of Health Sciences

UW’s College of Health Sciences trains health and wellness professionals and researchers in a wide variety of disciplines, including medicine, nursing, pharmacy, speech-language pathology, social work, kinesiology, public health, health administration and disability studies. The college also oversees residency and fellowship programs in Casper and Cheyenne, as well as operating a speech/hearing clinic in Laramie and primary care clinics in Laramie, Casper and Cheyenne.

With more than 1,600 undergraduate, graduate and professional students, the college is dedicated to training the health and wellness workforce of Wyoming and conducting high-quality research and community engagement, with a particular focus on rural and frontier populations.