Welcome to Janet Willhaus
PhD, RN, CHSE, CHSOS
Associate Professor
Beginning a new role
"I am excited to begin a new role as a faculty member in the Masters of Nursing Education and Leadership program,” says Janet Willhaus. “Nursing needs leaders now more than ever before—especially with the Covid-19 crisis. Nursing is the most trusted profession in the United States, and therefore as nurses we must lead by example in helping people understand what they can do to minimize transmission of communicable disease. We care for and are present with people who are ill. In particular in this crisis, due to isolation precautions, we may be among the only people who are privileged to be at the patient's bedside. I hope to help our nursing workforce understand how critical they are to setting the example and influencing policy.”
COVID-19 has personal impact
Willhaus says the Covid-19 crisis has impacted her personally: “A friend of mine was very ill on a ventilator and her husband died of the disease. For this reason, I know we cannot take it lightly. The move from Boise has been somewhat complicated by the pandemic, because I have had to interview, look for a new home, and communicate virtually. In spite of these unusual circumstances, I am moving forward to meet the challenge.”
Meeting the challenge
“As an example [of moving forward to meet the challenges imposed by COVID-19],” continues Willhaus, “INACSL just completed its first ever Virtual Annual Conference. [INACSL stands for the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning. Willhaus is currently president of this international organization of about 2,000 members who focus on utilizing simulation teaching methods to teach healthcare.]. We were able to switch from a face-to-face conference to a successful virtual conference with less than six weeks of planning time. It felt great to network with hundreds of simulationists from across the country right at my own computer screen.”
About Willhaus
Janet Willhaus (pictured below), new doctoral faculty in the University of Wyoming
Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing's Master's Program, shares that she is a pilgrim
and volunteer on the Camino de Santiago, a 1,200-year-old pilgrimage in northern Spain.
In 2016, she and her husband Phil walked the approximately 500-mile route. Having
loved the experience, they return often to volunteer as hosts in the simple hostels
along the routes. The trip is undertaken by thousands of pilgrims from across the
world annually.
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Page placed: 7/1/2020