Dr. Dale Abendroth is retiring this spring after serving 27 years as faculty in the Department of Nursing. Her work, her dedication, and her spirit have been integral in shaping the Department of Nursing over the last three decades. When she started at Gonzaga, there were 3.5 faculty and 57 students in one degree program (an RN to BSN completion program). We now have over 21 regular faculty and 1200 students in BSN, MSN and DNP programs. Dr. Abendroth has helped with, presided over, and witnessed a huge amount of growth in educational opportunity for nurses at Gonzaga.
Our MSN program germinated in 1990 at a conference in Reno, when then-chair Gail Ray proposed the idea of starting a graduate nursing program with individualized options per student interest and goals to Abendroth. Abendroth recalls, “We spent about a year developing the program and getting approval. Our first cohort started on the day that Desert Storm began…oh, what a way to begin!” On the heels of the MSN program came work to develop specific clinical options in our MSN program, as well as a post-master’s certificate program and an RN to MSN program. This occurred parallel to a phase-out of the RN-BSN program in the mid-90s, and a big growth in the student body and our faculty. Subsequent years heralded the addition of a BSN and a DNP to Gonzaga’s nursing degree options.
Reflecting on her choice of career, Abendroth shares, “I always tell people that I was built to do this work…a calling for sure. I find the work of nursing incredibly satisfying [and] rewarding—particularly working with critically ill patients and their families.” Asked what she finds rewarding about teaching, she opined, “with teaching, I have to opportunity to broaden students’ knowledge and thinking skills that in the end can influence the care of many more patients/families than I could do one patient/family at a time….plus, I get paid to learn, explore and teach new content all the time.”
The most meaningful memorable experience Abendroth takes with her from her time at Gonzaga is “the chance to witness and walk alongside students as they grow intellectually and achieve their goals—this is why it is so fun to go to graduation and see the celebration of their hard work.” She will be continuing to work with the Department of Nursing on special projects. As she strides forth into retirement, she is looking forward to adventures of every kind—more time for volunteering, traveling near and far, family, hiking, kayaking and gardening…and just plain hanging-out!
The SNHP and the Department of Nursing would like to recognize and thank Dr. Abendroth for her decades of dedicated service. She will be missed by faculty, staff and students!
Dale’s story does not begin at Gonzaga; to read about how her early career as a nurse informed her latter career as nursing faculty, click here.
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