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Leah FitzGerald, PhD, FNP-BC, FAAN, dean and Fletcher Jones Endowed Chair of Nursing at Mount Saint Mary鈥檚, almost missed her true calling because of her love for flowers.

鈥淎fter high school, I wanted to be a florist,鈥� says FitzGerald. 鈥淢y mom said, 鈥榃hy not try nursing?鈥� I did and immediately loved it!鈥�

FitzGerald鈥檚 40-year nursing career began at a three-year RN program at Malden Hospital in Massachusetts, where she spent 40-hour weeks in the classroom and hospital. It was rich, but the experience left her wanting more.

鈥淎fter graduation, I worked in ICU/CCU (intensive care and critical care units) and quickly tired of seeing people die,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 completed my BSN and MSN from Boston College and became a family nurse practitioner, wanting to help modify patients鈥� behaviors to positively impact their lives.鈥�

The next 12 years provided FitzGerald with an important insight that directed her career 鈥� decrease stressors and improve wellness. Wanting to pursue research interests, she enrolled in UCLA鈥檚 PhD in nursing program in 1999.

鈥淣ow everything is about wellness, unlike 16 years ago when I started my academic career,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t was suggested that I pick a disease or I鈥檒l never receive funding. I didn鈥檛 want to study a disease knowing that the key to wellness was prevention.鈥�

FitzGerald stuck to her conviction. She and a colleague received funding from the CDC to assess oral health disparity in individuals with developmental disabilities, thus allowing her to infuse content into graduate nursing curriculum.   

FitzGerald has a sustained record for improving access to care for disadvantaged populations.  She was an invited panelist with the Institute of Medicine, 鈥淚mproving Access to Oral Health Care for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations.鈥� While a member of the faculty at UCLA, FitzGerald developed a partnership with First 5 LA and the UCLA School of Dentistry, serving as a faculty expert. She has organized more than 200 clinical hours for more than 50 nursing students, serving 1500-plus vulnerable clients.

When FitzGerald was hired as the Fletcher Jones Endowed Chair of Nursing in 2015, she felt an immediate connection to the Mount鈥檚 commitment to serve the community. 鈥淚 love the rich history of the CSJs and believe in the University鈥檚 mission,鈥� she says. In 2016, she became dean of nursing.  

While at the Mount, FitzGerald鈥檚 work expanded to creating a cloud-based software learning platform, 鈥淧assport to Wellness,鈥� to teach nursing students the competencies required to care for defined populations using population-based strategies. 鈥淪tudents perform preventive health screenings for hypertension, depression, dental problems, etc., and provide a summary that patients can share with their healthcare provider,鈥� she says.  

Thanks in part to being a strong advocate and a nurse innovator for interprofessional education in the health sciences, FitzGerald was selected into the 2021 class of the American Academy of Nursing Fellows. 鈥淚t is such an honor and a privilege to be named a Fellow and to stand on the shoulders of the incredible 2,900 Fellows who鈥檝e come before me,鈥� she says. As a Fellow, FitzGerald will serve on expert panels with colleagues to transform the health of the nation.     

As for the Mount鈥檚 nursing program, her vision includes preparing nurses for high-need areas, including perioperative and primary care, as well as additional paths to nursing education. 鈥淧lans include a direct-entry master鈥檚 program for students who already have their bachelor鈥檚 degree,鈥� she says, 鈥渨ith a natural expansion to a DNP program.鈥�

FitzGerald feels like her career has come full circle. 鈥淚 know I am where I am supposed to be,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 am honored to be part of creating the compassionate and understanding nurses the Mount is known for, particularly at a time where they鈥檙e needed more than ever.鈥�