Inspired to be a nurse—and inspiring future nurses

A future in nursing was always part of the plan for Dr. Elizabeth Schlenk ’75, who then later went down a career path where she got to impact future nurses.

在过去的四年里，Schlenk博士是Mount Mercy护理专业的毕业生，曾担任匹兹堡大学护理学院研究生临床教育副院长。

“As an academic researcher who has taught across all levels of students, I am most proud of launching the next generation of nurses as clinicians, advanced practice providers, and nurse scientists,” she said.

With her dedication to nursing and patient welfare, Dr. Schlenk is the honored 2025 recipient of Mount Mercy’s Distinguished Service alumni award, presented annually to a graduate who has, among other things, established and promoted services to others.

“Mount Mercy provided me with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for a long and rewarding professional career in nursing,” she said.

施伦克是锡达拉皮兹人，当他第一次想到在芒特仁慈医院开始护理生涯时，他还在上高中。

“As a high school senior, I toured Mount Mercy and believed it was a particularly good fit for me since it had an excellent nursing program,” Dr. Schlenk recalled. “Mount Mercy had a Catholic foundation, which was important to me. 而且，我可以上下班和住在家里，这更实惠。

“I always enjoyed the sciences, and I wanted to have an impact on people’s health and wellbeing,” she continued. “I also had four registered nurses in my family, so I knew first-hand that nursing was science-based and a caring profession.”

她来到Mount Mercy学习护理，并结交了陪伴她一生的朋友。 毕业50年后，她的实验课和在爱荷华州寒冷的冬天穿过隧道的经历仍然是她强烈的记忆。 她提到了护理项目主任詹姆斯·玛丽·多纳休（James Marie Donahue）和她的顾问兼解剖学讲师玛丽·丽贝卡·菲德勒（Mary Rebecca Fidler），称他们是影响她在国会山生活的导师。

“They were outstanding educators,” she said.

到了参加全国委员会执照考试的时候，施伦克医生说，仁慈山为她做了充分的准备，她通过了第一次考试。 然后，她在锡达拉皮兹的仁爱医院找到了一份注册护士的工作。

“Mount Mercy fostered a love of learning in me, and after five years of practice, I decided to return to school for a master’s degree at the University of Iowa College of 护理.”

She earned her master’s degree and returned to the Hill to teach nursing at Mount Mercy for five years. 接下来，她决定继续她的学术之旅，并进入密歇根大学护理学院攻读博士学位。

“My dissertation was on adherence to chronic disorder regimens to improve patient outcomes,” she said, essentially, finding ways to improve the quality of life for patients self-managing a chronic disorder.

Older adults have been the focus in several of Dr. Schlenk’s studies. 通过改变生活方式和坚持治疗方案，她的研究为改善老年人的健康做出了贡献，并导致其他科学家在临床试验中进行了更多的研究。

“Upon graduation from the University of Michigan, I was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Pittsburgh School of 护理 and then moved into an assistant professor position,” she explained of her professional progression. “Owing to my research, teaching, and service, I was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure.”

Schlenk博士为护理教育做出了广泛的贡献，2017年她被匹兹堡大学护理学院授予教师领导奖。 Schlenk博士现在是副院长，他在匹兹堡大学工作了30年。 她将于2025年夏天退休，成为名誉教授。

“Mount Mercy is a jewel, and the merger of 皇冠体育 and St. Ambrose University will continue to provide future students with the educational background they need for success.” —Dr. Elizabeth Schlenk ’75

“I will continue working on a part-time basis until June 2026 to complete an educational project,” she said. “As an emeritus faculty, I will continue to mentor graduate students, collaborate with colleagues on scholarly papers, and do more traveling.”

Dr. Schlenk lives in Pittsburgh with her husband, James O’Leary. As she mentors today’s students, she encourages them to take full advantage of what’s in front of them.

“Be open to the multiple opportunities that you will encounter during your education,” she said. “Identify the topic about which you are passionate and find mentors to guide you and resources to support you to achieve your professional goals.”

Mount Mercy helped Dr. Schlenk achieve her professional goals, and she believes it’s positioned to help students for years to come.

“Mount Mercy is a jewel,” she said, “and the merger of 皇冠体育 and St. Ambrose University will continue to provide future students with the educational background they need for success.”