When Louise LaFramboise, PhD, reflects on her career as a nurse and educator, it’s the feeling of accomplishment with students and patients that stands out.
“One of the things that fills my bucket is watching people succeed,” she said. “When we are able to help a patient with health challenges and they live better, that’s a reward for me.
“Their joy is a little pick-me-up.”
Dr. LaFramboise, who retired on Dec. 31, 2023, began at UNMC as an instructor in 1986. In 2005, she was selected as director of the accelerated program; in 2007, she was competitively selected as director of the baccalaureate program; and in 2020, she was selected after a national search as the assistant dean for the Omaha division.
Throughout her career, she was heavily involved with grant work, including $3 million in Health Resources and Service Administration funds to develop the accelerated nursing program. She also was co-program director on the $2.6 million primary care HRSA grant led by Kate Fiandt, PhD.
Dr. LaFramboise said programs created through HRSA projects and other grants were high points of her tenure because “of the opportunities they provided for program development” to serve students and patients.
She pointed to a grant that began the Dedicated Education Unit, a clinical model where hospital staff nurses served as clinical staff instructors to mentor two students in the hospital setting.
“In a traditional clinical setting, we can’t typically step back and have a deeper conversation with students and their patients on why we were doing the things we were doing. The Dedicated Education Unit is an outstanding clinical model.”
Dr. LaFramboise also was project director on a Robert Wood Johnson Quality and Safety Education for Nurses Pilot School Learning Collaborative Grant. The UNMC College of Nursing was one of 15 schools selected nationally to receive this grant in the first year of funding.
Outside of the classroom, she enjoyed serving on local and statewide committees, including the Nebraska State Board of Nursing, where she served as part of the full board and had the opportunity to chair its education committee.
“I learned a lot about other schools, which was informative to me as program director for our school,” she said.
At UNMC, Dr. LaFramboise said she found a supportive and encouraging environment.
“I can say that never in my 37 years at UNMC did I even think about quitting my job,” she said. “I have always appreciated UNMC and the College of Nursing, and the fact they did their best to provide faculty with what they needed to do their job.
“I could count on the College of Nursing to be straightforward with me and do the very best they could to support and protect the work we did.”