Audrey Nelson, PhD, dedicated her 50-year career at the UNMC College of Nursing to the advancement of nursing education and the preservation of nursing history.
Dr. Nelson, who retired as a tenured associate professor from the UNMC College of Nursing in 2025, died on Sept. 29. Her colleagues remember Dr. Nelson as an individual who personified what being a nurse, an educator and a historian of the field means.
“Dr. Nelson’s unwavering commitment and profound wisdom shaped countless lives, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts of her students and the nursing profession,” Lepaine Sharp-McHenry, DNP, dean of the UNMC College of Nursing, said. “In remembrance of her 50 years of service, we celebrate a legacy of compassion, dedication and excellence that will inspire generations to come.”
Audrey Nelson recognized
The UNMC Faculty Senate recognized Audrey Nelson, PhD, at its Annual Faculty Meeting in April 2025 for her long-running service to the faculty senate. She received an award from UNMC Faculty Senate President Joseph Siu, PhD.
A resolution in her honor said Dr. Nelson had served admirably on the faculty senate since 2006 in a variety of positions, including senator, secretary/treasurer, vice president, president-elect, president and parliamentarian. Serving as parliamentarian since 2014, Dr. Nelson was the second-longest running parliamentarians in the faculty senate’s history.
UNMC Interim Chancellor H. Dele Davies, MD, said: “Audrey Nelson devoted her life to advancing the nursing profession and to serving as a generous mentor for countless UNMC students and faculty. Throughout her tenure at UNMC, she has truly made an enduring impact on our campus, not only on generations of nurses, but also in her service to all UNMC faculty through her role as the second-longest serving parliamentarian for the Faculty Senate. We are grateful for the many ways she enriched our community, and we extend our deepest sympathy to her loved ones.”
Dr. Nelson graduated from the UNMC College of Nursing in 1972 with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She went on to earn advanced degrees from the University of Wisconsin and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she received her PhD. She joined the college as an assistant professor in 1974, teaching pediatric nursing to undergraduate and graduate students throughout her career.
Throughout her career at the UNMC College of Nursing, Dr. Nelson secured research funding to help children and families with chronic illness, childhood cancer and type 1 diabetes. She also was dedicated to service, acting as a member of numerous nursing and professional organizations and serving on local, statewide and national committees or boards.
Nelson’s impact at the college was evident in the College of Nursing and Alumni History Museum at the UNMC College of Nursing building on the Omaha campus. She, along with Ada Lindsey, PhD, dean emeritus of the UNMC College of Nursing, spearheaded the effort to preserve and display the history of nursing education and care. The museum was founded in 2005, and Dr. Nelson served as the museum coordinator.
Because of her dedication to the college and its history, the UNMC College of Nursing History Room Fund was renamed the Audrey Nelson, PhD, College of Nursing History Fund in 2025. The fund will continue to support the preservation of nursing history and serve as a lasting tribute to Dr. Nelson’s legacy.
“She will be remembered for her contributions to student learning plus improving student test-taking skills, her commitment to following the rules and policies of the college and her never-ending support for the college to include all five campuses throughout her tenure,” said Mary Petersen, infectious disease/internal medicine research nurse coordinator.
A celebration of life will be Tuesday, Oct. 14, at 2:30 p.m. at Heafey-Hoffmann-Dworak-Cutler Mortuaries, 7805 West Center Road in Omaha.
Memorial gifts may be directed to the University of Nebraska Foundation and designated for the Audrey Nelson, PhD, College of Nursing Fund, which supports undergraduate students and faculty in the UNMC College of Nursing.