Editors’ Note

Dr. Kimberly Glassman joined the Phillips School of Nursing in December 2023. She has been a leader in higher education administration and healthcare throughout her career at the New York University (NYU) Rory Meyers College of Nursing. Her roles there included clinical professor, Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Associate Dean of Partnership Innovation, and Senior Vice President for Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer of NYU Langone Medical Center. Dr. Glassman received both her PhD in Theory and Research Development and her Master of Nursing Administration from NYU. She was honored as an inaugural Fellow of the American Organization of Nurse Leaders, is a graduate of the Johnson & Johnson Wharton Fellows Program in Management for Nurse Executives at the University of Pennsylvania, and is an alumna of the Robert Wood Johnson Nurse Executive Fellow Program. She has been named a Fellow of both the New York Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Nursing, and is a member of the American Nurses Association, American Organization of Nurse Executives, Association of Leadership Science in Nursing, Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science, and Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society.

Institution Brief

Mount Sinai Health System (mountsinai.org) encompasses the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and eight hospitals, as well as a large and expanding ambulatory care network. The eight hospitals – The Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai Brooklyn, Mount Sinai Queens, Mount Sinai Morningside, Mount Sinai South Nassau, Mount Sinai West, and New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai – have a vast geographic footprint throughout the New York metropolitan region. The Mount Sinai Hospital has been listed in the U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll for the last nine years. The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is also ranked nationally in ophthalmology.

Will you discuss your career journey?

I began as a critical care nurse but transitioned to management to have a broader impact. As a head nurse in the 1970s and 80s, I supported entire teams to deliver excellent care. Moving into roles as director of nursing, vice president, and senior vice president, I expanded my influence to multiple units and hospitals, ultimately serving as chief nursing officer for a large academic health system.

My education started with a hospital diploma, which I’m very proud of. I later earned a BSN, followed by a master’s in nursing administration and a PhD, which became the preferred credential for academic health system leaders. Alongside my executive roles, I taught graduate students and eventually transitioned full-time to academia, serving as a professor and associate dean. My combined background in healthcare, leadership, and education positioned me uniquely for this role at Mount Sinai.

What excited you about the opportunity to join Mount Sinai Health System and made you feel it was the right fit?

I hadn’t envisioned becoming a dean, but Mount Sinai’s leadership were committed to integrating the nursing school into the Health System, and given Mount Sinai’s experience with growing an established medical school to include numerous graduate programs, I felt there would be tremendous support for growing the Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing. It is rare to have both a medical school and a nursing school embedded in an academic health system, and that infrastructure offers incredible collaboration potential. Faculty at the Phillips School of Nursing bring decades of experience and a genuine passion for their students which made me want to be part of this remarkable community.

Will you discuss the history of the Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing and how the institution has evolved?

The Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing, originally the Beth Israel Hospital School of Nursing, was founded in 1904 and is the oldest continuously operating nursing school in New York. Today, we’re the only hospital-based nursing school in the state that grants a bachelor’s degree. The school evolved from a diploma program to offering associate degrees which was a common path for hospital-based schools at the time. Recognizing the growing emphasis on baccalaureate education for nurses, we transitioned to BSN programs. In 2016, we launched an accelerated BSN program, designed for students with prior bachelor’s degrees in other fields. This intensive, 15-month program equips graduates to sit for the RN licensing exam and begin professional practice.

How important is the integrated relationship between the Phillips School of Nursing and the Mount Sinai Department of Nursing to support its nursing students with combined classroom and clinical experiences?

The partnership between the Phillips School of Nursing and the Mount Sinai Department of Nursing is exceptional because we are both part of the same parent organization. This allows us to seamlessly combine education and practice. Students complete all clinical rotations in Mount Sinai facilities, learning directly from clinical nurses who often serve as adjunct faculty. Our faculty, many of whom hold doctoral degrees, ensure students are exposed to leading-edge nursing science and practice in the classroom. By working together, we prepare students to be “practice-ready” nurses, equipped with both academic knowledge and real-world experience, while also enhancing the quality of care in our Health System.

How is the Mount Sinai Health System addressing the critical shortage of front-line nurses?

We’re focused on cultivating our own pipeline of Mount Sinai nurses. Our students gain clinical experience exclusively in Mount Sinai facilities, learning the system’s best practices. This close connection helps students transition seamlessly into roles as professional nurses within our hospitals. We incentivize Phillips School of Nursing graduates with tuition reimbursement programs tied to employment as clinical nurses. Beyond this, Mount Sinai offers high school internships and simulation experiences to spark early interest in healthcare careers. These initiatives strengthen the workforce and ensure we’re meeting the growing demand for nurses.

What do you tell young people about the type of career the nursing profession offers?

Nursing is a dynamic and rewarding career with unmatched opportunities. Nurses are needed in every corner of society, from hospitals and clinics to schools, businesses, and government. This breadth ensures job security and allows for growth across specialties and settings, including critical care, pediatrics, community health, and more. There are flexible pathways into the profession, from traditional four-year degrees to community college programs and accelerated options like ours for people who started out in other careers. For anyone who enjoys working with people and making a difference, nursing offers an incredible career.