Erin M. (Prior) Collins ’98, BSN, RN
VP of Nursing Professional Practice and Development
Concord Hospital Health System (NH)
THE ART AND SCIENCE OF NURSING
She never planned to earn a nursing degree and a certification in fine arts, but now Erin (Prior) Collins ’98 says it made perfect sense. “Nursing is a science and an art,” she says. “Nurses must be knowledgeable in the science of clinical interventions and skilled in the art of making human connections to support holistic healing.”
Growing up in a family devoted to Catholic traditions, Collins found that Saint Anselm’s Benedictine community helped to support and further define her beliefs. She honed her leadership skills and honored her commitment to service through campus ministry and as a Resident Assistant and Director. “I was not only a role model for other students, but benefited from the leadership of the monks and professors on campus,” she says.
These early experiences supported her advancement from being a new nurse in med/surg nursing to becoming the VP of Nursing Professional Practice and Development at Concord Hospital Health System, where she started the first nursing informatics program in 2006 and worked with Saint Anselm to help students learn new technologies.
“The importance of nursing on the impact of quality in healthcare drives my leadership,” she says, adding that she’s delighted by Saint Anselm’s vision in creating the Jean School of Nursing and Health Sciences. “With this step, the College is making a profound statement about the importance of healthcare professionals and developing the workforce of the future.”