Honoring Dr. Paulina Van: Five Decades of Transformative Nursing, Teaching, and Service

This September, Dr. Paulina Van, a professor in the College of Nursing and renowned member of the Samuel Merritt community, will retire from her full-time faculty position. In a letter to the university, Dr. Van shares that “this decision marks the close of a chapter spanning more than four decades of dedicated service to the institution—years filled with purpose, transformation, and deep alignment with the university’s mission.” 

Dr. Van’s career embodies a commitment to educating diverse health professionals and empowering them to transform care in under-resourced communities. According to Dr. Steven Rush, the Dean of Nursing at SMU, the unique way in which Dr. Van has integrated “the healing arts, meditation, and cultural humility into the nursing curriculum” has critically served Samuel Merritt’s students and community partners, directly advancing health equity and student diversity.

Legacy in Higher Education

Dr. Van’s journey at SMU began in 1981, where she served as Director of Patient Care Services at Merritt Hospital and was introduced to the spirit and legacy of Samuel Merritt’s nursing education. After two decades working in executive-level positions in acute care, home care, and public health, she returned to SMU in 2007 taking on various roles including as a consultant in the ABSN program, faculty member in prelicensure and graduate programs, and director of the RN to BSN program design team. In 2016, Dr. Van, of Hispanic and African descent was promoted to full professor alongside Dr. Michelle Hampton, of African American heritage. Together, these promotions marked the first time in the university’s history that faculty representing African heritage achieved this rank. 

Thereafter, she served in a variety of leadership positions including Faculty Organization President, Chair of the Rank & Promotion Committee, Provost Research Fellow, and was a member of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for 11 years. Dr. Rush describes that Van “introduced mindfulness and meditation practices into her teaching, influencing institutional adoption of reflective practices across instructional and non-instructional activities.” 
Throughout her time teaching in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs at multiple Northern California universities, Dr. Van has consistently received exceptional student evaluations, which Dr. Rush attributes to her “ability to blend rigor, empathy, and healing into her instructional approach.” Dr. Van’s healing-oriented education initiatives have not only been adopted by colleges across the world, but her pedagogies uplift students around the healing arts.

Contribution to Research

From 2016-2021, Dr. Van served as the Principal Investigator for a $2.3 million HRSA Nursing Workforce Development (NWD) grant where she led a team striving to improve the graduation rates of Hispanic and African American student nurses, “work that reflects my lifelong commitment to health equity,” she elaborates. The successful performance of this project facilitated access to funding for a subsequent multi-million-dollar NWD continuation grant.
 

Recognized internationally for her research on pregnancy loss among African American women, Dr. Van developed a theoretical framework that provides a “Model of Coping after Pregnancy Loss for Diverse Women.” This model, which has been cited in over 400 academic works, has shaped public health policy reform and shifted curriculum design and teaching practices across health science education programs in nursing, social work, public health, midwifery, and psychology.

Community Impact

Dr. Van’s community engagement began as early as 1982 during her time as Director of Patient Care Services at Merritt Hospital, working closely with the Public Relations Department, “often collaborating on messaging to the community and to governmental bodies,” she relays. Frequently asked to represent the hospital’s perspective and facilitate public communication, these early leadership responsibilities in advocacy and public engagement lay the groundwork for her commitment to public service.

Now, Dr. Van’s work and philanthropy extends beyond Samuel Merritt University. She participates in numerous not-for-profit housing, education, and healthcare boards like the Hospice East Bay Board, as well as the Chapters Health West Region Advisory Council, where she was voted as representative of hospice organizations in the western region and collaborates to strengthen healthcare for vulnerable populations.

In addition to receiving two U.S. Congressional Recognition Retirement Awards, Van has been honored as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing as well as the Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing due to her impact in scholarship, education, community service, and health equity. One of her proudest achievements is her permanent exhibit at the African American Museum and Library in Oakland, which “recognizes [her] remarkable contributions to education, nursing, and community service. It is part of a curated celebration of African American leaders whose work has shaped health care, education, and civic life in the Bay Area and beyond.”. As a result, Dr. Van’s work has strengthened Samuel Merritt University’s national and international visibility and reputation.
 

2025 marks Dr. Van’s 50th year as a professional nurse, a milestone which she says “fills me with both humility and pride.” Through proceeds from her collection of poetry, Regala Healing, Dr. Van has endowed the Dr. Paulina Van Perinatal Nursing scholarship which supports “nursing students who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to improving perinatal health and addressing pregnancy loss in medically underserved communities.” The scholarship empowers future nurses to uplift populations who face disproportionately high rates of pregnancy and infant loss.

“As I leave the institution, I carry profound gratitude for the experiences that have enriched both my career and my growth as an educator and leader,” Dr. Van expresses. She asks that those who wish to celebrate her legacy donate to the scholarship fund using the following link.