“I would refer to Dr. B as a seeder. She plants seeds of belief in students, and she does it in the most elegant way.”

That’s how Danyelle Gilbert, a University of Colorado College of Nursing at Anschutz Medical Campus alumna, describes Susan Bonini, EdD, MSN, RN.

Dr. Bonini is retiring after more than a decade of working at CU Nursing. She is an assistant professor and Integrated Nursing Pathway (INP) coordinator at the college. Bonini partnered with the Director of Student Affairs in 2016 to form the college's first Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee.

Bonini was integral in shaping the college’s Integrated Nursing Pathway (INP) for students earning a bachelor’s degree. Once admitted, the INP program lets students complete their pre-requisites at one of three community colleges (Community College of Aurora, Community College of Denver, and Red Rocks Community College) and then attend CU Nursing for two years.

“We’re able to introduce them to the profession of nursing, what a healthcare career can look like and introduce them to some of the safety initiatives in nursing,” Bonini says. “We also highlight teamwork, effective communication, and collaboration so these important concepts are introduced to students before they take nursing classes.”

Molding the INP Pathway

Bonini was not the creator of the INP pathway (it was former CU Nursing Dean Pat Moritz and additional college leaders), but helped mold it into the pathway it is today: helping students from different backgrounds become nurses so they can care for Colorado’s diverse patient population.

“The program was designed for CU Nursing to capture community college students when they were freshmen and get them into this academic pipeline,” Bonini says. “We wanted to give students an early introduction to the profession and have them understand what it would be like to have a future in this profession and tell them ‘This is where you can go’.”

Bonini says it was critical to partner with the local community colleges to tap into a student population that may not typically see themselves at CU Nursing.

“We want these students to be the future of nursing, but we want them to be more than that,” Bonini says. “We want them to be the next nursing leaders, and we wanted to show them that they could be just that, the next nurse leaders”.    

When Bonini started at CU Nursing, the INP pathway had 13 students. It’s now grown to about 80 students. When students come to CU Nursing for classes, they are combined with students from the Traditional (TRAD) BS in Nursing pathway.

“We have students who were born outside the US that bring such an interesting and amazing perspective as to how they think about nursing and how they think about health, illness, and their community, and this is exactly what this program was intended to do,” Bonini says.

Making an Impact

Bonini’s nursing knowledge has influenced hundreds of students during her time at CU Nursing.

Gilbert was one of those students. Bonini was her instructor for one of her prerequisite classes at the Community College of Denver.

“She pours life into you, and it calms your spirit,” she says.  “She has this keen ability to nurture a mindset that influences students to believe in themselves — I can do this [become a nurse], I will do this, and I deserve this.  We know nursing school is challenging. It's Dr. Bonini’s faith in her students’ capacities that help ignite within them their purpose, and more divinely, their calling. That is the origin of the grit that gets you through nursing school.”  

“She’s a gem…one of the truest and rarest gems,” Gilbert says. “She’s someone who you wish you could make immortal so she could be there for all of the generations to come. She’s done wonders and I hope she leaves CU Nursing feeling fulfilled.”  

Gilbert always had the drive and desire to become a nurse, and it was Bonini who made an impact on her education and career.

“Dr. Bonini really cares about the INP program because it serves a vulnerable population,” she says. “It’s a population that doesn’t really have access or is offered the same resources or services compared to other students who can simply jump into CU Nursing.”

“To see these students succeed and realize their dreams and what it entails is wonderful,” Bonini says. “These students are so grateful for this opportunity because they’ve told me this is an opportunity they never would have thought about before.”

Not only did Bonini influence Gilbert’s education, but she also guided her after graduation. Gilbert has been able to share her nursing expertise with current CU Nursing students and local media. Bonini has also encouraged Gilbert to further her education and earn an advanced degree.

“Dr. B will always have a special place in my heart,” Gilbert says. “She brought up my name in rooms that wouldn’t have uttered it if she wasn’t there. She’s a person who has an eye for people devoted to change. She’s planting the seeds, but also giving people like me tools to believe in themselves to create change.”

Reflecting on Her Time at CU Nursing

Bonini says she’s loved her time at CU Nursing and is grateful for everyone she’s crossed paths with.

“Everyone has enriched what I’ve been able to do with my life and career,” she says. “Those I’ve collaborated with at the college are the unsung heroes of what we’ve been able to do at the college, especially in the undergraduate program since I’ve worked with those faculty members most often.”

“My nursing education started at a community college and like many of our INP students, I’m also a first-generation college graduate. Having someone like Dr. Bonini who is so knowledgeable and compassionate would have been so beneficial as I navigated the educational system on my path to becoming a nurse,” CU Nursing Dean Elias Provencio-Vasquez, PhD, RN, FAAN, FAANP, says. “Dr. Bonini has inspired so many students and I am so grateful for all of the work she’s done to encourage our students to become nurses.”

Bonini says it’s inspirational to watch INP students grow into the profession, mature personally and professionally, and take leadership roles in nursing after graduation. She says students understand what needs to be done to change the future of nursing and the way communities get access to care.

“I get emotional just thinking about it,” she says. “Students have thanked me, but I feel like I’ve gotten more back from them. I’ve learned more from them than anything.”

Plans for Retirement

Bonini admits retirement won’t be easy – she says she’s never been an idle person and wants to keep busy.

She’s “not doing anything” for a bit, but after that, she already lined up plenty of activities to keep her calendar full: cycling (possibly some week-long tours in Europe), golfing, volunteering, and traveling. She also wants to continue contributing to nursing education.

“I’m trying to figure out where I can contribute in ways that are more meaningful to the community,” she says. “I want to be thoughtful about what I do, but I won’t stop contributing to education or nursing.”