Commitment to Public Trust

Public Trust, Nursing Voice, and Science Translation 

As the nation’s most trusted profession, nursing has a unique responsibility to serve as a credible bridge between science, policy, and the public. Yale School of Nursing (YSN) will advance this responsibility by strengthening its role as a trusted source of evidence, expertise, and engagement for communities, policymakers, healthcare leaders, and the public. Building on Yale University’s longstanding commitment to transparency, integrity, and public service, YSN will translate nursing science into accessible knowledge that informs decision-making, improves health outcomes, and strengthens public confidence in health institutions. 

YSN will invest in developing faculty, staff, students, and alumni as effective science communicators who can engage diverse audiences through traditional media, digital platforms, community partnerships, and policy forums. The School will support media readiness, public scholarship, and community-engaged dissemination so that scientific discoveries and evidence-based practices reach those who can benefit most. Equally important, YSN will continue to embrace and amplify bidirectional engagement — partnering with communities to identify priorities, co-create solutions, and ensure that nursing research and education remain responsive to societal needs. 

Consistent with the principles outlined in Yale University’s reports on trust, YSN recognizes that public trust is earned through transparency, accountability, ethical leadership, and meaningful engagement. The School will establish regular mechanisms for reporting progress on strategic goals, sharing research impact, and demonstrating stewardship of resources and partnerships. 

The Charge

Advance public trust through transparency, reciprocal community partnership, and demonstrable accountability — translating YSN’s five scholarly areas of focus into measurable benefit for the communities the School serves.

 

 

Community Engagement Objectives

  • Strengthen reciprocal partnership. Deepen two-way partnership through the Clinical Community Advisory Board - so partners help define priorities rather than receive predetermined programs.
  • Embed transparency and accountability. Publish baseline engagement metrics and a progress-tracking dashboard, reporting on a regular public cadence.
  • Translate scholarship into community-defined impact. Ensure each focus area yields tangible local benefit — for example, bringing dementia-prevention knowledge to at-risk New Haven residents through the Center for Aging Well — so community needs inform research and findings return to the community.
  • Lead on trustworthy practice. Model ethical, evidence-informed practice — including responsible AI and digital health — and contribute to Yale’s trust-rebuilding agenda and cross-University convenings.
  • Measure and sustain confidence. Define indicators — partner satisfaction, community participation, demonstrated health benefit, and responsiveness to feedback — and review them annually.

By 2031, YSN aspires to be recognized nationally and internationally as a trusted leader in nursing and health science, with faculty routinely sought by national and global media organizations, policymakers, healthcare systems, and communities for evidence-based expertise. Success will be reflected in increased public engagement, strengthened community partnerships, greater visibility of nursing science, and sustained transparency through annual reporting on strategic progress.