July

Stroup looks back on nearly 40 years in nursing

MSU Denver community is invited to celebrate her career and contributions at a July 25 reception.

By Lindsey Coulter

July 24, 2018

Choosing a career path was not difficult for retiring MSU Denver Nursing Department Chair Linda Stroup, Ph.D., R.N. Nursing was Stroup’s passion from an early age and it provided a perfect point of entry to explore her second area of interest: teaching.

Stroup has spent nearly 40 years as a nursing professional and for many of those years has combined clinical practice with education. She has educated nursing students in several nursing programs, even working in Canada for a time, and has spent the past 12 years developing MSU Denver’s Department of Nursing.

“When I was a brand-new graduate, most of health care happened only in hospitals; now, it’s in clinics and community settings. (That shift) has created a lot of opportunities,” she said.

Stroup is proud that the nursing program at Metropolitan State University of Denver has kept pace with these shifts, adapting curriculum to new technology and trends in health and nursing education. She also recognizes the roles students themselves have played in advancing the department and its offerings.

“Our students bring so much to their education and to this program by virtue of their life experience, their work experience and their previous educational experience,” Stroup said. “So for me, it’s important to recognize and build on that.”

As a nearly lifelong educator and health professional, Stroup doesn’t plan to spend her retirement by just putting up her feet. She will take a step back from teaching but plans to stay connected to the nursing and nursing-education communities.

Retirement will also give Stroup time to share her gifts and experience in other ways.

“I was a first-generation college student, and my story is similar to the stories of a lot of MSU Denver students in some respects,” she said. “I’ve been incredibly fortunate in my life in terms of the opportunities I’ve had. (Retirement offers) a great opportunity to give back, whether it’s through volunteering or working in the community.”

Friends and colleagues are invited to help celebrate Stroup’s retirement at a reception Wednesday from 11 a.m. to noon at 9th Street Park. Please RSVP to Michelle Pruitt.