A student-led interview explores how belonging, community building, and leadership shape nursing education and patient care

Rutgers School of Nursing juniors Noah Carrero and Leo Gabriel Ramos, community building and engagement interns in the Office of the Senior Vice Dean for Administration and Student Affairs, spoke with Dean and Professor Angela Starkweather (PhD, ACNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN) about community building, engagement, and leadership in nursing education.

The conversation is part of the Empower Belonging, Elevate Care interview series—created by student interns to highlight voices advancing belonging across nursing education and practice. The inaugural interview featured Ernest Grant, then president of the American Nurses Association.

Starkweather emphasized that a strong sense of belonging is crucial to student success and professional growth. “What we know from the student-success story is that the more people feel that they belong, the better they’re going to do,” she said. “It’s one thing to say that we’re looking at those areas, but it’s another thing to actually have that impact that every student feels that they belong.”

She described belonging as understanding students as whole people—with families, jobs, and responsibilities—while preparing them for the realities of nursing. “Our opportunity as a school is to understand you as a person and also give you skills for your well-being—preparing you for what it takes to be a nurse and all of the things, the stresses and challenges that come along with it.”

That vision depends on creating “a community here that you can depend on and that you can navigate easily.”

Starkweather also linked patient-centered care to a sense of belonging. “We’ve got to be inclusive of all different cultures. . . because that meaning from the culture that they’re in has implications for how they see their health and what preferences they might have.”

Looking ahead, she said she remains optimistic about the profession’s direction. “I remain hopeful about where we’re going as a profession… our voice across the nation is very powerful.” Her advice to students: “Don’t be afraid. Be courageous and take that step forward.