MARION BURNS TUCK ’ 74
Marion Burns Tuck , PhD , RN , NEA-BC , FACHE , came to Gwynedd Mercy University ( then Gwynedd Mercy College ) in the early 1970s as a nursing student with two years of experience already under her belt , at a time when few schools would recognize her work in the field .
“ When I wanted to pursue a bachelor ’ s of nursing degree , I went to every college and university in southeastern Pennsylvania , and it was very onerous what it would take to proceed ,” Dr . Tuck explained . “ GMercyU recognized my experience as a nurse and didn ’ t require that I start from the beginning . They offered a lot of flexibility , permitted me to ‘ challenge ’ courses with which I was familiar , like Fundamentals of Nursing , Anatomy and Physiology , etc ., and met my needs well . Looking back , GMercyU ’ s perspective felt very future-oriented . They saw students like me as an opportunity .”
It ’ s why Dr . Tuck prioritizes paying it forward to GMercyU . As a supporter , she has been a member of our Mother Mary Bernard Graham Society . She has also recently established the Marion Burns Tuck ’ 74 PhD Endowed Scholarship for Nursing .
“ GMercyU was there for me when I needed them ; they got me on a great path . I ’ ve been fortunate and I have been successful , and now it ’ s time to give back ,” she said .
Today , Dr . Tuck sits on the advisory board for GMercyU ’ s nursing programs , sharing her decades of varied experience in the field . She worked as a nurse and nurse educator and in 1997 , became a board-certified Nursing Executive , Advanced ( NEA- BC ). For 18 years , she served as VP of Patient Services & Chief Nursing Officer ( CNO ) of Chestnut Hill HealthCare , where she watched many GMercyU nursing students thrive in their clinical experiences .
Prior to being a CNO , Dr . Tuck was the Director of Medical and Psychiatric Nursing at Temple University Hospital and later the Director of Organizational Development at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital Dept . of Nursing . Currently , she ’ s the Executive Director for the Pennsylvania Organization of Nurse Leaders ( PONL ). She is also a Fellow of the American College of Health Care Executives ( FACHE ) and was a
Johnson & Johnson Nurse Executive Fellow at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania . She has been published multiple times .
Dr . Tuck recognizes that recent years have been a challenging time for nurses everywhere , but she sees it as an opportunity to make positive change in healthcare , to promote legislation that supports nursing and nursing education .
“ Nursing is a calling ; it ’ s a meaningful career ,” she said . “ There is power in sharing your stories as we work to make the profession better for all .”
Favorite Memories of GMercyU
“ When I started at GMercyU , the school was tiny and I don ’ t believe they had any male students yet ,” said Dr . Tuck , who looks back fondly on her time at GMercyU and is still in touch with many of her classmates .
“ I attended during the latter part of the Vietnam War . One day , a student who was very vocal about it stood up on a box in the courtyard to protest , and I remember thinking , how tolerant of the nuns – who were normally pretty strict at the time – to allow this . It struck me .
“ And , I do love dogs . The Sisters who lived in Assumption Hall back then had a huge , huge German Shepherd named Schatz [ pronounced “ shot-zee ”], which means ‘ sweetheart ’ in German . Schatz had free reign of the campus , and with our classroom doors open , she would come and walk up and down the aisles during class . I loved that . Maybe not everyone would !”
PRESIDENT ’ S REPORT 11