Title:Called to be…a leader in nursing 

Eileen Brennan Ferrell (N’75, G’83)

Eileen Brennan Ferrell recently retired from her position as senior vice president and chief nursing officer at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. Ferrell is the co-chair of the Berkley School of Nursing Board of Advisors and also chaired the school’s 100th Anniversary Gala in 2003. 

Find out more about her life in service to others.

What was your first impression of Georgetown?

I always knew I wanted to be a nurse. I had applied to the top five nursing schools in the country, and I knew when I visited Georgetown that it was the right place for me. My family fostered all of the Jesuit traditions—growing up in Boston, my siblings and I were very involved in community service—and I looked for a school that centered people for others. 

The dorms were intermingled between the different schools—not just the nurses—and that was really important for me. The sense of belonging with my classmates was terrific, but I was the most homesick student until I adjusted.

When looking at colleges, the possibility of living in Washington, DC, was very attractive. Now, I’ve spent my whole life here as a result of discovering what Georgetown had to offer. I love it here. Georgetown has also given me leadership skills—I’m privileged to have grown from a new-to-practice nurse to overseeing  1,400 nurses as the MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Chief Nursing Officer.

How did your time at Georgetown shape you?

I knew Georgetown was going to give me the opportunity to go in any direction I wanted. I am so proud to have had a 50-year career in nursing and so many great opportunities. It’s been an honor and privilege for me to care for patients, complete strangers, in their most intimate moments. I also did my graduate degree at Georgetown as a Robert Wood Johnson Scholar, and my two additional years were just as great.

How do you feel about Georgetown today? 

I was the event chair for the School of Nursing 100th Anniversary celebration. We had the greatest time—a culmination of total respect and honoring what nurses do.

Volunteering is such a joy. It takes time and effort, but the rewards are incredible. I can connect with everyone from the newest alums to those who are more than 50 years out of Georgetown. I also think the Berkley School of Nursing has such an expansive future right now; Dean Roberta Waite has already done remarkable things.

The cura personalis, care for the whole person, theme has run through health care at Georgetown from the very start. I believe that you don’t find that in a lot of hospitals. It doesn’t matter if a patient is homeless or has Secret Service protection—they’re all the same, and treating them with extraordinary care and excellence is key. Throughout any changes, we attempt every day to do just that.

It is a very challenging—increasingly challenging—job being a nurse. But it’s a tremendous privilege that this stranger is letting me take care of them. That’s how I get rejuvenated every day. There are days where outcomes aren’t what we wish, but there’s always someone to say ‘tomorrow’s going to be better.’ Those collegial kinds of relationships and the interdisciplinary approach here makes it much easier to have more success the next day.

Nurses have made significant contributions, especially since March 7, 2020, when the first COVID patient came to MedStar Georgetown Hospital. I’d say all of the qualities and lessons I’ve learned here as a student and a nurse were really highlighted with the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone involved in healthcare w​as scared for their ​loved ones and themselves, but what did they do? They ​still came back to care for patients each and every day​, during COVID-19​ and after​—simply amazing.

People ask, ‘Would you be a nurse again if you could?’ One hundred percent, yes.

In recognition of her achievements and service, Ferrell received the John Carroll Award in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 5, 2025. The John Carroll Award is named for Archbishop John Carroll, the first Catholic bishop in North America and founder of Georgetown University. Established in 1951, this award is conferred upon alumni whose achievements and record of service exemplify the ideals and traditions of Georgetown and its founder.