HISTORY IN BRIEF
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing has been the leader in nursing education in North Carolina throughout its history.
The School of Nursing was established in 1950 in response to the overwhelming need for nurses in North Carolina. It was the first nursing school in the state to: offer a four-year bachelor’s degree (1950), offer a master’s degree in nursing (1955), initiate continuing education for nurses (1964), offer a PhD in nursing (1989), and offer an accelerated bachelor’s degree option for second degree students (2001).
Today, the School is renowned for its academic programs, its research and its commitment to clinical and community service in state, national and global communities.
RANKINGS
PROGRAMS OF STUDY
The School of Nursing offers an array of educational programs to prepare students for leadership roles in professional nursing. Career goals of students range from entry-level professional nursing practice to advanced practice roles. Students also prepare for careers as nurse scientists, educators and healthcare leaders in public and private sectors.
The School of Nursing is committed to creating a diverse, multicultural learning community to meet life-long educational needs of students with diverse backgrounds and goals. Particular emphasis is placed on preparing culturally competent clinicians and researchers who will assist in meeting the challenges of a rapidly changing healthcare delivery system. Programs include:
STUDENTS AND FACULTY
Students:
Faculty:
More than 400 area health experts volunteer their time as community-based preceptors for students at the School of Nursing.
PRIMARY RESEARCH INITIATIVES
The School of Nursing is home to both the Center for Research on Chronic Illness (CRCI) and the Center for Innovation in Health Disparities Research (CIDHR).
The CRCI facilitates multidisciplinary studies on the prevention and management of chronic illnesses in vulnerable people. Special emphasis is given to designing theory-based, culturally sensitive interventions and to incorporating biobehavioral outcome measures.
The CIHDR is a joint initiative with Winston-Salem State University and North Carolina Central University, both Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The Center works to reduce health disparities by increasing the capacity for culturally competent nursing research and provides enrichment experiences for minority nursing students, research development and consultation for faculty, support for pilot studies and community outreach.
The School’s research initiatives are supported by the Research Support Center and the Biobehavioral Laboratory.
Total research funding for the past year exceeded $8.6 million. Funded studies include research on the following:
PRIMARY SERVICE INITIATIVES
Fourteen faculty members practice part-time as nurses, nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists in local hospitals, clinics, health departments and other community settings.
The School of Nursing’s Office of Continuing Education offered 83 programs to 3,876 nurses from across North Carolina and the nation in 2005-2006.
Through work with the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers, the value of direct care provided by faculty and students to state citizens exceeds $1 million annually.
