Welcome to the VCU School of Nursing
Welcome to the VCU School of Nursing. Established in 1893, the School has a proud heritage of educating the nation’s best nurses. While our School has grown dramatically and expanded its focus over the last century, our faculty, staff, students and alumni remain true to the core identity with which we were founded and that was to improve the quality of care of patients through the development of “educated nurses.” As the physician who called for the establishment of a school so poignantly pled, “our medicines and surgeries are of no avail, our patients are dying for want of educated nurses.” VCU educates nurses from entry level practice through the doctorate – all with the vision of improving the quality of care of the patients that we serve whether through direct care or through the conduct of research.
Today, the School is a leader in nursing education and research. VCU offers the full range of academic programs from baccalaureate to doctoral programs. Whether you’re pursuing your first nursing degree or you’re an experienced nurse seeking a B.S. or M.S. or Ph.D., the School has a program for you. The School enrolls more than 900 students in its various programs.
The School offers a rigorous education combining classes conducted in state of the science classrooms and clinical simulation laboratories to patient care experiences in Magnet hospitals and community clinics and physician offices. Our partnership with the VCU Health System, a level 1 trauma center with Magnet status, offers one of the best clinical experiences in the nation. Doctoral students work with faculty who have substantive programs of research, many of whom have NIH-funded projects.
The VCU School of Nursing faculty are nationally recognized for their contributions to research and education. Currently, the School is ranked 21st nationally in NIH funding thanks to the work of our dedicated researchers.
The School has been a P20 Center for Biobehavioral Clinical Research for the previous five years and has recently received a P30 as a Center of Excellence in Biobehavioral Approaches to Symptom Management. Faculty are committed to working as a community of scholars to advance the science of clinical care and they consider our students as essential participants in preparation of the next generation of researcher.
In 2007, the School moved into a new, state-of-the-science building. Our Clinical Learning Center, equipped with innovative simulation technology, has transformed nursing education for our students and faculty. The student lounge and School garden offer inviting spaces for students to relax, study or catch up with friends. There are also state-of-the-science bench laboratories that support the analysis of data supporting the biobehavioral research of faculty and students.
Throughout its history, the VCU School of Nursing has maintained a commitment to service. Even today, our students, faculty, staff and alumni continue to give back to the community and provide health care and education to those in need. VCU’s Nursing Students Without Borders participates in an annual trip to provide health care abroad. Locally, our faculty and students volunteer their time at community clinics that serve the underserved.
Wherever you are in nursing, whether that is considering it as a career or continuing your formal education, or considering a relocation for your academic career I hope you will consider VCU School of Nursing as a potential place for you.