About the College of Nursing

Our national reputation for clinical excellence helps make our graduates highly sought after by top health care employers around the country.

Whether you graduate as a new nurse or are advancing your current practice with a doctorate, a degree from Rush prepares you to be a leader in the nursing profession.

Our mission

The mission of Rush University College of Nursing is to integrate nursing practice, scholarship, and education throughout the diverse communities we serve and to boldly lead health care transformation to ensure health equity across the continuum of care.

Our history

The College of Nursing’s heritage dates back to 1885, when our first antecedent, the St. Luke’s Hospital Training School of Nursing, opened to offer diploma education to nurses. In 1903, the Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing accepted its first students. From 1956 to 1968, nurses were taught at the merged Presbyterian-St. Luke’s School of Nursing. Before the establishment of the College of Nursing in 1972, more than 7,000 nurses had graduated from these schools.

The College of Nursing today

Today, well over 7,000 baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral students have graduated from Rush University College of Nursing. The first bachelor’s and master’s degrees were awarded in 1975, the first doctor of nursing science degree was awarded in 1980 and the first practice doctorate was awarded in 1990.

Current nursing programs are offered from the master’s through the doctoral (DNP and PhD) levels. The last baccalaureate class graduated in June 2009. The generalist entry master’s (GEM) is the prelicensure program for entry into RN practice. Students are automatically members of the Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Nurses Alumni Association upon graduation.