
It is a joy to once again share news from RUSH University College of Nursing. Our students, staff and faculty have been hard at work in each of their respective domains. Despite the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic that we still face, the excellence of our teams continues to shine through.
On March 29, U.S. News & World Report released the 2023 Best Graduate Schools rankings. Once again, RUSH received high marks, reinforcing our national reputation for excellence in nursing education. Our ranking for the Doctor of Nursing Practice, or DNP, degree program stayed among the top of the country at No. 2, and two additional programs — Pediatric Nurse Practitioner: Acute Care and Nursing Administration (Transformative Leadership: Systems) — claimed the No. 1 spot. Six other DNP specialties were ranked in the top four, and our master’s program was ranked No. 17. These robust rankings demonstrate the exceptional dedication and passion of our faculty, staff and students, particularly during the pandemic.
Our faculty’s unwavering dedication to their profession has been on full display during the last several months. They’ve had a strong presence at regional and national conferences that helps bolster our profile and showcase our leadership among professional and academic audiences. Several have also recently won awards, including:
In addition to the considerable national recognition, several emerging and establishedfaculty have recently received funding that has the potential to make significant changes to health care, including:
The people who make the College of Nursing a home for students and faculty are the staff — they are truly some of the most influential people in the entire University. Nearly 60% of the staff at the College of Nursing hold a master’s degree, and 15% have been at RUSH for more than a decade. Their expertise, dedication and passion do not go overlooked and are a hallmark of the experiences of our students.
Finally, I want to take a moment to recognize the graduates who crossed the stage in May. These nurses made it through despite the myriad challenges they faced during their academic careers, including the COVID-19 pandemic, shifting responsibilities at home and work, and new demands for distance learning and telemedicine. They will go into the world better prepared to care for patients, lead their units and their peers, and examine the structural forces that contribute to the health of the patients and communities. We are all so proud of their tenacity.
I sincerely hope to see many of you at our All Alumni Weekend celebration on Oct. 21-22. This will allow us to connect in person for the first time in far too long. We will celebrate not only the recent accomplishments of the College of Nursing but also the 50 years of excellence of RUSH University. I highly recommend you add this date to your calendar and plan to visit Chicago for the festivities this fall.