
It is a joy to once again share news from the RUSH University College of Nursing. Our students, staff and faculty have been hard at work, and we’re excited to share our accomplishments and accolades with you.
In April, U.S. News & World Report released the 2023 Best Graduate School rankings. Once again, RUSH received high rankings, reinforcing our national reputation for excellence in nursing education. Our ranking for the Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree program was ranked No. 2 for the second consecutive year, and our Clinical Nurse Leader program secured the No. 1 spot nationwide. In addition to those two programs, five other programs were ranked in the Top 5, including Pediatric Primary Care (No. 2), Family Nurse Practitioner (No. 3), Psych Mental Health (No. 3), Adult Gerontology, Acute Care (No. 4), Adult Gerontology, Primary Care (No. 4) Nursing Administration (No. 5) and finally, our Generalist Entry Master’s program was ranked No. 10.
Our faculty’s unwavering dedication to their profession and strength in research have been on full display during the last several months. At regional and national conferences, our faculty have a strong presence that helps bolster our profile and showcase our leadership among professional and academic audiences. Recently, our faculty have won awards including:
Finally, I want to take a moment to recognize the graduates who crossed the stage in April. Nearly 300 nursing students participated in the 51st RUSH University commencement ceremony, where we were joined by U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, MSN/MPH, RN, FAAN, who represents Illinois’ 14th Congressional District, as our commencement speaker. She is the first person of color and the first millennial to represent her district in Congress. Rep. Underwood is a registered nurse and co-founder and co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, which addresses America’s Black maternal health crisis in Congress and advances policy solutions to improve maternal health outcomes and end disparities.
It is my sincere hope to see many of you this fall, either at the Magnet conferences in Chicago, or at one of our academy meetings in October. In the meantime, I hope you will stay connected with us. Without your unwavering commitment, none of these successes would have been possible. Thank you again for your enduring support of our mission.
P.S. I hope you will join us for the second annual RU All Alumni Weekend on Saturday, Oct. 14. More details will be shared soon. Contact alumni@rush.edu with questions.
Christine M Kennedy, RN, PhD, FAAN
Kellogg Dean, College of Nursing
Provost, Interim & Vice President