NEW YORK, May 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, an estimated 500,000 registered nurses are expected to retire by 2022. To prevent a shortage of nurses in the healthcare field, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects over 1.1 million new nurses must enter the industry. The field of nursing provides job security, good wages, career advancement and diversity in the work environment. By becoming a nurse, the individual provides a fresh perspective of care and emotional support to patients and their family members.
As an aging population sets the stage for a nursing shortage, the American Health Council has named its choices for “America’s Best Nursing Schools” as follows:
1. JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
With a long and rich history entrenched in academic excellence, and a distinguished alumnus that includes renowned achievers: Mary Adelaide Nutting (World’s First Professor of Nursing), Isabel Hampton Robb (Founder of Modern American Nursing and the First Dean of the University) and Ernestine Wiedenbach (Major Authority in Maternity and Clinical Nursing) to name a few, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing is an institution that continues to pioneer innovation in nursing and contemporary medicine. Founded in 1889, Johns Hopkins University prides itself as one of the oldest schools of nursing in the nation. Ranked #1 nationally among graduate schools of nursing, #3 for online programs, and named the most innovative graduate program in nursing in the country, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing offers an array of academic programs from pre-licensure to masters and PhD programs.
2. WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS
Originally named “The Training School for Nurses,” Washington University in St. Louis School of Nursing was established in 1905. The university is a private research institute that is organized around seven schools including an outstanding medical and nursing school. At Washington University in St. Louis School of Nursing, prospective students will utilize new technology and real world experiences in their nursing academic programs. Students have an array of specialties to choose from including: neonatal and home care, nurse educator, pediatrics, family practitioner, forensics and much more, which provides students who graduate from this institution the opportunity for career growth in the nursing and healthcare industry.
3. UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
Located in Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania — also known as Penn Nursing — is ranked among the top graduate schools for nursing education in the United States. With a flexible undergraduate curriculum, Penn Nursing provides a traditional and fast track undergraduate program that includes a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree certificate attached at completion. This Ivy League institution has a 93% NCLEX pass rate for first-time US-educated test takers and is the only Ivy League institution to offer a bachelor’s, master’s and PhD degree program. Lastly, Penn Nursing is the ideal choice due to their laboratory of innovative and translational nursing research, where nurses can research on genetics, biochemistry, metabolism and much more.
4. UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL
According to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) has been ranked 1st among the 100 best U.S. public colleges facilitating premium academics at an affordable price. With a reputation of excellence spanning three centuries, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers a solid undergraduate field of study which includes: 77 bachelor’s degrees, 109 master’s degrees and 66 doctoral degrees. The School of Nursing at UNC-Chapel Hill is recognized as one of the best in the nation in upholding excellence in education, practice and research in nursing. Each program is designed to provide students with the requisite knowledge, skills and understanding necessary to function effectively the field of nursing.
5. UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH
Established in 1939, the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing consistently ranks high in several areas of specialization including: anesthesia, psychiatric/mental health clinical nursing, and pediatric primary care. Equipped with a faculty of fellows from the American Academy of Nursing, the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing is a top-notch nursing school offering undergraduate (BSN), accelerated 2nd degree BSN, post graduate (MSN), doctorate (Doctor of Nursing) and online programs respectively.
6. NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
Located in the heart of New York City’s Midtown Manhattan, New York University (NYU) Rory Meyers College of Nursing was originally founded in 1932 and over a decade later in 1947, the nursing education program was established. With a state-of-the-art clinical simulation center, the nursing school provides students with hands-on opportunities to become accustomed to the latest in medical procedures and tools. Ranked 5th overall in research funding by the National Institute of Health, NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing offers undergraduate, graduate and clinical health programs in both a traditional (4 years) and accelerated (15 months) setting.
7. DUKE UNIVERSITY
Nationally recognized as a research driven institution, Duke University School of Nursing was one of the first schools in the country to offer a graduate nursing program. Established in 1931, Duke University School of Nursing was developed under the direction of Dean Bessie Baker and Instructor Ann Henshaw Gardiner. As one of the nation’s top school of nursing, Duke University School of Nursing offers several undergraduate, post graduate and doctorate programs. Additionally, the nursing school offers online master’s and doctorate program to aid distance learning. Adorned in Georgian style architecture, the campus of Duke University is equipped with state-of-the-art cutting edge technology to bolster learning and research.
8. CASE WESTERN UNIVERSITY
Located in Cleveland, Ohio, Case Western University Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing serves as the nation’s top ranked nursing school due to a rich history and culture of attaining distinction and innovation in nursing education, research and service provision. Established in 1923, Case Western University Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing offers a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, with an array of specialized master’s programs, tailor-made for students according to their dissenting educational interests and areas of practice. As the home of one of ten World Health Organization centers in the U.S., Case Western University Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing is a pioneer in the development of the nation’s first practice doctorate in nursing, acute care nurse practitioner program, gerontological nursing program, BSN perioperative requirement, and the advanced practice flight nursing program.
9. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
Founded in 1949, University of California Los Angeles School of Nursing is one of the professional schools of the UCLA Center for the Health Sciences. With a faculty of forty-seven tenured and thirty-eight adjunct professors, UCLA School of Nursing provides the intimacy of a small school setting, coupled with the benefits of being a component of one of the world’s largest research universities. The school offers undergraduate, graduate, and PhD programs in nursing with a demanding course of study in both a classroom and clinical setting.
10. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO
Honored as the Top Public Recipient of NIH Research Funding for six consecutive years, the University of California San Francisco School of Nursing has upheld a reputation of exemplar of excellence and innovation. With over a century long worth of nursing education history, UCSF School of Nursing has trained and graduated the next generation of leaders in the field of clinical care, policy development, academia and nursing research within the state and around the nation. The school offers a variety of undergraduate, graduate and doctorate programs in the following specialties: adult gerontology, occupational & environmental health nursing, sociology, advanced public health nursing, and much more.
For more information on the “Best Nursing Schools in America” for 2017, please visit: https://bestinnursing.org/best-nursing-schools/
About the American Health Council:
The American Health Council is the nation’s only organization with a constituency representative of all sectors of the healthcare industry. From the coasts to the heartland, the American Health Council has drawn Affiliates from major metropolitan hubs and small communities. These Affiliates span generations and have reached different stages of their careers — from recent graduates to retirees. More information about the American Health Council and its mission can be found at: http://americanhealthcouncil.org
Additionally, the American Health Council strives to provide recognition and support for those individuals and institutions making the difference in patients’ lives day in and day out. Throughout 2017, the AHC is honoring “America’s Best Doctors and Nurses,” as well as the nation’s best medical universities and hospitals. The American Health Council’s “Best in Medicine” and “Best in Nursing” awards programs honor the individuals and institutions that have contributed significantly to medicine and nursing, as well as the training and education of physicians and nurses. The most current selections for these honors may be viewed here: http://bestinmedicine.org and http://bestinnursing.org.