The Nursing Programs
Established in 1933 as the first baccalaureate program in nursing in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the School of Nursing at Spalding University remains a leader in assuring excellence in nursing practice through innovation in nursing education. The rich heritage of nice decades of nursing education coupled with high educational standards and a commitment to learning and service with others has positioned its more than 3,000 graduates for serving the well and the sick across multiple clinical and non-clinical agencies. The School of Nursing has placed graduates as managers and leaders in health care, health care ethics, public policy, and health care systems, as well as advanced practice nurses, throughout the state of Kentucky, across the United States and abroad.

The School offers a Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing (BSN), a Master's Degree in Nursing (MSN), and a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). Two program options are available for students interested in pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Nursing: an Upper Division Pre-licensure BSN Program for students seeking their first degree in nursing and Accelerated Second Degree BSN option for students who have already earned a baccalaureate degree in another discipline.

The Master's Degree Program offers three tracks for study: Family Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Educator, and Nursing and Healthcare Leadership. There is also a Post-Master Certificate in Family Nurse Practitioner offered. For RN's who hold a bachelors degree in another discipline, there is a specially designed RN to MSN Bridge option allowing them to advance quickly into the MSN Program. 

The BSN and MSN programs are fully accredited by the Southern Association of College and Schools and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org). The School holds agency membership with the American Association of Colleges and Schools, the National League for Nursing, the Kentucky Association of Baccalaureate and Higher Degree Nursing Programs, and the National Association Nurse Practitioner Faculties. The pre-licensure programs are approved by the Kentucky Board of Nursing. The School of Nursing is also an approved provider of continuing education programs for registered nurses through the Kentucky Board of Nursing.

Mission and Vision of the School of Nursing
The School of Nursing embraces the Mission statement of Spalding University. Building on liberal education competencies, the Mission of the School is to prepare students to provide evidence based, safe, effective, holistic, quality care, grounded in spiritual values to the diverse communities that we serve through judicious use of resources.

School of Nursing Program Outcomes
The undergraduate and graduate programs share one set of learning outcomes used to guide content levels and desired competencies for the specified degree. These outcomes are based on The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education published by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) published in 2021. The Essentials provide a framework for preparing individuals as members of the discipline of nursing. By the time a student progresses through the program to graduation, each will have demonstrated the knowledge and competencies required for a successful career in the profession. The link between the School of Nursing program outcomes and the specific domains as outlined in the Essentials are identified in parentheses after each of the outcome statements listed below.

Upon completion of the BSN and MSN Nursing Programs at Spalding University, all graduates will be able to:

1. Promote health and safety of the nurses through self-reflection and self-care behaviors to preserve the well-being and wholeness of character while fostering personal and professional growth. (AACN Essential 10)

2. Demonstrate principles of collaboration across various healthcare settings, utilizing a holistic team approach, to facilitate health promotion, wellness, disease management, and promote equitable health outcomes for diverse populations. (AACN Essential 3,6,7)

3. Communicate effectively using oral, written, and information technology in a variety of settings, with diverse individuals and groups (AACN Essentials 2,8)

4. Integrate knowledge of the liberal arts, natural and social sciences, and the discipline of nursing to promote professional practice and continuous development. (AACN Essential 1)

5. Use evidence-based practice, research, and critical thinking skills to provide therapeutic interventions and influence the delivery of care across the lifespan; (AACN Essentials 2, 4)

6. Integrate professional values, ethical, legal conduct to the delivery of nursing practice to cultivate the formation of sustainable professional identity, including accountability, and a collaborative disposition that reflect nursing’s characteristics and values. (AACN Essential 9)

7. Apply leadership concepts and skills and engage in professional development to promote safe, quality practice across multiple healthcare settings. (AACN Essentials 2,5,10)

8. Integrate a holistic team approach to facilitate caring and respect for human dignity in professional nursing practice to individuals, families, and communities in diverse populations (AACN Essentials 2,6)

Admission
The specific admission requirements for each of the programs offered in the School of Nursing are addressed at the program level. Click on the link below for desired program.