History & Mission
History
The School of Nursing traces its beginning to the summer of 1932 when The Catholic University of America for the first time offered a group of professional courses in nursing education. Because of the demand, the work continued during the following academic year and in April 1933 the Board of Trustees authorized a curriculum leading to the degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing Education. The first degree was conferred in 1934. The Division of Nursing Education, which offered this program, was approved for active membership in the Association of Collegiate Schools of Nursing in June 1935. The Division of Public Health Nursing, offering a curriculum leading to the baccalaureate degree, was initiated in September 1935. In November 1935, the Board of Trustees accepted the recommendation of Bishop James Hugh Ryan that the two divisions be organized as one of the professional schools of the university. The programs of study leading to the degrees of Bachelor of Science in Nursing Education and Bachelor of Science in Public Health Nursing were approved. The school was subsequently expanded to include basic professional nursing in addition to the program for registered nurses. In 1939 the Providence Hospital School of Nursing, Washington, D.C., became the Providence Division of the School of Nursing Education and during the next decade gradually moved toward complete identification with the University. In 1949 the University assumed full responsibility for the undergraduate program.
In 1951 the degree of Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) was introduced. The current program prepares nurses for advanced practice roles as nurse practitioners (NPs) with a specific population focus. A program leading to the degree Doctor of Nursing Science (D.N.Sc) was initiated in 1968.It was one of the first of its kind in the country and graduates hold major leadership positions in education, health care administration, and research.
In the spring of 2006, the D.N.Sc. program transitioned to a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) program. The focus of the Ph.D. program remains on clinical investigation and the development of nurse scientists who can assume leadership positions in many different areas. In 2007 the school added a Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) program that prepares expert clinicians and nursing leaders. In 2013, the school added on-line programs for those pursuing an M.S.N. (family nurse practitioner, pediatric primary care or pediatric primary and acute care nurse practitioner, or adult-gerontology nurse practitioner concentrations), D.N.P. or Ph.D. In addition, post-graduate certificate programs are offered on-line for Family, Adult-Gerontology, and Primary and Acute Care Pediatric NPs.
In recognition of William and Joanne Conway’s extraordinary support for the Catholic University of America School of Nursing, the school was renamed the Conway School of Nursing in 2019. Through their Bedford Falls Trust, the Conways have devoted significant philanthropic gifts to support their goal of educating thousands of nurses.
The school is recognized for its program offerings, the quality of faculty, and commitment to diversity and improving the care of vulnerable populations. Graduates remain the school's greatest strength due to their leadership, knowledge, clinical expertise, and commitment to continuous learning and improvement.
The Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.), post-graduate certificates and the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs are fully accredited and approved by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and other appropriate external review bodies.
Mission
Strengthened by a rich heritage of Catholic teachings and Christian values, the mission of the School of Nursing is (a) to prepare professionally educated nurses who are capable of the moral, intellectual, and professional leadership needed to provide continuing quality in clinical nursing care, in nursing education, in nursing research, and in nursing service; and, (b) to advance nursing knowledge and skill through scientific inquiry and other scholarly activity.