Tuskegee Institute Training School of Nurses was registered with the State Board of Nursing in Alabama in September 1892 under the auspices of the John A. Andrew Memorial Hospital to give instruction to young men and women of color who desired to learn the art of caring for the sick. The increasing demand for trained nurses in the South necessitated the establishment of a regular three- year diploma program for nurses at Tuskegee Institute in 1908, thereby enabling curricular courses offered to carry Institute course designations and credit

The Alabama State Board of Examiners in its report dated May 19, 1947, included commendation on the progress of the School of Nursing. In 1948, the School began its baccalaureate program leading to the Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. The program holds the distinction of being the first Baccalaureate program in the State of Alabama. The nursing program also holds the distinction of being one of the oldest baccalaureate programs at a historically Black institution in continuous operation in the nation today. The three-year diploma program was subsequently phased out, and the last student graduated in 1953. In the Fall of 1996, the School of Nursing and Allied Health and the School of Veterinary Medicine were joined to form the College of Veterinary Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health, one of five (5) Colleges within the University. On July 1, 2016 The School of Nursing and Allied Health was once again a separate school.

Mission/Purpose Statement

The purposes of the baccalaureate program in nursing are to provide: educational preparation for the practice of professional nursing in a variety of settings; and a basis for graduate study and lifelong learning.

The philosophical tenets of the Department of Nursing have grown out of those that pervade the University which are to: develop high-order intellectual and moral qualities among students, and stress the connection between education and the leadership Americans need for highly trained leaders in general, especially for the workforce of the 21st Century and beyond. A major outcome we seek is to prepare them to assume effective professional and leadership roles in society and to become productive citizens in the national and world community.

Accreditation

The Nursing program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education of Nurses (ACEN), 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, GA 30326, Phone: (404) 975- 5000. The program is approved by the Alabama Board of Nursing, RSA Plaza, Suite 250, 770 Washington Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36130, Phone: (334) 742-4060.

Degree Offered

The Department of Nursing offers a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN) built upon a foundation of science and liberal education which prepares students from diverse geographical, cultural, educational, and socioeconomic backgrounds as professional nurses for leadership roles and graduate study in nursing. The graduate is prepared to utilize theory and evidenced based knowledge in the provision of care of individual, family, group, communities, and populations in a global society with flexibility to adapt to the changing nature of health care and health care roles.