Welcome from the Department Chair, Nursing

As the chair of the Department of Nursing, I wholeheartedly welcome your interest in our nursing program.  I invite you to tour our Web site and visit our campus to see what makes the Department of Nursing at Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies a leader in nursing education.

Founded in 1903, our nursing programs are among the oldest in the country.  The Department of Nursing remains one of the most distinct in its continued perpetuation of the Catholic, Jesuit philosophy of cura personalis or “care of the whole person.”  The foundation of the nursing program is built upon recognition of the dignity of human beings; the growth-affirming role of society; health as a dynamic entity; the complex, caring nature of nursing; and the individualized, lifelong process of education. 

In lectures and clinical courses, the necessity of incorporating this philosophy in the profession of nursing is ingrained in the student’s learning.  In addition, students are provided opportunities to witness firsthand the impact of integrating compassionate care and intellectual astuteness by traveling with faculty members to South Africa to assist in AIDS outreach or to Nicaragua to treat underserved vulnerable populations, and even by working with faculty experts to develop innovative research projects of their choosing.

Our nursing programs continue to garner acclaim and to distinguish themselves scholastically. Our graduate nursing program is ranked 32nd, our nurse anesthesia program is ranked 6th, and our nurse midwifery program is ranked 21st by U.S. News & World Report. Similarly, the undergraduate program remains exceptionally strong. Since December 2002, 97 percent of undergraduate nursing alumni from Georgetown have passed the NCLEX-RN on their first attempt.

We consider one of our greatest measures of success and sources of pride to be the caliber of alumni we produce.   We look forward to hearing from you as you explore our program.      

Best,

Michael Relf, PhD, RN, APRN, BC, AACRN, CCRN
Chair, Department of Nursing