Deaconess College of Nursing
Deaconess, which means “one who is devoted to nursing,” became the name of a 19th century home that provided nursing care. The home was later converted into a school of nursing, where many young and unmarried women with a passion to care for the sick and the elderly received their nursing education. These dedicated women were one of the first registered nurses to provide quality nursing care. Their dedication and hard work eventually became the foundation of the Deaconess College of Nursing.
In its early days, the Deaconess sisters had devoted their entire lives into improving art and sciences in healthcare. Throughout the course of their work, they had also perfected the professionalism of Deaconess nurses that is the envy of other local and national nursing institutions.
The prestige of this college was escalated into greater heights when one of the greatest persons in nursing history, Florence Nightingale, finished her four-year education here. She subsequently went on to change the rules of modern professional nursing by linking hygiene to improved hospital conditions, thus helping to reduce death rates caused by unsanitary living conditions. Her success reflected the high standards of a Deaconess College of Nursing education, particularly for those who aim for excellence in the nursing vocation.
The Deaconess College of Nursing is now owned by DeVry, Inc., a North American higher education company listed in the New York Stock Exchange. Today, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program and the Associated of Science in Nursing (ASN) program for licensed practical nurses are run here. Both degree programs are available on campus or online, allowing working nurses the flexibility of a part-time or distance learning study course.
The curriculum has been molded to accommodate the busy schedules of practical nurses without compromising on quality. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 out of 4.0 is required for admission to the ASN program whereas a higher average of 2.75 is required of students applying for the BSN program. Currently, there are about 500 students at any one time, with a 10-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio.
Finally, students of the ASN program are expected to take the NCLEX after graduating from the program, whereas registered nurses who want to attend the BSN program are required to have an unrestricted license to practice nursing. Furthermore, many of the students (over 90%) studying at Deaconess College of Nursing have received financial aid for their tuition fees and living expenses, totaling a staggering $3 million. With a solid foundation and extensive education in both theory and practice, graduates of the Deaconess College of Nursing are set to make names for themselves in the world of nursing.
Deaconess has been renamed Chamberlain College of Nursing. For more information, visit Chamberlain College of Nursing.
