The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of nurses and health care workers. In frontline and leadership roles, nurses continue to care for their communities in the face of the pandemic providing direct care, vaccinations and adapting systems to meet health care needs.
In the midst of the pandemic, the UAB School of Nursing has once again risen in the rankings for its graduate programs. In the 2022 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Graduate Schools,” the UAB School of Nursing’s MSN program is ranked 13, up from 15 in 2021. The DNP program is ranked 18 up from 19 in 2021.
“In a time when nurses and nursing are more important than ever, the UAB School of Nursing continues to strive to produce the next generation of nurse leaders and to offer opportunities for career advancement and excellence in nursing,” said Dean and Fay B. Ireland Endowed Chair in Nursing Doreen C. Harper, PhD, RN, FAAN. “While our actions, and not rankings, are the true basis for our impact and influence on our community and community health, these rankings give us a chance to reflect on the great work we accomplished in a year full of challenges.”
Four of the School’s specialties in the MSN and DNP programs also are ranked. Specialty rankings are based upon reputational assessments by nursing school deans and deans of graduate studies. Six of the School’s programs were ranked in the top 20 and four in the top 10 rankings for USNWR:
- Masters in Nursing Administration remains at No. 6
- Masters Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner rose to No. 6
- Masters Family Nurse Practitioner is No. 10
- Doctor of Nursing Practice Family Nurse Practitioner rose to No. 4.
This marks the second time this year for a rise in rankings for UAB School of Nursing. In February, the School ranked No. 11 overall and No. 5 among public schools of nursing in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding rankings for fiscal year 2020, as published by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research. This marks a four-spot climb from its FY2019 rank of No. 15, reflecting the School’s dedication to an ever-growing research portfolio, with more than a $1 million increase in NIH funding to $5.9 million in NIH research funding for fiscal year 2020, and an annual total of $12.7 million. The latter figure recognizes the funding contributions from all missions—research, teaching, practice and scholarship.
“These rankings are just one reflection of the dedication of UAB School of Nursing faculty, staff, students, alumni and supporters,” said UAB School of Nursing Professor and Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Linda Moneyham, PhD, RN, FAAN. “2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic brought countless challenges to nursing education, practice and research, as well as the profession as a whole, but the UAB School of Nursing community remained committed to continuous improvement and to preparing the nurses who will lead innovative care and teams.”
While rankings are a helpful tool with which to monitor progress, Harper added that it remains even more important to focus on the School’s mission to shape patient-centered health care for all persons by preparing recognized nurse leaders who excel across the care spectrum.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated important conversations regarding access to care, health equity and other social determinants of health. As we look forward, with hope, to the promise of vaccinations and a potential light at the end of the tunnel, we must also bring with us all of the lessons we have learned over the last year,” Harper said. “As a School of Nursing, we remain dedicated to educating innovative leaders who transform health and health care and who create a culture of health in our communities and beyond.”
