The School of Nursing was established at UCLA in 1949 and rapidly became a leading school of nursing in the U.S. Now the school enjoys a national and international reputation for excellence in teaching, research, and clinical practice.
One of the strengths of the school is its teaching of the scientific basis for nursing practice, leadership, and research. Related clinical experiences are arranged within the UCLA Medical Center, its affiliates, or in selected community sites. Education at the baccalaureate level is generic in preparing students for licensure as registered nurses and certification as public health nurses. At the master's level there are advanced practice options in primary care, acute care, and nursing administration. The majority of graduate students acquire expertise as nurse practitioners, with several options for clinical preparation in primary or acute care. The doctoral program prepares scholars who do original research, generate new theories, and build the scientific basis for professional nursing practice. Research is both basic and applied.
The School of Nursing has an exceptionally well-qualified faculty, and many have earned national and international reputations for excellence. The school is consistently ranked high for its teaching and research programs. The innovative curriculum is responsive to national needs in health care and the diversity of the patient population. Graduates of the program are sought by health care institutions and educational programs, and many alumni have become leaders in the field. Education in this research University with its full range of academic disciplines provides a rich environment for preparation in the health sciences.
The UCLA School of Nursing gives direction to interested potential applicants through monthly open counseling sessions. If you are interested in the academic programs offered, you are urged to attend a counseling session or request a copy of the Announcement of the UCLA School of Nursing by writing to the Student Affairs Office, School of Nursing, 2-200 Factor Building, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1702 (310-825-7181, Tuesday through Thursday).
In 1949 The Regents of the University authorized the School of Nursing as one of the professional schools of the UCLA Center for the Health Sciences. This action paved the way for the development of an undergraduate basic program in nursing leading to the Bachelor of Science degree and made possible the establishment of a graduate program leading to the Master of Science degree. In 1965 the Master of Nursing degree was established as an alternate option to the M.S. degree. The Master of Science degree program was discontinued in 1971. The Regents approved the Doctor of Nursing Science degree program in 1986, and in Fall Quarter 1987 the first doctoral students were admitted.
The baccalaureate program has been continuously approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing since 1949. The School of Nursing became an agency member of the Department of Baccalaureate and Higher Degree Programs of the National League for Nursing in 1952. The Accrediting Service of the National League for Nursing has granted full accreditation to the programs since 1954.
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Master of Nursing (M.N.)
Doctor of Nursing Science (D.N.Sc.)
The UCLA School of Nursing is guided by a philosophy which embodies the mission and goals of the University of California. The philosophy addresses nursing, the clients of nursing, and nursing students.
Nursing encompasses clinical practice, education, research, consultation, leadership, and service to the profession and the community. It involves individuals, families, groups, and communities as clients and the human and physical environments which interact with these clients. Nursing clients may be well or ill with health conditions that range from wellness to illness, so nursing activities include health promotion and maintenance, intervention and treatment, rehabilitation and restoration, and palliation. Nursing research is both applied and basic and has as its core actual or potential human responses to illness and as its goal the development of nursing science. Guided by ethical standards which consider the perspectives of the client, the health care provider, and the larger society, nursing has a social mission which encompasses the right and responsibility to provide health care to all its clients regardless of their disease status, race, or culture.
Persons who are the recipients of client-centered nursing care are considered as complex individuals who exist in relationship to others in their family and community. This complexity of person involves biological, behavioral, emotional, sociocultural, and spiritual dimensions. Each individual reflects a unique combination of these dimensions which interact dynamically with the environment. The clients of nursing are autonomous decision makers who have certain values and knowledge about themselves that not only are relevant but essential to successful health care outcomes. As a result, persons have a right and a responsibility to participate collaboratively with the nurse and other health professionals in their care.
Successful nursing students are active learners who bring unique gender, cultural, and ethnic life experiences to the professional practice of nursing. Students in all three programs (baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral) learn relevant theory, acquire practice skills, and are socialized into the profession of nursing. Increasing levels of complexity and sophistication of learning and socialization are expected of students in the different programs. Whether at the basic, specialist, or scholar level, nursing students learn to apply knowledge, skills, and professional attitudes in their practice which may include educative, administrative, and research arenas. While students have the right and responsibility to participate in their own learning, faculty members have the right and responsibility to structure the teaching/learning environment to facilitate learning. Individual academic counseling and a variety of one-on-one, small-group, and interactive learning formats assist students to meet program and individual learning goals.