Tours
The Noble Profession of Nursing
The School of Nursing at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) in Jackson has a rich history that dates back to 1948, when it was established as the state's first baccalaureate nursing program. Initially, it was part of the Department of Nursing within the School of Medicine at the University of Mississippi in Oxford. In 1956, the nursing program moved to the UMMC campus in Jackson, and two years later, it became an independent School of Nursing.
The school has played a pivotal role in nursing education in Mississippi, offering the state’s first graduate nursing program in 1970. This program has since expanded to include master's, doctoral (PhD in 1997, DNP in 2009), and post-graduate certificate programs.
Over the decades, the school has trained thousands of nurses and has evolved to meet the demands of modern healthcare with innovative simulation labs and multiple degree tracks.
The School of Nursing celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2023, marking decades of contributions to healthcare education in Mississippi. A new state-of-the-art facility is set to open in 2024, enhancing its ability to provide cutting-edge training.
The University of Mississippi School of Nursing assumes responsibility for providing the people of Mississippi with registered nurses of high professional competence, as well as for raising the professional and educational standards of the nurses already practicing in Mississippi. Named after its first dean, the School of Nursing is housed in the Christine L. Oglevee building, which adjoins the UMMC hospitals. As a professional school functioning within the general framework and policies of the University of Mississippi, the School of Nursing reflects the purpose of the University of Mississippi in its educational services for the state of Mississippi.
A concise SON timeline
- 1948: The Mississippi State Legislature authorized the establishment of the Department of Nursing on the campus of the University of Mississippi in Oxford. This was Mississippi's first baccalaureate nursing program.
- 1956: The Department of Nursing moved to the University of Mississippi Medical Center campus in Jackson.
- 1958: The Department of Nursing became the School of Nursing.
- 1970: The UMMC School of Nursing established Mississippi's first graduate nursing program. The Master of Science in Nursing program now offers six tracks of study: Acute Care Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Educator, Nursing and Health Care Administrator and Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.
- 1997: The University of Mississippi School of Nursing, in collaboration with the University of Southern Mississippi, established a PhD in Nursing program.
- 1998: The School of Nursing opened its first nurse-managed primary-care clinic, UNACARE. Since its opening, the clinic has provided health-care services and education to more than 25,000 patients.
- 1999: University Nursing Associates began operating its first school-based clinic at Johnson Elementary. This was the first nurse-managed school health center in Mississippi.
- 2001: Funded by the Vicksburg Sisters of Mercy, the Mercy Delta Express mobile clinic rolled out to provide health care and health education to counties of the Mississippi Delta.
- 2006: The Accelerated BSN program admitted its first students.
- 2008: Two additional school-based clinics opened at Brown Elementary School and Rowan Middle School.
- 2009: The School of Nursing began offering the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program.
- 2013: The School of Nursing established a BSN-DNP program.
- 2014: In an effort to keep the ever-changing needs of students and the health-care needs of our state, the School of Nursing established flexibility of entry points for pursing higher education in nursing. Options expanded to offering the RN-BSN, RN-MSN, BSN-DNP and BSN-PhD, as well as the traditional 2+2 BSN program and the Accelerated BSN program for students with a baccalaureate degree. The first class of BSN-PhD students were admitted, and the Accelerated BSN program, which up until this point had only been available in Jackson, also admitted a class of students in Oxford.