Overview of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Nursing was present on the Florida International University campus from 1972 to 1978 when a RN-BSN degree was offered through the School of Public Affairs and Services. In 1982 the School of Nursing was established as an upper division unit through start-up funds provided by nine Miami hospitals. These institutions were concerned about the acute nursing shortage and were interested in providing baccalaureate education for qualified men and women who could assume beginning leadership positions in health care in the rapidly growing southeast Florida area.

During 1997 the School merged with the College of Health to create a new academic unit, the College of Health Sciences. The College of Health Sciences included the School of Nursing and the Departments of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Dietetics and Nutrition, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Public Health, Health Information Management, and Speech-Language Pathology. The rationale for the merger was to enhance one of the University’s strategic themes, Health, through the development of interdisciplinary education and research within the health care field. 

During 1999, the merger of the College of Health Sciences with another academic unit, the College of Urban and Public Affairs (CUPA), gave rise to a new college, the College of Health and Urban Affairs (CHUA). CHUA included four schools: School of Nursing; School of Health Sciences; School of Social Work, Policy and Management; and Stempel School of Public Health. The purpose of the restructuring was to consolidate the health-related fields and to enhance interdisciplinary education and research in these areas. Dr. Ronald Berkman was appointed Executive Dean of the College and Dr. Divina Grossman was appointed Dean of the School of Nursing.

In December 2004, the School of Nursing joined its sister schools in CHUA by relocating from the BBC to a newly constructed Health and Life Sciences 2 (HLS 2) building at the UPC, a distance of approximately 20 miles. The move to the UPC was part of an overall strategy to locate nursing with other health-related units in the context of the proposed medical school and a possible health sciences complex. The new building provided state-of-the-art nursing classrooms, teaching laboratories, offices, and research space. To provide for expansion, the School retained its offices, classrooms and laboratories at the BBC.

In March 2006, the proposed FIU College of Medicine was approved for implementation by the Florida Board of Governors. On October 1, 2006 the School of Nursing was transformed to the College of Nursing and Health Sciences (CNHS) when CHUA was disaggregated into three (3) autonomous units: the CNHS, the College of Social Work, Justice, and Public Affairs (CSWJPA), and the Stempel School of Public Health (SSPH). The CNHS includes Nursing and the Departments of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Health Information Management, Health Sciences, and Communication Sciences and Disorders. The disaggregation provided autonomy for the educational units as they sought accreditation or re-accreditation from their professional agencies and laid the foundation for a future health sciences complex. Dr. Divina Grossman was appointed Dean of the CNHS and reports to the Provost. 

In August 2006, as part of FIU’s Strategic Initiatives, a nursing program was re-established at the BBC. In December 2006, University administrators announced that a new CNHS building would be erected on the UPC. The 70,000 square foot building will house the College’s combined disciplines that are currently scattered throughout two buildings and rapidly outgrowing them. The CNHS building, expected to be completed in 2009, will become part of a health sciences center that is envisioned at the UPC. 

The College’s undergraduate and graduate nursing programs are fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) (accreditation occurred in 2008), the Council on Accreditation (COA) of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (initial accreditation occurred in 2001), and are approved by the Florida Board of Nursing (re-approval occurred in 2007). The nursing unit holds institutional memberships in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the Florida Nurses Association (FNA), the Nursing Shortage Consortium of South Florida, and the South Florida Hospital and Health Care Association. Nursing programs currently offered by the College are a bachelor's degree in nursing, a master's degree in nursing, and a doctoral degree in nursing.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program was approved in 1982 by the Board of Regents of the State University System. Upon completion of the BSN program, the basic (generic) student graduate is eligible to become licensed as a registered nurse. In addition to the generic program, the nursing unit offers a track for foreign-educated physicians to complete the BSN. The track, the first of its kind in the nation, enables foreign-educated physicians who are unemployed or underemployed, to complete an accelerated BSN in five semesters. The nursing unit also offers a RN-BSN completion track. Graduates of the BSN program are eligible for master’s level studies.

 Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program was approved by the Board of Regents in 1992. The MSN program offers specialty tracks in Advanced Adult Health Nursing, Advanced Child Health Nursing, Advanced Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing, Advanced Family Health Nursing, Anesthesiology Nursing, and Nursing Administration. Graduates of the program are qualified to apply for certification examinations in their specialty areas. Nurse practitioner graduates who are nationally certified can obtain advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP) certification through the Florida Board of Nursing. Graduates of the MSN program are eligible for doctoral level studies.  

Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD)
The PhD in Nursing program was approved by the Florida Board of Governors in 2003. The program’s purpose is to develop individuals who will be leaders and educators in generating and applying the science needed to guide nursing practice. Graduates have the knowledge and skills to conduct research in the health care field, and direct and guide application of other evidence-based health care findings to improve the health of people from diverse cultures and underserved populations.