Over the past five decades, the study of nursing at Rutgers University–Camden has grown from a small undergraduate nursing program that occupied a few shared offices to a robust, nationally ranked school of nursing with undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs. It also is home to more than 125 clinical partners and nearly 10,000 square feet of cutting-edge clinical learning spaces.
“If we’ve learned anything from the last 50 years,” says Dean Donna Nickitas, who has led the school since 2018, “it’s that the School of Nursing–Camden—like the city it serves—is scrappy and resilient.”
When asked how she’s preparing for the next 50 years, Dean Nickitas paused.
“When you start by asking what challenges your community is facing, you are well on your way to true innovation. We can’t always predict what trials await us, but what we can do is listen.”
Today’s nursing students share the same ambitions as their counterparts 50 years ago—a call to champion better health and well-being for the communities they serve. The program’s more than 4,000 graduates have gone on to work in nontraditional health care settings, from hospitals to community-based clinics, nonprofit organizations, and long-term care facilities.
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