KU School of Nursing’s undergraduate program among top in country, according to U.S. News & World Report

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program (BSN) at the University of Kansas School of Nursing received high marks from the latest “Best Colleges” rankings released by U.S. News & World Report. The program placed 25th among such programs at public schools, while claiming the 40th spot among the 686 accredited BSN programs in the country included in the rankings. The rankings are based on peer assessments completed by representatives from the top 6% of nursing schools across the country rating each institution’s nursing undergraduate program. U.S. News then determines the rankings using the average rating each institution received. The program was also ranked No. 1 for BSN nursing programs in the state of Kansas. KU School of Nursing, which has campuses in Kansas City and Salina and partners with eight community colleges across the state to produce BSN-prepared graduates, has continued to find ways to expand its own enrollment. U.S. News publishes its “Best Colleges” rankings each fall.

KU School of Nursing partners with McPherson College to increase nursing graduates in central Kansas

The University of Kansas School of Nursing hopes to welcome many more graduates from central Kansas and surrounding areas with a new partnership with McPherson College. Announced in September 2025, the new partnership will enable McPherson College students to earn Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees from KU. Courses begin in the 2026-2027 academic year. Since there’s no need to relocate to complete nursing school, the hope is that more students will choose to practice in central Kansas or similar rural areas in the state. Students enrolling in the program will complete 60 credits of prerequisite nursing courses at the McPherson campus. They will be eligible for guaranteed admissions into the KU nursing program and complete the remaining 60 credits of nursing courses at the KU campus in Salina and online, while remaining at McPherson College. Nursing degrees will be awarded by KU. Clinical experiences will be available at healthcare agencies located in rural communities, including Salina and McPherson.

KU School of Nursing faculty member gets grant to help reduce barriers to treatment for metastatic breast cancer patients

Metastatic breast cancer, also called stage 4 breast cancer, is an advanced form of the disease that has spread from the breast to other parts of the body. Yet nearly one in three people in the United States who have it miss treatment appointments, delay or even discontinue their treatment altogether. These missed appointments are typically related to financial problems, social isolation, limited insurance, transportation challenges and other issues. With the support of a new grant awarded by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Oncology Research Program and funded by Pfizer External Research and Grants, Jamie Myers, Ph.D., FAAN, research associate professor at the KU School of Nursing, is leading a project at KU Medical Center to devise a way to improve adherence to treatment for these patients. Myers and her colleagues aim to design and pilot a way to integrate the services of Gateway to Hope with the treatment of metastatic breast cancer patients at KU Cancer Center who are experiencing financial and social hardship. Gateway to Hope is a not-for-profit organization that provides community navigation for breast cancer patients, which includes financial assistance, connections with resources such as transportation and food banks, and social support. During the first year of the project, the researchers will map out how patients are currently referred for financial and support services and identify breakdowns in those processes. They will also measure current adherence to treatment by analyzing electronic medical record data on missed appointments in metastatic breast cancer patients at KU Cancer Center. The second year of the project will involve implementing the new system for Gateway to Hope referrals at KU Cancer Center’s location in Westwood for eligible patients with metastatic breast cancer. If their pilot project is successful, the goal would be to expand to other KU Cancer Center sites.

Salina nursing students see Kansas rural healthcare up close

Nursing students at the University of Kansas Medical Center learn all about a wide variety of employment opportunities as they progress through their program. In December 2025, nursing students on KU School of Nursing’s Salina campus had the opportunity to see the role of nursing in critical access hospitals up close. Nearly 40 nursing students, faculty and staff from KU School of Nursing went on the trip. A chartered bus transported them from the KU Salina campus to Scott County Hospital in Scott City and to Citizens Health in Colby. Both facilities are critical access hospitals in the western part of the state. Critical access hospitals are designated as such by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal agency that oversees those programs. There are 82 critical access hospitals in Kansas. For this designation, federal requirements stipulate that they must have 25 or fewer beds and be at least 35 miles apart. The average patient stay must be 96 hours or less. Only two of the students on the trip had ever seen a critical access hospital. At each location, there were presentations and tours designed to help students understand the crucial role these facilities play in the lives of Kansans. Karen Weis, Ph.D., FAAN, campus dean of KU School of Nursing-Salina, believed the experience would be valuable for students, many of whom may not have thought about the benefits of smaller facilities, which often triage to larger ones as well as provide valuable services to their communities.

KU School of Nursing students hear advice from alumni award winners and take oath of dedication

KU School of Nursing looked both back and forward in a new event in the fall of 2025 that honored their alumni award winners and welcomed 120 new students from the Kansas City campus. In a ceremony that was livestreamed to family and friends, KU School of Nursing alumni award winners shared their perspectives on nursing, and new members of the class of 2027 professed their dedication to the profession. The event featured a welcome from Jean Giddens, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, ANEF, dean of KU School of Nursing, comments from Rachel Pepper, DNP, chief nursing officer at The University of Kansas Health System, and a panel discussion with the three alumni award winners. The alumni award winners were Deborah Trautman, Ph.D., FAAN, winner of the Honorary Alumni Award; J. Dwayne Hooks, Ph.D., winner of the Distinguished Alumni Award; and Jessi Loucks, DNP, winner of the Early Career Alumni Award. Giddens facilitated a panel discussion with Trautman, Hooks and Loucks answering questions and providing perspective on the field of nursing to the first-semester students. The panelists all agreed that the field of nursing offers tremendous growth and a wide variety of career paths. Future challenges include nationwide nursing shortages and health inequities, while future opportunities include advances in technology and increased opportunities for leadership.

Funds renewed to support KU Advanced Practice Nursing Students

The Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW)Program funding was renewed for $644,967. This federally funded initiative is aimed at increasing the number of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) prepared to deliver high-quality primary care, behavioral health and maternal health services in rural and underserved communities. In the first two years, the four-year grant program awarded traineeships to 61 students and contracted with five new rural clinical partner sites, bringing the program ahead of schedule to surpass its original goals of 91 trainees and six clinical site partnerships. Beyond clinical placements, the ANEW program has delivered a wide array of high-impact simulation and site-based trainings tailored to partner needs. These include Rural Trauma Team Development Training, de-escalation techniques, resuscitation simulations and a variety of virtual continuing education sessions developed in collaboration with partner sites. ANEW has also collaborated with other HRSA-funded programs, notably co-sponsoring an ECHO Series to deliver a greater volume and breadth of expert-led virtual training with shared resources. ANEW: Grow and Stay project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as part of an award totaling $2.58 million with zero percentage financed with non-governmental sources.

A Lifestyle Considerations in Nursing course studies healthy lifestyle considerations, including nutrition, sleep, physical activity, stress management and social networks

The Lifestyle Considerations in Nursing course launched in 2025 introduced the concept of healthy lifestyle considerations including nutrition, sleep, physical activity, stress management and social networks from multiple perspectives. The course explores the relationship of lifestyle considerations with health promotion, disease prevention and chronic disease care. Students enrolled in the course learn about the registered nurse’s unique role in promoting positive lifestyle changes for all populations. This elective integrates online coursework with experiential learning in collaboration with health professionals and researchers at the University of Kansas Medical Center and beyond. During the summer 2025 session, nursing students learned from instructors Megan Turner, MSN, RN, CNEn, KU School of Nursing; Kelly Freeman, AGPCNP-C, RN, American College of Lifestyle Medicine; Mary Heft, RN, MSN, Kansas City VA; and Rebecca Lepping, Ph.D., KU School of Medicine Department of Neurology.

KU School of Nursing releases report on access to maternity care in Kansas

The growing maternal-care desert in Kansas is causing more women in the state to drive long distances for care and 59% do not have local access to inpatient maternity services, according to a report released today by the University of Kansas School of Nursing. The report, Access to Maternity Care in Kansas, was produced by KU School of Nursing in collaboration with the Kansas Center for Rural Health, and with funding from the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund. The report describes and defines issues surrounding the availability of maternity care in Kansas. Over the last 10 years, many rural hospitals across the country have closed or have stopped offering maternity care services altogether. This includes in Kansas, which is second only to Texas in terms of the number of counties considered rural. Rural hospitals are at an increased risk of closure due to declining occupancy rates, high fixed costs and market pressures. Access to quality perinatal care, which includes care during pregnancy and after the birth, is critical to the health of newborn babies and their mothers. Closures of hospitals and cessation of maternity services are correlated with more babies being born early, more infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units and more women dying during pregnancy or in childbirth. The report outlines, by county and ZIP code when possible, the numbers of women of reproductive age in the area; the facilities offering prenatal care or inpatient maternity care; the availability of referral and high-risk services; and the providers accepting patients and offering prenatal or full perinatal services, nursing, anesthesia, behavioral health, lactation and doula support services. It also provides the distances to facilities with delivery capabilities. Among other things, the report found that 59% of Kansans do not have local access to inpatient maternity care and close to 30% of ZIP codes in Kansas are more than 100 miles away from tertiary, high-risk services.

KU Simulation Program Endorsed by INACSL

The KU School of Nursing’s simulation education program achieved the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL) Healthcare Simulation Standards Endorsement for 2025 to 2028. KU is the only endorsed simulation program in Kansas. There have been fewer than 100 endorsed programs worldwide since 2022.

“This endorsement matters to our nursing students because it publicly recognizes institutions that excel in creating simulation experiences that enhance learning and advance the science of simulation for students,” said Laura Klenke-Borgmann, Ph.D., RN, CHSE, clinical associate professor. “KU is now 1 of 97 endorsed programs in the world.”

INACSL endorsement recognizes healthcare institutions and practices that demonstrate excellence in applying all four of the following simulation standards from the Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice® (HSSOBP®) in their educational simulation programs:

• Prebriefing: Preparation and Briefing
  • Facilitation
  • Professional Integrity
  • Debriefing

“This is a wonderful reflection on the quality of the simulation education our students received from the simulation team under Laura’s leadership,” said Dean Jean Giddens, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, ANEF. “We look forward to growing the simulation education even more in the future.”