PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (May 15, 2024) – On the heels of National Nurses Week, Prairie View A&M University’s nursing programs have been named among the top in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report. The MSN Program is No. 5 in Texas and No. 117 in the nation, and the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program is No. 8 statewide and No. 139 nationally.
And that’s not where the latest rankings end.
PVAMU’s Family Nurse Practitioner Program was also named one of the top programs in the country by Best Colleges. The Master of Science Family Nurse Practitioner program is ranked sixth among Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The program is also ranked No. 2 overall in the state by NursingProcess.com.
PVAMU’s nursing programs date back more than 100 years to the earliest years of the University—the first degree granted by the University was in nursing.
The FNP master’s program was established in 1999 to meet the demand to increase the number of ethnic minority health care providers to unserved, underserved and vulnerable populations. Family nurse practitioners are seasoned nurses with advanced training to provide primary care to clients, families and communities. PVAMU’s training includes extensive clinical experiences in both urban and rural settings.
Dr. Gloria Rose, director of graduate studies and FNP program coordinator, has taught in the program for nearly all of its 25 years.
“I’m very proud of our students and faculty. We have very committed, supportive faculty who truly want to see our students succeed,” Rose said. “And our graduates, as well. We have an excellent certification exam pass rate. I always get calls from doctors and practices looking to hire our nurse practitioners. I’m very proud of that. And PVAMU students founded the National Organization of Black Nurse Practitioners. They are out there connecting practitioners and elevating the profession.”
Dr. Allyssa Harris, dean of the College of Nursing, said, “Our graduates provide excellent primary care services to people across the lifespan and offer them the unique perspective of understanding the context in which they live their lives. That is important because understanding the context helps deliver individualized care. It’s also important because graduates from our programs are seeking the clinicians that will help reduce health disparities and improve health equity locally, nationally and internationally.”
The Best Colleges rankings consider academic quality, affordability and online competency. Its website states: “Our goal with our school rankings is to objectively assess quality based on academic outcomes, affordability, and the breadth and depth of online learning opportunities.”
Rankings offer a window into a program. A truer measure of the FNP program’s strength? “I’d feel comfortable going to any of our graduates for care or recommending them to loved ones. I know they’d be well cared for and respected,” Rose said.
The FNP program is not resting on its laurels. It is working to expand and offer online courses in addition to the traditional on-campus experience. “It will still be very personal. I want all students to feel that we are there for them; they’re not on their own if they’re not on campus,” Rose said.
The site NursingProcess.com also rates PVAMU’s other nursing programs highly.
The Doctor of Nursing Practice is named a Top 10 doctoral program in Texas; the Bachelor of Science in Nursing and RN to BSN programs are ranked among the top in Houston.
By Kelly Rusk
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