In 1917, when the University Hospital was established on the campus of the University of Nebraska, the University's School of Nursing was founded. Prerequisite college credits in essential sciences and liberal arts are necessary prior to acceptance to the School's nursing program. These courses can be taken at the University of Nebraska or another four-year college, or any accredited community college, and a minimum of a "C" must be achieved in all prerequisite classes. The nursing course is taught over two years with no summer classes. Upon completion, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree is awarded. The traditional two-year program begins in August, and an accelerated 12-month program starts in May for students already in possession of a bachelor's degree.
Creighton University's School of Nursing was founded in 1958. It offers a traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree as a four-year course of study. In 2009, 105 students entered the nursing freshman class. The school was one of the first in the state to introduce a program for Clinical Nurse Leader and now offers a degree in the specialty. Clinical practice is achieved through the cooperation of the private and parochial schools in Omaha, where students provide health care assessments to the families of the children.
The School of Nursing at Clarkson College offers a traditional four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, in addition to Practical Nursing and Nurse Anesthesia. A student-to-teacher ratio of 14-to-1 allows classes, lectures, labs and clinics to be narrow-focused on a student's abilities. Affiliated with Nebraska Medical Center, a 12-bed nursing skills lab provides clinical opportunities. The college has partnered with the Nebraska Health System to provide five minority students with scholarships and summer work experience funding for the full four years of education.
The College of Saint Mary was founded as an all-female Catholic school in 1923. 1969 saw the founding of its associate program in nursing and a school for practical nurses. It now includes a Bachelor of Science in Nursing as a two-year course following two years of science and liberal arts education. The daytime-only course can be completed in one year, depending on the amount of prerequisite course work already taken.
A part of the Methodist Health System in Omaha, the Nebraska Methodist College was founded in 1891. Enrolling approximately 700 students each year, the school prides itself on its small number of students and ability to focus on the educational needs of each. The institution is a proponent of holistic health care. Students can choose to specialize by health condition, patient type or age, or settings, such as operating room or critical care. Clinical exercises begin in the first year of the program. The four-year program consists of courses in the sciences and liberal arts, and include medical education and skills beginning in the first semester.