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Baltimore, Md. – Continuing its mission of shaping the nursing profession and the health care environment by developing leaders in education, research, and practice, the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) has once again ranked in the top 10 across the board for public schools of nursing – and moved up in all six categories in which the school is ranked – in the newly released 2024 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Graduate Schools,” out of 651 accredited nursing school surveyed. Both UMSON’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and its Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programs climbed in the rankings among all schools surveyed, DNP tied at No. 8 (up from No. 15 last year) and MSN at No. 20 overall (up from 25 last year) . Among public schools of nursing, the DNP program is tied at No. 4 and the MSN is ranked No. 9. Two UMSON specialties lead the way in the rankings, both ranked No. 1 (tied) nationwide among public schools of nursing:•    the DNP Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner specialty, tied at No. 4  among all ranked schools•    The MSN Health Services Leadership and Management specialty, No. 2 among all ranked schools. UMSON is also ranked in the top 10 among public schools of nursing for its:•    Family Nurse Practitioner Doctor of Nursing Practice specialty (No. 3)•    DNP Nurse Anesthesia specialty (No. 7, tied) “It is gratifying to continue to be recognized nationally for our Doctor of Nursing Practice program and our Master of Science in Nursing program,” said Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD, NNP, FNAP, FAAN, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean of the University of Maryland School of Nursing. “The School of Nursing plays a vital role in our collective efforts in Maryland and nationally to increase the number of nurses with advanced education, particularly at the doctoral level. It is essential that we have nurses who are well prepared to meet the changing needs of patients, their families, and our communities at a time when we face increasing complexity in our health care system, growing diversity in our population, and persistent gaps in access to needed care.” The U.S. News & World Report rankings are based on a variety of indicators, including student selectivity and program size, faculty resources, and research activity, and on survey data from deans of schools of nursing that are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. In fall 2023 and early 2024, U.S. News surveyed 651 nursing schools with master’s or doctoral programs. In total, 292 nursing programs responded to the survey. Of those, 216 provided enough data to be included in the rankings of nursing master’s programs and 188 provided enough data to be eligible for inclusion in the ranking of DNP programs. Many institutions were ranked in both, using overlapping data. # # # The University of Maryland School of Nursing, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest nursing schools in the nation and is ranked among the top nursing schools nationwide. Enrolling nearly 2,000 students in its baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders who shape the profession of nursing and impact the health care environment.

Baltimore, Md. - Bridgitte Gourley, DNP ’08, FNP-BC, assistant professor and director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) specialty at the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) and co-director of the University of Maryland, Baltimore Center for Interprofessional Education, has been awarded the Dr. Peg E. Daw Nurse Faculty Recognition Award in recognition of excellence, innovation, and leadership. Deans and directors of Maryland nursing programs may nominate one nurse faculty member for the one-time $10,000 award annually.  The award is part of the Nurse Support Program (NSP) II, a statewide initiative funded by the Health Services Cost Review Commission and administered by the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC). Previously named the Nurse Faculty Recognition Award, it was renamed this year in memory of Daw, DNP, RN-BC, CNE, FAAN, who significantly contributed to and made an impact on nursing and health care throughout the state of Maryland as the MHEC NSP II grant administrator for 12 years.   Gourley was recognized for demonstrating excellence in “Engagement in the Nursing Program and Employing Institution,” one of five categories for recognition. “Dr. Gourley is the consummate faculty instructor, leading innovation and modeling the way through her own service and practice,” wrote Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD ’11, MS ’05, BSN ’04, NNP, FNAP, FAAN, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean of the University of Maryland School of Nursing, in a letter of nomination. “She relishes her role as a teacher and holds herself accountable for helping to ensure the success of her students. At the same time, she also understands how to hold her students accountable for doing the necessary work to become clinically competent, caring, and compassionate nurse practitioners.” Gourley joined the UMSON faculty in 2000 as a clinical instructor after receiving a Master of Science in Nursing, with an FNP specialization, from the Johns Hopkins University; she had previously received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in Community Health from Johns Hopkins. In 2006, she became a member of the first class of the newly launched DNP program at UMSON, and upon completion of her doctoral degree in 2008, she was promoted to assistant professor. A year later, she began serving as the FNP specialty director. The specialty has consistently ranked within the top 10 nationally for public schools of nursing in U.S. News & World Report’s “America's Best Graduate Schools.” In the 2023 edition, the FNP specialty was ranked No. 1 in the nation among all public schools of nursing out of more than 600 accredited nursing schools surveyed. Gourley has been at the forefront of the growth of UMSON’s FNP program, now the largest specialty area within the DNP program, accounting for approximately 27% of the total DNP enrollment of more than 600 students. She has overseen the expansion of the FNP specialty to UMSON’s Universities at Shady Grove (USG) location as the principal investigator on a $1.6 million NSP II project grant; this has enabled the specialty to prepare additional students from western and southern Maryland who graduate and practice in medically underserved regions of the state. Gourley has recruited a diverse and collegial faculty who practice and precept students and she has creatively expanded practicum options that focus on caring for underserved populations in Maryland. These include academic-practice opportunities in rural and urban areas, hospital partnerships, and faculty practices and practicum opportunities in Head Start and Early Head Start Clinics in Baltimore City, and in Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Prince George’s, and Frederick counties. Her success in managing the specialty and providing state-of-the-art coursework is demonstrated by graduates’ 100% pass rate on the FNP certification exams, and it is acknowledged by her colleagues across the country through invitations to present at national education programs for advanced practice nurses and to serve on special interest groups. Her expertise is recognized by her UMSON peers; she is now the senior member of the DNP Faculty Development Committee and the Specialty Directors Nursing Essentials Workgroup that is engaged in restructuring the curriculum to meet the new American Association of Colleges of Nursing competency-based standards. In recognition of her work, Gourley received the 2020 University of Maryland School of Nursing Distinguished Service Award. She is also a prior recipient of the School’s Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award. Gourley is known among her colleagues for her willingness to step up and take on the complex tasks and the roles that require heavy lifting to get the job done; it is no surprise that her teaching workload and committee work far exceeds that of her peers, Ogbolu wrote. “However, her greatest gift is her ability to execute at the highest of standards while maintaining a light touch, providing perspective, and injecting humor and a sense of fun as needed, and through this combination to create an environment that allows students, faculty colleagues, and all those she engages with to relax into the hard work of pursuing excellence.” ### The University of Maryland School of Nursing, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest nursing schools in the nation and is ranked among the top nursing schools nationwide. Enrolling nearly 2,000 students in its baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders who shape the profession of nursing and impact the health care environment.  

Baltimore, Md. -  Kathleen “Katie” McElroy, PhD ’16, MS ’10, BSN ’98, RN, CNE, associate professor, has been named associate dean for the baccalaureate program at the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON). She had served as the interim associate dean since June 2023.  As associate dean, McElroy is responsible for facilitating innovative program development and the integration of technology to shape the educational experiences of bachelor’s-level students. She also works to develop partnerships with other academic institutions and health care organizations to assist with the transition of transfer students and students who are graduates of associate degree nursing programs.  UMSON’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is ranked No. 3 (tied) among public schools and No. 10 (tied) among all nursing schools nationwide by U.S. News & World Report. This past fall, UMSON admitted 220 entry BSN students, its largest class ever, between its Baltimore and Universities at Shady Grove (Rockville, Maryland) locations, reflecting the School’s commitment to responding to the demands of health care at a critical time of substantial nursing shortages. The School was among the first in the nation to launch an entirely revised BSN curriculum for incoming students last fall, in alignment with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education, an updated framework for nursing education using a competency-based approach. The curriculum responds to the Essentials’ direction for curricula that respond to the changing face of health care, necessitating updates to how nurses are prepared; in that vein, the BSN curriculum includes courses focusing on evidence-based practice, public and community health, social determinants of health, disease prevention, and palliative care. Two recent clinical practice initiatives with the University of Maryland Medical System — the Practicum to Practice Partnership and the Academy of Clinical Essentials — provide students expanded and advanced clinical opportunities. McElroy brings considerable clinical experience to her role, having served for more than 13 years in a variety of settings, including as a registered nurse in the labor and delivery, high-risk antepartum, postpartum, and newborn nursery units at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Prior to her appointment as interim dean, McElroy served as vice chair of the Department of Family and Community Health beginning in 2021. She is involved in UMSON’s Community and Public Health Environmental Initiative and has served as the principal investigator on a $750,000 grant from the Maryland State Department of Education providing for the statewide expansion of this program. In 2019 - 20, she was selected as an UMSON Dean’s Teaching Scholar. In 2020, she received the University of Maryland School of Nursing Excellence in Teaching Award for Undergraduate Education. She is also a recipient of the University of Maryland Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Doctor of Philosophy Graduate. McElroy is a three-time degree recipient from UMSON, having earned her PhD, her Master of Science degree in Community/Public Health Nursing, and her Bachelor of Science degrees from the School. She also earned a Certificate in Environmental Health from UMSON.  ### The University of Maryland School of Nursing, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest nursing schools in the nation and is ranked among the top nursing schools nationwide. Enrolling nearly 2,000 students in its baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders who shape the profession of nursing and impact the health care environment.