News archive 2002

King's Nursing Department celebrates 25 years

15 Nov 2002, PR 51/02

Nursing and Midwifery at King's College London celebrates its 25 anniversary on Tuesday 19 November.

The Department, established in 1977 at Chelsea College (which merged with King's in 1985) has now expanded to form the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing & Midwifery, and is one of the top nursing and midwifery schools in the country.

The School originally comprised 2 staff but now has 240 including ten professors. There are in excess of 1,300 students undertaking undergraduate, postgraduate, and Dip HE courses each year and the range of post registration education spans 16 undergraduate programmes with 360 different courses. The first intake at Chelsea was of 14 students on the 4-year BSc in Nursing Studies.

Over the last 25 years 350 BScs and over 2,0000 DipHEs in Nursing have successfully graduated. There are ten masters programmes and postgraduates number over 200, including 50 at the doctoral level. There have been 60 PhDs awarded since 1977.

After the merger of Chelsea with King's College, the hospital-based nursing schools were requiring academic validation for their diploma courses. This heralded an exciting partnership and subsequently integration of King's, Guy's and St Thomas' Schools who then joined King's as the Nightingale Institute within the School of Health, Biomedical & Life Sciences. In 1999 the new School of Nursing and Midwifery was formed.

During the 25 years there has been substantial evolution especially in the area of nursing research, in which King's has undertaken a ground breaking role. Research growth has built on strengths from the original staff from Chelsea and the volume and scope of work, and the steady increase in research income, which now stands at over £2 million per year, is evidence of this. Research groups, such as the renowned Nursing Research Unit, thrive and enjoy valuable collaboration from academics, practitioners and users of the service.

The excellent working relationship with the NHS Trusts and the SE London Workforce Development Confederation has led to a new ten year contract for nursing and midwifery education.

Professor Jenifer Wilson-Barnett, Head of the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing & Midwifery said:
'Looking back on 25 years has been a positive experience and gratitude is owed to so many people. School staff have been excellent, hard working and committed, giving so much to students and colleagues alike. Most crucial, however, has been the influence of our graduates over the years who have helped to provide positive examples from King's. Health care in general has benefited from them and over the 25 years, millions of patients have been cared for and assisted by our work. Our Trust partnerships and other significant relationships have helped us thrive.'





Notes to editors

King's College London

King's College London King's is one of the oldest and largest colleges of the University of London with some 12,400 undergraduate students and over 4,700 postgraduates in ten schools of study. The College had 24 of its subject-areas awarded the highest rating of 5* and 5 for research quality, demonstrating excellence at an international level. It is in the top group of five universities for research earnings and has an annual turnover of over £300 million and research income from grants and contracts in excess of £90 million (2001-2002).



Further information
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