As a university with a reputation for producing professional and highly skilled graduates in various sectors of the health science and medical professions, the Creighton name carries a great deal of weight in the medical community.

Adding to this prestigious reputation is the fact that Creighton is one of only 100 nursing schools in the nation preparing graduates that are eligible to sit for the certification as a clinical nurse leader.

School of Nursing senior admissions counselor Shannon Manfull said she believes Creighton’s 50 years of experience in preparing nurses for certification sets its school of nursing apart from that of other universities.

“[Creighton] has consistently upheld its reputation for keeping pace with the ever-changing field of nursing,” Manfull said. “Also, our graduates at both the undergraduate and graduate levels consistently exceed national pass rates for the licensing exams.”

Although Creighton School of Nursing students are placed under a great deal of pressure to work hard and perform well in their classes, Manfull said she feels this hard work will prove to be valuable in the work force.

“Creighton University is a name that is known all over the country,” Manfull said. “This is because when a facility hires one of Creighton’s nurses, they want more. Our nurses are well prepared and project Creighton values into their daily work, and they are the walking proof of the caliber of nurses that come out of Creighton’s School of Nursing.”

Despite the many opportunities made available to students whose respective universities prepare them to become certified clinical nurse leaders, very few universities provide this opportunity for certification to their students.

Graduate program chair of the School of Nursing, Cindy Costanzo, said she believes so few nursing schools are preparing their students for this certification because not all nursing programs are aware of what a significant role the chief nurse executive plays in a functioning health care system.

Creighton’s prominent reputation in the medical field is what initially gave School of Nursing junior Brianna Burton the desire to attend Creighton at a young age.

Burton said she feels Creighton’s nursing program is preparing her to overcome any obstacle she may face when working as a nurse by stressing the importance of “caring for the whole person: mind, body, and soul.”

“[Creighton School of Nursing students] are taught to think differently and critically so that when faced with certain situations, we’ll be prepared to exhaust many different options in order to assist the patient,” Burton said. “We’re also taught with the Jesuit values, which is great because it teaches us that we aren’t just caring for the patient physically but also mentally, spiritually and for their families as well.”

Although Burton has not officially considered becoming a clinical nurse leader, she feels the rigorous course work she must complete as a nursing student will prepare her to take on any area she chooses within the field of nursing.

School of Nursing freshman Sarah McMahon said she decided to come to Creighton to pursue her degree because Creighton was one of the only nursing schools she considered that also offered a direct entry program. McMahon said she found this direct entry program to be very appealing because it allowed her to enter the School of Nursing as a freshman and not have to apply to a nursing school after two years and possibly not be accepted.

McMahon said she believes many of the discussions held in her RSP class about the field of nursing are already preparing her for her future career.

“In RSP we talk about the little things you’re going to have to face as a nurse just to get us in the mindset of being an open minded, accepting person because you’re going to have to work with a lot of different people as a nurse,” McMahon said.

Although McMahon is considering becoming a clinical nurse leader sometime in the future, she feels it is best to keep her options open at this time.

“Nursing is a very open field,” McMahon said. “I really want to explore what nursing has to offer and I think Creighton is a really great place to do that.”