For Immediate Release August 4, 2005

For More Information Contact: Rich Schneider, 317-278-4564 rcschnei@iupui.edu

IU School of Nursing Celebrates National Successes: Rise in NIH Rankings and NCLEX Licensing Exam Scores Demonstrate Quality of Students, Faculty, Research

INDIANAPOLIS - The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently released its ranking of the nation's top 100 schools and colleges of nursing, positioning the Indiana University School of Nursing as 17^th. The IU School of Nursing was ranked 21^st in research funding last year.

NIH rankings are based on the amount of research grant dollars awarded by NIH to each school. These competitive grants are reviewed by NIH experts for their scientific merit and program relevance.

As news of the NIH rankings arrived, so did the 2005 first quarter reporting scores of the most recent nursing graduating class to take the licensing exam to become registered nurses. The scores for the NCLEX exam for graduates taking the test for the first time during this period were 94.38 percent passing, a percentage well above national and state averages. Undergraduate students graduate from the program well-prepared to enter the workforce and contribute to the nursing profession.

"We have much to be proud of, with excellent outcomes in teaching and learning and research," said Marion E. Broome, university dean of the Indiana University School of Nursing. "It demonstrates the quality of our faculty, programs and students."

The school of nursing, which has major research foci in the areas of quality of life in chronic illness and behavioral oncology/cancer control, received $2.6 million in NIH research funding for 2004, the latest year for NIH rankings.

The school's research focus is defined broadly and encompasses almost all of the faculty's research efforts. Among other areas, the school is noted for its expertise in congestive heart failure and innovative approaches to using technology to improve patient care, as it relates to quality of life.

"Our faculty is highly committed to improving the quality of life of the citizens of Indiana and others through their research," Broome said.

The rise in NIH rankings reflects the faculty's hard work and the merit of their research, said Broome and Associate Dean of Research Victoria Champion.

"Our advancement in NIH ranking is the result of the dedication of excellent faculty who conduct quality research resulting in numerous NIH grants being awarded in a highly competitive funding environment," Champion said.

The support of the Center for Quality of Life in Chronic Illness, now in its second year, and Mary Margaret Walther Program has been invaluable to the growth and development of faculty researchers who have been successful in obtaining these prestigious external funds, Champion said.

For additional information about the School of Nursing, visit http://nursing.iupui.edu/.

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