Welcome to Wildcat Nursing

A Message from the Interim Dean

On behalf of our faculty, staff, and students,  welcome to the College of Nursing! Whether this is your first time visiting our site or if you are returning after many years, I know you share a dedication to compassionate caring and appreciate the special role that nurses have in personifying that care in our community. As a faculty member with the College for 20 years, I have been fortunate to see the impact that our college has made in Arizona and across the world. It is not only reflected through our academic programs, collaborative partnerships, and research initiatives, but also in everyday connections with our alums, donors, volunteers, and community members.

The impact of Wildcat Nursing is vast, and no matter what your aspirations are in the nursing field, you can find it here; whether it is entering the workforce, advancing your career, or through research.


The impact of Wildcat Nursing is vast, and no matter what your aspirations are in the nursing field, you can find it here; whether it is entering the workforce, advancing your career, or through research," ~ Kathleen C Insel, PhD, RN, Interim Dean


The need for nurses has never been greater. Recent projections by The American Association of Colleges of Nursing estimate that the U.S. will need close to a million additional nurses by 2030. This will especially impact those in states with a large remote/rural population like Arizona. 

Kathleen C Insel, PhD, RN, Interim Dean

This is why our College has been working closely with the State of Arizona and local communities to create innovative programs that are uniquely positioned to address these problems. We recently created the BSN-IH (Integrative Health), a new program in the heart of Gilbert, Arizona, which has nearly tripled in size. We have expanded our Master’s Entry to Professional Nursing Program in Tucson and Gilbert, so that anyone with a Bachelor’s degree can recareer as a nurse over an accelerated timeline. Our Nurse Practitioner program embraced new technology and hybrid/online methodologies, allowing students across the country to become advance practice nurses. Our PhD program, one of the first in the U.S., has expanded opportunities for those who are represent the next generation of nurse scientists and faculty members while generating new knowledge in priority areas that advance the health of the world’s population.

And while we educate the next generation of nurses, we are also transforming the knowledge base of healthcare and how it is practiced through our advanced research. Our Office of Research & Scholarship is one of the best in the country, helping to dramatically increase submission and funding of research proposals at the College.

I thank you for taking the time to visit our Wildcat Nursing family and become better connected to how we are shaping the future of healthcare.   I encourage you to take a few moments to explore our site, read a few news stories, sign up for our e-newsletter, subscribe to our social media accounts, or connect to our alumni association. This year, we celebrate our 65-year anniversary, but are already looking forward to the next 65 years.