Our legacy began in 1902 with the founding of Jewish Hospital School of Nursing. Dedicated to the tradition of learning and to the value of health care without discrimination, it was one of the first schools in the nation accredited by the National League of Nursing. By the early 1990s, the school had expanded to a college offering associate, bachelor, and master degrees in nursing and allied health programs.
Barnes Hospital School of Nursing began its own journey in 1955. Founded after Washington University closed its affiliated nursing program, the school eventually lent its name so that its students could earn a four-year bachelor of nursing degree through the Barnes College of Nursing at University of Missouri-St. Louis.
In 2005, the Barnes College name returned to Barnes-Jewish Hospital as it merged the strengths and legacies of both hospital nursing programs into the Barnes-Jewish College of Nursing and Allied Health. At this point, the hospital observed that advances in technology and patient care were rapidly changing the nursing profession.
The hospital made a bold decision to invest in the future of health care by transforming our college’s teaching, learning, and research capabilities in nursing. Other educational institutions absorbed our college’s allied health programs as we phased out the associate degree in nursing.
In 2007, after a generous gift by philanthropist Alvin Goldfarb, we began a new era in nursing education as the Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College.
Our Duncan Campus Site, that is on The Washington University Medical Center campus, formed by our college, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine, and St. Louis College of Pharmacy, exposes students to every specialty in health care and benefit from an academic, clinical setting and a Magnet-status hospital.
The college expanded in 2012, opening the West Campus Site on Missouri Baptist Medical Center's campus. The state-of-the-art nursing school in west St. Louis County includes rigorous academic course work and student support services from Goldfarb School of Nursing faculty and staff, and the opportunity to learn from the expertise of Missouri Baptist nurses at the bedside during clinical training.
Today, Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College’s bachelor and master degree programs are fully accredited by the highest national authority, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). We are accredited regionally by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). We have approval from the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education (MCBHE).
With our commitment to fostering the best in technology, curriculum, faculty, students, and clinical simulation learning, Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College will perpetuate a legacy of helping exceptional people become exceptional nurses.