Educating Nurses Since 1903
In the late 1800s, American hospitals began establishing nursing departments to train nurses in support of their workforce needs. Saint Luke’s™ College of Health Sciences was founded as part of this trend and for more than a century, it responded to the needs of patients, hospitals, and the health care industry by increasing degree offerings. This grew from a diploma in nursing to Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing and Master’s of Science in Nursing degrees. For the first time in 115 years, Saint Luke's College expanded degree offerings by launching associate degrees in allied health and a full general education program in 2018. Today Saint Luke's College is preparing more than 700 students representing diverse backgrounds and cultures for careers throughout the health care continuum.
Explore Our History
Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City opened a department of nursing in 1903. In 1946, the Hospital opened a four-story building that included classrooms, laboratories, a library, offices and residential space for approximately 200 students.
In 1985, the nursing faculty conducted an in-depth study of the issues and challenges facing nursing education in the 21st century and the needs of the health profession and prepared Saint Luke's College to offer a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing beginning fall 1991. The diploma program ended with the last class of graduates in 1992. Since 1906, 3,047 students have graduated with nursing diplomas.
On August 29, 2010, the College was renamed Saint Luke’s College of Health Sciences in conjunction with a change to a private, not-for-profit corporation status with Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City the single shareholder. Five years later, the Collegiate Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education accredited the master’s degree in nursing and post-graduate APRN certificate program. Saint Luke's College now offers masters of nursing degrees and certificates in family nurse practitioner, adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner, and nurse educator.
In 2018, Saint Luke's College expanded degree offerings with an associate of science in allied health and medical assisting degrees and an associate of arts in allied health degree. In addition to these new program offerings, Saint Luke's College launched a general education core focused on health care and framed through the perspective of multiculturalism.
Saint Luke's College of Health Sciences at Rockhurst University
In July 2019, two of the Kansas City area’s most respected names in health-sciences education announced their intent to join forces under an affiliation agreement being signed by Rockhurst University and Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City whereby the Saint Luke’s College of Health Sciences would become part of the University.
Through the newly named Saint Luke’s College of Health Sciences at Rockhurst University, Rockhurst added some 700 students in an array of associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s and certificate programs. The college complemented Rockhurst’s existing College of Health and Human Services, which offered undergraduate and graduate programs in health sciences that include communication sciences and disorders, physical and occupational therapy, exercise science and health science. Two years later, the College of Health and Human Services merged with Saint Luke's College at RU to become Saint Luke's College of Nursing and Health Sciences.