www.chamberlain.edu/about/history

Extraordinary Care. Extraordinary Healthcare.

Welcome to Chamberlain University!

We are proud of our rich, long history of excellence in healthcare education dating back to our beginnings in 1889 in St. Louis. Today, with a College of Nursing and a College of Health Professions, a growing network of campuses and robust online offerings, Chamberlain University is dedicated to increasing access to quality healthcare education and producing graduates who will transform healthcare worldwide.

What distinguishes Chamberlain is our culture of care – called Chamberlain Care^®. Throughout our campuses and online programs, you’ll experience what it means to work in a culture of service excellence and care – a culture that prepares students to take extraordinary care of patients, families and communities. From early assessments of strengths and areas for improvement to customized support plans, workshops and coaching teams, our personalized care is designed with you and your academic success in mind.

You have chosen a career where you can make a real difference for people every day. And, you have chosen a university that is committed to supporting you on your journey toward becoming an extraordinary healthcare professional. Welcome to the Chamberlain University community of care – together we can make a difference in healthcare, in the lives we touch, and in our local and global communities.

Warm regards,

Carla Sanderson, PhD, RN, FAAN
Provost
Chamberlain University

An Extraordinary Legacy

Our History

For more than 130 years and dating back to the Deaconess tradition of 19th-century Europe, Chamberlain University has been preparing extraordinary healthcare professionals. Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, studied at a Deaconess facility in Germany and later applied the concepts she learned to her nursing practice. In 1889, an evangelical pastor in St. Louis proposed establishing healthcare services based on the Deaconess model to address the needs of the local community. Those services evolved into The School for Deaconesses and, later, the Deaconess College of Nursing.

1889 – 1990

1889 – The School for Deaconesses is established

FROM A DIPLOMA SCHOOL TO A COLLEGE OF NURSING

• 1983 – Deaconess begins offering a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program
• 1989 – Associate Degree in Nursing program established

1991 – 2005

A PIONEER IN ONLINE LEARNING

• 2000 – Deaconess College of Nursing enters the world of online education with a new option that allows registered nurses to earn their bachelor’s degree online

NEW OPTION ELEVATES NURSING EDUCATION LEVELS

• 2000 – The RN to BSN degree completion option established
• 2001 – LPN to RN Bridge option established
• 2005 – Adtalem Global Education (formerly known as DeVry Education Group) acquires Deaconess College of Nursing

2006

EXTRAORDINARY CARE. EXTRAORDINARY NURSES.

• 2006 – The Deaconess’ name is changed to Chamberlain to reflect the College’s expanding vision of the future. The word ‘chamberlain’ derives from the Middle English word ‘chaumberlein,’ meaning chief steward, and exemplifies the nurse as the chief steward of patient care, and Chamberlain faculty and staff as the chief stewards of their student’s education.

2007 – 2009

• 2007 – Chamberlain adopts the use of high-fidelity patient simulators to better prepare graduates for the profession

ADVANCED DEGREES TO ADVANCE CARE

• 2009 – Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree program established

2010 – 2011

• 2011 – Chamberlain Phi Pi Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau (STTI), the International Nursing Honor Society is established

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

• Chamberlain establishes its first joint Global Health Education Program experience to Kenya with Ross University School of Medicine

2012

Together we can make a difference

• Chamberlain partners with Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI), The American Nurses Association (ANA), National League of Nurses (NLN) & The National Hispanic Nursing Association

Uniting over 100,000¹ alumni worldwide

• Chamberlain Alumni Association established

Transforming care through Education & Technology

¹

Chamberlain University and Deaconess College of Nursing graduates, Chamberlain National Registrar, January 2022.

2013 – 2015

• Chamberlain establishes partnership with The DAISY Foundation (Disease Attacking the Immune System)

Lifetime Learning – Chamberlain adds FNP & DNP

• Chamberlain begins offering a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree program and establishes Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Specialty Track
• International Nursing Service Projects expand into the Global Health Education Program

2017

Furthering our vision to transform healthcare by educating extraordinary healthcare professionals

COLLEGE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS ESTABLISHED

• 2017 – College of Health Professions established the Master of Public Health (MPH) Degree Program

2019

• 2019 – College of Health Professions established the Master of Social Work (MSW) Degree Program

2020 & Beyond

• 2021 – Chamberlain Alpha Beta Gamma Chapter of Phi Alpha Honor Society is established.

Today we are more than 20 campuses strong with a robust post-licensure online program offering

• 2022 – College of Health Professions established the Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) Degree Program

Extraordinary Resources

The Chamberlain SIMCARE CENTER™ features high-tech training equipment, including high-fidelity human simulators, patient-monitoring equipment, a birthing simulator and physical assessment exam tables. From privacy curtain areas to scrub sinks to hospital beds, Chamberlain’s SIMCARE CENTER facilities closely replicate hospital and clinical settings. Utilizing the computer control center, our faculty have the ability to alter the simulated patient’s vitals and produce varying symptoms to evaluate a student’s response in real time. These labs provide a safe environment to practice skills and receive immediate feedback.

Patient simulators react much like a live patient would – they have vital signs, voice discomfort and can blink, sweat or bleed. The high-tech simulators are controlled remotely by instructors, who can alter the mannequin’s physical and verbal responses. The labs provide a safe environment for students to advance their knowledge, hone their nursing skills and learn from their mistakes.

As part of Chamberlain’s commitment to academic excellence, the SIMCARE CENTER is also supported by a resource center that helps with the development of complex skills, including:

Learning Space™ is a real-time video patient monitoring and archiving of high-fidelity simulations for review during debriefing.

Many of our students point to their time in the SIMCARE CENTER nursing skills laboratories as the first time they felt like a “real nurse.” In the lab, they are challenged to react in real-time to patient scenarios, including childbirth, seizures and cardiac arrest. They are empowered to take the lead in the care of their patient.

For more information, visit chamberlain.edu/simcare

Extraordinary Experiences

Venturing beyond the classroom and local community, Chamberlain students have the opportunity to participate in the Global Health Education Program in such areas as Brazil, Kenya, India, the Philippines, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. These immersion experiences give students the opportunity to practice their healthcare skills while gaining a deeper understanding of cultural and economic differences across the globe. Global Health Education Program experiences takes the place of the undergraduate baccalaureate students community health course, so the students can receive course credit as well as the educational experience of a lifetime.

Chamberlain University and Ross University School of Medicine continue to participate in interprofessional Global Health Education Program experiences serving the people of Kenya and the Dominican Republic. This project holds special significance for the partnership it demonstrated between two healthcare professions. Chamberlain recognizes that the need for interdisciplinary collaboration is consistent with what our students will experience in the healthcare delivery environment and we are actively seeking opportunities to promote this ideal in our curriculum, coursework and student experiences.

For more information, visit chamberlain.edu/globalhealthprogram

Note: The Global Health Education Program is currently not available at the Sacramento, California campus.

An Extraordinary Community

At Chamberlain, we don’t just teach care – we teach Chamberlain Care^®. Our focus on student success is supported by our values of service, compassion and integrity, which extend well beyond the classroom and clinical environments. By providing our nursing students the opportunity to expand their educational and professional horizons, we are committed to making a difference not only in the lives of our students, but also in the communities where we live and work, in healthcare as a whole, and in the world at large.

At Chamberlain, we continually seek new opportunities to honor healthcare professionals, raise awareness for healthcare causes and provide our students the opportunity to participate in leadership and decision-making roles. Chamberlain is also committed to community service and making a difference in the lives of others.

As part of our effort to promote a community of caring, Chamberlain students, faculty and staff come together to support a wide range of regional and international causes. Chamberlain is proud to participate in national events like the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® and their fight to end breast cancer. We also organize and participate in regional causes to support our local communities. From Hydration for the Homeless in Phoenix, Arizona, to support for the Joplin, Missouri, tornado victims, Chamberlain students, administration, faculty and staff are making a difference each and every day.

Extraordinary Connections

As a Chamberlain graduate, you are automatically a member of the Chamberlain Alumni Association, a dynamic organization committed to lifelong learning, service to the community and the advancement of the healthcare profession.

Our diverse community of more than 84,000 graduates offers our alumni the unique opportunity to connect with healthcare professionals from all around the world. The Chamberlain Alumni Association allows our students to keep in touch with former classmates and faculty, network and make employer contacts. Alumni can also acquire relevant career information, mentor a current Chamberlain student or just keep up with the many friends they made at Chamberlain.

The Alumni Association also recognize alumni achievements and celebrate their successes. Our alumni recognition awards are one way we communicate the value of a Chamberlain University degree to the professional healthcare community.

For more information, visit chamberlain.edu/alumni