Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing

Inside atrium view of Health Education Campus for the School of Nursing.

The Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University is a globally recognized leader in nursing education, research and practice.  Our commitment to excellence is visible in our distinguished faculty, small class sizes, world-renowned clinical partners, and academic innovations.  

Brief History

While its roots date back to 1898 with the founding of the Lakeside Hospital Training School for Nurses, the school was formally established in 1923 as one of the first two colleges of nursing within a university through a gift from its namesake, Frances Payne Bolton, the first congresswoman from Ohio.  In 2023, The Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing celebrated the centennial of its endowment, marking 100 years of nursing education, research, and leadership in Northeast Ohio.

Today, the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing offers curricula for students at all levels of study. Our two pre-RN licensure programs include undergraduate leading to the BSN degree and graduate entry leading to the Master of Nursing (MN) degree. Advanced, post-RN licensure programs include advanced practice nursing (MSN), practice doctorate (DNP), and research doctorate (PhD).  Advanced practice nursing level instruction prepares graduates to sit for Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Midwifery or Nurse Anesthesia national certification and to practice in a range of clinical areas including nurse midwifery, women’s health, acute and primary care in adult-gerontology and pediatrics, care of families, care of neonates, family psychiatric mental health, as well as nurse leadership. The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program includes the post-baccalaureate APRN nurse anesthesia programs and the School of Nursing also offers dual masters-DNP and dual DNP-PhD programs.  Areas of research include symptom science, family and community care, aging across the lifespan, self-management of health and illness, and neuroscience.   

Strategic Vision

Mission

Create and empower nurse leaders who develop and implement innovative and interprofessional research, education, and practice activities that make a positive difference in the health of individuals and communities.

Vision

To be recognized globally as an academic community of excellence that builds on our strengths and traditions to provide leadership in nursing research, education, and practice in evolving, interprofessional health and scientific communities.

Purpose

The purpose of the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing is to provide an environment that encourages individuals to develop their personal and professional capabilities, including the sense of responsibility for continued learning; to learn as efficiently and effectively as possible; to find enjoyment, excitement, and challenge in the pursuit of knowledge and its application; and to develop behaviors that enable them to function in an evolving, complex society. As an integral component of Case Western Reserve University, the school assumes responsibility for the preparation of individuals committed to excellence and leadership in the profession and discipline of nursing. The faculty of the school accepts the responsibility for teaching and scholarly inquiry as integral parts of the educational process.

Philosophy Statement

The Frances Payne School of Nursing has set forth the following philosophy to accomplish the stated mission.

What? 

  • We educate students to become professional nurses committed to lifelong learning. 
  • We develop dynamic leaders in nursing and healthcare whose expertise, skills, and goodwill reach across the globe.  
  • We prepare and support clinicians, educators, and scientists to advance the discipline of nursing. 
  • We conduct research and develop theories to build knowledge within nursing and across disciplines. 
  • We lead interprofessional collaboration, develop community and global partnerships, and seek opportunities to contribute to the holistic health needs of our patients and communities.

Why?

  • To equip individuals for inclusive, non-judgmental, empathetic human caring.
  • To demonstrate a passion for learning, scholarship, inquiry, and service to advance nursing practice and the health and wellness of individuals and populations.

How? 

  • We boldly propel the discipline of nursing forward through a culture of inclusive leadership and through advocacy, research, and inquiry to transform practice and advance equitable health policy and nursing knowledge.
  • We provide dynamic education to anticipate and address local and global healthcare needs including social drivers of health and environmental concerns. We develop influential leaders in nursing and health-related organizations, nationally and internationally.
  • We use best practices of instruction and integrate novel technology to educate students.  We support their development as professional nurses committed to excellence in ethical practice, leadership, and inquiry; life-long learning, interprofessional collaborative practice, and respect for others.

For whom?

  • We do this for our students, the discipline of nursing, and the health of individuals and populations inclusive of their circumstances and intersectional identities. 

Approved by faculty of Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing 12/4/2023. 

FPB Accreditation and Approvals

Accreditation

Case Western Reserve University is accredited at the institutional level by the Higher Learning Commission:

Higher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street

Suite 7-500

Chicago, Illinois 60604-1411
Phone: 800.621.7440 / 312.263.0456

Fax: 312.263.7462

info@hlcommission.org 

The University is chartered as an educational institution under the laws of the State of Ohio and holds a Certificate of Authorization from the Ohio Department of Higher Education (formerly known as the Ohio Board of Regents).

In addition, many of the individual nursing programs are accredited by nationally recognized professional associations, including:

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Master of Nursing (MN), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)Post-Graduate APRN Certificate, and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs at Case Western Reserve University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) through June 30, 2031. The next accreditation visit is due in 2030.

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
655 K Street NW
Suite 750
Washington DC 20001

202-887-6791
https://www.aacnnursing.org/ccne

The Frances Payne Bolton Nurse Anesthesia Program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Education Programs (COA). The last accreditation was in 2020. The next accreditation date is Spring 2030.

Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs
222 South Prospect Avenue
Park Ridge, Illinois 60068-4001
847- 655-1160
accreditation@coacrna.org

http://www.coacrna.org

The Cleveland Clinic Foundation nurse anesthesia program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Education Programs (COA). The last accreditation was in 2022. The next accreditation visit is due in spring 2033.

Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs
222 South Prospect Avenue
Park Ridge, Illinois 60068-4001
847- 655-1160
accreditation@coacrna.org

http://www.coacrna.org

The nurse midwifery program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME) (formerly ACNM Division of Accreditation) in 2015. The next accreditation is due in 2025.

Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME)
2000 Duke Street, Suite 300
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
703-835-4565

support@theacme.org
www.theacme.org

Approved Programs

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Master of Nursing (MN) programs are approved by the Ohio Board of Nursing. The last visit for the BSN program was in fall 2022, the next visit is due in fall 2027. The last visit for the MN program was in fall 2022, and the next visit is due in fall 2025.

Ohio Board of Nursing
17 South High Street
Suite 400
Columbus, OH 43215-7410
614-466-3947
https://nursing.ohio.gov/