School of Nursing timeline

1998

• Postgraduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing commences in the Department of Psychological Medicine – the first time nursing is taught at the University of Auckland.
  
• Tony O’Brien is employed to coordinate mental health postgraduate courses.
  
• Specialist librarian Lorraine Nielson provides library support for teachers and students in the Postgraduate Diploma in Mental Health - the beginning of a long association with the School of Nursing.  

1999

• Division of Nursing (later School of Nursing) established at 85 Park Road.
  
• January: Judy Kilpatrick and Margaret Horsburgh employed as Directors of Nursing.
  
• July: First postgraduate course in nursing starts, 'Evidenced Based Clinical Assessment and Advanced Pathophysiology for Nurses'.

2000

• Master of Nursing commences.
  
• Semester One: first intake of Bachelor of Nursing students.
  
• The Advanced Nursing Practice course is offered in Auckland and Waikato.
  

2001

• 'NURSING 706: Pharmacology and Pharmaconetics', the first Nurse Practitioner prescribing course starts.
  
• 'GENPRAC 770: Health Services for Elderly People' is offered as multi-disciplinary paper.
  
•  First New Zealand Nurse Practitioner: Deborah Harris.

2002

• Introduction of the PhD in Nursing.
• Introduction of an interdisciplinary Māori Health.
• First five students to complete the Master of Nursing.
  
• November: First Bachelor of Nursing cohort completed.
  

2003

• The school welcomes its first Professor of Nursing Mental Health – Frances Hughes (2002 – 2003).
  
• Bachelor of Nursing (Honours) introduced.
  
• Postgraduate nursing is offered in Northland.
  
• Palliative Care multidisciplinary papers developed.
• Jane Bebbington, RN awarded Dennis Pickup Clinical Educator Award - a first for the school.
  

2003/2004

• Anna King is the first student to complete the Bachelor of Nursing (Honours) at our University.  

2005

• Postgraduate nursing is offered in Taranaki.
  
• First Nurse Practitioner Prescriber in New Zealand – Paula Renouf.

2006

• Postgraduate nursing is offered in Tauranga.
  
• School of Nursing moves to ECOM House on Ferncroft St.
  

2007

• Two nursing conjoint degrees are now on offer – Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Health Science and Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Science.
  
• Anna King is the first student at the University of Auckland to go into a PhD in nursing from the Bachelor of Nursing (Honours).

2009

• Merryn Gott is appointed as the school's first Professor of Research.

2010/2011

• Postgraduate nursing courses now offered in Otago.

2011

• The school moves from the ECOM building back to Grafton Campus, 85 Park Road.

2012

• The University of Auckland's School of Nursing has the highest number of research staff of any nursing school in New Zealand.

2014

• Introduction of first Registered Nurse Designated Prescriber course.
• The school offers the first Symposium for Safe Prescribing with the School of Pharmacy.

2016

• School of Nursing is ranked 32nd for nursing in the QS World rankings by subject.
• The Nurse Practitioner Training Programme starts.

2017

• Associate Professor Judy Kilpatrick retires as Head of School.
• Professor Alexandra (Sandie) McCarthy is appointed as Head of School.

2019

• Professor Sandie McCarthy resigns.
• July: Dr Julia Slark appointed Head of School.
• School of Nursing is ranked 36th for nursing in the QS World rankings by subject.