Hospitals are often defined by urgency. Decisions are made quickly, care is delivered under pressure, and outcomes matter in real time. Yet beneath that pace, another layer of care exists, one that cannot be measured as easily. It shows how a nurse listens, responds, and remains present in moments that are often difficult for patients and families.
That understanding of care sits at the foundation of the School of Nursing and Health Professions at Colorado Christian University (CCU). When Dr. Barbara White, founding Dean and Dean Emeritus, introduced the idea of “Nursing as Ministry,” she was not proposing a new course or program. She was defining how nursing itself could be taught and understood within the university.
Over the years, that idea has shaped the school’s growth. Programs now include the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, the RN to BSN pathway, and a recently introduced BSN to Doctor of Nursing Practice with specialized tracks.
Across each program, learning takes place within a Christ-centered academic environment where clinical training and spiritual formation move together. The goal is to prepare nurses who combine professional competence with a deeper sense of responsibility in how they serve others.
Programs Designed for Flexibility and Purpose
Training pathways in nursing rarely follow a single route. Some students begin their journey straight out of school, while others return to advance their qualifications alongside work and family commitments. The university has structured its programs to reflect that range.
At the undergraduate level, students can pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing or an RN to BSN pathway. The BSN program is largely delivered in person, with hybrid courses that offer some flexibility. For working professionals, the RN-BSN and the BSN to Doctor of Nursing Practice programs are offered fully online, with limited in-person requirements such as a weekend intensive for nurse practitioner students.
What distinguishes these programs is not only how they are delivered, but how they are taught. Coursework is shaped by a framework that integrates academic study with faith, encouraging students to think critically while remaining grounded in biblical principles. The aim is to prepare nurses who are both professionally capable and guided by a clear sense of purpose in their work.
Training Through Practice and Real-World Exposure
Hands-on training plays a central role in how nursing students develop confidence before entering clinical settings. At CCU-Nursing, this preparation begins in a simulation environment designed to reflect the realities of patient care.
The BSN program includes a modern clinical laboratory where students practice essential skills and health assessments. Within the facility, four dedicated simulation rooms recreate acute care scenarios using hospital-grade equipment along with medium- and high-fidelity mannequins. These settings allow students to work through complex situations in a controlled space before encountering them in real hospitals.
Beyond campus, partnerships extend that learning into broader contexts. Through collaboration with Samaritan’s Purse, a select group of nursing students each year attends a medical missions conference focused on serving vulnerable populations. The experience introduces students to global healthcare challenges while reinforcing the school’s emphasis on service and practical readiness.
A Message Grounded in Growth and Purpose
Advice in nursing education often comes from experience, but it carries more weight when it reflects both the demands of the profession and the journey students are about to begin. That perspective shapes the message shared by Dr. Christine Lepianka, Professor and Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Professions at CCU.
She speaks to students with clarity about what lies ahead. The path, she notes, will not be easy. It will require discipline, patience, and a willingness to grow beyond familiar limits. At the same time, it offers something equally significant. “The journey will stretch you beyond what once seemed possible, and you will emerge stronger, more capable, and prepared to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others,” she says.
Her message also extends to families, whose support often steadies students through demanding moments. Looking ahead, she encourages graduates to keep learning, pursue growth with intention, and shape their careers around purpose rather than pressure.
Learning Across Real Clinical Settings
Clinical experience forms a significant part of nursing education at the university. To support that training, the School works with a wide network of hospitals, clinics, and healthcare agencies across the Front Range. These partnerships place students directly into active care environments where they work with patients under the guidance of experienced professionals. Over time, students gain exposure to individuals across the lifespan while encountering a broad range of diagnoses and treatment plans.
The experience allows them to move beyond theory and begin developing clinical judgment, communication skills, and confidence in patient care. By the time they complete the program, BSN students complete over 750 hours of clinical time in simulated, outpatient, and acute healthcare settings, which includes a 120-hour Capstone experience in an acute care setting, giving them a clearer sense of the responsibilities and expectations that come with the profession.
A Changing Student Body and Program Growth
Enrollment within the School at CCU has shifted in recent years, reflecting changes in program offerings and long-term planning. Student numbers reached a high of ninety-one in 2022 before declining to fifty-seven in 2025. The adjustment followed the phase-out of the Master of Science in Nursing program as the school prepared to introduce the BSN to Doctor of Nursing Practice pathway.
The student population itself spans a wide range of experiences. Some begin their studies soon after high school, while others return to nursing education later in life, including individuals in their forties and beyond. Around ten percent of the student body is male.
In terms of demographics, the school draws students from diverse backgrounds, with the largest groups identifying as White, Mexican American, and Black. This mix contributes to a learning environment shaped by varied perspectives and life experiences.
Student Life Shaped by Community and Service
Life outside the classroom plays an important role in how students grow during their time at the university. Daily experiences often extend beyond coursework into areas that encourage connection, service, and personal development.
Students take part in discipleship groups, community engagement initiatives, and ministry opportunities that bring them into closer contact with both peers and the wider community. Athletics also contribute to this experience, helping students build discipline and resilience that carry into other areas of life.
Within CCU-Nursing, several student-led and professional organizations add another layer to campus life. Groups such as the Student Nurse Organization, along with partnerships with Friends of Nursing and the Nurses Christian Fellowship, create spaces where students can engage with their field outside formal instruction. These experiences allow them to build relationships, explore their professional interests, and take part in service-oriented activities connected to their future careers.
Athletics and Enrichment Beyond the Classroom
Opportunities for growth extend well beyond academic programs at CCU-Nursing. Athletics, in particular, play a visible role in shaping student experience across campus.
The university’s athletic program includes sports such as cross country, track and field, baseball, softball, basketball, golf, hockey, volleyball, and soccer. More than 240 student-athletes compete across 15 NCAA Division II teams within the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, balancing competition with academic commitments.
Coaching at CCU focuses not only on performance but also on development. Student-athletes are encouraged to grow spiritually, mentally, and emotionally through structured mentoring and team experiences. The results reflect that balance. The program has produced 43 All-Americans while maintaining an average departmental GPA of 3.443.
For many students, athletics becomes another setting where discipline, teamwork, and leadership take shape, reinforcing lessons that carry beyond competition and into everyday life.
Academic Focus and Preparing Future-Ready Professionals
The structure of the nursing school at the university reflects a clear academic focus supported by complementary disciplines. Alongside nursing, the Department of Biology plays an important role, offering a range of physical science courses across roughly forty sections each semester. These courses provide the scientific foundation students need before entering clinical training.
Nursing remains the central program within the school. The curriculum is designed to be both rigorous and practical, delivered by faculty who bring diverse clinical experience into the classroom. Students are trained to care for patients across the lifespan while working within the framework of nursing as ministry.
Program outcomes reflect this approach. Graduates consistently perform above both state and national benchmarks, indicating a level of preparation that extends beyond basic requirements. The combination of strong academic grounding and applied training helps students enter the healthcare field with both competence and confidence.
A Perspective on Diversity and Inclusion
Approaches to diversity often reflect the values an institution chooses to uphold. Within CCU, that perspective is shaped by a biblical understanding of human dignity. The school affirms that every individual is created in the image of God and therefore carries inherent worth. This belief informs how students are taught to view those they serve. Regardless of background, ethnicity, or personal experience, each patient is approached with respect and compassion.
That same perspective extends into the learning environment. Students from different backgrounds are encouraged to engage, contribute, and grow within a community that values both shared purpose and individual experience. Faculty integrate these principles into coursework and clinical preparation, ensuring that future healthcare professionals are equipped to care for diverse populations.
In practice, this approach emphasizes not only inclusion within the classroom but also a broader responsibility. Graduates are prepared to enter healthcare settings with an understanding of dignity, empathy, and service grounded in their training.
Support That Extends Beyond the Classroom
Decisions about a future career often begin while students are still in the classroom. At CCU, that process is supported through a combination of structured guidance and personal mentorship.
The Life Directions Center and Career Services work with students as they consider next steps, helping them connect their education with a sense of vocation. Career-focused events bring employers and graduate program representatives onto campus, giving students a clearer view of the opportunities available beyond their degree.
Within CCU-Nursing, support becomes more personal. Faculty invest time in building relationships with students, offering guidance that reflects both academic expectations and the realities of healthcare practice. The school also hosts networking events with local healthcare agencies, where students can engage directly with professionals and explore potential career paths.
These experiences help students move forward with both preparation and perspective, entering the workforce with a stronger sense of direction and connection.
Where Learning Turns Into Service
The true measure of a program appears in how its work reaches beyond campus. In recent years, that impact has taken shape through both faculty-led initiatives and the choices graduates make once they leave.
Within the school, two faculty members lead virtual dementia simulations, a nationally recognized training that places participants in the position of those living with dementia. The sessions are designed not to teach clinical steps, but to build understanding. Caregivers leave with a clearer sense of what patients experience day to day.
The same emphasis on service can be seen in student paths. One recent BSN graduate chose to spend a year working in an underserved region, providing care to vulnerable populations where resources remain limited.
Faculty contributions extend even further. Director of Graduate Nursing Programs, Dr. Kristen Goree, founded the Center for World Impact, an organization focused on adolescent health. Through its WE THRIVE program, middle school students and families are equipped with tools that strengthen relationships and support long-term well-being.
Taken together, these efforts show how learning here often moves outward, shaping both communities and the people who serve them.
Expanding Leadership Pathways
The next phase of development is already taking shape with the introduction of a new BSN to Doctor of Nursing Practice program at CCU. Scheduled to begin in Winter 2027, the program is designed to prepare nurses for roles that extend beyond bedside care.
Students will have the option to pursue one of three tracks: Family Nurse Practitioner, Adult-Gerontological Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, or Nurse Educator. Each pathway is paired with a focus on transformational leadership, reflecting a broader goal of preparing graduates to guide teams, influence practice, and contribute to the direction of healthcare.
For those already holding a master’s degree in nursing, a post-master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice in Transformational Leadership will also be available. The expansion signals a clear direction. Training is not limited to clinical expertise alone. Equal attention is given to leadership, teaching, and the ability to shape healthcare systems in the years ahead.
Dean’s Message
“A career in nursing is both challenging and deeply rewarding. The academic journey will be rigorous, but it will also be profoundly fulfilling as you discover strengths you may not have known you possessed.
Along the way, you will be stretched beyond what once seemed possible—and you will emerge stronger, more capable, and prepared to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.”
- Dr. Christine Lepianka, PhD, RN, SANE, Professor and Dean, School of Nursing and Health Professions
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