In the latest evaluation of top nursing schools in America, the school at the University of California - San Francisco (UCSF) ranks high on several Top 10 Lists in nursing specialty education. Only one other SF nursing specialty school made it into the Top 10 of any of these lists and that school is San Francisco General Hospital, itself a division of UCSF College of Medicine. These, then, are the top two highest recognized nursing schools in the area. While not in the Top 10, other SF schools are highly qualified as well and are presented below.

The following nursing schools have been recommended by education evaluators and organizations for their 1) speciality program effectiveness (best practices, etc.), 2) percentage of nurses succfully Certified and officially Licensed, and other factors.

Professional Nurse Educators and postsecondary (beyond high school) and graduate Academic Officers evaluated and ranked the nursing schools on these lists after examining the data from an in=depth and widely extensive survey administered in 2008. -

Further, theNational Research Council has evaluated and ranked the programs in Biomedical Sciences, including Nursing, at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in the Top Programs in the US coast-to-coast.

• Best Adult Nursing schools - UCSF is Number Two.
• Best Nurse Midwifing schools - UCSF is tied with San Francisco General Hospital (also UCSF) for Number Three.
• Best Pediatric Nursing schools - UCSF is Number Five.
• Best Family Nursing schools - UCSF is Number Two.
• Best Geriatric Nursing schools - UCSF is Number Seven.
• Best Psychaitric Nursing schools - UCSF is Number Two, again.

 

Students enrolled into bay Are nursing achools can choose from a new and increasing variety of specialties in which to prepare for a regarding and much-needed high demand career.

End point in the related training programs include Registered Nurse (RN), Nurse Practitioner (NP), and Legal Nurse (LN); as well as BSN (4-year degree) and MSN (master's level). Nursing students may study Critical Care Nursing, Forensic Nursing, Hospice Care, Nursing Data Informatics (a hot and growing career field), Midwifery, Pediatrics, Geriatrics, Adult or Family Nursing and several others. Interested students may also pursue the paths of Medical Researcher or Health Care Administrator.

TOP 5 BAY AREA NURSING SCHOOLS

The Top 5 schools demonstrate the highest evaluative ratings from the National Research Council, US News and World Reports and other organizations, the broadest range of degrees and certifications, and notable funded research projects.

1. University of California – San Francisco - UCSF.
2. San Francisco General Hospital - a division of UCSF Medical School.
3. University of San Francisco School of Nursing - Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), MSN Clinical Nurse Leader, BSN, RN (Associate’s of Nursing). This school offers wide curricula of study designed for the nurse and the non-nurse point of entry.
4. San Francisco State University: School of Nursing - www.sfsu.edu/
5. San Jose University School of Nursing – Undergraduate and graduate programs and certifications.

ADDITIONAL NOTED SCHOOLS

1. Bay Area College of Nursing- www.bayareacollege.net - Vocational Nrusing, Certified Nursing Assistant training, CPR training, examination review courses,
2. California Nurses Institute - www.californianursesinstitute.com
3. City College of San Francisco – Registered Nursing, Vocational Nursing,
4. VIP Nursing School - www.vipnursing.net

REVIEW COURSES

• RN Review For Nurses - nclex.reviewfornurses.com – A review course for licensing examination study.
• Facets of Nursing Excellence - www.facetsofnursingexcellence.com - A review course for licensing examinations.

Medical Facilities related to the University

• Long Hospital
• Moffitt Hospital
• Mount Zion Medical Center
• San Francisco General Hospital

UCSF has been progressive in recruitment of additional nursing school enrollees in an effort to not only provide a skilled workforce to improve San Francisco and American healthcare, but also to provide high paying jobs to a greater number of people and to reduce the overwhelming deficit of nursing professionals that is crippling the city and the nation overall. This is a major reason that the Travel Nursing Industryhas become such a lucrative field fo work, with higher pay and additional benefits and perks than many other fields.

The UCSF administration and governing board have expanded their leading system of nursing programs to include new specialties as well in order to keep pace with the changing landscape of healthcare needs in the nation and the world.

Nurses at UCSF is rooted in the philosophy and practical demonstration that instruction, research, and best practices provide the highest quality skilled nursing workers. UCSF Nursing delivers advanced programs to professional nurses that hold associate’s degrees to speed them toward a bachelor's and master's degree efficiently. The school also offers a doctoral degree in nursing.

CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS

• Aging Processes/Illnesses and Aging Health Policy - Geriatrics.
• Chronic Illness
• Clinical Best Practices
• Emergency and Critical Care
• Family Health/Illness
• Health and Environment
• Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
• HIV/AIDS
• The Human Recovery Process
• Pediatric Development/Health/Illness
• Symptom Management - includes tobacco-related issues, substance abuse, pregnancy and postpartum, sleep cycles, incarceration and health, and others.
• Women's Health - includes Lesbian Health & Research and many others.

With a full lineup of degree programs from the associate to the doctoral in nursing and opportunity for stimulating research that addresses humanity's most pressing health issues, UCSF is the finest Nursing School in the San Francisco Bay Area.

This list of 10 additional Bay Area Hospitals and Medical Centers have received good consumer ratings posted in Internet health related directories of services. 

• California Pacific Medical Center
• Chinese Community Health Resource Center (CCHRC)
• Golden Gate Healthcare Center
• Hayes Convalescent Hospital
• Kaiser Permanente Hospital‎
• Nineteenth Avenue Healthcare
• St Francis Memorial Hospital
• Saint Mary's Medical Center
• Saint Luke's Hospital
• Veteran's Affairs Medical Center

This example comes from May 6, 2009 [39,000 job openigns in SF]. The top employers that are posting the largest numbers of job vacancies on the major job search engine Indeed.Com are:

1. Kaiser Permanente - Hospitals, laboratories, and other health and bio-related facilities.
2. Sutter Health - Hospitals.
3. University of California - San Francisco (UCSF) - including the medical complex and nursing school. Health Research staff and Nurses are most high in demand.
4. Amedsys - Nurses at all levels, Physical and Occupational Therapists.
5. Genentech - Researchers, Scientists, Managers and Directors in genetic medicine.

The other major category was "Recruiters", equal to Kaiser Permanente in job vacancies, but mostly in Information Technology and support and some of these are in health related companies as well. Healthcare position as Nurses were also included for Recruiters.