Established in 1933 as the first baccalaureate program in nursing in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the School of Nursing at Spalding University remains a leader in assuring excellence in nursing practice through innovation in nursing education. The rich heritage of seven decades of nursing education coupled with high educational standards and a commitment to learning and service with others has positioned its more that 2,500 graduates for serving the well and the sick in hospitals, special care facilities, schools, community agencies and the military, to name just a few. The School of Nursing has placed graduates as managers and leaders in health care, health care ethics, public policy, and health care systems, as well as advanced practice nurses, throughout the state of Kentucky, across the United States and abroad.

Official Pin of the Baccalaureate Nursing Program
The official pin the Baccalaureate Nursing Program at Spalding University is a replica of the official Seal of Spalding University. At the center of the Seal is the pelican, wings displayed and inverted, pecking at her breast according to medieval legend, for drops of blood to feed her young. The pelican is the symbol of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, Kentucky, founders of Spalding University, and of the service which the University and its graduates offer to humankind.

At each side of the pelican are variations of the Christian cross. That on the right is the fleur-de-lis or French cross, symbol of the City of Louisville and a reflection of the French influence upon the Sisters of Charity through their co-founder, Bishop Jean Baptiste M. David. That on the left is the crossed crosslet emblazoned on the coat of arms of the Spalding family from which Catherine Spalding, co-founder of the Sisters of Charity, was descended and for whom Spalding University is named.

The founding date of the University, 1814, is inscribed on the pelican’s nest; and the University name and location provide the circumference of the shield.