Nursing
- Former user (Deleted)
The nursing program begin in 1945 as the School of Missionary Medicine.
Dr. Leonie Soubirou had a true heart for nursing, and she felt God leading her to the Bible Institute of Los Angeles.
The Institute had developed a medical training program for its students studying missions, but when that course of study was discontinued, the medical program was as well. Students were still being trained to go overseas, but none were being taught how skills in healing the body could be used to minister to souls.
Dr. Soubirou saw the need and in 1945 she established the School of Missionary Medicine. This one-year program trained students in everything from dentistry to tropical medicine, and graduates were eligible to take the state test to become licensed vocational nurses.
Throughout the next 30 years, Dr. Soubirou expanded her program to meet the needs of a changing world. As a result of the growing trend towards professional nursing education, Dr. Soubirou established an accredited baccalaureate nursing program at Biola in 1966.
After Dr. Soubirou’s retirement, the Department of Nursing continued to carry the legacy of the School of Missionary Medicine. The department faculty started summer programs that enabled nursing students to meet the health care needs of the poor in Los Angeles and overseas. The curriculum is still based on a Christian philosophy of nursing, and there is a continued focus on providing health care to the underserved and ethnically diverse populations. The department has graduated over 1,200 men and women ready to serve Christ by caring for the physical needs of people around the world.