The Hunt School of Nursing has a rich history of graduating quality, highly skilled nursing professionals.

The Hunt School of Nursing at Gardner-Webb University offers one of the most comprehensive nursing programs in North Carolina. Our full spectrum of nursing degrees allows students to progress seamlessly to achieve their career and educational goals. GWU maintains productive partnerships with community healthcare facilities, providing students with valuable opportunities for service learning. You’ll learn about patient-centered care, evidence-based practice, and interdisciplinary collaboration. 

GWU’s Hunt School of Nursing provides excellent, high quality, student-centered programs based on current national competencies of nursing practice. Our diverse student population is taught to meet the global health care needs of individuals, groups and communities. Holistic nursing practice, Christian caring, critical thinking and professionalism are modeled by each nursing faculty member.

Nursing Education at GWU began in 1965 with the establishment of the Associate Degree Nursing program under the direction of Mrs. Grace C. Lee, who became the first program director.  The GWU Nursing Department became the School of Nursing in 1995 with Dr. Shirley Toney serving as the first Dean.

The School of Nursing currently houses four nursing degree programs.  In 1982 the RN to BSN Completion program was established.  The program was named the Davis Nursing Program in 1995 after becoming affiliated with the Davis Hospital Foundation.  A Master of Science in Nursing degree with tracks in Nursing Education and Nursing Administration was established in 2000 with the addition of the Family Nurse Practitioner track in 2013. In 2010 the Traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs were added. In 2017 the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program was added.

In 2014, Dr. Jack and Mrs. Ruby Hunt, noted public servants and community supporters, established the Hunt School of Nursing.

The person, made in the image of God, is unique and whole, deserving of love and respect. Person is viewed as an individual, family, or population seeking or entitled to optimal health and well-being.

Nursing education is a lifelong process based on a foundation of science and liberal arts, enhanced by a faith-based environment. The nurse, as an independent provider of health care and part of the healing environment, uses science and the caring arts to nurture and promote human wholeness.

Nursing practice reflects a spirit of inquiry that utilizes the knowledge and science emerging from research to translate scholarship to improve healthcare delivery and health outcomes in a variety of clinical settings.

Working collaboratively with the interdisciplinary team, the nurse continually evaluates the quality of care, serves as a leader in the healthcare community, and persistently strives for personal and professional growth.

The mission of the Hunt School of Nursing is to educate individuals to be professional nurses who lead lives of service for God and humanity by promoting health and healing within a diverse global community.

Welcome Bulldog Nurses!

The Hunt School of Nursing has a proud legacy of providing a faith-based nursing education within a close-knit, supportive learning environment. As a community of caring individuals, we believe that each person, made in the image of God, is unique and whole, deserving of love and respect. 

Our University motto, “For God and Humanity,” centers around Luke 10:27 “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” As Christians, we are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus. As a Bulldog Nurse, you will be challenged to use your God given talents to serve your patients, your community, and your profession. 

The Hunt School of Nursing has been educating nurses since 1965. Our roots began as an Associate Degree program and we have now grown into offering a range of undergraduate and graduate program options from ASN to DNP. The Hunt School of Nursing provides high quality, student-centered nursing programs based on current national competencies and practice. With hundreds of students now enrolled, the Hunt School of Nursing is one of the most prominent members within the Gardner-Webb family. The innovative nursing programs we offer engage nursing students in challenging discussions in both face-to-face and online settings. Our programs provide learning in a small classroom setting supported by invaluable hands-on experiences in state-of-the-art simulation labs and in the community to enhance learning outcomes. The Hunt School of Nursing offers numerous opportunities to begin your nursing career as well as advance your current level of nursing practice.

As both your director and a four-time alumna of the Hunt School of Nursing, I can truly say the Hunt School of Nursing is dedicated to the success of students and to advancing the profession of nursing. Please explore our website to find the opportunities the Hunt School of Nursing can provide you by learning about our programs and our faculty. We are all strengthened by the unique qualities each person brings to our learning community. We would welcome the chance to help you discover the multiple ways the Hunt School of Nursing can assist you in achieving your personal and professional goals.

Dr. Tracy Arnold
Director, Hunt School of Nursing
  • Tracy Arnold

    Dr. Tracy Arnold, DNP, RN, CNE

    Director, Hunt School of Nursing, Professor of Nursing

    (704) 406-4359

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Gardner-Webb has caring, tough and highly motivated professors to help you be the best you can be.”
— Lyndsey Couch ’14
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I knew Gardner-Webb would become my ‘home away from home,’ a place that would allow me to grow in my faith and my education.”
— Kaitlynn Watts Smith ’15
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The instructors were always available and always supportive. They encouraged and guided along the way. They kept you motivated and the coursework made you challenge yourself.”
— Theresa Trivette ’10