It is now 50 years since the first students began their nursing training in Kristiansand. In January 1976, the Vest-Agder Nursing School opened its doors to 40 students, following many years of political deliberations and needs assessments.
Today, the programme is part of the University of Agder and admits around 170 students each year in Kristiansand. At the same time, it forms part of a longer historical tradition of nursing education in Agder.
“Nursing education has developed in step with both society and the health services, but its social mission has always remained the same: to train nurses who are well equipped for working life,” says Head of Department Dag Tomas Sagen Johannesen.
The anniversary will be celebrated on 1 June
The University of Agder invites you to its anniversary celebrations on Monday 1 June, featuring lunch, a seminar and a gala dinner. The programme includes historical reflections by students from the first intake, discussions on the challenges and future of the nursing profession, and a tour of the clinical laboratory.
The anniversary is aimed particularly at those who started in January and August 1976, but the invitation is also extended to former students, staff, partners, local authority and hospital managers, political representatives and professional organisations.
More about the event and registration. Please note that the event will be held in Norwegian.
Part of a long-standing educational tradition
Nursing education in Agder has a history stretching back 106 years. It was first established in Arendal in 1920 as the Nursing Programme at Aust-Agder and Arendal Hospital. The programme celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2020.
Kristiansand was formally established in 1976, but the town also has an earlier, shorter period of nursing education linked to Kristiansand Municipal Hospital, from 1917 to 1934. After that, it took over 40 years for a new local course to be set up.
Contributions far beyond the region
For five decades, the nursing programme in Kristiansand has provided expertise to the health services. The programme has thus had an impact far beyond the region and has played a part in the national development of nursing expertise within both the municipal and specialist health services.
Today, the Bachelor’s degree in Nursing is the largest programme at the Faculty of Health and Sports Sciences.
"The nursing programme is a cornerstone of the faculty and one of the most important programmes we offer. History imposes a duty, and we have a clear responsibility to contribute to the healthcare services of the future", says Dean Anders Johan Wickstrøm Andersen.
He points out that the programme has been in continuous development, both in terms of academic content, organisation and competence requirements, whilst a strong practical focus has been a consistent feature.
From bachelor’s to doctoral degree
This development has also been about academic breadth. What began as a local nursing school is today an academic environment offering education at all levels and part of a university system.
"Today we offer not only a comprehensive bachelor’s programme, but also four master’s programmes and a dedicated doctoral programme. This demonstrates how the nursing profession and education have grown in both scope and significance", says Johannesen.
Anniversary publication with a historical retrospective
To mark the anniversary, a special commemorative booklet has been produced, providing a historical retrospective of nursing education in Vest-Agder from 1976 to 2026. The booklet is based, among other things, on archive material from former principal Kin Nicolaysen Holbek and the experiences of students from the first cohort.