The history of Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences can be traced back to 1898 when the Moline Public School of Nursing opened its doors with two students; 1899 when St. Anthony’s Hospital School of Nursing opened its doors with four students; and 1916 when the Lutheran Hospital and its School for Nurses opened its doors to serve students interested in the field of nursing. In the late 1930’s advances were made in the medical community and these three hospitals and their respective schools of nursing served Quad City residents.
In 1951 St. Anthony’s opened the first radiography certificate program followed a year later by both Moline Public and Lutheran Hospitals. These early radiography programs consisted of 18-months of X-Ray Technology coursework at the hospital and a six-month internship leading to a certificate.
In 1959 Lutheran Hospital started the school of inhalation therapy, which later became known as Respiratory Therapy and today is known as the field of Respiratory Care.
In 1961 Moline Public Hospital began educating surgical technologists, which continued as a tradition until 2011 when the program was discontinued by Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences.
In 1972 Moline Public Hospital began educating EMS providers, which continued as a tradition until 2011 when the program was discontinued by Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences.
In 1989 Moline Public and Lutheran Hospitals merged to become United Medical Center, and in approximately 1992, United Medical Center merged with the renamed St. Anthony’s Hospital to become Trinity Medical Center.
As the affiliated schools grew and merged over the years, the nursing and allied health programs combined, formally creating Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences.
Awarded candidacy status from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools in 1996, Trinity College was awarded full accreditation status in 1998. Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences is also accredited by its professional accrediting organizations in nursing, radiology, and respiratory care.
Currently the College has the following programs: Associate of Science Degree in Nursing, Associate of Applied Science in Radiography, Associate of Applied Science in Respiratory Care, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program has three tracks: BSN-Accelerated for those who hold a baccalaureate degree in another discipline, BSN-Basic for those beginning their nursing careers, and BSN-C for those who wish to pursue an RN-BSN completion program.
Trinity College of Nursing is situated at 2122 25th Avenue in Rock Island, Illinois adjacent to Trinity Medical Center.
Trinity Medical Center is a subset of Trinity Regional Health System, which is part of Iowa Health System, Iowa’s largest health care system.
Trinity Medical Center has always recognized its responsibility to prepare health professionals who provide quality health care to patients in western Illinois and eastern Iowa. The Trinity College Governing Board along with the Board of Directors at Trinity Medical Center take great pride in supporting an accredited college that provides top programs that are in the forefront of nursing and health sciences education.
Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences enjoys an affiliation with
Trinity Regional Health System a not-for-profit organization of hospitals, clinics and health care agencies serving Western Illinois and Eastern Iowa. TRHS provides unparalleled education and clinical opportunities for Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences students. Many graduates choose to work within TRHS after graduating from the college.