"Radford University announced Friday that the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia recently authorized the school’s new College of Nursing.

Radford is the only public institution in Virginia to have a such a separate college, according to a university news release.

The change had also been approved by the Radford University Board of Visitors.

The college is led by interim Dean Wendy Downey and has locations in Radford and Roanoke.

'This is a monumental achievement for the College of Nursing in a 50-year history where we have been part of a college, but never as one dedicated solely to nursing,” Downey said in the release. 'Numerous alumni and emeritus faculty have told me, ‘This has been a long time coming.’

'At Radford, we have embraced the responsibility to prepare a healthcare workforce that will improve outcomes for patients across our region and the entire commonwealth. The enhanced commitment of resources and new model of governance that the College of Nursing benefits from will further advance our university and the communities that Radford-educated nurses serve,' said the school’s president, Bret Danilowicz,'" reports The Roanoke Times.

Photo: A College of Nursing student practices measuring a student’s heart rate. Radford University