The Nursing Sciences Unit was established in 1985 as a response to societal and professional needs. The initiative to establish the unit with mandates to spearhead the first Zimbabwean Degree in Nursing and to increase the number of graduate nurses in Zimbabwe came from the Zimbabwe Nurses Association, Ministry of Health and Child Care, Nurses Council of Zimbabwe and the Society. The unit has remained pivotal to the development of nurses. To date the unit has tremendously developed and offers a four year undergraduate honours degree in Nursing Science, full time and part time Masters degrees in Nursing Sciences and a DPhil programme in Nursing Science. Various clinical specialty areas such as Maternal Child Health and Midwifery, Medical - Surgical Nursing, Community Health Nursing and Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing are offered at postgraduate level.