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Department of Nursing

What We Do:

Our mission is to prepare nurses at the baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral levels, who are grounded in the Catholic and Jesuit tradition, and committed to excellence in practice for the 21st century. Our graduates have the knowledge and competencies to deliver high-quality, evidence-based, holistic person-centered care. 

How We Stand Out:

At the heart of our nursing programs is a commitment to excellence, compassion, and social justice - shaped by our Jesuit values and a dedication to each student's success.
  • Jesuit ideals We believe in cura personalis - care for the whole person. Our programs are infused with a spirit of compassion, service, and a commitment to social justice. Our graduates are prepared not only to treat illness but to champion health equity and lead with purpose and empathy.
  • Personalized Support:  Students are taught by experienced faculty in small classroom settings, providing students with the opportunity to form strong connections with professors and peers. We strive to create a supportive learning community.
  • Strong Clinical Focus: Our undergraduate students begin clinical experiences early, in their sophomore year, gaining real-world skills in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Graduate students benefit from our strong network of clinical partners and receive personalized assistance with placements tailored to their goals.
  • Dedicated, Expert Faculty: Our faculty are more than educators - they are practicing clinicians and active researchers, bringing real-world insight into the classroom. Their passion for teaching and mentoring ensures that students are learning from leaders in the field who are deeply committed to student success. Our faculty are approachable, responsive, and invested in the educational journey of every student.

Programs:

Undergraduate Degree Program:

  • Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN): The baccalaureate degree program consists of 127.5 credits in nursing and liberal arts courses. Graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). The curriculum prepares graduates who possess clinical judgment and competencies to function in a variety of settings. 

Master's Degree Programs:

  • Family Nurse Practitioner, MSN: A 36-credit master’s program for baccalaureate-prepared-nurses, and a 27-credit post-master’s certificate for nurses already holding a master’s degree in nursing.  The curriculum prepares registered nurses to assess, diagnose, and treat common episodic and chronic disorders, and to provide health-promotion and disease-prevention interventions and counseling across the lifespan. 

  • Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, MSN: A 42-credit master's program that combines advanced nursing education with specialized training in mental health care. Students gain skills in evidence-based practice and explore the healthcare systems and policies that shape mental health services. 

Post-Master's Certificate Programs:

  • Family Nurse Practitioner, PMC: A 27-credit post-master’s certificate for nurses already holding a nursing master’s degree in advanced practice.

  • Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, PMC: A 33-credit post-master's certificate for nurses already holding an MSN. The program focuses on advanced competencies such as in-depth knowledge of therapeutic interventions and medication management.
Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree Programs:
  • Nursing Practice, DNP:   A 30-credit doctoral degree program for master’s prepared nurses uniquely offered in an executive leadership format, specifically designed to accommodate full-time practice and full-time academic commitment.  This hybrid model allows for a combination of on-campus and on-line course work, incorporating the benefits of face-to-face on campus learning with the flexibility of online learning. 

  • Nurse Anesthesia, DNP:  An 83-credit doctoral degree program for baccalaureate-prepared nurses who are seeking the opportunity to become Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists. The 36-month full-time program prepares graduates to administer all types of anesthesia to diverse populations in a variety of clinical settings.

  • Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, DNP: A 67-credit program that prepares nurses to diagnose, treat and manage acute and chronic psychiatric and mental health illnesses across the lifespan. The core of the psychiatric nurse practitioner specialization is the development of advanced competencies to support the therapeutic relationship between the client and the nurse. 

Meet Our Faculty:

We have all been bedside practitioners and have advanced degrees in a broad range of backgrounds and specialties. In addition to teaching, many of us remain engaged in clinical practice, research, and hold leadership roles on local and national boards of professional organizations.

Additionally, we are active in the University community through committee service and leading national and international service trips for the marginalized and underserved. Above all, we pride ourselves on being accessible to our students and committed to their success.

View the Nursing Faculty Directory 

View the Undergraduate Student Handbook

Inside the Classroom:

We work closely with our students in small classes, seminars, and clinical settings to prepare them for entering the work force after graduation.  Our state-of-the art learning labs have realistic high fidelity simulation models, exposing students to challenging scenarios and allowing faculty to teach and evaluate clinical judgement.

Student Research:

Scholarship is an important focus of our nursing faculty, and we have had our research projects funded by national organizations. Faculty have been published in nursing and interdisciplinary health care journals and have presented at national and international conferences.

Our students have the opportunity to work with faculty on research projects. Some undergraduate students choose an Honors Program option, where they are mentored by faculty as they produce their own research. Students have presented research at national conferences, and spent post-graduate years in service to others on national and international levels.

For more information on individual faculty members areas of research, visit our faculty page.

Career Outcomes:

Our graduates enter the profession with a solid theoretical and clinical base that guides their practice and decision-making. We have greater than a 95% annual employment rate post-graduation.

You will find our baccalaureate prepared Royal RNs working in hospitals, community clinics, government agencies, and offices. Our master’s and DNP graduates’ function in various roles including clinician, educator, and administrator. 

Employers of our graduates include hospitals, clinics, surgical centers, military bases, private practice, public health settings, and educational institutions.

Employers of our graduates include:

  • Atlantic Health System*
  • Beth Israel Lahey Health
  • Catholic Health*
  • Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)*
  • Cleveland Clinic*
  • Cohen Children's Medical Center
  • Commonwealth Health System*
  • Delta Airlines, Inc
  • Duke University Hospital*
  • Einstein Medical Center
  • Geisinger Health System*
  • George Washington University Hospital
  • Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC)
  • Hackensack Meridian Health Medical Center*
  • Johns Hopkins University Hospital*
  • Lehigh Valley Health Network*
  • Main Line Health Systems*
  • Mayo Clinic
  • Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center*
  • Montefiore Medical Center*
  • Mount Sinai Health System*
  • New York Presbyterian Medical Center*
  • New York Langone Medical Center*
  • Newark Beth Israel Medical Center
  • North Shore University Hospital
  • Northwell Health System*
  • Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation
  • Penn Medicine*
  • Penn State Hershey Medical Center*
  • Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital*
  • Sagamore Children's Psychiatric Center
  • Saint Barnabas Medical Center*
  • Saint Joseph's Hospital
  • Saint Luke's University Health Network
  • Saint Peter's Healthcare System*
  • Stony Brook University Hospital*
  • The Wright Center
  • Thomas Jefferson University Hospital*
  • University of Pennsylvania Medical Center
  • University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC)*
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services*
  • U.S. Military Hospitals in Hawaii, Texas, Washington, D.C., and Germany*
  • Vanderbilt University Medical Center*
  • White Plains Hospital*
  • Yale New Haven Health System*

*Indicates multiple graduates with same employer

Accreditation:

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master's degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program, and post-graduate APRN certificate program at the University of Scranton are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. (https://www.aacnnursing.org/CCNE) CCNE seal

 
The Nurse Anesthesia Program at the University of Scranton is accredited by The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA).

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