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:

Jesuit ideals: We have a deep concern for students as individuals. Service and compassion are emphasized in all programs.
Personal attention: In their first year, undergraduate nursing majors take introductory classes with our full-time faculty and meet their peers. Graduate and DNP students are all assigned a faculty mentor to guide and support their educational experience.
Strong clinical focus: Clinical experiences beginning in sophomore year for undergraduate students. All clinical sites are arranged by faculty for baccalaureate, graduate, and doctoral students.
Dedicated faculty: Classes taught by full-time faculty who are actively engaged in clinical practice and research.

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 degree 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.
Executive Nurse Leadership (MSN): A 30-credit master’s degree program that prepares nurse executives to be leaders in the increasingly complex and rapidly changing healthcare climate. The curriculum emphasizes content in organizational and financial management perspectives, as well as the knowledge and skills to exert a leadership role in health care and contribute to the art and science of nursing.

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Degree Programs:

Post-Master's -- Leadership (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.

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 faculty profiles and contact information.

Kim Subasic, PhD, MS, RN, CNE

Chair

Department Chair

B.S.N., Saint Francis University, 1987

M.S.N., University of Massachusetts, 2003

Ph.D., Saint Louis University, 2012

Phone: 570-941-6223
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Barbara K. Buxton, PhD, RN, PMH-CNS, BC

B.S.N., Albright College

M.S.N., Wilkes University

Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist, Board Certified

Phone: 570-941-7706
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Dona Rinaldi Carpenter, EdD, RN

B.S.N., Misericordia, 1979

M.S.N., Villanova University, 1984

M.S.N., Teacher’s College Columbia University, 1987

Ed.D., Columbia University , 1989

Phone: 570-941-4195
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Teresa Conte, PhD, CPNP

Undergraduate Program Director

B.S.N., University of Scranton, 1994

M.S.N., Nurse Practitioner, Villanova University, 2003

Ph.D., Villanova University, 2011

Phone: 570-941-7647
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Ann Culp, CRNA, DNP

Program Administrator, Nurse Anesthesia Program

R.N., Pittston Hospital School of Nursing, 1979

B.S.N., Ottawa University, 1988

M.S.N., Case Western Reserve University, 1996

DNP, Case Western Reserve University, 2009

Phone: 570-941-5588
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Mary Jane K. DiMattio, PhD, RN

B.S.N., University of Scranton

M.S.N., Villanova University

Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania

Phone: 570-941-7628
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Susan Elczyna, PhD, CRNA

Assistant Program Administrator, Nurse Anesthesia Program

R.N., Geisinger School of Nursing

B.S.N., Wilkes University

M.S.N., Wilkes University

Ph.D., Marywood University

Phone: 570-941-5583
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Marian Farrell, PhD, PMH-NP, BC, PMH-CNS, BC, CRNP, CS

B.S.N., Misericordia University

M.S.N., Misericordia University

Ph.D., Adelphi University

Phone: 570-941-4117
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Ann Feeney, PhD, CRNP, CNM

R.N., Robert Packer Hospital School of Nursing, 1983

B.S.N., Marywood University, 1987

M.S.N., University of Pennsylvania, 1989

Ph.D., Binghamton University, 2014

Phone: 570-941-4118
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Autumn Forgione, RN, MSN, AGNP

B.S.N., Villanova University

M.S.N., University of Pennsylvania

Phone: 570-941-4788
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Mary Jane Hanson, PhD, CRNP, CNS, RN, FNP-BC, ANP-BC, ACNS-BC, FAANP

Director of Graduate and DNP Programs

B.S.N., Cedar Crest College

M.S.N., University of Pennsylvania

Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania

Phone: 570-941-4060
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Colleen McGoff, RN, MSN, NP-C

B.S.N., Bloomsburg University, 1987

M.S.N., Syracuse University, 1997

Phone: 570-941-4196
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Sharon Hudacek, EdD, RN, ACNS-BC

B.S.N., Misericordia University

M.S.N., Columbia University

Ph.D., Columbia University

Phone: 570-941-4197
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Mimi Kovaleski, PhD, MSN, RN, ACNS-BC, CCRN

B.S.N., Wilkes University

M.S.N., University of Scranton

Phone: 570-941-5832
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Lisa Lesneski, PhD, RN

B.S.N., Marywood University, 1988

M.S.N., Binghamton University, 1991

Ph.D., University of Maryland at Baltimore, 2005

Phone: 570-941-4346
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Linda Lewis, MSN, RN, CCNS, RN-BC

Mercy School of Nursing

B.S.N., Pennsylvania State University

M.S.N., University of Pennsylvania

Phone: 570-941-7755
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Wendy Grochowski Manetti, PhD, CRNP, NP-C

B.S.N., University of Scranton, 1989

M.S.N., University of Scranton, 1999

Ph.D., Widener University, 2015

Phone: 570-941-6221
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Tracy L. Murray, Esq., JD, CRNP, CRNA

Clinical Director, Nurse Anesthesia Program

• BSN University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing

• CRNA University Health Center of Pittsburgh School of Anesthesia for Nurses

• MSN University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing FNP Program

• JD Widener University Commonwealth Law School

Phone: 570-941-5551
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Jo Ann L. Nicoteri, PhD, CRNP, FNP-BC

B.S.N., University of Pennsylvania

M.S.N., State University of New York at Binghamton

Ph.D., University of Maryland at Baltimore

Phone: 570-941-4345
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Annette T. Tross, RN, MSN, CRNP, NP-C

R.N., Mercy Hospital School of Nursing, 1987

B.S.N., University of the State of New York, Regents College, 1997

M.S.N., Misericordia University, MSN, CRNP, 1999

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), in progress, University of Scranton

Phone: 570-941-4508
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Laurie Valunas, RN, MSN, CPNP

B.S.N., University of Scranton

M.S.N., Duke University

Phone: 570-941-5833
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Cristen Walker, PhD, CRNP, FNP-C, CNE

B.S.N., University of Pittsburgh

M.S.N. State University of New York

Phone: 570-941-7928
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Patricia M. Wright, PhD, CRNP, CNS, CHPN, CNE

B.S.N., Misericordia University

M.S.N., Misericordia University

Ph.D., Loyola University Chicago

Post-Master’s Certificate: Family Nurse Practitioner, Misericordia University

Phone: 570-941-6484
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Margarete L. Zalon, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC, FAAN

B.S.N., Duke University

M.A. in Nursing, New York University

Ph.D., New York University

Phone: 570-941-7655
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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% employment rate for our graduates.

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:

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
Hackensack Medical Center, Hackensack, NJ
New York Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, NY
Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA
Lehigh Valley Hospital and Physicians Group, Allentown, PA
New York University Medical Center, New York City, NY
University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA
Yale New Haven Medical Center, Yale, CT
Vanderbilt Medical Center, Nashville, TN
Duke University Hospital, Durham, NC
U.S. Military Hospitals in Hawaii, Texas, Washington, D.C., and Germany
Wright Center, Scranton, PA
Geisinger Health System, Danville, PA

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

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