School of Nursing
Faculty
Patricia Rissmiller, Associate Professor and Graduate Chair
Charlene Berube, Associate Professor of Practice and Chair of Undergrad Nursing
NIckie Burney, Director of Campus Based Family Nurse Practitioner Program
Kim Boothby-Downing, Professor of Practice
Tanya Cohn, Associate Professor (NTT)
Stephanie Cassone, Assistant Professor of Practice
Margaret Costello, Assistant Professor
Tina Delouchry, Professor of Practice
Sarah Desmond, Associate Professor of Practice
Carmen Harrison, Associate Professor (NTT)
Jennifer Howard, Professor of Practice
Rebecca Koeniger-Donohue, Professor of Practice
Caitlin Levesque, Associate Professor of Practice
Norma Mann, Professor of Practice
Eileen McGee, Associate Professor of Practice
Naila Russell, Assistant Professor (NTT)
Karen Teeley, Professor of Practice
Sarah Volkman, Professor
Overview
Housed in the School of Nursing, the nursing program accepts first-year students, transfer students, students seeking a second degree, licensed practical nurses, and registered nurses seeking a baccalaureate degree. Recognizing society’s increased demand for health professionals with advanced skills and knowledge of nursing science and individuals’ unique educational and professional experiences, the faculty of the nursing program offers accelerated programs for registered nurses and non-nurses seeking a college degree. Part- and full-time study is available. There is an option for a five- year BS-MSN program. The nursing faculty believes that liberal education and nursing education provide essential preparation for the professional nurse practicing in a culturally, racially, and ethnically diverse community. The process as well as the content of a liberal education is fundamental to the development of the critical-thinking, decision- making, and communication skills essential to the practice of nursing science. The liberal arts and sciences, in combination with the major in nursing, serve as a foundation for a variety of careers in professional nursing. Graduates of the nursing program are prepared to meet the diverse health needs of clients in a variety of settings, as well as to coordinate health services, deliver humanistic nursing care, and engage in health assessment and health maintenance. Graduates may practice in community health agencies and programs, clinics, hospitals, and extended-care facilities.
The Bachelor of Science degree is awarded and qualifies the graduate for admission to graduate schools offering advanced degrees in nursing. Graduates are prepared to write the NCLEX-RN licensure examination required for practice by the Board of Registration, Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Students may opt to accelerate their program of study via a five-year BS-MSN program that prepares students in the advanced practice roles. The programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and approved by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing. The department is an agency member of the Council of Baccalaureate and Higher Degree Programs of the National League for Nursing and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
Learning Outcomes
- Utilize current evidence, clinical judgment, and patient preference to systematically assess, analyze, implement and evaluate health care interventions in order to promote safe, quality care throughout the lifespan, beginning with health promotion, through end of life.
- Deliver compassionate, respectful, patient and family centered care and education that reflects an understanding of human growth, development, nutrition, genomics, spirituality, culture, symptom management and health literacy across the health illness continuum through all transitions of care in all health care settings.
- Communicate/collaborate effectively with all members of the health care team, patient and family.
- Demonstrate leadership competency both interprofessionally and when delegating and supervising or coordinating teams to achieve shared goals and improve patient outcomes.
- Synthesize knowledge of health care delivery systems, social justice, global health, health care policy, informatics and principles of entrepreneurship in the addressing the health care needs of individuals and populations.
- Accepts accountability for continued development as a strategic, ethical, reflective scholar and practitioner to engaged as a lifelong learner with the goal advancing the profession of nursing.
Departmental Honors
The Department of Nursing offers the opportunity for students with a superior record in the major to receive departmental honors. The candidate must have a minimum 3.5 overall GPA and 3.5 Nursing GPA and be in the top 5% of their nursing class. The student is expected to be intellectually curious, self-directed in learning and actions, have high level critical thinking and analysis skills, and demonstrate superior writing. The candidate will complete an 8 credit (2 semesters) thesis or equivalent project of high quality supervised by a nursing faculty.