The College of Nursing, Villanova University, established in 1953, has bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and approved by the State Board of Nursing of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as well as an American Nurses Credentialing Center accredited program in Continuing Education. The nurse anesthesia program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs. The ultimate goal of the College is to prepare competent professionals who are ethically oriented, and who are educated in Villanova's proud liberal arts tradition to provide leadership in serving the nursing needs of society at-large.

The College of Nursing at Villanova University, through strong, comprehensive recruitment and outstanding administrative support from the University, has maintained a reputation as a highly competitive nursing program, enrolling a significant number of students of high quality. Of particular note:

• Nursing education has been a part of Villanova University for over 50 years. Through its promotion of Judeo-Christian values, its emphasis on service, social justice and altruism, and its long tradition of academic integrity and excellence, it embodies the philosophy and mission of Villanova University.
• The College of Nursing programs and its graduates enjoy an excellent reputation for outstanding clinical competence and leadership skills.
• Graduates of the College are highly sought and superbly prepared for professional careers in the global community.
• A proportionately high percentage of Villanova nursing graduates assume leadership roles and management positions in local, national and international health care agencies.
• In all of its programs, the College of Nursing places emphasis on human values and ethical concerns as they relate to health and personal decision making.

• Faculty
• Students
• Academics
• Degrees Offered
• Alumni
• Employment
• Special Programs

Faculty

• The College has 44 full-time faculty and 35 part-time faculty. Of the full-time faculty, one is a registered nutritionist and the remaining 43 hold at least a masters degree in nursing; 80 % hold doctoral degrees.
• The Dean is a past president of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Nursing Schools Association (PHENSA), serves on the Board of the Nurses' Educational Funds, Inc. (NYC) and is a Board member of Mercy Hospitals.
• The Dean and three faculty members are Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing.
• Faculty members frequently receive a university summer research grant.
• A faculty member received a grant from the Pennsylvania Higher Education Nursing Association for pedagogical research.
• The administration and faculty of the college are well published, and provide national and international consultation. Many are engaged in research.
• A faculty member is the immediate Past-President of the Eastern Nursing Research Society.
• A faculty member is a consultant to the Food and Drug Administration of the United States Public Health Service.

Students

Undergraduate

• 493 students are enrolled in the undergraduate program of which 471 are full-time.
• 13% minority enrollment in undergraduate program.
• Less than 10% attrition rate among undergraduate students.

Graduate

• 201 students are enrolled in the graduate program of which 41 are full time; the majority are part-time and employed full-time in health care agencies.
• 4 % minority enrollment in graduate program.
• Five students hold assistantships in the College of Nursing and receive full tuition reimbursement and six students receive partial tuition reimbursement.
• Several students have published in journals. Others have given presentations regionally and nationally.

International

• 6 % of undergraduate nursing students are international students. Countries represented include Nigeria, Venezuela, Liberia, the Philippines and the Sultanate of Oman.
• 14 % of graduate nursing students are international students. Countries include Sultanate of Oman, Kenya, and Jordan.

Academics 

Undergraduate Program

• The majority of alumni pursue graduate education.
• The program has been awarded several grants from the Division of Nursing, Department of Health and Human Services, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation and the Helene Fuld Trust.
• Undergraduate program offers opportunities for international study abroad at the University of Manchester for the Sophomore year. There are also short term international opportunities in countries such as Japan, Nicaragua, Ireland and Peru, in both required and elective courses.
• Opportunities are available to pursue minors in related academic disciplines.

Graduate Program

• The Graduate Nursing Program has been ranked among the top 60 graduate nursing programs in the country by U.S. News and World Report.
• Prior to establishment of our own doctoral program, the Graduate Program had been one of the largest private religious schools without doctoral programs in the USA.
• The MSN program is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission, and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.  The Nurse Anesthesia program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs.  All nurse practitioner programs are approved by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing.
• The Program has been awarded several advanced training grants by the Division of Nursing, Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Public Health Service: a) Graduate Program initial development (5 years); b) Community Home/Health Care Administration (5 years); c) Clinical Case Management (3 years); d) Nurse Anesthesia (3 years).
• Approximately 15 % of our graduates have completed doctoral study, including several international graduates.
• Opportunities are available to study abroad through Independent Study.
• Many graduates have contributed to nursing literature with publications. Others have given professional presentations on a regional and national level.
• Highly qualified, doctorally prepared faculty, recognized nationally and internationally for their expertise, scholarship and leadership, teach our graduate courses. All clinical faculty are certified nurse practitioners or nurse anesthetists.

Continuing Education Program

• Nationally accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, Commission on Accreditation as a provider of continuing education.
• Role Excellence Post-Masters certificate has been offered to nurse administrators for more than 22 years.
• Each year, the Nurse Manager Certificate Course prepares more than one hundred nurse managers in the Philadelphia region for expanded roles.
• The College and the National League for Nursing co-sponsors a week long, residential institute for faculty development. Nursing Educators from around the country participate in this program.

Degrees Offered 

BSN for:

• High School graduates
• RN-BSN completion
• Adult/Transfer opportunities
• Second Degree Options

MSN with the following concentrations:

• Health Care Administration - MSN and a certificate in Business Administration from the Villanova School of Business.
• Nursing Education
• Nurse Practitioner:
      Adult
      Geriatric
      Pediatric
• Case Management Administration
• Nurse Anesthesia
• Post-Master's concentrations available:
      Nurse Practitioner
      Nurse Anesthesia
      Case Management Administration
      Nursing Education

PhD

• Doctoral program prepares teacher-scholars for academic careers

Alumni

• Rosalie Mirenda, EdD, RN, President, Neumann College
• Brigadier General Hazel Johnson, PhD, RN, Chief, U.S. Army Nurse Corp. (Retired)
• Rear Admiral Christine Bruzek-Kohler, EdD, RN, FACHE, Director, U.S. Navy Nurse Corps, Chief of Staff, Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery
• Dorrie Fontaine, DNSc, RN, FAAN, Past-President, American Association of Critical Care Nurses
• Joanne Hambleton, Vice President, Nursing, Fox Chase Cancer Center
• Mohammed Al-Riyami, Dean, Muscat Nursing Institute, Sultanate of Oman
• Veronica D. Feeg, PhD, RN, Associate Professor, George Mason University School of Nursing
• Helen B. Connors, PhD, RN, Associate Professor and Associate Dean, University of Kansas School of Nursing
• Anne Keane, EdD, FAAN, CRNP, RN, Associate Professor, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
• Mary Naylor, PhD, RN, FAAN, Marian S. Ware Professor in Gerontology; Director of the Center for Health Transitions, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
• Madeline McCarthy Bell, BSN, RN, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
• Salwa Al-Obeisat-Hweidi, MSN ’95, Dean, Faculty of Nursing, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan

Employment

Villanova graduates are actively sought by employers of nurses in all parts of the country.

Undergraduate

• 90 % choose acute care settings for first employment.
• Significant number of graduates choose employment in Greater Philadelphia area.

Graduate

• Graduates of the Nursing Education concentration are teaching in schools such as Villanova University, Thomas Jefferson University, Tenet Health System Hospitals, Temple University, West Chester University, LaSalle University, Widener University, University of Scranton and abroad in the Sultanate of Oman.
• Graduates of the Health Care Administration concentration are employed as administrators in mid- and upper-level positions in such local institutions as The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Lehigh Valley Medical Center, Presbyterian Medical Center, St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, Pottstown Memorial Medical Center, Moss Rehabilitation Center, The Bryn Mawr Hospital and Lankenau Hospital.
• Case Management graduates are employed in HMOs, insurance companies acute care settings and disability management companies.
• Graduates of our nurse anesthesia concentration are employed as nurse anesthetists around the country.  Their passing rate on the certification examination far exceeds the national norm.
• Graduates of our practitioner concentrations are nationally certified as nurse practitioners, and are employed in ambulatory clinics, physicians offices, school health centers and other primary health care settings.
• Several graduates have pursued entrepreneurial avenues and direct successful health care related businesses.

Special Programs

• For the eleventh year, the Health and Human Values Lecture Series, supported by a grant from the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, offered a highly successful program to both the University and community at large.
• The College co-sponsored the Second Nursing Conference in Lebanon with the American University of Beirut School of Nursing in cooperation with the University of Michigan School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and University of California San Francisco School of Nursing.
• The Health Promotion for Women with Disabilities Project, a 4-year project funded by the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, was established to improve the health status and health access of women with disabilities. The Project has created its own web site to provide information about health issues to women with disabilities, their family caregivers and health care providers.
• The College co-sponsored the first annual Faculty Development Institute with the National League for Nursing in June, 2001. It continues today.
• A formal mechanism is established for faculty participation in Operation Smile International activities through initial involvement in Philippines and China projects. Work focused on developing both educational and clinical roles for Villanova nursing faculty and students. Two faculty have been volunteers in the Philippines, China, Kenya, Russia and Peru.
• The College provided consultation and anticipated design of a model of geriatric practice at the Augustinian Health Center which is located on campus. The Health Center serves as a practice site for nursing students.  In addition, some members of the College of Nursing faculty serve in a consultative and advisory capacity to the Prior Provincial on matters of health affecting members of the Order of St. Augustine. The College also assisted the Augustinian Defenders of the Rights of the Poor (ADROP) to open Unity Clinic in South Philadelphia, a free clinic for the uninsured, in June 2006.
• The College offers a concentration in Health and Wellness for non-nursing undergraduate students.
• The College offers an accelerated program for the BSN degree for students who already possess undergraduate or graduate degrees in other disciplines.