Sacred Heart’s Nursing Degree Program Ranks Third in State
Nursing program teaches students the skills to provide highest-quality care to patients, families and communities.
Sacred Heart University’s bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) program has earned the top rank on RNtoBSNProgram.com among Connecticut’s private colleges and universities, and it is rated third-best in the state overall.
Sacred Heart, a Roman Catholic University, has been educating aspiring nurses for decades. “The success of our program and the achievement of our students is directly related to the quality and commitment of our faculty,” said Mary Alice Donius, dean of the Davis & Henley College of Nursing.
High school senior students are admitted directly to the Dr. Susan L. Davis, R.N., & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing to begin the nursing degree program. The BSN prepares nurses for entry into professional roles that will lead to career opportunities in nursing and health care. “Students in our program integrate the knowledge and skills from courses in the liberal arts, sciences and nursing as the foundation for connecting caring actions with healing intentions to provide the highest quality care to patients, families and communities,” said Donius. Through state-of-the-art simulation labs and various clinical practice sites, the nursing students gain critical thinking and clinical skills demanded of today’s registered nurses in an ever-evolving health-care delivery system.
The BSN program at SHU offers exciting opportunities for nursing students to study a semester abroad in Ireland or Australia. Short-term immersion programs provide clinical opportunities in Ghana, Guatemala and Jamaica, as well as rural health clinics in Virginia. “Our goal is to expose our students to global health issues, diversity, social justice and health-care development for disadvantaged communities and underserved populations in the United States and abroad,” said Donius.
In addition to the traditional four-year undergraduate BSN program, the Davis & Henley College of Nursing offers a second degree accelerated (SDA BSN) program for those with a college degree and interest in a career in nursing. The 15-month SDA BSN program builds on students’ previous college course work and offers the traditional nursing curriculum in an accelerated format.