SHU Relaunches Associate Degree in Nursing Program

Reimagined courses provide students with access to more resources and clinical experiences

To help meet the demand for nurses in Connecticut, Sacred Heart University is relaunching its associate degree in nursing (ADN) program within the Dr. Susan L. Davis, RN, & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing (DHCON).

SHU’s St. Vincent’s College, which houses health-related classes and associate degree programs, will close at the end of the academic year. Some of its programs moved to SHU’s other colleges, and University leaders decided to transfer the ADN to the DHCON because faculty and administrators realized the significant need for a two-year nursing program.

“The urgent need for well-educated nurses continues to be a priority across the state,” said Karen Daley, Ph.D., RN, DHCON dean. She said in this post-pandemic era, ADN nurses are the backbone of the acute-care workforce.

With the closure of St. Vincent’s College, Daley said the community and alumni can rest assured that St. Vincent’s and its history in the community will not be forgotten.

“Building on the legacy of the longstanding contributions of both the St. Vincent Hospital School of Nursing and the St. Vincent College, and recognizing the 100 years of graduates who have been the foundation of the nursing workforce, the program will be relaunched within the DHCON,” Daley said. “This legacy will be preserved through the creation of a St. Vincent’s Scholars program, preservation of archival items, and the current history wall will remain on exhibit in the Academic Center’s hallway.”

St. Vincent’s 1977 alum, Martin Sbriglio, acknowledges the increasing complexities of the health-care landscape and hopes the transition is beneficial for everyone involved.

Virginia Day, ’64 is a graduate of the original St. Vincent Hospital School of Nursing and former faculty member. Day said she has “gratitude for the education I received, the bonds of friendship that developed and the full professional life that nursing afforded me."

Day went on to say, “Now is the time and the opportunity for the DHCON to create an accelerated nursing program, in a superior health science setting, to address the nursing shortage and to provide a hopeful and rewarding future for its graduates.”

About the ADN Program

Susan L. Davis, RN, Ed.D., FACHE, SHU Board of Trustees member and one of the people for whom the DHCON is named, said students in the ADN program typically have a job and family, so they need a degree program with more flexibility. The ADN program is an option that works for them.

“As an associate degree graduate myself, I was thrilled to be able to complete my studies in two years and start my dream career as a nurse,” Davis said. “This program will give people living in southwestern Connecticut a unique opportunity to enter the health-care field while managing their other responsibilities.”

Daley agreed that the program fits the needs of many people hoping to pursue a nursing career. She recalled seeing ADN graduates at commencements who were beaming with joy. “For many, this degree means a better future for their families,” she said. “We are truly serving our community.”

They said the program also addresses the need for bedside nurses. “Nursing is vital to the well-being and quality of life of the people we care for in the health-care system. Having this program as part of the DHCON at Sacred Heart will add to the overall workforce and offer the students access to unique resources in Sacred Heart’s labs,” Davis said.

In the accelerated, 72-credit program, the revised curriculum will include experiences that had been unavailable to St. Vincent’s students. The program prepares students for the evolving demands of a nursing career through rigorous courses and hands-on experiences. The ADN students will also leverage the expansive clinical placement partnerships that DHCON faculty established. There will be more support and opportunity for faculty, as well, Daley said.

“Hartford HealthCare is delighted by the University’s relaunch of its associate degree in nursing program,” said MaryEllen (Mel) Kosturko, DNP, MAHSM, RN, CENP, and Hartford HealthCare’s executive vice president and system chief nursing officer. “Opportunities like this help fill a critical need for nurses in Connecticut, which is predicted to have a shortfall of about 1,000 registered nurses annually.”

She said Hartford HealthCare has excellent hospital facilities to provide clinical placement for students, such as nearby St. Vincent’s Medical Center. All seven of the system’s acute-care hospitals earned “A” scores from the health-care watchdog group Leapfrog for overall quality and safety.

Kosturko sees the associate degree program as a perfect gateway for nurses who want to later continue their nursing education. Sacred Heart offers a successful, highly rated RN to BSN online program. Students can get a job at a health-care organization while completing the program.

“Such pathway programs are important and rewarding, allowing individuals to move at a pace that matches their work and life needs,” she said.

“All of Connecticut’s hospitals and health systems need nursing students graduating from top academic institutions like SHU that provide a prepared and committed workforce,” Kosturko added. “This program will have a positive impact for years to come.”

To learn more, visit the ADN program webpage.