Quinnipiac University (Nursing) - Overview
Quinnipiac's Department of Nursing
Quinnipiac University is committed to nurturing the academic aspirations of its students. The university's core values include "excellence in education," "sensitivity to students," and a "spirit of community."
The Department of Nursing embodies these basic principles. It is dedicated to helping students develop the knowledge and abilities needed to deliver outstanding health care to a diverse patient base, work to address present and potential public health care concerns, and maintain professional and ethical standards throughout their nursing careers.
Accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, the department offers a bachelor's, master's, and accelerated bachelor's in nursing. Because it views the discipline as an art and a science, its curriculum is creative, goal-oriented, and research-based.
A Rigorous Undergraduate Nursing Program
Because Quinnipiac's undergraduate nursing curriculum includes chemistry, biology, social science, holistic care, pharmacology, research, and leadership courses, students acquire extensive and fundamental knowledge about the field of nursing. They also receive preparation for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). In addition, faculty who are specialists in adult, pediatric, psychiatric, maternal-child, gerontological, critical care, and community nursing provide mentoring to students.
Coursework, mentoring, and training help students acquire the skills needed to provide evidence-based, holistic care to individuals and families who come from diverse cultural backgrounds. Students also learn how to use current theory and research findings to enhance clinical practice. As a result, they graduate fully prepared to enter professional nursing practice or study for advanced degrees. In fact, students may apply to Quinnipiac's Master of Science in Nursing program as early as the spring semester of their senior year.
Excellent Opportunities for
Clinical training takes place in a wide array of health care facilities including acute and chronic health care centers, out-patient clinics, community health care agencies, private practices, and hospitals. Clinical sites include Yale-New Haven Hospital, the Hospital of St. Raphael, and Mid State Medical Center. Training also takes place at Quinnipiac's clinical skills practice and simulation laboratories.
Students may also gain clinical experience by participating in the Mid State Medical Center Summer Clinical Internship program. This elective course is offered to students who have completed their junior year of nursing courses. The internship, which runs from June to August, includes a 36-hour workweek. Students must pass the program's preceptorship component, attend campus seminars, and complete written assignments. Those who meet program qualifications earn a salary and are eligible for tuition assistance.
Quinnipiac's Accelerated BSN Track
The accelerated BSN program was created for students who have already obtained a bachelor's degree in another discipline but are interested in earning a nursing degree. The program, which focuses solely on nursing courses, can be completed in one calendar year starting with an intensive summer session. In the fall, students join their counterparts in the traditional bachelor's program to complete the remaining coursework.
All required prerequisites must be completed before entering the accelerated program, which can only be pursued on a full-time basis. Students must have received at least a "C" in these courses, which must have been completed within 5 years of admission to the program. Prerequisites include several courses in biology, mathematics, and psychology.
Students who successfully complete the accelerated BSN track are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN, qualify for entry-level nursing positions, and may pursue graduate degrees in nursing.
Quinnipiac's Graduate Nursing Program
The graduate nursing program prepares professional nurses for advanced work in the theoretical and clinical practice of nursing. Candidates may choose the family nurse practitioner or adult nurse practitioner track.
The family nurse practitioner track prepares nurses to deliver high-quality, cost-effective primary care to individuals and family members in all stages of the life cycle -- from childhood through late adulthood. Clinical practice helps students develop the skills and judgment needed to diagnose and manage common and chronic illnesses as well as assume responsibility for prescribing medication.
The adult nurse practitioner program trains nurses to provide excellent, cost-effective, primary care to adults -- from young to late adulthood. Because students complete 570 hours of clinical practice, they are thoroughly prepared to diagnose, treat, and manage chronic and acute illnesses as well as prescribe medications.
Graduate students learn and practice their skills in Quinnipiac's brand-new North Haven Graduate and Health Sciences Center. With 24 teaching laboratories, 12 classrooms, 16 seminar and team-study rooms, a SimMan suite of life-size patient simulators, and state-of-the-art equipment, the center provides an exceptional learning environment for students.
The Nursing Honor Society
In 2006, Quinnipiac University established the Tau Rho chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International, the official honor society of nursing. Sigma Theta Tau supports "the learning, knowledge, and professional development of nurses committed to making a difference in health worldwide."
Baccalaureate and graduate nursing students who demonstrate academic excellence and nurses who have made exceptional achievements in nursing are invited to join the organization.
About Quinnipiac University
Founded in 1929, Quinnipiac University is a small, private, non-sectarian university that is located in Hamden, Connecticut. The university, whose student body includes 5,700 undergraduate and 2,000 graduate students, is situated next to the picturesque Sleeping Giant Mountain. It is only 90 minutes from New York City and 2 hours from Boston.
Quinnipiac offers 52 undergraduate programs, 20 graduate programs, and a J.D. program. Its small size makes it possible to create a collaborative learning environment where teachers work closely with students.
Small class sizes, a caring community, and easy access to faculty make it possible for Quinnipiac to provide a stimulating academic environment where undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education students can achieve academic excellence, professional development, and personal growth.