School of Nursing

Nurses will transform the future of health care in the United States.

As demand for services grows, nurses will assume greater responsibility in delivering care to patients and populations. Widener’s School of Nursing is meeting that challenge by preparing highly trained and flexible nurse leaders who are committed to enhancing care, increasing quality, and improving outcomes.

The School of Nursing offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs to serve the needs of nurses at all stages of their careers:

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree for preparation of new RNs
• RN-to-BSN or RN-to MSN for currently licensed RNs
• Master of Science in Nursing degree with specialization as a Family Nurse Practitioner or Clinical Nurse Specialist
• Doctor of Nursing Practice degree for the highest level of advanced practice nursing
• Doctor of Philosophy degree for preparation of nurse educators and scholars

Rigorous Academics

Classes are taught by expert practitioners who bring tremendous amounts of experience as clinicians, educators, and scholars. Coursework focuses on students and their various learning styles, and faculty members provide dynamic learning experiences to make material come alive.

For high-performing undergraduates, the Nursing Honors Program — available during the junior year — prepares students for graduate study. Students at all levels of study, from baccalaureate to doctoral, who meet eligibility criteria are also invited to join the Widener chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, the international nursing honor society.

Our BSN, MSN, and DNP programs are fully accredited by Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and the BSN and MSN programs are approved by the State Board of Pennsylvania.

Diverse Classroom & Field Experiences

Nursing students connect with coursework in a variety of settings, from our fabulous new, state-of-the-art Simulation Center to community clinics and hospitals in the Greater Philadelphia region. At both the undergraduate and graduate level, we blend classroom learning with community service, allowing students to apply theory to real-world situations.

Leadership Opportunities

All undergraduate students are members of the Widener University Student Nurses Association, or WUSNA. This student group has earned chapter excellence awards from the Student Nurses Association of Pennsylvania, and Widener students have taken leadership positions at both state and national level student nursing associations.

Flexibility

With the exception of our traditional BSN program, we allow part-time study with all our degree offerings . In addition, the RN-to-BSN and the DNP programs are offered in a hybrid format, blending on-campus meetings on the Harrisburg or Chester campus with distance learning methods, using the Internet to offer greater flexibility for our busy, working students. The Family Nurse Practitioner program is offered on both the Harrisburg and Chester campuses.