Bachelor of Science in Nursing
It was an instant connection
“For me, it was really important to have a close relationship with my professors and the department staff.
Elaine Canales Jamaica, NY
Nursing
From my first visit, everyone, including the dean, has been very welcoming. I appreciate the fact that they are so collaborative and friendly. Also, I was attracted to this program by the choice of elective concentrations. I’m taking the healthcare administration concentration because, eventually, I would like to be involved in policy-making within hospitals, advocating for a good patient to nurse ratio and that type of thing.”
/ Concentration: Healthcare Administration
The
Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Wheaton will
prepare you to be:
• A leader in healthcare delivery, locally and globally.
• Ready to meet the changing health care needs of patients and families within the continuum of care.
• A skilled clinical practitioner with a deep understanding of the interconnected issues of health equity, gender and race-based disparities in health care and global threats to health.
Nursing program curriculum
Your studies will begin with Introduction to Professional Nursing, which is taught in the first semester. The remainder of your first year of study will include courses in global health, biology, nutrition and chemistry. The nursing program includes a focus on social justice and global health. The required first-year experience course will center on promoting wellness.
Starting in the second year of the program, you will explore the liberal arts, humanities, and sciences along with required nursing courses. Clinical experiences begin in the second semester of the second year.
The nursing major consists of 13 courses in nursing plus 12 additional courses, including offerings in biology, chemistry, philosophy, psychology, and statistics, as well as seven electives.
Wheaton’s flexible Compass Curriculum will allow you to pursue additional interests and challenges through a minor, an honors program, and/or one of several elective pathways within the nursing program. Specific offerings may vary from year to year.
Study off campus
Between your junior and senior years, you will have the opportunity to participate in an immersive summer study away program, either internationally or in the U.S. Study abroad opportunities are an important part of the nursing program’s commitment to integrate global health into nursing education.
The Wheaton nursing program design features faculty-led study abroad opportunities for all nursing students, providing invaluable global and cultural perspectives for modern healthcare professionals. It will enhance your intercultural competence, clinical skills, and global awareness both personally and professionally. In an increasingly interconnected world, the importance of international experiences in nursing education cannot be overstated.
Concentrations and elective pathways
You will have the opportunity to develop an in-depth focus through a concentration, also known as an elective pathway, that is built into the nursing program. Elective pathways include but are not limited to:
Health Justice
Health care done well is social justice. This concentration emphasizes the roles that nurses play in promoting social justice by focusing on the needs of traditionally underserved populations and reflecting on how the issues of diversity, inclusion and social power impact the delivery of equitable care.
Global Health
Public health challenges do not stop at a country’s borders. This concentration introduces students to healthcare management, accounting, and intervention issues to improve health across the globe. Students in this concentration will learn how to deliver health care in a way that transcends the boundaries of state and country, tackling illnesses that may be beyond the capacity of individual countries to address.
Healthcare Administration
Today’s nursing students are tomorrow’s healthcare leaders. This concentration introduces students to the practice of healthcare systems and management. Students in this concentration will learn about the complex economic and organizational structure of the health care system and study best practices in business management, leadership and entrepreneurship.
Medical Humanities
Successful patient care requires having insight into the diversity of their lived experiences. By focusing on medical humanities, students will gain a perspective that will provide a solid foundation for practicing more empathetic and effective nursing.
Set up for success
“ Being a part of the inaugural class at Wheaton is really exciting because we are paving the way for the students who will come after us.
It was an instant connection
Success for the nursing program means success for my classmates and me. I definitely feel like I have been set up for success within the nursing program. There are so many cool lab spaces to take part in hands-on activities for learning. Our professors are all experienced in the field of nursing and are passionate about helping people as well as teaching the next generation of nursing students.”
Eoin Morrissey Watertown, MA
Nursing / Concentration: Healthcare Administration
Simulation Center
ICU
Pediatrics
Labor & Delivery
Medical Surgical
Community Room
Skills Lab
Six beds
Four examination tables
State-of-the-art facilities
Wheaton’s new nursing program suite includes a skills lab and a clinical simulation center with five different simulation rooms that will help students develop and improve their clinical skills and critical thinking ability.
Clinical simulation is an important part of nursing education. Simulation bridges the gap between classroom instruction and clinical experiences by providing a moderated learning experience where students can practice skills and learn new procedures in a safe environment. In the simulation lab, students will be able to practice complex procedures and take care of patients with multiple diagnoses that they are not able to treat in clinical settings. Using a combination of low and high tech fidelity lifelike mannequins, students will perform nursing care, implement nursing interventions, and evaluate patient responses. These simulated activities allow students to synthesize and apply knowledge gained from courses.
Dean of Nursing Colette Dieujuste, PhD, RN
Dr. Colette Dieujuste received her B.S. in nursing from Columbia Union College, her MSN from Boston College, and her Ph.D. in Nursing from the University of Massachusetts Medical School. She has taught across the undergraduate curriculum in a number of courses and is an expert in curriculum design and evaluation.
Dr. Dieujuste has more than 30 years of experience as a registered nurse and over 20 years as a nursing associate professor at Simmons University. Her clinical expertise is in the area of perinatal and obstetrical nursing. She has practiced as a staff nurse in Labor and Delivery and has been a Perinatal/Child Clinical Nurse Specialist. She is active in the Association of Women’s Health and Neonatal Nursing (AWHONN) and most recently was the Massachusetts Section Chair for AWHONN from 2011–2015.
Her doctoral dissertation and subsequent scholarship have focused on postpartum depression in Haitian women. She published “The Concept of Stigma in Mental Illness as Applied to Haitian Americans” in the International Nursing Review Journal. Her work has gained her various awards and recognitions, among them: the Chancellor’s Award from the University of Massachusetts Medical School (June 2018), the Excellence in Nursing Education/Teaching Award by the New England Regional Black Nurses Association (February 2015) and the Lilian K. Goodman Award by the University of Massachusetts Medical Center (May 2014).
Nursing Program Admission Process
Admission to the nursing program is competitive. First-year nursing program applicants are encouraged to apply Early Decision (binding) or Early Action (non-binding) by November 15 for fall entry. The deadline to apply Regular Decision for fall entry is January 15.
Transfer students
Students from other institutions may apply for transfer to Wheaton. Transfer students will be considered as space is available. In general, science courses and electives will be accepted. For nursing courses, the only two that may be considered for transfer credit are Introduction to Professional Nursing and Fundamentals of Nursing and Health Assessment. Please contact the Admission Office for more details.
