University Enrolls First Four-year BSN Class
Freshman Rokia Fane is part of the first cohort of 50 in the four-year BSN Class.
The School of Nursing welcomed its first class of 50 freshmen in its new, four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing, or BSN, program in August.
The BSN is the preferred degree for those wishing to become registered nurses (RNs). After completing the four-year program and earning their degrees, graduates will be eligible for licensure as RNs.
“By developing new programs, such as the BSN degree program, Montclair State has been able to proactively meet the evolving educational needs of New Jersey and beyond,” says President Susan A. Cole. “The School of Nursing was established to meet a demand for highly qualified nurses that is expected to continue well into the foreseeable future.”
The School enrolled its first cohort of 54 students in its inaugural Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN) degree program in fall 2016. By earning a BSN degree, these RN graduates of associate degree and diploma programs can chart a path to career advancement.
“We have recruited a very forward-thinking faculty who are fully committed to educating nurses prepared to meet the needs of individuals and populations in a rapidly evolving, technologically advanced health care system.”
According to School of Nursing Dean Janice Smolowitz, the new BSN program lays the foundation for graduate education and lifelong professional development through an innovative curriculum grounded in nursing as a human caring science.
Admitted as freshmen, students will be prepared to provide compassionate, coordinated health care services for people within the context of family and community.
“We are looking to the future,” Smolowitz says. “We have recruited a very forward-thinking faculty who are fully committed to educating nurses prepared to meet the needs of individuals and populations in a rapidly evolving, technologically advanced health care system.”
School of Nursing students learn in a 50,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility featuring lecture halls, fully mediated classrooms, an anatomy lab and computer study areas. They develop and hone skills in specific procedures in specially designed nursing laboratory spaces, while a high-tech simulation center fosters student decision-making, problem-solving and interpersonal-communication skills.