Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing
Established in 1965, the General B.S. program is a four-year nursing program that combines a broad liberal arts and science foundation with an extensive range of nursing courses. The nursing degree program prepares students to provide nursing care in a variety of settings, including hospitals, private practice, long-term care, clinics, and health care/community agencies.
Students gain experience in diverse settings such as academic medical centers, rural hospitals, community agencies, schools, and prisons. After earning the B.S., students are eligible to take the national examination for licensure as a registered nurse (NCLEX).
Why a four-year nursing degree?
A four-year education helps nurses navigate the increasingly complex medical field. In its report The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, the Institute of Medicine recommends that 80 percent of all nurses have, at minimum, a bachelor's degree by 2020. Hospitals applying for Magnet status employ a larger percentage of nurses with a B.S. degree than those without. Many institutions have higher pay grades for baccalaureate-prepared nurses. A four-year degree is also the foundation for the advanced education needed for advanced practice positions (nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, nurse midwife, nurse anesthetist) and other advanced nursing roles (administrator, educator, or researcher).
For more information, please call:
- Nursing Department 570-963-2644
- Admissions 570-963-2500
- Registrar 570-963-2505
Many US states and territories require professional licensure/certification to be employed. If you plan to pursue employment in a licensed profession after completing this program, please visit the Professional Licensure/Certification Disclosures by State interactive map.
The Nursing Sim Lab in the campus' Nursing Suite houses all of the patient simulator robots that are currently in use at Penn State Scranton. The realistic simulators have proven to be a valuable teaching tool at the campus and faculty hope to be able to add more to the campus' collection.
Accreditation
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master's degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program and post graduate APRN certificate program at The Pennsylvania State University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791. http://www.ccneaccreditation.org
The Pennsylvania State University College of Nursing postponed the original accreditation visit by the Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) on March 18-20, 2020 for all of Penn State’s nursing programs in alignment with the CDC and the state of Pennsylvania's coronavirus mitigation efforts.
Accreditation Update: To ensure the safety of all stakeholders, The Pennsylvania State University will be hosting a virtual accreditation visit by the CCNE on January 27-29, 2021 for all of Penn State's accredited nursing programs. To learn more about the visit, go to https://www.nursing.psu.edu/a-message-from-the-dean/