DeSales University

Nursing Programs Offered

Accelerated BSN Programs
BSN Programs
Family Practice Nurse/Nurse Practitioner - Master's degree
Family Practice Nurse/Nurse Practitioner - Post-master's certificate
Family Practice Nurse/Nurse Practitioner - Postbaccalaureate certificate
MSN Programs
RN Programs
RN to BSN Programs
RN to MSN Programs

RN to BSN Program Details

The RN-BSN and RN-MSN Programs allow the motivated RN to earn the BSN degree in a flexible format to improve your future career opportunities without overpowering your present responsibilities in your professional and personal life.

The PRO Plan Advantage:

-Exclusively for RNs with an associate degree or diploma in nursing
-Courses formatted to fit your work and family schedules
-Your RN experience is valued! Time and tuition savings result from the clinical expertise you bring into the program
-No hospital clinical hours - all clinical requirements are project-based
-All nursing and general education core courses offered in 8-week sessions allowing you to progress as quickly and as comfortably as you want
-Qualified students may take up to 5 MSN courses to satisfy elective courses as part of the RN-MSN Program

BSN Program Details

The nursing major prepares the graduate for practice at a beginning professional level in all areas of nursing, provides a knowledge base for graduate study, and fosters an awareness of the need for lifelong learning. Students in the baccalaureate program begin taking nursing courses in the first semester of their sophomore year. Extensive clinical and laboratory experience is an important part of the curriculum, with students practicing at local hospitals, nursing homes, and outpatient clinical facilities. Students are guaranteed quality clinical placement in all subspecialties, including medical-surgical, obstetrics, pediatrics, psychiatry, acute care, and community health. The senior year culminates in a capstone clinical and classroom experience that requires students to manage a patient caseload under the supervision of a preceptor and present case studies for peer critique.

The Department of Nursing and Health was established in 1974. At that time, there was no institution of higher learning within the Lehigh Valley area that granted baccalaureate degrees in nursing. Community needs assessments verified that this type of program would be of value in serving the health care needs of people within the Lehigh Valley. The College first offered a major in Nursing in 1974, and graduated its first class of undergraduate nursing majors in 1978, granting them Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees. This baccalaureate nursing education is based in the liberal arts and sciences, as well as Salesian teachings, and as such encourages students to realize their human potential in becoming nurses and caregivers.

Undergraduate seniors who carry a 3.0 grade point average or better are eligible to enroll in one graduate course per semester. Select high school applicants to the nursing major may be eligible for the Nurse Scholars Program. Students enrolled in this rigorous program accelerate their studies so that they graduate with both a BSN degree and an MSN degree within 5 calendar years. More than 800 students have graduated with BSN degrees since 1978. Many of these alumni have assumed positions of leadership in hospitals, health care agencies, and academia.

MSN Program Details

The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Programs prepare professional nurses as collaborative colleagues in health care delivery, planning, policy making, and directing of health care. Students are provided an advanced core of knowledge in the areas of primary, secondary, and tertiary care, as well as in health care administration. Programs of study are available in the areas of Clinical Nurse Specialist, Family Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Educator, and Nurse Executive via the dual MSN/MBA degree. Upon successful completion of the program of study, the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is awarded. For students enrolled in the MSN/MBA Program, the additional degree of Master of Business Administration (MBA) is awarded. In addition, a generic MSN is offered for certificate-prepared Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM), Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA), and Certified Nurse Practitioners (NP).

At the completion of the MSN Program students will:

-Exemplify Christian Humanism through valuing and facilitating full human development via partnerships with individuals, families, communities and populations.
-Integrate the use of technology and information systems in the delivery of health services.
-Recognize the impact of culture on health outcomes.
-Participate in the development of new knowledge in nursing and health services through education, practice and research.
-Formulate communication strategies to meet the unique needs of individuals, families, communities and populations.
-Provide leadership in formulating clinical, administrative, or policy decisions to promote health.
-Synthesize seminal theoretical concepts and research findings into evidence based health services.
-Apply advanced concepts of leadership and advocacy to influence policy makers, health systems, and consumers in order to effect positive changes in health services.
-Promulgate optimal health outcomes through collaboration with health care providers, consumers, and health systems.

Accelerated BSN Program Details

Program Highlights:

-Designed for students who have a Bachelor's Degree in a major other than nursing
-All program requirements for licensure as an RN are completed in 15 months
-The quality of the nursing program remains standard - all nursing courses, nursing laboratory hours, clinical hour requirements, and clinical facilities are the same as those students pursuing the traditional BSN Program
-Accelerated BSN graduates have demonstrated a 95% pass rate on the NCLEX examination and a competitive job placement rate
-Accredited by the National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC)
-To find out more about the Accelerated BSN program, please use navigation on the right

Doctor of Nursing Practice Program Details

The MSN program has a 100% pass rate on all national certification examinations throughout all program tracks since its founding in 1984. The BSN Program was the first program of its kind in the Lehigh Valley to award students baccalaureate degrees beginning in 1974. It is in that tradition that DeSales proudly presents the first - and only - Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree in Clinical Leadership in the Lehigh Valley.

What makes our program unique?

-Our innovative, flexible format allows you to continue working while pursuing doctoral study
-Concentrated course work and intensive faculty contact means you can complete the program in two years of full-time study
-Faculty mentoring, advising, and professional networking opportunities are built directly into the program
-Our faculty maintain active clinical practices, have years of advanced practice experience across a variety of specialty areas, and are active in their state and national organizations