Fairfield University

Nursing Programs Offered

RN to BSN Program Details

The RN to B.S. in Nursing program individualizes learning experiences for completion of the degree. The sequence of courses for registered nurse students is designed to build on existing knowledge and skills, and integrates a professional, research-based, family-oriented, community-focused perspective.

BSN Program Details

Fairfield University's School of Nursing offers the undergraduate student a strong liberal arts core of courses that are integral to the curriculum. Through these courses, you'll develop the social awareness, historical consciousness, thinking skills, aesthetic sensibility, values orientation, and foundations in art, literature, and science that are hallmarks of undergraduate education. The program of study contributes to your development as a well-rounded person who is able to live effectively and productively in the world of today and tomorrow. You'll grow along with your classmates personally and professionally to become committed and compassionate nurses, capable of providing professional care to people in whatever setting you encounter.

Faculty members in the School of Nursing are exceptionally well qualified by academic and clinical preparation. The small student to faculty ratio is an inherent component of the program, particularly as it relates to clinical practice. You'll be assigned to a faculty advisor who works closely with you to monitor progression through the program. Academic counseling, individualized attention, and career planning are integral to the advisement process.

Nursing courses are comprised of both theoretical and clinical components. With each passing year clinical work increases, until, by the senior year, a significant portion of time is spent in nursing courses, which includes clinical practice as well as the theory component. To ensure that students obtain the breadth and depth of clinical experience needed, the School has associations with many clinical facilities, including:

Private hospitals
Veterans hospitals
Clinics
Outpatient departments
Rehabilitation centers
Public health departments
Long-term care facilities
Home care agencies
Community health centers
Schools
Its own Health Promotion Center in Bridgeport

Upon successful completion of the program, students receive a B.S. degree in Nursing and qualify to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) for licensure as a registered nurse. The School of Nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and approved by the Connecticut Department of Higher Education and the Connecticut State Board of Examiners for Nursing.

MSN Program Details

The Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) is an advanced education nurse generalist role newly created by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing in response to an urgent call for better patient outcomes and improved coordination in the delivery of healthcare services. CNLs will provide leadership in designing unit-level changes to move organizations toward evidence-based systems of care that will produce better outcomes for a specific patient population.

The CLN curriculum was introduced by the Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) in response to the complexity of healthcare which can at times harm patients rather than help them. Students thinking about the CNL program should visit AACN to read the position paper that describes the role and its origins.

Fairfield University's CNL program is based on the assumptions and competencies of the AACN and the development of healthcare leaders. One of the issues driving the creation of the CNL curriculum is to equip nurses to advocate for change and have the skills to make change happen. The national nursing shortage further emphasizes the need for highly qualified nurses who stay in clinical roles.

Doctor of Nursing Practice Program Details

Fairfield University's Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a clinical doctorate in an advanced specialty of nursing practice. A DNP is comparable to clinical doctorates in other health disciplines such as pharmacy, physical therapy, and medicine. With a DNP, you'll be able to assume a leadership role in an increasingly complex healthcare system during this critical era of healthcare reform.

There are 2 pathways to obtaining a DNP:

-The BSN-DNP for Family Nurse Practitioners, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners, and Nurse Anesthetists
-A post-master's DNP