BSN Undergraduate Nursing Program From the Dean

Dear Prospective Student:

At Ursuline College’s Breen School of Nursing, we are proud to offer you a variety of pathways into nursing. No matter which path you choose, we provide a holistic, values-based education in the Catholic tradition that will prepare you to provide relationship-based care that engages the patient and family.

Our graduates achieve safe, high quality outcomes. Small class sizes facilitate the development of mentoring relationships between faculty and students. Our faculty possess academic expertise, awareness of current clinical practice, as well as excellent research capabilities. Learning from nurse educators with this combination of theoretical and practical knowledge will help you immeasurably when it is time for you to transfer your classroom knowledge to practice in the clinical setting.

The College has secured and maintained strong, collaborative relationships with practice partners that result in excellent clinical opportunities for you in a variety of settings, from critical care to pediatric care. Our innovative, active-learning strategies build strong clinical thinking and leadership skills that are vital in preparing you to deliver safe, high quality care in a rapidly changing and complex health care environment. Our commitment to your transformative journey is evident in both our high pass rates on the national nurse licensing exam (NCLEX-RN) and our stellar job placement statistics among Cleveland’s top hospitals. In fact, many Ursuline graduates are in leadership and executive positions in Northeast Ohio.

Our Pathways into Nursing

• Our traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program is designed for students pursuing their first baccalaureate degree.
• Our pre-nursing program provides support to transition successfully into the nursing program.
• Our Second Degree Accelerated BSN Program (SDAP) is for students who have previously earned a bachelor’s degree in another field and want to become nurses. We welcome SDAP students in cohorts (groups that stick together throughout the program) beginning each January, May and August and receive the majority of their education in preceptor -based Dedicated Education Units (DEU’s). Options include a full-time, 15 month and a part-time 24 month format.
• Our RN-BSN program is a fully on-line, yet, high-touch program for Registered Nurses who wish to complete the BSN degree.

The Breen School also offers an honors program designed to engage you in mentorship with a dedicated faculty member who will assist you to complete a program of community service, professional organization participation, application of evidenced-based practice, leadership development, and the cultivation of research and scholarly presentation skills.

Nursing is a profession unlike any other; personally gratifying with endless possibilities to grow professionally while making a difference each day in improving the health of the lives we touch. We invite you to explore our programs, visit our campus, and meet our faculty. We look forward to the opportunity to partner with you in your transformative journey to becoming a nurse.

Patricia Sharpnack, DNP, RN, CNE, NEA-BC, ANEF, FAAN
Dean
Breen School of Nursing