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School of Nursing

Faculty

Heather Shlosser, Dean, School of Nursing, Associate Professor and Chief Nursing Administrator
Chaluza Kapaale, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, School of Nursing, and Teaching Professor
Isabelle Milne, Assistant Professor of Practice and Prelicensure Nursing Program Director
Delmy Piano, Assistant Professor of Practice and Assistant Director, Dotson Bridge and Mentoring Program
Charlene Canada, Associate Professor of Practice and Assistant Director for Simulation
Jamie Dreher, Assistant Professor of Practice and Assistant Director of Prelicensure Nursing Clinical
Katherine Ladetto, Assistant Professor
Caroline Laverty, Associate Professor of Practice
Samara Pottier-Taccetta, Associate Professor of Practice
Allison Reid, Assistant Professor of Practice and Simulation Center Faculty
Laura Rossi, Associate Professor

Overview

Housed in the School of Nursing, the undergraduate nursing program accepts first-year students and transfer students. Students seeking to accelerate their programs of study may opt for a five-year BSN-MSN (4+1) track or a 6-year BSN-DNP (4+2) track, both of which prepare students for advanced practice roles. The nursing faculty believes that liberal education and nursing education provide essential preparation for the professional nurse practicing in a culturally, racially, and ethnically diverse community. The process as well as the content of a liberal education is fundamental to the development of the critical thinking, decision-making, and communication skills essential to the practice of nursing science. The liberal arts and sciences, in combination with the major in nursing, serve as a foundation for a variety of careers in professional nursing. Graduates of the nursing program are prepared to meet the diverse health needs of clients in a variety of settings, as well as to coordinate health services, deliver humanistic nursing care, and engage in health assessment and health maintenance. Graduates may practice in community health agencies and programs, clinics, hospitals, and extended-care facilities.

The Bachelor of Science degree is awarded and qualifies the graduate for admission to graduate schools offering advanced degrees in nursing. Graduates are prepared to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensure examination required for practice by the Board of Registration, Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and approved by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing. The department is an agency member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

Program Learning Outcomes

  1. Integrate theory and current evidence with the unique needs and preferences of individuals and families to deliver patient-centered care across the lifespan.
  2. Apply knowledge of complex healthcare systems to advocate for patients, families, and communities to advance health equity and influence healthcare policy.
  3. Demonstrate effective communication and knowledge of inter/intra-professional team processes to enhance health care delivery and outcomes.
  4. Utilize information, technology, and sound clinical Judgement to provide safe and ethical care to diverse patient populations and individuals.
  5. Demonstrate knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to provide leadership in a variety of contexts.
  6. Articulate nursing’s professional responsibility for lifelong learning, adherence to professional nursing standards, and health care advocacy.
  7. Critically appraise research and best practice guidelines to inform clinical decision-making, quality improvement, and practice innovations. (Revised Fall 2025)

Departmental Honors

The Department of Nursing offers the opportunity for students with a superior record in the major to receive departmental honors. The candidate must have a minimum 3.5 overall GPA and 3.5 Nursing GPA and be in the top 5% of their nursing class. The student is expected to be intellectually curious, self-directed in learning and actions, have high level critical thinking and analysis skills, and demonstrate superior writing. The candidate will complete an 8 credit (2 semester) thesis or equivalent project of high quality supervised by a nursing faculty.