Contact Information

Location: Thompson Hall, Room 324
Chairperson: Linda J. McKay, M.S., R.N. 978-665-3222
Admin. Assistant: Rhonda M. Burgess, 978-665-3221
Secretary: Marci Horgan, 978-665-3023
Clinical Skills Lab Coord.: Carol McKew, 978-665-3249
Admissions Office: 978-665-3144 or admissions@fitchburgstate.edu

accreditation - approval status

The Department of Nursing has received a full ten-year reaccreditation from the CCNE:

      Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
      One Dupont Circle, NW
      Suite 530
      Washington, DC  20036-1120
      Tel: (202) 463-6930

The Department of Nursing has full approval status from the Board of Registration in Nursing:

      Commonwealth of Massachusetts
      Board of Registration in Nursing      
      239 Causeway Street, Suite 500, 5th floor
      Boston, MA  02114
      Tel: (617) 973-0900

In addition, the Department of Nursing is a member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), and the Massachusetts Association of Colleges of Nursing (MACN).

The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) accredits Fitchburg State University.

vision

As a center of excellence in baccalaureate nursing education, the Fitchburg State University Department of Nursing graduates students who are prepared to assume healthcare leadership roles in the global society of the 21st century.  The Department uses continuous programmatic evaluation and innovation to maintain an educational culture that fosters social responsibility, service commitment, client advocacy and lifelong learning.  Graduates are nurse generalists who are system sensitive problem solvers and critical thinkers.  The graduate is committed to evidence-based practice and to recognize financial and regulatory mandates which govern health care practices.  Graduates are capable of meshing technological innovations with holistic nursing measures to provide integrative care that meets the diverse needs of changing healthcare populations and environments. 

Terminal Outcomes

Upon completion of the nursing program, the graduate will:

1. Synthesize knowledge from the liberal arts, sciences, and nursing as a foundation for safe, client-centered care.
2. Incorporate basic organizational and systems leadership to provide quality care and patient safety.
3. Integrate evidence-based practice including current research and critical thinking in the management of client care.
4. Analyze information using information technology to improve patient outcomes.
5. Examine the impact of health care policy, finance, and regulatory environments on nursing practice.
6. Integrate principles of communication in professional practice.
7. Synthesize knowledge of health promotion and disease/injury prevention in designing population focused care.
8. Integrate professional standards of moral, ethical and legal conduct into nursing practice.

FACULTY

Faculty members of the Department of Nursing get to know every student on a personal level, acting as both teachers and advisors throughout the student's career. In the Department of Nursing, each of the 16 faculty members has at least five years of clinical experience, and an average tenure in the department of twelve years. Students receive personal attention from experienced practitioners; an invaluable edge when beginning a career.

FACILITIES

The students in the Department of Nursing have access to some of the most extensive facilities in New England. In addition to off-campus healthcare facilities where students gain hands-on experience, the department offers: 

• A fully equipped health assessment lab with eight exam tables
• A state of the art clinical skills/simulation lab with ten beds
• SimMan, SimBaby, SimNewB, and SimMan 3G technologically advanced manikins which challenge and test students’ clinical and decision making skills during realistic patient care scenarios

RELEVANT LINKS

• University Catalog
• Four Year Plan of Study
• American Association of Colleges of Nursing/CCNE 
• The American Nurses Association, Inc.
• Anderson NCLEX Review
• Epsilon Beta Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau Int'l
• Massachusetts Association of Colleges of Nursing (MACN)
• MA Board of Registration in Nursing 
• Student Nursing Association ( SNA ) Chapter

HANDBOOKS

• 12-13 Graduate Nursing Student Handbook (PDF)
• 11-12 Nursing Pre Major Student Handbook (PDF)
• 11-12 Nursing Student Handbook (PDF)
• 10-11 Nursing RN to BSN Handbook (PDF)