B.S. in Nursing Now Offered at Saint Rose

The College of Saint Rose has launched a B.S. in Nursing, the first nursing program offered at the College since the 1950s. The new degree program will provide students the clinical and classroom experiences that are demanded of today’s nurses with the clinical hours offered in partnership with St. Peter’s Hospital College of Nursing and Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing. The program begins in Fall 2020 for first-year students. Students should apply now for the fall semester.

Although shaped to accommodate today’s needs, such as a New York State law that requires nurses to receive their BSN within 10 years of receiving their nursing license, the program will reconnect Saint Rose with its past. In 1932, Saint Rose inaugurated the first five-year nursing program in the Eastern United States to grant B.S.N. degrees, supporting its charter of helping students cultivate their cultural and creative gifts while serving their community. In 1933, the program was changed to a four-year degree. Due to changes in the field, the program was discontinued for new students in the late 1950s.

“I am proud to see Saint Rose return to a tradition of graduating compassionate, well-educated nurses. Our mission as a College is to serve the dear neighbor, and nurses do that with humility and love for people in their most vulnerable state,” said Saint Rose Interim President Marcia J. White, who herself is a registered nurse. “There is always a need for highly-trained nurses throughout the country, and I can say from experience that nursing is a rewarding and life-changing career. In addition to our excellent classroom education, the Capital Region’s strong healthcare system allows our future nursing students to have valuable clinical experiences with our partners that will prepare them for the demands of the field.”

Students will graduate Saint Rose with two degrees in four years — an associate degree and a bachelor’s degree in nursing.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of registered nurses is projected to grow 12 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the national average. In New York State, the annual average salary for nurses in 2018 was $85,610 (the national average was $75,510).

Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing and St. Peter’s Hospital College of Nursing have a record of preparing nurses who excel in their careers. Their students have a near-perfect pass rate for the National Council Licensing Examination (NCLEX) and score consistently higher than the average pass rate in New York State.

Transportation to St. Peter’s Hospital College of Nursing and Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing for clinical hours will be provided to Saint Rose nursing students.

The program director/chair at Saint Rose is Joanne Peters Steele, a registered nurse and certified nurse-midwife, who also holds a Ph.D. She has worked throughout the United States in various nursing capacities, including maternity nursing, office obstetrics/gynecology, public health, and school nursing, and she taught previously at Castleton University and Southern Vermont College.

 “Our program will expose students to not only what nursing is but the evolution of what nursing will become,” Peters Steele said.

About Saint Rose: The College of Saint Rose is a private, independent, coeducational institution of higher education in Albany, New York, offering more than 100 bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, and certificate programs. Through a strong liberal arts education curriculum and professional academic programs, the College serves undergraduate and graduate students, working professionals, international students, and more. Saint Rose marks its 100th anniversary in September 2020.

About St. Peter’s Hospital College of Nursing:  In November 2019, the New York State Board of Regents granted a charter to create the St. Peter’s Hospital College of Nursing and approved the merger of Memorial College of Nursing into the new St. Peter’s College of Nursing. St. Peter’s Hospital College of Nursing offers an Associate in Science (A.S.) degree in Nursing to educate and prepare students to become skilled and competent professional nurses.

About Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing: Located at St. Mary’s Hospital and affiliated with St. Peter’s Health Partners, Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing offers an Associate in Science (A.S.) degree in Nursing program to educate and prepare students to become skilled and competent professional nurses. In addition to its AD Program, the school also offers a Practical Nurse Certificate (PN).