School of Nursing
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Start your nursing career path in a community dedicated to healthcare innovation. At DeSales, cutting-edge academic experiences meet compassionate care. A leading school of nursing in PA, DeSales offers graduates impressive outcomes. You can even get a jump start on your MSN degree by qualifying for the Nurse Scholars program.
Program Details
- Official Degree Name
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- Format
-
In Class-Day
Blended
- Credit Hours
- 127
- Program Start
- Fall Semester
- Application Deadline
- Apply Anytime
- Average Time to Degree
- 4 Years
Why Study Nursing at DeSales?
Your path to becoming a nurse starts at DeSales. You’ll learn to provide compassionate care from experienced nurse educators. In class, you’ll use advanced simulation technology and get hands-on experiences with community healthcare partners. Plus, you can choose from specialized tracks or start an accelerated master’s in nursing. DeSales nursing students confidently step into their dream career as successful, patient-first providers.
Program Highlights
Professional Development Opportunities
- Hone your skills before practicing them on real patients with DeSales’ School of Nursing’s advanced simulation technology. We offer a clinical skills suite that provides a 12-bed in-patient and a 12-bed out-patient practice environment. There, a family of human patient simulators including a pregnant mother and newborn infant are ready for student practice. We also offer a replica healthcare office complete with waiting and examination rooms, and an education management system for recording and evaluating individual and team performances in the clinic.
Proven Outcomes
- DeSales Nursing students are above average. In fact, students from this top nursing school in PA are well above the average for both the PA and U.S. NCLEX first time pass rates! All students in our nursing programs have access to test prep included in their fees.
- 92% — DeSales BSN Programs NCLEX first time pass rates 5-year average
- 89.38% — PA average
- 84.94% — National average
Leadership and Character Development
- Prepare for your nursing career path by obtaining membership to one of our organizations on campus. The DeSales University Student Nurses’ Association or Mu Omicron International Nursing Honor Society are dedicated to helping students achieve professional and personal excellence.
What Will You Study?
As a DeSales nursing student, you’ll receive a foundation in the humanities. Combining this with your nursing courses and clinical experiences will prepare you to care for diverse populations using a multi-disciplinary evidence-based approach.
Some courses you’ll take include:
- Health and Physical Assessment
- Mental Health Nursing
- Pharmacology
- Therapeutic Nutrition
- Nursing Care of Children
- Nursing of the Acutely Ill Adult
- Community and Public Health Nursing
- Nursing of the Childbearing Family
Program Tracks & Degree Options
Swipe below to discover more!
Data Analytics, Applied AI Track
Learn MoreTrack
Data Analytics, Applied AI
An exciting option for nursing majors-- Improve patient outcomes by learning how to use data ethically. Plus, learn to use AI to identify risks and support clinical decision making.
Required Courses Include:
Nurse Scholars Program
Learn MoreEntry to Master's
Nurse Scholars Program
The Nurse Scholars program is a merit-based program that offers a direct-entry path to the MSN. For eligible incoming first-year students, the Nurse Scholars Program also offers specialized track offerings that can be completed in one additional year. Once you finish your BSN, you can begin MSN coursework during senior year. A student's standing in the Nurse Scholars program is based on academic and some additional non-academic requirements.
Required Courses Include:
Outcomes & Careers
Many of DeSales nursing graduates begin their careers at one of the nationally recognized health networks in the Lehigh Valley. Our nursing graduates are prepared to assume clinical and leadership positions. DeSales alumni make an impact in the fields of nursing, healthcare, academia, interprofessional collaboration, and lifelong learning. They also:
- Safely and effectively integrate evidence-based practices and scientific advances into cost-effective care.
- Provide culturally competent care to persons with diverse backgrounds or needs.
- Demonstrate leadership, flexibility, creativity, critical thinking, and excellent communication when nursing individuals and/or advocating for improved health outcomes.
Admission Requirements
- If applying test optional, a 3.3 cumulative, unweighted GPA is required.
- If a student chooses to apply using test scores, an 1130 SAT or 23 ACT score is required to gain direct acceptance into the Nursing program. If applying with test scores, they will be used to determine eligibility for the program.
- If a student is interested in gaining acceptance into the Nurse Scholars program, a 1220 SAT or 25 ACT score is required to gain acceptance as a Nurse Scholar.
Program Support
Program FAQs
Full-time, traditional nursing students typically begin their nursing clinicals during their second year. Prior to this, students develop the skills they need to excel when working with real patients in a safe environment utilizing our advanced simulation technology.
Recent News
School of Nursing Holds 50th Anniversary Celebration During Homecoming
On Saturday, Sept. 28, as part of Homecoming and Family Weekend, the DeSales University School of Nursing celebrated 50 years of undergraduate nursing, 40 years of graduate nursing, and 10 years of doctoral degrees.
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Deborah McLanahan and Kayla Lapp wore navy blue nursing scrubs as they made their way through the Gambet Center in late June.
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