PC Launching School of Nursing and Health Sciences - Building New 100K Square Foot Facility
Monday, September 12, 2022
Providence College (PC) announced on Monday that it is officially launching a new School of Nursing and Health Sciences (SNHS).
The new school will see the introduction of two new degree programs at PC, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences.
PC’s existing Bachelor of Science in Health Policy and Management will also become part of the new school.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“Programs like nursing, which focus on the care of others, respect for the dignity of every person, and the importance of service to God and neighbor, flow naturally from and support the Catholic and Dominican mission of Providence College," said Fr. Kenneth R. Sicard, O.P. Sicard, who took office as PC’s 13th president on July 1, 2020.
About Program
PC received formal approval to proceed with the new bachelor’s degree program in nursing from the Rhode Island Board of Nurse Registration and Nursing Education on September 12.
That came after the College’s Faculty Senate voted to approve the establishment of the new school and its two new degree programs prior to the end of the 2022 spring semester. PC’s Board of Trustees also voiced its approval to move forward with the establishment of the new school and its degree programs.
The new nursing program will be the first such bachelor’s degree program established in Rhode Island in ten years.
Sicard also noted that both nursing and health sciences are a natural fit with the College’s liberal arts identity, adding that both require the study of science and the mastery of critical thinking skills -- and both also are springboards to other careers in the healthcare industry at a time when, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the shortage of healthcare workers in Rhode Island and the United States has reached a critical stage.
Seeking New Students
PC will now begin accepting students for the two new degree programs for matriculation in the fall of 2023. Sicard said the SNHS will build upon PC’s existing academic program and faculty expertise, provide numerous opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration, and broaden the College’s reach and impact. PC also is hoping to move quickly into graduate-level programs in the SNHS within a short period of time.
“These academic initiatives will enhance Providence College’s impact on society in ways that honor the institution’s mission and heritage,” said Christopher K. Reilly ’84, the board’s chair. “They will create exciting opportunities for our students – guided by our faculty – to prepare for lives of meaningful service in assistance to our neighbors and our communities.”
PC has begun planning for a 100,000 square foot state-of-the-art SHNS facility that will be located on its campus. This new facility will consist of innovation spaces to support technologically advanced clinical simulations and health assessment laboratories. The College plans to break ground in the near future and anticipates that the project will be completed in time to sustain clinical practice in the spring of 2025.
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