Seton Hill launches fall 2019 nursing degree program
Seton Hill University will launch a nursing program in fall 2019, the university announced Monday.
The Greensburg-based school is accepting applications for fall enrollment in its new four-year bachelor of science in nursing degree program and expects to admit 24 students for the fall semester, spokeswoman Jennifer Reeger said.
The program recently received a green light from the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing. It is the second four-year nursing degree program to come online in Westmoreland County in as many years. The University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg launched a nursing program this fall. Westmoreland County Community College also offers an associate degree in nursing.
The nursing program is the latest piece in an expanding landscape in natural and health sciences that has moved to the forefront of Seton Hill’s degree offerings in recent years. They include its physician’s assistant program, health sciences, nutrition and dietetics, exercise science and orthodontics. The university also has partnerships with the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM), which has a school on Seton Hill’s campus, as well as Salus University.
The university has signed agreements for nursing students to do clinical rotations at the Excela Health System, UPMC Health System (Children’s, UPMC East, UPMC McKeesport), Allegheny Health System (Jefferson, Forbes) and Uniontown Hospital. It also has agreements with the William Penn and Loyalhanna Care Center and Caritas Christi.
Seton Hill officials said the program will focus on preparing nurses to meet regional workforce needs here and in rural, under served areas. It was designed to help fill voids in the profession where more than 500,000 experienced nurses are expected to retire by 2022.
The program will offer students “both the scientific and professional education they will need to succeed in the nursing profession and provides them with the liberal arts background that will allow them to effectively communicate with patients, collaborate with fellow healthcare professionals, and ultimately become leaders within healthcare organizations,” said Seton Hill Provost Susan Yochum.
The program is being launched through the Daniel J. Wukich School of Nursing. The school was created through a gift by Seton Hill University Trustee Daniel J. Wukich, founder, owner, president and CEO of Quest Healthcare Development, Inc.
