Nursing remains an in-demand field, and these accredited nursing degree programs in New Hampshire are stepping up to meet the state’s need for nurses. While it should come as no surprise by now that the demand for qualified nurses is high and growing across the U.S., the profession is also evolving as quickly as it grows. In its recent report on the future of nursing, The Institute of Medicine recommends that the percentage of the nation’s nurses holding at least a bachelor’s degree increase to 80 percent by the year 2020, and urges educators to help make that goal a reality. The following New Hampshire schools are working toward doing just that, with both four-year nursing baccalaureates and RN to BSN programs for current RNs ready to go back to school.
Colby Sawyer-College
Department of Nursing
Colby-Sawyer College’s class of 2016 earned a perfect pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses, with 100 percent of the college’s new nursing grads passing the exam their first time taking it. That statistic in and of itself is a great reason to consider Colby-Sawyer a standout among accredited New Hampshire nursing degree programs, but it’s worth taking a closer look at just how the Department of Nursing helps prepare its students for such impeccable results. For starters, there’s the integration of liberal arts along with professional education and leadership experience – hallmarks of a Colby-Sawyer education – into the department’s B.S.N. program.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Colby-Sawyer College is designed to prepare graduates to take the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses and then find employment in entry level positions in clinics, hospitals, private practices or community healthcare settings. Underclass students learn in state-of-the-art classrooms and labs, and starting sophomore year students begin their clinical clinical rotations at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, the state’s only academic medical center. Senior year, students complete their nursing leadership capstone projects on topics relevant to the contemporary nursing profession – from public safety and disaster management to the cultural aspects of health in the community.
Accreditation
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
- New Hampshire Board of Nursing’s Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
Contact
Colby-Sawyer College
541 Main Street
New London, NH 03257
603-526-6000
colbyweb@colby-sawyer.edu
Program link
Granite State College
Nursing Department
Granite State College is an institution of the New Hampshire University System, with the mission of making higher education more accessible, especially to today’s non-traditional students. In keeping with this goal, the school has five separate campus locations and numerous online programs, many of which have multiple start dates and can be completed at the student’s own pace. Degree programs at Granite State are designed with real-world, professional application in mind. This focus makes the school’s RN to BSN program ideal for current RNs who aren’t interested in a traditional “college experience,” who are looking for an accredited New Hampshire nursing degree program that will get them out of the classroom and back to caring for patients as quickly as possible.
RN to BSN Program
The RN to BSN program at Granite State offers a challenging and up-to-date curriculum that is flexible to meet the current RN’s needs in terms of school/career balance. Rolling admissions and four program start dates throughout the year enable RNs to take their next educational step at the time that’s right for them. Students can take one class at a time, or more depending on their own work and life schedule. Optional eight-week summer terms can speed up degree progress. Students also have the option to complete the degree entirely online if that better suits their needs.
RNs with who have completed any accredited associate degree in nursing or a three-year RN diploma are eligible to apply and can transfer up to 90 credits of earned college coursework.
Accreditation
- Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of New England Schools and Colleges
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
- American Association of Colleges of Nursing
Contact
Granite State College
25 Hall Street
Concord, NH 03301
1-800-735-2964
Program link
Keene State College
Department of Nursing
Keene State College is a liberal arts college and a member of the public University of New Hampshire system. The college’s department of nursing is committed to graduating what the Institute of Medicine calls “The Nurse of the Future”: a nursing professional and leader who collaborates, communicates and provides patient-centered care based on evidence-based practice. Keene State’s nursing department is relatively new among the accredited nursing programs of New Hampshire, having admitted its first class in 2012, and so is well positioned to take this future-focused approach to educating today’s nurses.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Keene State College’s Department of Nursing offers two educational pathways to prospective nurses, called tailored nursing tracks. The pre-licensure track is for students without a previous nursing degree, most of whom have entered Keene State as freshmen (or as transfers, when program openings are available.) These traditional liberal arts undergraduates may choose to live in an on-campus residence dedicated to nursing students, and can participate in the Athena Nursing Club. Four years of coursework, clinical rotations and individualized attention from their nursing faculty advisor prepare these students to sit for the licensure exam upon graduation.
The second tailored learning track, the RN to BSN track, is offered to Registered Nurses who have already completed an associate’s degree in nursing and who hold New Hampshire licensure. Courses are offered evenings and weekends to enable working professionals to fit college study into their busy schedules. Degree candidates in this track can transfer up to 90 degrees of previously earned college credits.
Accreditation
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges
- New Hampshire Board of Nursing
Contact
Keene State College
29 Main Street
Keene, New Hampshire 03435
603-358-2750
Program Link
Plymouth State University
Department of Nursing
The motto of Plymouth State is Ut Prosim, That I May Serve, and the Department of Nursing reflects that mission well in its teaching philosophies. The goal of the department is to graduate nurses who are leaders in providing accessible health care to diverse communities. The pursuit of this goal takes place in a supportive learning community wherein faculty and students are all encouraged to learn from one another. The Department of Nursing grounds its curriculum in the core competencies identified by the Institute of Medicine’s Nurse of the Future report as well as by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program is a pre-licensure program designed to prepare graduates for the licensing exam. Students officially enter the program and begin taking the nursing course sequence in their sophomore year, after dedicating freshman year to general education classes and nursing prerequisites. Clinical rotations take place off campus. Admission into the Bachelor of Science in Nursing is competitive, but those who do make it in have the chance to benefit from one of PSU’s several nursing scholarships, making it worthwhile for academically qualified applicants to give PSU a look when deciding between New Hampshire’s many accredited nursing degree programs.
Accreditation
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
Contact
Plymouth State University
17 High Street
Plymouth, NH 03264
603-535-5000
plymouthadmit@plymouth.edu
Program link
Saint Anselm College
Department of Nursing
Future nurses looking for an accredited New Hampshire nursing program with a Roman Catholic worldview should take a look at Saint Anselm College. This nationally ranked liberal arts college is rooted in the Benedictine tradition. For the nursing program, this means a compassionate, “humanistic approach” to patient care, and an education that starts with its foundation in the traditional liberal arts and sciences. But make no mistake, the Department of Nursing at Saint Anselm also stays focused on the latest evidence-based practices and innovative technologies of nursing education. For example, the Department has the latest simulation technologies for students to practice on. Students begin their clinical rotations during sophomore year, gaining experience in one of the more than 40 hospitals and clinics that Saint Anselm partners with – including Mass General Hospital and the Children’s Hospital in Boston. These and other factors, like the 8:1 student to faculty ratio, make Saint Anselm’s nursing department one of the most selective and well-respected in New England.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
The BSN at Saint Anselm is designed for incoming freshmen with no prior education or experience in nursing. In this traditional undergraduate program, students take prerequisites in their freshman year before beginning their clinical rotations and other nursing courses starting sophomore year, while continuing to take relevant liberal arts-based classes like ethics and psychology throughout their four years of study. Before graduating, students take a clinical rotation in all specialty nursing areas and complete a 196-hour internship in their senior year.
RN to BSN Program
In the RN to BSN program at Saint Anselm, Registered Nurses advance their educations and career prospects by completing 120 credits through their own individual combination of transfer credits, Saint Anselm classes and challenge exams. Classes are taught by the same Department of Nursing faculty as the four-year baccalaureate program. This accredited program is an online hybrid, with rotating eight-week courses offered partially online. Degree candidates can choose to attend full-time, part-time or on an accelerated basis depending on their own work schedules and career goals. It’s possible to complete the program in as little as 15 months.
Accreditation
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
Contact
Saint Anselm College
100 Saint Anselm Drive
Manchester, NH 03102
603-641-7000
admission@anselm.edu
Southern New Hampshire University
Department of Nursing
Southern New Hampshire University is unique among the colleges offering accredited nursing degree programs in the state of New Hampshire. SNHU is a non-profit university with a brick-and-mortar campus, but it’s probably better known nationally for its numerous, affordable online offerings. This decidedly non-traditional university is dedicated to making higher education accessible to students of all ages and circumstances, all across the country. The bachelor of science in nursing degree offered by SNHU is no exception to its rule of flexible, self-paced learning and transfer-friendly policies. The healthcare professionals who make up SNHU’s nursing program offer relevant, real-world knowledge and experience.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
SNHU’s online bachelor of science in nursing degree program is flexible and efficient for working professionals. Assignments can be accessed and completed online 24/7. Each year holds six 9-week terms, and degree candidates take one course per term. But while the coursework is online, students can still count on support from academic and career advisors.
Current Registered Nurses can transfer up to 90 credits on college credit after completing the program’s simple application process.
Accreditation
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Contact
Southern New Hampshire University
2500 North River Rd
Manchester, NH 03106
Program link
University of New Hampshire
Department of Nursing
The University of New Hampshire is a public research institution and the flagship of the state’s university system. The Department of Nursing is a part of UNH’s College of Health and Human Services and has been educating professional nurses for half of a century. The department’s faculty includes Fulbright Scholars and international researchers, many of whom are noteworthy for their outreach in the neighboring community as well as their partnerships with state and local healthcare agencies. Admission into the Department’s programs is selective and open only to native (non-transfer) UNH students, something to keep in mind if you’re looking to transfer into an accredited nursing degree program in New Hampshire.
Nursing, BS
The four-year degree in nursing offered by the University of New Hampshire starts with a foundation in the arts, sciences and humanities, like any baccalaureate degree at UNH. For a nursing student, biological and social sciences will make up a great part of their non-nursing coursework. From there, students learn research-based practices, relationship-based care and clinical decision making through the curriculum’s nursing labs and classes. The department’s newly built simulation lab gives students a chance to practice their techniques before acquiring hands on experience through clinical rotations in local hospitals and community health settings. High achieving students can earn the distinction of Honors in Major on their diploma by maintaining the requisite GPA and completing an honors project their senior year.
The goal of UNH’s baccalaureate nursing degree is to graduate generalists ready to provide culturally sensitive care across the lifespan and across diverse settings and circumstances, to advocate socially for quality care and to commit to lifelong learning as a nursing professional. The program also prepares its graduates for further, more advanced nursing education.
Accreditation
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
- Council on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
Contact
University of New Hampshire
105 Main St
Durham, NH 03824
603-862-1234
admissions@unh.edu
Program Link
Ultimately, the “best” college or “best” nursing program is the one that meets the student’s needs, whether that’s in terms of affordability, class flexibility, transfer policies or even just the campus’s overall offerings and atmosphere. New Hampshire and its colleges and universities have enough bachelor’s level nursing programs for any prospective student to find the right match. Whether it’s a liberal arts college offering the traditional four-year “college experience” to its nursing freshmen or an accelerated online RN-to-BSN program for working professionals, the accredited nursing degree programs in New Hampshire are doing their part to educate the nurses of the future.
Related Resource: 30 Best Affordable RN-BSN Degree Programs
