Nursing
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Being a Mount Nursing major isn’t for the faint of heart. It requires grit, determination, and hard work - but then again, so does being a nurse.
As a nurse, you’ll be there for the people who need it most. In schools, at hospital bedsides, in nursing homes: You will be their caregiver, their advocate, and their hero.
With your compassion and dedication and our ability to teach you nursing knowledge and skills, we can change the world together, one patient at a time.
Why be a Nursing major?
Here are six reasons (among many!) to be a Knight nurse:
- Start your career in freshman year: We don’t make you wait. You’ll begin Nursing-related classes in freshman year and clinical work in sophomore. Plus, unlike other schools, you can be directly admitted into the Nursing program, instead of having to wait to apply.
- Level-up: Want to continue your studies? Our Master of Science in Nursing (MS in Nursing) will prepare you to be a family or adult-gerontology nurse practitioner. Want to grow your skills as both a nurse and an educator? We also offer a Master of Science in Nursing Education. Save money (Mount alums receive 25% off graduate tuition!) and learn from the same professors you already know and love.
- Dedicated simulation lab: Practice your skills before taking them into the real world! Get a sense of what clinical experiences are like in our Nursing Simulation and Learning Center - we even have one that gives birth.
- Faculty nurses: Not only are our faculty experienced nurses, many of them still practice. A few of them are even Mount graduates!
- Service-oriented career at a service-oriented college: Service is built into our DNA here at the Mount, and it’s vital to who you’ll become as a nurse. It’s not just about practical skills in the School of Nursing: We’re also here to foster your empathy, compassion, and heart that will make you a truly great nurse.
- Proven results: We’ve graduated more than 3,000 nurses, whose performance on the NCLEX far exceeds the national average. And our reputation is well-known: Local hospitals and clinics are always looking to hire our nurses because employers know the quality training they’ve gone through.
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing/master's degree program in nursing at Mount Saint Mary College is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791. Learn more about our accreditation here.
Nursing workforce Diversity (NWD) Scholarship
The NWD scholarship provides funding each academic year, up to graduation, to 50 students (incoming and current students) who meet specific scholarship requirements (ex. economically disadvantaged, educationally disadvantaged, etc...). Click here for more information.
Shannon Cristiano '20“Nursing school is like nothing else, and you rely on your friends and the faculty to help get you through it. It’s reassuring knowing that you have people around you who know exactly what you are going through and support you the entire way. The School of Nursing also has a strong focus on community outreach, which helps to enrich your nursing education while also making you a more rounded individual.”
Shannon Cristiano '20
What to expect as a Nursing major
54 credits in Nursing | 34 credits in related fields | 2.75 GPA+
Learn about Nursing major academic requirements and courses here.
Your Nursing experience will begin with foundational science and psychology courses to prepare you for upper-level Nursing classes. In order to proceed in the program, you must obtain a C or greater in these prerequisite biology and chemistry classes.
You’ll take your first Nursing course in your sophomore year, and then clinicals will begin in the second semester of that year. Throughout your time at the Mount, you’ll participate in a variety of clinical placements that correlate with your courses, exposing you to a number of settings you may find yourself in as a nurse, including acute care, emergency, labor and delivery, and more.
In addition to their studies, Nursing majors are encouraged to get involved on campus. Our students are highly encouraged to take part in the Student Nurses’ Association, which hosts several events throughout the year, including on-campus blood drives that have won awards from the New York Blood Center. We also have an honor society for our high-achieving Nursing students, and several of our Nursing majors have also successfully completed the Honors Program. Additionally, many of our Nursing majors are involved in sports, theatre, study abroad, and other extracurricular activities. We believe that these experiences not only make your college experience more rich, but also help to make you a better nurse!
Nursing milestones to look forward to:
Your first clinical
Nursing students get hands-on experience in our labs as early as freshman year and begin clinical work in area healthcare facilities in sophomore year.
Blessing of the Hands
An annual tradition for nursing students and their families, in which Campus Chaplin Father Greg blesses our student nurses greatest tools - their hands.
Nurse Pinning
Each year, we celebrate all of our graduating nurses with a moving and intimate ceremony highlighting their academic accomplishments and their transition from student to nurse.
Be prepared for your future
Your clinical experiences will be key in giving you the training and connections you need to succeed as a nurse. The Hudson Valley is a fast-growing healthcare hub, and we are proud to have clinical relationships at a variety of regional healthcare facilities, including Albany Medical Center, Montefiore St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital, Orange Regional Medical Center, NY Presbyterian Hospital Westchester, Montefiore Medical Center, Northwell Health, NYU Langone, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and many more.
Once you’ve graduated, the possibilities for applying your degree are endless. Nurses are everywhere! From schools to military to public health to hospitals, Mount Nursing students are on the frontlines of keeping people safe and healthy.
Here’s how some of our Nursing alumni are using their degrees:
Frederick Davidson ’93, Director of Human Health Services and Army Public Health Nursing Consultant for the United States Army- Sean D’Onofrio ’17, Registered Nurse at Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of the Children's National Medical Center and 2018 Conway Clinical Scholar
- Nicholas Terzulli ’19, Registered Nurse - Progressive Care Unit at New York Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital
- Victoria Mannone ’19, Registered Nurse at the Mayo Clinic
- Emily Leath '20, Registered Nurse at Stonybrook Hospital
Lynette DeBellis
Meet the School of Nursing Faculty
Get to know the rest of our incredible Nursing professors!