Our nurses have a reputation for excellence.

One of the biggest benefits of a Saint Anselm degree in nursing? Hospitals and health professionals know and respect our program. 

What else will you gain? Confidence, personal and academic growth, and experience. Saint Anselm nurses work in the top hospitals around the country. They're ethical. Compassionate. And most importantly, well prepared.

In fact the class of 2017 had an NCLEX pass rate of 100%.

Our Program

We prepare nurses of the future with a curriculum that offers hands on experience and an emphasis on developing critical thinking, ethical decision making and effective communication skills.

Our nursing students start early--their sophomore year--and practice often. Whether in our labs or at their clinicals, our nurses are getting experience so they're ready for any patient care setting.

Our nurses graduate prepared to provide quality care to patients across the lifespan and in all health care settings. They are able to adapt to advances in technology and health care, and are leaders in their fields.

Learn More

  • Partnerships and Clinicals

    "Start early and practice often," should be the motto of our student nurses. They start clinicals as early as sophomore year and they practice their skills a lot. And all that time in the hospital and the nursing labs means Saint Anselm nurses can handle anything. 

    Facts about Clinicals

    • Nursing students always participate in nursing lab prior to providing patient care in a clinical setting
    • Clinicals begin second semester sophomore year
    • Students complete a clinical rotation in all specialty nursing courses including a 196 hour preceptorship during their senior year
    • The student to instructor clinical ratio is 8:1 or less

    Hospital Partnerships

    We partner with more than 60 hospitals and healthcare facilities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, including Mass General Hospital and Children's Hospital in Boston. Students work in hospitals, outpatient clinics, and schools.

  • Student Opportunities

    Healthcare Abroad

    Interested in global healthcare or a different perspective on patient care? We offer opportunities for our nursing students to grow as educated citizens and caregivers.

    Students in the nursing course Historical Perspectives on Health, Welfare, Disease & Society got a first-hand look at the history of the nursing profession in Italy during a spring break trip as part of the semester-long global seminar course.

    Co-taught and led by professors Margret Carson and Kathleen Cahill, the nursing students spent their 10-day tour exploring historic hospitals to discuss the development of healthcare, and then active hospitals to interact with Italian nurses and residents.

    "You learn a lot about something when you look at it historically," Professor Carson said. "What lessons do we learn on how to improve something? What can we learn to not make those same mistakes again?"

    Volunteering Abroad
    Students have also participated in nursing-specific service trips through Campus Ministry's Service & Solidarity Program. In the past, groups have gone to Philadelphia, Penn. and Jamaica. 

    Nursing and Spanish double major Brenda Keys '17  took her internship experience to the next level; she's interning at a hospital in Heredia, Costa Rica and also taking medical classes in Spanish at a university in San Jose. Read about her experience on the study abroad blog.

    Clubs and Groups

    Want to get more involved? We have more than 60 clubs and organizations but here are a few for nursing majors:

    Epsilon Tau Honor Society
    Koinonia
    Organization for Life
    Probe and Scalpel Society
    Rescue Team
    Society of Saint Elizabeth Seton
    Student Nurses Association

    Service-Learning

    Last year, Anselmians volunteered more than 50,926 hours (!). Some professors include volunteering as part of the course, aka service-learning. Students can volunteer at more than 40 sites doing everything from tutoring kids to fundraising to advocating for change.

    Our student nurses participate in service-learning second semester of freshman year. It's to get them engaged in the community and have them experience a diverse society. It prepares them to work with a variety of people as nurses.

    Service learning experiences enhance resumes and graduate school applications-demonstrating practical experience in the field and an ethical concern for the community. But it also helps others. You'll make connections and learn more about yourself. Check out our volunteering center's blog to read about opportunities.

    Volunteer Opportunities include (but are definitely not limited to):
    Child Health Services: Students work as community resources volunteers providing families with information regarding securing car seats, material goods, and public assistance.

    Moore Center: Agency serves adults with developmental disabilities or acquired brain injuries. Volunteers assist in developing life skills classes, facilitating social interactions and tutoring.

    VA Hospital: Volunteers work with the Chaplin Hospice Unit with terminally ill veterans.

    Research

    Do you have an inquiring mind? You've done all the reading; now find out what it's like to work side by side with a nurse in the field investigating Parkinson's Disease or working with cancer care teams through a nursing fellowship. You can work with faculty or even with nurses at other hospitals. We offer all kinds of grants and student research opportunities.

  • Labs and Resources

    "Because of the SimMan, I never walked into the hospital feeling unprepared or lost. I knew I'd seen, touched, and worked with every type of tubing, IV pump, or medication cart and that I had the knowledge to care for a real patient independently."
    ~ Hilary Gorgol '14

    Our students log time in our nursing labs, utilizing the latest technology; they practice simulations to be prepared for clinical. And for real life.

    They have seen, touched, and used every kind of tubing and pump. In simulated situations (and possibly in real situations) they have seen a patient code and performed CPR and defibrillation.

    Gadbois Hall and Labs

    Gadbois Hall is home to our nursing department including faculty offices, four labratories, and multiple classrooms.

    Our four main labs are where you'll spend your time learning everything from how to do a head to toe assessment to using an IV pump to caring for a patient with a spinal injury. Some labs include:

    • Vital signs
    • Bed-bath to better understand personal care and hygiene
    • Full insertion and wound care
    • Diabetes lab to practice insulation
    • IV labs

    Latest Technology

    To prepare you for clinical and future employment, we teach you using the latest technology. It gives you confidence on the equipment so you can focus on patient care at clinical.

    Equipment:

    • Pyxis
    • SimMan, SimBaby, Birthing Mother
    • Cardio Ionic Heart and Lung Machine
    • Working Head Walls
    • Wireless Portable Mannequinns
    • Electronic Smart Pumps for IV therapy

    Nursing graduate Hilary Gorgol '14 can attest to the time our nurses spend in the nursing lab. But she also credits our program with being prepared and giving her confidence in her own ability.

    "Being able to listen to abnormal heart or lung sounds in SimMan gave us the chance to make connections and apply what we learned in class to what we saw in a clinical setting."
    ~ Hilary Gorgol '14