Dear Students,

Welcome to the School of Nursing and Allied Health! This is an exciting and dynamic time in healthcare, and Saint Joseph’s School of Nursing and Allied Health offers diverse educational and professional opportunities to prepare students for success as a healthcare professional. 

PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS

I encourage you to explore the many programs and pathways offered in our school. Our programs are fully accredited and built upon a legacy of excellence in healthcare education. We offer certificate, associate, baccalaureate and graduate programs across nine distinct healthcare disciplines. Our faculty and staff are available to help you determine which path best aligns with your individual goals and expectations. By facilitating your exploration of the various roles, responsibilities and educational requirements for each program, you will confidently select your pathway to success. 

DYNAMIC LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

Each program is built upon a proven, accredited, academically rigorous curriculum designed to prepare our students for the complexities of healthcare. Our students' licensure exam passage rates are among the best in the nation and state in nursing — a testament to Saint Joseph's Lancaster strong curricula, excellent faculty and LG Health’s outstanding clinical rotation experiences. A foundation of math, science and humanities courses supports critical thinking and creative problem-solving. Within the classroom, faculty use active learning strategies to engage students in the application of knowledge in preparation for their professional roles. In our nursing and allied health programs, clinical learning begins early in the curriculum and includes simulation and direct-care clinical experiences in a wide variety of settings that have been carefully selected to provide the experiences our students need to excel. 

At our Lancaster location, the Center for Excellence in Practice is an expansive, innovative simulated learning environment that provides students with a safe space to practice clinical skills and develop clinical judgment and decision-making. Simulations incorporate high-fidelity manikins, standardized patients (human patient actors) and cutting-edge virtual reality to create clinical experiences which prepare students for the realities of practice. Nursing will launch on Saint Joseph’s Hawk Hill campus in Philadelphia in the fall of 2025. 

Our clinical sites include renowned health systems and community agencies and organizations throughout south-central Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia region. Students learn from expert clinicians in innovative organizations at the forefront of healthcare. For undergraduate nursing students, clinical experiences are directly supervised by faculty and, occasionally, a coaching model is used, which pairs a student with an experienced registered nurse. In the allied health programs, clinical experiences use a precepting model which pairs a student with a carefully selected expert in the discipline. The extensive clinical immersion time required of our students is a hallmark of our programs and supports a successful transition from student to healthcare professional.

FUTURE OUTLOOK

The future of healthcare is filled with opportunities for committed, compassionate professionals who have a desire to impact the quality of healthcare outcomes. These careers are challenging and immensely rewarding. Our graduates have extensive employment opportunities in all areas of the country — rural, suburban and urban. Additionally, the potential for future professional advancement through continuing education and certifications is unlimited. A career in nursing or allied health is personally fulfilling, professionally rewarding and is unmeasurably impactful to the individuals and families whose lives you will touch each day.

Are you ready to make a difference?

Melissa J. Snyder, EdD, FNP, CNE 

Dean of the School of Nursing and Allied Health