St. Joe’s signs nursing affiliate with Villanova

A new agreement between St. Joe’s and Villanova University’s College of Nursing will allow St. Joe’s students admission to Villanova’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.

At least five students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher will be accepted into this 14-month program, if they complete all necessary nursing prerequisites and apply to Villanova by Oct. 15 of their senior year.

“The articulation agreement is important because it continues St. Joe’s relationship with Villanova,” said Shaily Menon, Ph.D., St. Joe’s dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “Such an articulation agreement offers opportunities to existing students, and will attract students who are interested in qualifying for the program.”

Cheryl Wert, recruitment specialist and transfer coordinator for Villanova, said this agreement strengthens St. Joe’s relationship with Villanova and gives students the opportunity to exit their college career with two high-caliber degrees.

“We started this conversation about a year ago based on the fact that St. Joe’s does not have a nursing program,” Wert said. “We’re not looking to poach students out from St. Joe’s before they complete their degree. We thought the agreement would be natural.”

Connie O’Hara, St. Joe’s health professions adviser, mentioned that rising first year college students are often unsure if they want to pursue nursing. This agreement allows students to immerse themselves in nursing prerequisites before fully committing to the program.

“A lot of students come into college not necessarily certain if they want nursing,” O’Hara said. “They’re often not ready to commit to a nursing program right out of high school. Once they’ve developed their interests here at St. Joe’s, then they’ll be ready to get the accelerated degree at Villanova.”

Caroline Keegan ’18, an Interdisciplinary Health Services (IHS) major with a minor in both psychology and medical ethics, was accepted into Villanova’s BSN Program.

“St. Joe’s gives you the opportunity to take the classes and see what you’re really interested in,” Keegan said. “The requirements can make for a rigorous schedule so it allows you to eliminate nursing as a career or completely fall in love with it.”

The partnership is extremely helpful for St. Joe’s students in regard to the admissions process, Wert explained. Also, similar values and a shared mission between both schools played a role in their decision to partner.

“Having this partnership really helps the chances of a St. Joe’s student to be accepted,” Wert said. “Catholic affiliation, close proximity, and the fact that both schools are private will all contribute to this relationship’s success.”

The decision to partner with another school rather than constructing a new program is the most cost-effective option, as it would be a large commitment for the university to construct a new program, according to O’Hara.

There are almost three million nurses working in the U.S., 221 thousand of which work in Pennsylvania, according to a 2016 study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The median salary for a nurse with a Bachelor’s degree is $68,450. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects there to be 438,100 additional job openings over the next ten years.