Nurses are primary providers of patient care. They can practice independently but collaborate with all members of a health care team to provide individual patient care. Nurses serve as advocates for patients, families, and communities and sometimes go into research or healthcare management.
Haverford doesn’t have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, therefore students who are interested in the field complete an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program after earning their undergraduate degree with an option to earn a master’s degree as a nurse practitioner (NP). Nurse practitioners are trained to take medical histories, diagnose and manage illness, order and diagnose tests, write prescriptions, and order tests. They may specialize and have the option of opening their own practice without the supervision of a physician. For more information on the growing field of nursing, visit the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) website.
Contact Jodi Domsky, Coordinator of Health Professions Advising.
Although the requirements vary from school to school, most accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs require the following courses:
Nursing schools do not require clinical experience, however seeking out some related experience will strengthen your application and demonstrate interest in the field of nursing.
Refer to the Gaining Experience section for more information and resources regarding leadership and service, patient centered experience, and research.
Many schools require the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), however others may ask for the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS), Health Education Systems Incorporated Admissions Assessment (HESI-A2), or the SATs/ACTs. Visit the website of the nursing school you are interested in to find out which test they accept or prefer.
Most U.S. nursing programs utilize the online Centralized Application Service for Nursing Programs (NursingCAS).
The deadlines to apply vary from school to school but most have a fall deadline. The number and type of letters of recommendation required varies from school to school.
*We have a very tiny magic 8 ball.