History
The School of Nursing was founded as a four-year full time undergraduate baccalaureate program in 1970 and has enjoyed continuous recognition for the quality of the faculty members and graduates since its inception. Undergraduate and graduate programs are approved by the Connecticut State Board of Examiners for Nursing and are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs.
- 1970: First class of nursing students admitted
- 1974: School of Nursing graduates first class of 19 nurses
- 1976: Ground breaking for School of Nursing building
- 1977: Dedication for School of Nursing building
- 1980: RN-BSN program inaugurated
- 1989: Nursing Honor Society established
- 1992: Chartered Mu Chi Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, International
- 1992: Accelerated Nursing Program for second degree students begins
- 1994: Master of Science in Nursing established
- 1994: Health Promotion Center opens in Bridgeport, CT
- 1996: Post Master's Certificate Program offered in Masters Program
- 2004: School of Nursing Advisory Board established
- 2007: Nurse Anesthesia Program established in collaboration with
Bridgeport Hospital Anesthesia Associates - 2007: United States Department of Veterans Affairs
VA Nursing Academy Grant Awarded - 2007: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) awarded accreditation of the baccalaureate and master's degree programs for a term of 10 years extending to December 31, 2017
- 2008: Dedication of the Robin Kanarek Learning Resource Center
The Fairfield University School of Nursing curriculum prepares future nurses at the baccalaureate and master's level in an environment that not only includes classroom and clinical laboratory learning experiences on campus, but also opportunities to care for patients at numerous clinical sites. Undergraduate students start caring for patients during the second semester of the sophomore year. The School of Nursing graduate program has four distinct tracks: Clinical Nurse Leader, Nurse Anesthesia, Nurse Practitioner, and Healthcare Management. All specialties lead to a Master of Science in Nursing degree and fulfill academic requirements toward certification as a clinical nurse leader, nurse anesthetist, family or adult psychiatric nurse practitioner, or in advanced nursing administration.
The Robin Kanarek Learning Resource Center provides a simulated hospital environment where students learn and practice basic to advanced nursing skills. Housing state-of-the-art medical equipment, simulators, and practice modules, it includes a fully equipped intensive care area complete with cardiac monitoring devices, a defibrillator, a ventilator, and a code cart. Four other acute care units contain hospital beds and the equipment necessary to perform physical assessments and learn other basic nursing skills. An expansion and enhancement of the Center began in the summer of 2006 and will continue over the next several years to further integrate simulation-based teaching throughout the nursing curriculum.