Stonehill plans to launch nursing program next fall

By Maddi Achtyl

The College moved closer to launching an undergraduate nursing program last week after a key accreditation board approved the prerequisite application. The hope is for the program to be fully approved in time to enroll students for the fall 2026 semester. 

The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing (BORN) approved the initial application, an important first step in starting the program. The college now needs the application to be approved so students can be admitted. 

The approval process is a lengthy one, but Peter Ubertaccio, Vice President of Academic Affairs, said he feels confident that the College will be approved in time to enroll students for the upcoming fall semester. 

“We are putting our best efforts forward to secure the approvals this fall to allow us to enroll students for next fall, but it ultimately is a calendar that is controlled by the state,” said Ubertaccio.  

Nursing is a heavily regulated program in each state, so the calendar for approval is not something that can be dictated or controlled.  

The hope for the program is to admit a maximum of 40 students a year once the CCNE and BORN approve the program plans. The program will only admit first-year students who want to pursue nursing as a career upon graduation.  

Ubertaccio said that the addition of a nursing program will not require the construction of a new building on campus, but will require the Duffy Academic building to be renovated in the near future and ready for the fall 2027 semester. 

The first year of the program for nursing students primarily consists of in-class, lecture-style instruction, which allows the college time to conduct renovations. The renovations will include simulation labs that are needed for second-year nursing students. 

“At the moment, we are looking at the corridor that has student financial services in it, and so that is what we are focused on for right now. As the program grows, we may have to reassess that in the future,” said Ubertaccio. 

The College has also started building relationships with hospitals and clinics south of Boston through the Cape to eventually place students for their clinical placements in their third and fourth years of the program. 

Stonehill has hired Sue Taylor, Ph.D., R.N., as its interim Dean of Nursing. Taylor is assisting in syllabi planning and course preparation as the college prepares for its next phase. 

With her extensive knowledge in nursing education, as well as her background as a clinician and administrator, Ubertaccio is confident that Taylor will help guide the program through its first few years. 

“She brings many years of experience in undergraduate nursing education at schools similar to Stonehill. She has been working with us as a consultant since last academic year, but we soon recognized she was the perfect person to step into the dean's role,” Ubertaccio said. 

The college hopes the new nursing program at Stonehill will help address the nationwide nursing shortage and become a respected name in nursing education.