La Roche College Nursing Program Review
Founded originally as an all-female school, La Roche College (LRC) has gone from graduating five students to housing a thriving co-educational student body of a few thousand. This school, located in Pennsylvania, has gone through difficult times early on to emerge as one of the top Catholic Colleges in the nation.
Nursing Program
La Roche College understands the importance of nurses in the healthcare system and strives to educate the future generations of care professionals not just in clinical matters, but in the social and spiritual aspects of nursing as well. The Nursing Program offers interested students a series of progressive programs that allow them to move through their education to the level of credentials that best fit their personal and professional goals. Admission into the Nursing Program is competitive to mirror the aggressive demands of a nursing profession, and students are expected to continue demonstrating high academic achievement and good moral fiber throughout the course of study to remain a part of the program.
Associate of Science in Nursing
The Associate of Science in Nursing degree is awarded to students wishing to pursue careers as entry-level Registered Nurses. This course of study prepares students to take the NLCEX-RN exam that can result in licensure. Students must achieve satisfactory scores on aptitude and placement tests, as well as present a personal statement of explanation, in order to gain admission into the program. Divided into five semesters, this program can be completed in just under two calendar years of full-time study, including a summer semester. Students who are already licensed as Practical Nurses may be eligible to gain advanced placement in the program if they can demonstrate understanding and mastery of the theoretical concepts presented in the early portion of the Nursing core.
RN to BSN Completion Program
Advanced education generally represents advanced career opportunities and superior performance which is why La Roche College offers Registered Nurses with valid current licensure to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree on an accelerated track. This program utilizes prior educational and clinical experience to support earning a baccalaureate degree through an 18-month, internet-based program. This flexible format allows working nurses to pursue their higher education while also continuing to fulfill the obligations of their private and professional lives. Beyond career advancement, the BSN degree prepares students to embark on journeys of graduate-level education.
Master of Science in Nursing
The Master of Science in Nursing Program at La Roche College offers students the opportunity to continue and enhance their Nursing education foundation. Through this degree students are able to seek upper-level managerial and supervisory leadership roles, as well as seek further certification to prepare for specialized careers.
Forensic Nursing Certificate Program
This post-licensure certificate program offers Registered Nurses the opportunity to obtain Certification in the field of Forensic Nursing. In this specialized field nurses work in close cooperation with the Criminal Justice system to understand and treat causes and perpetuation of trauma, violence, death and other criminal acts. Certification requires 10 credits and can be completed in two semesters when the final two courses are taken at the same time.
School Nurse Certification Program
Offered only to post-BSN Registered Nurses and RNs successfully enrolled in the RN to BSN Completion Program, the more complex School Nurse Certification Program enables students to prepare for a career offered varied healthcare services to students within school environments. After all prerequisites have been completed, students can finish this program in eight credits earned through the completion of two courses with associated clinical application experiences. Actual Certification is awarded by the Department of Education after satisfactory completion of the program and demonstration of mastery of instructed material.
Graduates from the Nursing Department at La Roche are prepared to enter the workforce with the credentials and knowledge that will afford them access to fulfilling careers, and have the educational basis to pursue continual learning through the Doctoral level if they wish. Integrating spiritual, social and psychological understanding with sound clinical knowledge, La Roche produces nurses designed for the contemporary nursing field.
Contact:
La Roche College
9000 Babock Boulevard,
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
Phone: (412) 367-9300
