News & Events

The two new Bachelor of Science degrees will be offered this fall at the Brooklyn campus of Touro College’s School of Health Sciences.

The first degree is a four-year Bachelor of Science program with a major in nursing.

The second degree is known as an “RN to B.S.,” a one- to two-year program for licensed registered nurses who have already graduated from an accredited nursing program and who wish to apply those credits toward a B.S. degree.

“Touro College is one of America’s largest educational providers in the health science field, and these two new degrees further bolster our national leadership status as teachers of the next generation of healthcare providers,” said Dr. Kadish.  “Nurses today are required to address increasingly complex health challenges faced by the patients they serve. Because of advances in health science and technology, nurses must also possess a more comprehensive array of skills than in years past.”

Professor Sandra Russo, M.S., RN, chairperson and program director of the Touro College School of Health Sciences nursing department, said that while nurses to date have generally not been required to carry a bachelor’s degree to enter the profession, that pattern is changing.

“Growing numbers of employers in New York state and elsewhere are strongly encouraging nurses to earn their bachelor’s degrees,” Professor Russo said. “In fact, we expect that the degree will be required by virtually all major employers down the road.  The bachelor’s diploma is rapidly becoming a critical stepping stone for professional advancement, especially for nurses aiming to take on management responsibilities.”

In addition to the new bachelor’s programs, Touro will also offer a combined Associate in Applied Science/Bachelor of Science (A.A.S./B.S.), which will qualify students to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).

Since its founding in 2005, Touro’s nursing program has offered the two-year A.A.S. degree, with a major in nursing. Graduates qualify to take the NCLEX-RN. Touro graduates’ scores have exceeded state and national averages for the past two years, with graduates receiving a 94 percent pass rate in 2012.

Students in the nursing program also participate in rotations at prestigious clinical sites, including Maimonides Medical Center, Lutheran Medical Center, Bellevue Hospital, Coney Island Hospital, Richmond University Medical Center, and Bayley Seton Hospital.

Touro’s nursing department is now hiring new faculty to teach the new programs.  The department is moving to new facilities at 902 Quentin Road in the Midwood section of Brooklyn for the fall semester to accommodate the expanded offerings.  The new site will have more classroom space, state-of-the-art technology, and a new nursing skills laboratory.

For further information about Touro’s new nursing degree programs, please visit www.touro.edu/shs or call 718-236-2661 x2.