WCSU to Offer Doctorate in Nursing

Danbury and New Haven's state universities are cooperating to offer a doctorate in nursing education that will help providing nursing teachers into the future. It is one of three such programs in the country.

"We work closely with Danbury Hospital and other hospitals in the state to provide hands-on training and jobs for our graduates. What we lack in the nursing area is a large pool of educators. This program will address that need and provide a well-educated and prepared work force that will ensure Connecticut excellent care for its residents well into the future," said Western Connecticut State University's Jane McBride Gates, Ph.D., provost and vice president of academic affairs.

The collaboration between SCSU and WCSU has recently designed an Ed.D. in Nursing Education program which directly tackles the shortage in nurse educators, according to the Connecticut State University System magazine. It would be one of only three such programs in nursing education across the country (Columbia University and University of Alabama are the others.)

This program now requires final approval by the Connecticut Board of Governors (BOG) for Higher Education. It already won the support of the Connecticut legislature and the CSUS Board of Trustees.