Nursing 

Care for the body while respecting the whole person

Men and women are not just bodies. They are bodies and souls, matter and spirit, made in the image and likeness of God. That’s why health care that treats only the body always falls short.

The health care world desperately needs professionals who excel at healing the body, but who also understand the innate dignity each man and woman possesses. It needs highly skilled men and women committed to treating the whole person and who adhere to the highest ethical standards.

Franciscan University’s Nursing Program exists for no other reason than to meet those needs. As a nursing major at Franciscan University, you will receive one of the best technical educations in nursing available. In both classroom and clinical experiences our experienced and skilled faculty will train you how to assess patients’ health, provide care, and communicate with patients, families, and other health care personnel.

And through it all, the education you receive will be informed by the Catholic understanding of the human person that is central to a Franciscan University education. Your professors will help you see and acknowledge the dignity of each patient, and grasp the ethical principles needed to navigate through the increasingly complex environment of modern healthcare.

Our nursing program is rigorous. As a freshman you will enroll as a pre-nursing student and apply for admission to the nursing program in the spring of freshman year. Clinical experiences begin sophomore year. Your course work will include chemistry, anatomy and physiology, sociology, psychology, theology, philosophy, nutrition, and human development, among other subjects. By the time you graduate you will have clinical experience in medical, surgical, pediatric, psychiatric, obstetric, and community health nursing.

As a graduate of the Franciscan University Nursing Program you will be well equipped to care for patients’ bodies, and provide that care in a way that acknowledges their dignity.

Meet the Faculty

• Dr. Carolyn Miller, Chair
• Dr. Debra Facello
• Dr. Kevin Harris
• Prof. Jacqueline Leonard
• Fr. Nicholas Polichnowski, TOR
• Prof. Eileen Padgett
• Dr. Kathrine Kolanko
• Dr. Stephanie Batalo