As the next step in expanding the Hofstra and Northwell Health partnership, the University announced a new undergraduate nursing program on Tuesday, Feb. 25, with classes set to begin in the fall of 2021. 

Along with the new Bachelor of Science degree, Hofstra has outlined construction plans for a new “$60 million, 70,000-square-foot Science and Innovation Center with state-of-the-art laboratories, classrooms and learning spaces for nursing and engineering students. The new building will open in Fall 2022,” the University said in a statement. 

The new program and building aim to address a nursing shortage due to aging population and the growth of community-based healthcare. “The healthcare industry continues to change dramatically, transforming roles and creating opportunities for nurses that didn’t exist even just a few years ago,” said Hofstra University President Stuart Rabinowitz in a statement to the University. “This is a natural evolution of our partnership with Northwell, and together with Hofstra’s School of Health Professions and Human Services, continues to advance our mission of educating the next generation of highly-qualified health care professionals who will serve our community for years to come.”

With competition from other successful nursing programs on Long Island at schools like Molloy College in Rockville Centre and Adelphi University in Garden City, Hofstra is offering a unique opportunity. “One of the major differences is the partnership that Hofstra and Northwell Health has,” said Kathleen Gallo, founding dean of the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant studies. 

According to a statement provided by the University, “The healthcare industry is Long Island’s largest private sector employer, accounting for 17 percent of private sector jobs, according to a State Comptroller’s report. At Northwell, for example, nursing professionals account for about a quarter of the health system’s 70,000 employees.” 

Through this new degree, students are able to get hands-on experience in Northwell’s 23 hospitals and nearly 800 outpatient facilities.

“Northwell Health is the largest health care system in New York state so it can provide any type of clinical experience for the nurses,” Gallo said. “With Northwell being so innovative and forward-looking, it will help us prepare the nurses for the 21st century.”

The Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant studies was founded in 2015 and is currently home to three nurse practitioner degrees, a graduate degree in cardiovascular sciences and perfusion medicine, two physician assistant programs and several advanced certificate programs. 

“Hopefully [students will leave this program with] the value systems of the school, specifically leadership and innovation and scholarly inquiry. We want the registered nurses to be active team members within the health care team working together and that they’re open to new ideas to explore,” Gallo said. “We hope that the way we’re aligned with Northwell that many of them will have the opportunities to go into their programs post-graduation.”

To learn more about the program, visit:
www.hofstra.edu/nursing.