School of Nursing

Simmons’ School of Nursing is home to one of the country’s first university-based nursing programs and we are proud to remain among the best programs in the field, recognized for clinical excellence, and preparing future leaders in health care through undergraduate and graduate nursing degree programs, including the online Nursing@Simmons programs. We educate nurses to provide compassionate and evidence-based care, advocate for patients and communities, lead interprofessional teams, and advance research.

Prepare to be a Future Leader of Healthcare with our Nursing Degrees

Students in a nursing simulation lab

Faculty in the Simmons School of Nursing are passionate educators, clinicians, and researchers, and our location in Boston’s renowned medical area provides unparalleled training for our campus-based students in our nursing programs. Our BSN students in both the traditional four-year and accelerated second degree programs receive outstanding undergraduate education, while graduate programs offer paths for direct-entry, advanced nursing, and doctoral education.

Our School of Nursing is a pioneer in public health nursing and in training Family Nurse Practitioners, one of health care’s fastest-growing specialties. We are guided by values of social justice, teamwork, compassion and excellence, and we embrace Simmons’ tradition of science and practice for the social good.

Onground Nursing Programs

As home to the country's first university-based nursing program, Simmons University is among the best nursing programs in the field. Our location in the Longwood Medical area in Boston, MA, along with our faculty and alumnae/i connections at the world's leading hospitals provide ample opportunities for our students to pursue research, clinicals, and job opportunities.

Online Nursing Programs

USNews badge for Best Online FNP program 2022

Empowering and educating nurses since 1902, Simmons University offers online nursing programs that extends our esteemed Boston-based programs to students across the country through a dynamic, online learning platform.

Nursing School Requirements

For our undergraduate and graduate Nursing programs, our admission committee takes a holistic approach to reviewing applications. We consider your personal, professional, and academic experiences as a whole in order to evaluate your preparedness and potential for success in the program.

Learn more about applying to our Nursing programs as an undergraduate or graduate student.

Highlights of the Simmons Nursing Program

  • Nursing@Simmons, our premier online program, engages students nationwide.
  • We offer interactive classes and a student-centered learning environment.
  • Simmons nurses perform above national averages on NCLEX-RN Licensure and FNP Certification Exams. More information on accreditation and licensure can be found here.
  • Nursing students are leaders in athletics, student government, and campus organizations.
  • The Dotson Bridge and Mentoring Program serves and empowers African American, Latinx, Asian, and Native American nursing students.
  • Nursing students are engaged in research, publishing, and presenting their work with faculty in peer-reviewed journals and at regional and national conferences. 
Student in the nursing simulation lab

About

Our strengths include nationally acclaimed faculty, alumnae/i who are recognized leaders in their fields, and an ideal Boston location in the Longwood Medical Area.

About the School of Nursing

Nursing students examining a mock patient

Clinical & Careers

Our students learn in our labs and classrooms, as well as health care facilities that are literally in our backyard. Graduates of the School of Nursing pursue a range of different occupations in the healthcare field. 

Headshot of Charlene Berube

School of Nursing Faculty

"At Simmons, we’re sending students into our own ‘beloved nursing profession.’ We give them the finest preparation, so that they can provide excellent patient care and be the next generation of leaders in nursing."
Charlene Berube, Former Chair of Undergraduate Nursing. 

Nursing Faculty

Two nursing students perform an exam on a nursing mannequin

Dotson Bridge and Mentoring Program

The Dotson Bridge and Mentoring Program is designed to address the social and academic barriers faced by many first-generation and ALANA nursing students, as well as to prepare them for the workplace through the mentoring relationship.

Learn More

Nursing student in a patient room

Alumnae/i from our Nursing Programs

The School of Nursing has been educating health care providers for over a century. You'll graduate with a network of alumnae/i who are committed to helping you succeed.

Alumnae/i

School of Nursing in the News

Nisha Wali '21FNP teaches class on bone marrow transplants to nurses at Dhaka Medical College Hospital

Nursing Faculty and Alumnae/i Receive Award for Advancing Palliative Care in Bangladesh

Professor Emerita Anne-Marie Barron and Associate Professor of Practice Kelly Marchant, along with collaborators Emily Erhardt, Jocelyn Hulburt ’08BSN, and Nisha Wali ’21FNP, recently received the 2023 Award of Excellence from the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC).


Dr. Heather Shlosser

Heather Shlosser Named Dean of School of Nursing

Recently named Dean of the Simmons University School of Nursing, Dr. Heather Shlosser has a bold vision for a transformative future for nursing education amid the current national shortage.


Kimberly Noonan ’18DNP

Kimberly Noonan ’18DNP Selected as 2023 Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing

On October 7, 2023, Kimberly Noonan ’18DNP was inducted as a Fellow within the American Academy of Nursing . A Chief Nurse Practitioner at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute , Dr. Noonan is committed to supporting Nurse Practitioners and advancing oncology...


Samantha Sochan ’19

Samantha Sochan ’19 Discovers New Career in Non-Traditional Nursing Jobs

Samantha Sochan '19 shares her journey from bedside nursing to nursing educator.


Main Campus Quad on a sunny day

Simmons' School of Nursing Receives Significant Grant from the Helene Fuld Health Trust

Earlier this spring, the Helene Fuld Health Trust, a charitable organization that promotes the education of nurses, informed Simmons that the School of Nursing received a substantial grant from the Trust. These funds will be used to amplify Simmons’ Dotson Bridge and Mentoring Program, which aims to support nursing students of color.


The Simmons campus

Simmons Welcomes Applicants to New Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program

Working with administrators at Simmons and specialized course developers from all over the country, Dr. Sonya Cox has been instrumental in shaping and implementing the University's new Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Program . The first cohort of students...


Nursing Students working on mannequin patient

School of Nursing Direct Entry Master's Program Offers Accelerated Pathway to Become an Advanced Practitioner

Tina Delouchry, School of Nursing Professor of Practice and Director of the Direct Entry (DE) Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) FNP Program, shares the value of the DE program, which provides an opportunity for students with a Bachelor’s degree in a field other than nursing to pursue a degree as an advanced practice nurse.


Photo of Kelly Marchant

From Simmons to Bangladesh: Award-Winning Associate Professor's Teaching Spans the Globe

Associate Professor of Practice Kelly Marchant received the Award for Excellence in Nursing Education from the American Nurses Association . "I try to remember what it was like when I was in nursing school, trying to learn these concepts," says...


Upcoming School of Nursing Events