Iona University Announces New Master of Science in Nursing with a Focus on Nursing Education to Help Address Nursing Shortage, Advance Career Opportunities
Applications open for Fall 2023 semester!
New Rochelle and Bronxville, N.Y. – Are you a nurse looking to advance your career and share your knowledge and experience with others as a nurse educator? If so, Iona University invites you to explore its new Master of Science degree in Nursing with a focus on Nursing Education.
Launching Fall 2023, this new program will prepare graduates to assume leadership roles in higher education, hospital staff development and other community health programs.
Kavita R. Dhanwada, Ph.D., founding dean of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, said the need for nurses continues to grow worldwide, making this degree not only highly in demand, but also critically important.
“We all know there is a shortage of nurses – but it’s not just in our hospitals, it’s also in our nursing programs,” she said. “This degree is so important because if we don’t have enough nurse educators, we can’t graduate enough nurses into the workforce. And we need nurse educators not just at our academic institutions; we also need them in our hospitals, because nurses must constantly be learning so they are always up to date in their practices.”
Earlier this month, Iona also announced the addition of a Master of Science degree in Nursing with a focus on Healthcare Organizational Leadership. Both programs are now accepting applications for the fall. To learn more, please contact Daniel Gallagher, director of Graduate Admissions for the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, at dgallagher@iona.edu or 914-637-7770. You may also apply directly by clicking here.
About Nursing Education (MS)
Iona’s Nursing Education program is designed to prepare nurses for advanced leadership roles as nurse educators in a variety of settings. The program is grounded in the competencies of various national organizations – including AACN, NLN and ANPD – and will prepare students to:
• Apply clinical expertise in the health care environment.
• Create learning environments effective for diverse populations.
• Engage in scholarship to foster evidence-based practice and advance nursing practice.
• Serve as change agents through innovation.
• Lead collaboratively within an interprofessional team.
• Acquire professional leadership behaviors that reflect moral courage, ethical principles, human dignity, social justice and uphold accountability to the individual, society and the profession.
Practical, Hands-On Curriculum
Iona’s Nursing Education curriculum integrates advanced nursing role concepts, advanced clinical foundations and education-focused theories, principles and strategies.
Students will be able to tailor their degree toward their desired clinical interests for their advanced clinical practicum, choosing from six areas of interest: adult/gerontology; community health; parent-child health; behavioral health; critical care or perioperative care.
In addition, students will also be challenged to complete an evidence-based change project along with a supporting paper and poster presentation. The change project topic will be identified while the student completes their final practicum of 60 hours under a nurse educator either in the academic institution or a health care agency.
The program requires 510 clinical practice hours, provided under the mentorship of leading academic and professional development educators both in academic and service settings, notably with opportunities at NewYork-Presbyterian, one of the nation’s top hospitals.
“Iona has a wonderful collaboration with NewYork-Presbyterian and what that offers our students is the opportunity to do hands-on practicum within the NewYork-Presbyterian hospitals and affiliates,” said Sherylyn Watson, Ph.D., MSN, RN, CNE, director of nursing and associate dean. “Students are learning from wonderful leaders who are world-renowned in the health care industry, and that gives our students a distinctive advantage in their training.”
A State-of-the-Art Educational Experience
Established in July 2021, the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences offers a variety of degree programs in collaboration with one of the nation’s top hospitals, including top clinical placements and full-time employment opportunities after graduation.
Nursing students pursue their studies in the new state-of-the art Kelly Center for Health Sciences, which opened January 2023 on Iona’s Bronxville campus. Spanning three floors and nearly 32,000 square feet, the Kelly Center features unparalleled access to the latest lab and simulation technologies. Get an inside look at the new Kelly Center here.
Iona’s Nursing Education program builds upon an undergraduate experience, advancing training in critical thinking, interprofessional education, research methods and inclusive leadership. In addition, Iona’s small student-faculty ratio, professional networking opportunities and collaboration with NewYork-Presbyterian help to further distinguish the Iona experience.
“There are some things you learn on the job, and that is wonderful, but there are principles and theories behind it all that you need to know if you want to take that next step in your career and become a leader in the field,” Watson said. “A master’s degree in Nursing Education opens the door to a variety of job offerings, whether in an academic or health care setting. We look forward to welcoming our inaugural class this fall.”
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of more than 50,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona is widely recognized in prestigious rankings, including The Princeton Review’s 2025 national list of “The Best 390 Colleges” and The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse’s “2024 Best Colleges in America,” which ranked Iona at #66 in the nation overall and #8 in the nation among Catholic schools. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just six percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review recognized Iona’s on-campus MBA program as a “Best Business School for 2023.” Iona also offers a fully online MBA program for even greater flexibility. In July 2021, Iona announced the establishment of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, which is now principally located on Iona’s Bronxville campus in collaboration with NewYork-Presbyterian. Connecting to its Irish heritage, the University also recently announced it is expanding abroad with a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.