Manhattanville College officially marked the opening of its new nursing school at a ceremony attended by state and local officials, healthcare leaders and the college community. The school’s new nursing students participated in a traditional white coat ceremony, in which they took an oath to service and received a white coat.
“This is an exciting day for Manhattanville as we officially open our new School of Nursing and Health Sciences,’’ said Manhattanville President Michael Geisler, Ph.D. “This is literally a dream come true.’’
Geisler spoke of the pandemic and the urgent need for highly skilled nurses. “Opening a School of Nursing and Health Sciences during the time of COVID-19 is a testimonial that Manhattanville College has been ready to supply the academic expertise and skilled workforce that is so needed in Westchester County and the tristate area.”
A total of 72 nursing students have enrolled in the new nursing school and will be taking classes on campus this fall. The school received approval to launch degree programs from the New York State Education Department in January. Manhattanville offers two degrees in nursing: Bachelor of Science in Nursing for traditional 4-year and transfer students as well as a Bachelor of Science in Nursing for second-degree students who already hold a bachelor’s degree. The second-degree program welcomed 11 students this summer who began classes remotely and another 42 began classes Monday. Another 19 traditional undergraduate students also began their studies at the new school this week.
President Geisler recognized the assistance of community partners and elected officials who helped make the school’s opening possible. He specifically thanked New York State Senator Shelley Mayer, New York State Assemblyman David Buchwald, County Executive George Latimer, President and CEO of the Business Council of Westchester, Marsha Gordon, and others. “The need for trained healthcare workers is now more urgent than ever,” said Geisler. “Before the pandemic struck, we were looking at estimates by the Bureau of Labor that projected the need for 649,100 replacement nurses in the workforce.” An estimated one million registered nurses will retire by 2030, creating a consistently high demand for a trained workforce.
Senator Shelley Mayer said, “The coronavirus pandemic has laid bare the reality of how essential healthcare workers are to public health and our communities. Congratulations to Manhattanville College for establishing the School of Nursing and Health Sciences to offer more students an opportunity to build fulfilling careers in the healthcare industry. I look forward to continuing to work with President Michael Geisler and Dean Debra Simons as they build on this initiative.”
Dean Simons said she was proud of the students who took the oath as they embark upon their nursing careers. “Starting a nursing program during a global health crisis is not new to nursing,” said Simons. “Nurses have always been at the forefront of patient care. Nursing care was critical in the battle against the influenza in 1918 and it remains critical during the COVID pandemic. Whether in hospitals or among the community, nurses were on the front lines administering care. That truly makes the nurse a ‘Superhero.’”
As she spoke to the new students being cloaked at the white coat ceremony for the inaugural class, Simons highlighted the philosophy of the new nursing program at Manhattanville. “The world in which you are about to immerse yourself hungers for new ideas and solutions,” said Simons. “We need a more complete understanding of the caring science that can only come through a holistic education that includes the Caritas process. We need to implement evidence-based practice that alleviates suffering and achievement of meaningful social justice. With the support of your faculty, you will tackle this important work at Manhattanville College. The experiences you have here will shape the rest of your lives.” Caritas refers to Dr. Jean Watson’s caring science or human caring theory.
The new nursing school already has an endowed scholarship in honor of alumna Titsa Pelzman ’49 who is a graduate of Manhattanville’s original nursing school, the Aloysia Hardey School of Nursing. Alumna Simone Lutz ’73 donated to establish the scholarship in honor of her mother. Students will apply and a recipient will be chosen in the spring. To learn more, visit www.mville.edu.
