Deborah Zbegner, Dean of the Passan School of Nursing
Welcome From the Dean
On behalf of our nursing faculty and staff, welcome to the Wilkes University Passan
School of Nursing!
With a more than 40-year history of educating nurses, the Passan School of Nursing
offers an extensive array of undergraduate and graduate concentrations. Whether you
are beginning your career, looking to change your career or desire an advanced degree,
Passan School of Nursing is the place for you. Our school has a strong commitment
to the professional practice of nursing. Faculty and staff are dedicated and resourceful
providing students with personalized attention.
Programs & Resources
Wilkes offers three undergraduate and five graduate programs in nursing.
My favorite thing about Wilkes is the people I met here, whether they were students,
professors, coaches or other staff members. Everyone works so hard to make sure the
students are well taken care of, well educated and safe.
Celine Podlesney '20 | Nursing major and softball student-athlete
The Passan School of Nursing has instilled in me the leadership qualities and nursing
skills needed for me to begin my career, and I could not be more thankful.
The mission of the Passan School of Nursing is to promote interprofessional practitioners
of nursing, who provide quality health care in a constantly evolving multicultural
world, engage in lifelong learning and expand nursing science through scholarship,
technology, and academic excellence, while engaging in community service.
The vision of the Passan School of Nursing is to be a recognized nursing education
leader who prepares professional nurses for advancing nursing practice and scholarship
with meaningful contributions to clinical prevention, population health and healthcare
policy development.
Baccalaureate nursing students are prepared to meet the challenges of clinical practice
in an increasingly complex healthcare environment through the application of evidenced-based
practice, technology and scholarship.
Graduate students are prepared to assume diverse health care and leadership roles
for the advancement of nursing science as expert scholars, practitioners, educators,
executives and informatics specialists.
The baccalaureate degree in nursing, master's degree in nursing, Doctor of Nursing
Practice and post graduate APRN certificate programs at Wilkes University are accredited
by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
*Authorization requirements for distance education vary by state. Wilkes University
is currently in the process of pursuing individual state authorizations and approvals,
as necessary, for its online course delivery. Wilkes is not required to have state
authorization in all 50 states and may choose not to enroll students from states where
we are not authorized. Any questions related to the university's approval to offer
graduate nursing programs in a specific state should be forwarded to our Graduate
Admissions team. Please note: Since distance education requirements vary by state,
distance education students who change their residency to a state in which Wilkes
University is not approved to operate may be unable to remain enrolled at Wilkes University
or may have their academic progression delayed until proper approvals may be obtained.
**For Ohio residents: The online graduate programs within the Wilkes University Passan
School of Nursing are authorized by the Ohio Board of Regents to offer programs with
on-ground experiences or are exempt from authorization by the Ohio Board of Regents.
Clinical Simulation Center Builds Hands-On Skills
Hands-on learning activities in Wilkes’ Clinical Nursing Simulation Center help students
build on knowledge they gain in the classroom. High- and low-fidelity manikins talk
and move to simulate real patient interactions.
