ENHP names new Program Director for Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program
Joyce Z. Thielen has been named program director for the University of Hartford’s new Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.
Cesarina Thompson, dean of the University’s College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions, announced Thielen’s appointment after learning that the new program has received approval from the State of Connecticut Board of Examiners for Nursing. The University’s four-year bachelor’s degree program has begun accepting students for the Fall 2019 semester.
Cesarina Thompson, DeanWe are delighted to welcome Joyce to the University of Hartford and are confident that her leadership skills and deep experience will help us build an outstanding BSN program,” said Thompson. “With more employers requiring nurses with a bachelor’s degree and with 500,000 nurses expected to retire by 2022, our program will help meet the growing demand for baccalaureate-level nursing education.
Thielen, of West Springfield, Mass., previously served as associate dean for outcomes and accreditation at Elms College in Chicopee, Mass., where she was also an associate professor of nursing. She has extensive experience in nursing education as well as clinical practice. She served in administrative positions at Elms College, including as associate dean of the School of Nursing and associate director of undergraduate studies. She also served on the nursing faculty at Baystate Medical Center School of Nursing in Springfield.
Thielen holds a PhD in Nursing from the University of Connecticut, a MSN from the University of Massachusetts, and a BSN from Fitchburg State College. She is a member of the Western Massachusetts Nursing Collaborative and the Health Interprofessional Committee of Pioneer Valley. She is a former Holyoke Community College Advisory Board member and former president of the Chicopee Visiting Nurses Association Advisory Board.
The new BSN program builds on the University’s long-standing reputation of excellence in the greater Hartford community for its nationally accredited RN to BSN and MSN programs. The entry-level BSN program will offer students the opportunity to learn from expert nurse educators in small classes, work with teams across disciplines to improve patient care outcomes, and complete clinical training at leading hospitals and medical centers in the region.
To date, the program has clinical commitments from Hartford Hospital, Hartford Healthcare Rehabilitation, Hartford Healthcare Behavioral Health, Eastern Connecticut Health Network/Manchester Memorial Hospital, Gaylord Specialty Care/Gaylord Hospital, The Hospital of Central Connecticut’s New Britain General Campus, McLean Care, Middlesex Hospital, Midstate Medical Center, and Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center.
University of Hartford nursing programs are nationally accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).