Nursing FAQs

For information on admission to our nursing program, please visit the Admission Requirements page.

The College sets the tuition and other common expenses for students. The Nursing Program charges additional fees for laboratory courses and other related educational expenses. Students will also incur additional expenses related to clinical education such as those for health requirements, background checks, and others. These fees are updated each year for the incoming cohort with fees remaining the same throughout the program for that cohort. Prospective students will be provided with the total cost of the nursing program with their initial inquiry about the program.

An overview of the estimated fees is below, but note that prices are calculated yearly and may vary depending on changes in prices from vendors.

Yes. As many as 99 percent of undergraduate students at LVC receive financial aid in the form of LVC grants and academic scholarships and undergraduate nursing students are eligible for these grants and scholarships. LVC offers a wide range of financial aid such as institutional grants and scholarships, state-related financial aid, and federal financial aid. LVC has a robust, active Financial Aid office. Students are encouraged to apply for financial aid and to meet with a financial aid advisor to discuss the full range of possibilities.

Yes. The Pennsylvania Board of Nursing approved LVC’s bachelor of science in nursing proposal on April 28, 2021, and placed the nursing education program on “initial approval.”

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing at Lebanon Valley College is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (https://www.ccneaccreditation.org).

Though occasional classes may be offered online, LVC’s nursing program is predominantly an in-person learning experience.

The new nursing building that includes state-of-the-art simulation laboratories as well as technology enabled classrooms and other contemporary amenities such as student study spaces will open in January of 2024.

Yes. The nursing building, which opens in January 2024, will contain a simulation lab with five simulation rooms. These rooms will include briefing rooms with LCD screens, simulated hospital rooms, a separate LDR simulation room, and a simulated examination room.

Faculty to student ratios in the theory classroom will be no more than 1 to 40 and in simulation, skills laboratory, and clinical no more than 1 to 10.

Students are expected to adopt professional dress standards during clinical experiences and when interacting with patients/volunteers or representing the College on or off campus. The student must wear the required nursing student uniform in most clinical agencies; students should generally have two uniforms to make sure that one is clean when needed. Some agencies/units may require business casual attire which will be specified by the clinical agency/unit.

Criminal background checks and drug screens are intended to protect the public. All clinical students will complete a baseline national criminal background check based on in-state or out-of-state permanent residence status prior to the first clinical education placement. Students may be subject to additional background checks/fingerprinting/drug screens requested by individual clinical sites throughout clinical education assignments.

Students must possess current CPR certification prior to the start of the first clinical education experience and demonstrate proof of current/active status through the last day of all clinical experiences, to the Nursing Program which will be communicated to the clinical site. It is the student’s responsibility to maintain current certification throughout the Nursing Program. The American Heart Association Health Care Provider Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (2 year) is the Nursing Program standard which includes adult, child, and infant resuscitation.

Yes. There will be an orientation program for all students entering the nursing program.

This is a full-time program.

Nursing students are free to declare a minor, but due to the number of courses required for a nursing major it may be difficult to complete all requirements within four years.

Yes. Many LVC students are athletes, and we encourage our nursing students to take advantage of these and other extracurricular opportunities at the college.

Nursing majors can pursue study abroad opportunities that occur during the summer and college breaks. Students who wish to study abroad during an academic semester should discuss this with their advisor as early as possible.

The curriculum prior to students’ clinical experiences will prepare students to have the knowledge and skills necessary for successful clinical experiences.

Clinical experiences challenge you to integrate skills and knowledge learned in the classroom and apply them to current nursing practice. During clinicals students will work at an external site in order to engage in real-world experiences, develop creative problem-solving skills, and build collaborative relationships. These immersive experiences will be coupled with faculty mentoring to maximize learning and prepare you for a nursing career.

Four clinical agencies currently serve as clinical learning environments for Lebanon Valley College (LVC) nursing students. The four agencies are:

• Cornwall Manor
• Lebanon Valley Brethren Home (Londonderry)
• Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
• WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital

Additional agencies may be added to expand the possibilities for high-quality, diverse learning experiences for nursing students.

Students with a BSN go on to a variety of careers within the nursing field, including trauma, medical-surgical, psychiatric, pediatric, critical care, and public health nursing.

No. You must obtain a license to practice nursing.  In Pennsylvania, BSN graduates need to pass the licensure examination, the NCLEX-RN. Other states may require different exams for licensure. Always check the requirements for the state where you intend to work.

All LVC students benefit from the Breen Center for Career and Professional Development that helps students prepare for and transition to the working world.

Our first nursing class will graduate in May 2026. At that time, we will post our NCLEX pass rate.