Mission Statement
The mission of the William F. Connell School of Nursing is to prepare professional nurses whose practice reflects a humanistic ethic and is scientifically based, technically competent, and highly compassionate. The Boston College nurse learns to think critically and to develop leadership skills throughout the baccalaureate, master, and doctoral programs. The school aims to develop and disseminate knowledge for the advancement of professional practice and the improvement of health care by providing an environment that supports the personal development and scholarship of its faculty and students. The mission of the Boston College Connell School of Nursing is in keeping with that of its parent institution, with an emphasis on the development of the whole person. The School of Nursing focuses on preparing each student as a life-long learner, as a health professional, and as someone who will use knowledge in service to others.
The graduate of the baccalaureate program is prepared as a generalist to provide care to individuals, families and groups, arriving at diagnostic, ethical, and therapeutic judgments to promote, maintain, and restore health. The graduate of the master's program is prepared with advanced knowledge and skill for providing and leading quality patient care. He or she is prepared to advance the discipline through leadership, mentorship, and research-based practice. The graduate of the doctoral program contributes to the development of knowledge through research and theory-building and the dissemination of findings in scholarly forums.
Connell School History
In the mid-1940's, the late Richard Cardinal Cushing requested that the University establish a baccalaureate nursing program since no Catholic institution in the Archdiocese of Boston offered such a program. Responding to his request, the University opened the Boston College School of Nursing on January 27, 1947, with 35 registered nurses enrolled for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing or Nursing Education. The following September, a group of 27 high school graduates enrolled in the baccalaureate program.
In 1958, the Master's program was established and offered medical-surgical nursing as a field of concentration. It now offers degrees in advanced practice nursing in seven areas of specialization.
The first students entered the PhD in Nursing program in 1988. This was the first nursing doctoral program to be offered at a Jesuit university. It has produced more than 80 graduates who are in various clinical, research, and teaching positions throughout the United States and other countries. An MS/PhD option was introduced in 2000 for individuals seeking preparation in both advanced practice nursing and clinical research.
The School of Nursing was dedicated in honor of the late Boston-area businessman and philanthropist William F. Connell
on September 12, 2003. The school, now named the William F. Connell
School of Nursing, was the recipient of a $10 million gift made by
Connell shortly before his death from cancer in 2001. Connell was a
1959 graduate of Boston College and served on the University's board of
trustees for 24 years.