Quinnipiac University

School of Nursing Career Development

Nurses with 21st-century skills are in high demand. Our central focus at the School of Nursing is to ensure that your experience here prepares you for an exciting career after Quinnipiac. With dozens of clinical partnerships at local hospitals and clinics that specialize in different areas of health care and plenty of one-on-one guidance from faculty and advisers, you’ll open pathways to careers in numerous specialties and settings.

You’re in high demand

Maybe you will forge a path as a registered nurse, nurse practitioner or nurse anesthetist. Or perhaps you will pursue a more specialized area, such as population health. Whatever your goals are and wherever you are in your career, you’ll gain the skills, experience, confidence and contacts needed for immediate success upon graduation.

This is due in large part to our dozens of clinical partnerships, extensive advisory program and long list of professional resources.

Our numerous career development services are designed to help you with your job search or future academic plans — and give you a competitive edge in the job market. You also will have the distinction of graduating from a program endorsed by the American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation. Quinnipiac is 1 of only 17 nursing schools in the nation with this endorsement. 

By the Numbers

95% Success Rate

Percentage of our 2022 nursing graduates who are either employed or enrolled in a graduate program six months after graduation.

Clinical affiliations

300+ Clinical Affiliation Sites

The number of clinical affiliations where our students gain practical experience, including hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers and other health care settings.

+6% In Demand

The projected percentage change in employment from 2022 to 2032 for registered nursing jobs, with about 193,100 job openings annually. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023)

Our holistic approach to career development

iQ, Quinnipiac University’s holistic approach to career development and experiential learning, surrounds every individual with a personalized plan that maximizes their time at Quinnipiac — the top-ranked university for getting a job after graduation.

Our Career and Experiential Learning Lab empowers students to explore new career paths and discover amazing internships and job opportunities. With the help of our career advisers, students will leverage Handshake's comprehensive suite of features to navigate the job market and design a career path that aligns with their interests and aspirations.

With an abundance of career-focused information and resources, the career advisers within the School of Nursing support students as they expand their professional networks and attract the attention of prestigious employers.

Learn More About Career Development

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Additional career-building resources

Two nursing students discuss career options during an academic advising session.

 

  • Personal advising throughout undergraduate and graduate programs

  • Assistance with resume writing and interview preparation

  • Alumni networking opportunities

  • Assistance with grad school applications

  • Career fairs that connect you with potential employers

In Their Words

Headshot of Amy Zou

Amy Zou ’20, Accelerated BSN

Yale Oncology

“I do not know if it is possible to convey in words the sense of gratitude I feel. The practice interview was super helpful in preparing for my first interview after graduating from nursing school.”

Headshot of Meghan Coakley

Meghan Coakley ’20 BSN

Brigham and Women's Hospital

“Quinnipiac positions you to work wherever you want, so long as you put in the effort. Nursing students receive job opportunities before and after graduation all over the country.”

School of Nursing student flipping through a textbook outside on the North Haven Campus

Hannah LeFebvre ’17

ER nurse in a level-1 trauma center

“Through various clinical experiences combined with challenging classroom lectures, I feel Quinnipiac has extensively prepared us not only for the boards but for real hospital experiences that we will come across as entry-level nurses in any specialty.”

Career Paths

Avg. Salary: $73,300 / Bachelor of Science in Nursing

QU offers both a traditional and an accelerated BSN program.

The Baccalaureate Generalist Registered Nurse is prepared to practice with patients, including individuals, families, groups, communities and populations across the lifespan and across the continuum of health care environments.

AACN: The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice (2008)

Avg. Salary: $83,000 to $107,000 / Master of Science in Nursing

Quinnipiac offers an MSN in Operational Leadership.

The master’s level demands expert application of evidence-based practices, quality improvement methods, outcomes measurement, systems knowledge and leadership skills. Registered nurses who obtain a master’s degree possess advanced knowledge in the discipline and leadership skills to improve health outcomes in a number of current and emerging roles. Possible roles include health care administration, nursing informatics and nursing education.

AACN: The Essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing (2011)

Avg. Salary: $115,800 / Master of Science in Nursing

Quinnipiac offers a Family Nurse Practitioner and Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner program.

Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) are registered nurses educated at the master’s or post-master’s level and in a specific role and patient population. APRNs are prepared by education and certification to assess, diagnose and manage patient problems, order tests and prescribe medications.

Quinnipiac offers a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. There are 2 programs to choose from: Care of Populations and Nursing Leadership.

Doctoral programs in nursing fall into 2 principal types: research-focused and practice-focused. Most research-focused programs grant the doctor of philosophy degree (PhD), while a small percentage offer the doctor of nursing science degree (DNS, DSN or DNSc). Designed to prepare nurse scientists and scholars, these programs focus heavily on scientific content and research methodology and all require an original research project and the completion and defense of a dissertation or linked research papers.

Doctor of nursing practice programs are designed to prepare experts in specialized advanced nursing practice. They focus heavily on practice that is innovative and evidence-based, reflecting the application of credible research findings.

The two types of doctoral programs differ in their goals and the competencies of their graduates. They represent complementary, alternative approaches to the highest level of educational preparation in nursing.

Roles include health care administration, research in nursing and health care, and university faculty position.

AACN: The Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice (2006)

Clinical Experiences

Nursing student Julia McKenna ’17 cares for a patient at St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Your experiences will set you apart

You’ll have plenty of opportunities in the field to practice your skills, interact with patients and make a difference.

We share partnerships with acute care hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinical health networks, private primary care practices, specialty offices and community health settings. These experiences are what will set you up for success — and also what will set you apart from the competition in the field of health care. Below is a list of our primary clinical partners and a representative list of our clinical affiliates.

  • William W. Backus Hospital

  • Bridgeport Hospital

  • Bristol Hospital

  • Bristol Multi-Specialty Group Practice

  • Danbury Hospital

  • Greenwich Hospital

  • Hartford Healthcare

  • Hartford Hospital

  • The Hospital of Central Connecticut

  • Hospital of St. Raphael

  • Charlotte Hungerford Hospital

  • Institute of Living at Hartford Hospital

  • Lawrence & Memorial

  • Mercy Medical Center

  • Middlesex Hospital

  • Middlesex Hospital Homecare

  • Midstate Medical Center

  • Milford Hospital

  • Natchaug Hospital

  • Nuvance Health System

  • St. Francis Hospital & Medical Center

  • St. Mary’s Hospital

  • St. Vincent’s Medical Center

  • Trinity Health - New England

  • Yale Medical Center

  • Yale New Haven Health System

  • Birmingham Care


  • Branford Hills


  • Charter Oak Community Health Center


  • City of Hartford Disease Prevention & Health Promotion Division


  • Community Health & Wellness Center, Torrington


  • Community Health Centers


  • Community Health Services


  • Concentra


  • Connecticut Children’s Medical Center


  • Connecticut Hospice


  • Connecticut Multispecialty Group


  • Elim Park


  • Evercare


  • Fair Haven Community Health Center


  • Gaylord Hospital


  • Generations Family Health Center


  • Genesis Healthcare


  • Greater Waterbury Primary Care Associates


  • Griffin Hospital


  • Grove Hill Medical Center


  • Hartford Public Schools


  • Hospital for Special Care


  • John Dempsey Hospital at the University of Connecticut Health Center


  • Manchester Hospital
Masonicare


  • Minute Clinics


  • Montowese Health & Rehabilitation Center


  • New Haven Department of Health


  • Northeast Medical Group


  • Northwell Health


  • Norwalk Community Health Center


  • Norwalk Hospital


  • Optimus Health Care


  • Pediatric Healthcare Associates


  • Planned Parenthood of Southern New England


  • ProHealth Partners


  • ProHealth Physicians


  • Southington Public Schools


  • Staywell Healthcare, Inc.


  • United Community Family Services


  • United States Coast Guard


  • University of Connecticut Correctional Managed Care


  • VA Connecticut Healthcare System


  • VNA Community Healthcare, Inc.


  • VNA Northwest


  • Wallingford Public Schools


  • Waterbury Hospital


  • Whitney Center


Make an Impact

A nursing student checks a patient's blood pressure

Strengthening communities, at home and abroad

Outside of clinical rotations, students in the Quinnipiac School of Nursing have many opportunities to build the diverse set of skills needed by today’s nurses and make a visible difference while they do it.

  • Participation in Joining Forces, a partnership program that encompasses an interprofessional group of students and faculty who examine the health issues affecting veterans

  • International service trips and study abroad opportunities to assist local health clinics in treating underserved populations

  • Annual Falls Prevention Awareness Day, helping local senior citizens learn how to prevent fall-related injuries

  • Participation in COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, and influenza clinics

Alumni Network

Our graduates are on the front lines advocating for patients all over the country. They are working as chief nursing officers, nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, policy makers, registered nurses and educators in a range of settings.

  • Acute care settings
  • Community health clinics
  • Home care agencies
  • Hospice programs
  • Hospitals
  • Long-term care
  • Occupational health
  • Pharmaceutical industry
  • Primary care settings
  • Public health departments
  • Rehabilitation care
  • Residential care facilities
  • Schools
  • Universities
  • Urgent care centers

  • Boston Children’s Medical Center
  • Brigham and Women’s Hospital
  • Bristol Hospital
  • Cleveland Clinic
  • Community Health Centers, Inc
  • Connecticut Children’s Medical Center
  • Hartford Hospital
  • Massachusetts General
  • Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
  • Middlesex Hospital
  • New York Presbyterian
  • Northwell Health
  • Tufts Medical Center
  • St. Vincent’s Medical Center
  • St. Francis Hospital & Medical Center
  • Vanderbilt Medical Center
  • Yale New Haven Health

Contact Career Development

Contact the School of Nursing

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