Director of the Villa Maria School of Nursing

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Complete information is available in the Search Profile.

Gannon University, a dynamic private university in Erie, Pennsylvania, is seeking candidates for their 12-month tenure track Director for the Villa Maria School of Nursing.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY

Gannon University is a private, four-year Catholic university that provides an exceptional liberal arts education integrated with professional skills and faith-based learning. Gannon is consistently ranked as a top-tier university by U.S. News & World Report, and is committed to excellence in student-centered learning with an emphasis on student learning outcomes. Gannon University faculty work collaboratively with colleagues, deliver instruction, advise students, engage in scholarship, and participate in service.

An urban campus in the heart of downtown, the university is within walking distance to restaurants, shopping, entertainment, and Lake Erie beaches. Offering 67 bachelor’s degrees to more than 3,000 undergraduate students, Gannon has a 13:1 ratio and nearly 1,600 graduate students.

VILLA MARIA SCHOOL OF NURSING

A significant part of Gannon University’s Morosky College of Health Professions and Sciences, the Villa Maria School of Nursing (VMSON) is comprised of a baccalaureate degree program in nursing, a family nurse practitioner master’s degree program in nursing, a post-graduate APRN certificate, a doctor of nursing practice program, and a school nurse certificate program—all of which are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

In addition, the VMSON has a Nurse Anesthesia Program. This is a cooperative program between Gannon University and UPMC Hamot School of Anesthesia and is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs.

The nursing program was originally established in 1952 as the Department of Nursing, a division within Villa Maria College, and was the first collegiate nursing program in northwestern Pennsylvania. As of fall 2024, Gannon has 248 undergraduate nursing students and 114 graduate nursing students.

With a placement rate of 100% for graduates, and licensure exam pass rates averaging 96% for the last four years, the Villa Maria School of Nursing is one of the most in-demand destinations at Gannon University.

With a shortage of nurses throughout the country, the Villa Maria School of Nursing is an excellent choice for students wanting a secure, in-demand career that has genuine purpose and meaning. Gannon University’s nursing program provides a rigorous and engaging curriculum to supply well-qualified registered nurses to the health care system, which has an increasing demand for skilled nurses. Academic thoroughness and hands-on learning, including multidisciplinary team-based settings, clinical placements and service-learning opportunities, prepare students for the challenges of real-life healthcare.

Gannon’s Patient Simulation Center is the largest comprehensive patient simulation center in the region. It includes 14 medium and high-fidelity patient simulators, intravenous training stations, simulated emergency rooms, and simulated labor/delivery/recovery rooms.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Director is responsible for the provision of education to students, administration of the programs, including adherence to accreditation standards, policies and procedures, and the continued evolution of the programs within the Villa Maria School of Nursing.

Release time will be available to support the administrative functions of the position. Candidates must be able to support the University’s inclusive mission, its Catholic identity and its liberal arts and professional education traditions.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

To be considered, candidates must provide evidence of the following:

• At least one graduate degree in nursing and an earned doctoral degree (EdD, PhD, or DNP)
• Candidate must be a registered nurse and have experience in nursing practice and administration.
• Candidate must hold a temporary practice permit to practice professional nursing or be currently licensed as a professional nurse in Pennsylvania.
• A minimum of three years of full-time nursing education experience, including demonstrated evidence of effectiveness in teaching and advising, including curriculum development, and a commitment to service is required.
• Candidate must have knowledge of accreditation policies and best practices.
• Candidate must possess strong communication, leadership, problem solving, and organizational skills.

ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA

Visitors and residents alike enjoy breathtaking Presque Isle State Park. The city is also known for its scenic bayfront, the Erie Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Erie
Art Museum, the Erie Maritime Museum, the expERIEnce Children’s Museum, and, of course,
Lake Erie and its many beaches as well as the many parks throughout Erie.

With a population of 95,000, Erie is only 80 miles from Buffalo, New York, 90 miles from Cleveland, Ohio, and 120 miles from Pittsburgh. While the city fronts Presque Isle Bay and is laid out in a grid surrounding Perry Square in the downtown area, it is across from the Canadian province of Ontario.

With patient-centered care across a wide range of specialties, several exceptional healthcare centers are located in Erie. UPMC Hamot is a 445-bed hospital in Erie offering a full complement of inpatient and outpatient services, and serves as a regional referral hub and Level II Trauma Center. AHN Saint Vincent offers a wide range of healthcare services. The Erie Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the Shriners Hospital for Children are also easily accessible and highly regarded.

In addition to Erie’s Public Schools consisting of 16 schools that serve approximately 10,000 students each day, there are 26 private schools with an acceptance rate of 99%. Sixty-nine percent of private schools in Erie are religiously affiliated.