About us
Learn about the School’s history and mission, program goals and philosophy, and our accreditation.
History
Lewistown beginnings
Nursing education in Lewistown began as Lewistown Hospital School of Nursing, a diploma-granting program, in 2005. It changed its name to Geisinger Lewistown Hospital School of Nursing in 2013 when Lewistown Hospital became part of the Geisinger family.
In 2023, Geisinger Lewistown Hospital School of Nursing closed, and Geisinger School of Nursing opened as a new degree-granting school under the Geisinger College of Health Sciences.
Geisinger School of Nursing offers an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN). We focus on small class sizes, direct clinical experience and hands-on learning.
A system-wide commitment to elevating nurse voices and professionalism
Geisinger employs nearly 6,000 nurses across its footprint. For more than 10 years, our flagship hospital, Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, has been designated a Magnet® hospital, an award given to less than 9% of U.S. hospitals based on strength and quality of their nursing programs.
In 2017, Geisinger announced the development of the Geisinger Nursing Institute. It was formed to build on our values of excellence and innovation — and to show our nurses that they remain at the heart of Geisinger’s commitment to patient care and medical excellence.
The Geisinger Nursing Institute serves as a governing body with an advocacy component. It oversees nursing practice and education to give nurses adequate representation across the organization and in leadership positions. The Nursing Institute also aligns nursing practice, career advancement and education, clinical excellence and recruitment and retention.
Nursing Scholars Program helps Geisinger employees pay for school
In 2021, Geisinger recognized student loan debt as a major obstacle preventing some talented students from seeking a nursing degree. Now, thanks to the Nursing Scholars Program, Geisinger employees are eligible to apply to Geisinger School of Nursing. Through this program, employees who pursue a nursing career get financial, educational and wellness support. It is open to any employee of Geisinger, starting on day one of employment, who isn’t already a registered nurse (RN) or provider.
The program awards up to $40,000 in financial support with a five-year work commitment as an inpatient nurse at Geisinger. It’s grown to support 175 scholars each year.
Advancing nurse education
In 2022, Geisinger announced the school would close its diploma program and open a degree-granting nursing school. The move to open an Associate Degree in Nursing Program provides greater stability and a more solid stepping stone in the pursuit of a BSN if you would like to advance your education.
Mission
Geisinger School of Nursing was founded to provide quality nursing education. We seek to engage a diverse group of students and to help them become leaders in providing competent and safe bedside nursing care.
Our philosophy
Nursing is a dynamic process of caring based on a theory-guided, evidence-based body of knowledge and established standards of professional practice. The focus of nursing practice is based on the patient-family's level of functioning, preferences, values and needs.
Nurses also focus on different dimensions of patient care that promote, maintain and restore wellness, including:
- Physiological
- Psychological
- Socio-cultural
- Developmental
- Spiritual
Education is a lifelong process that fosters the development of critical thinking skills. In turn, you’ll use those skills to respond to the healthcare of people in a variety of settings with the concept of caring deeply rooted in its history.
End of program student learning outcomes
At the end of the program, the graduate will:
- Model safe nursing care in diverse settings. (Safety)
- Collaborate with patients, families and members of the healthcare team to help the patient/family achieve optimal outcomes. (Teamwork and collaboration)
- Implement clinical judgment when providing patient-centered care. (Patient-centered care and clinical judgment)
- Integrate information and technology for information-gathering, communication and clinical care. (Informatics)
- Practice within the ethical, legal and regulatory framework of nursing and standards of nursing practice. (Professionalism)
- Examine evidence-based research to guide nursing practice. (Evidence-based practice)
Program Outcomes
- NCLEX-RN pass rates:
- April 2024 graduates: 93.1% (first time pass rate)
- April 2024 graduates: 100% (first time and repeater pass rate)
- Program completion rate:
- 82.3%**
** Represents class that started August 2022 in GLHSON diploma program and graduated from ADN program in April 2024.
Accreditations and approvals
Our program is approved and accredited by the appropriate national and professional organizations:
Contact us
By mail: Geisinger School of Nursing, 111 E. Market St., Lewistown, PA 17044
Phone: 717-242-8177; Fax: 717-242-7933
Text: 570-600-5669