SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — Geisinger College of Health Sciences has announced it will offer a nursing school program in Scranton starting in fall 2027.
The Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing recently approved plans for the new campus at the Medical Sciences Building, which also houses Geisinger’s medical and graduate schools.
Students in Scranton will study alongside medical students and use simulation spaces designed to prepare them for clinical environments. Clinical learning will take place at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, Geisinger Community Medical Center and Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre, along with additional community partners.
The two-year associate degree program is expected to enroll about 50 students each fall and 30 students each spring. Once the program reaches full capacity, Geisinger hopes to graduate about 80 new nurses each year.
Julie Byerley, president of Geisinger College of Health Sciences, said the expansion is intended to help strengthen the nursing workforce in Northeast Pennsylvania as demand for nurses continues to outpace the available workforce.
“So unfortunately, the nursing shortage in the United States has been significant for a while, and it got worse during COVID. And within our region, we need hundreds more nurses to fill the jobs that the people of our communities would benefit from,” said Byerley.
The Scranton program will be modeled after Geisinger’s existing School of Nursing campus in Lewistown. More than 70 percent of nurses who graduated from that program have remained at Geisinger to work, and Byerley anticipates the Scranton campus will produce similar results.
The program is intended for both students entering nursing education after high school and those pursuing nursing as a second career. Byerley added that Geisinger also plans to continue working with other higher education institutions in the region that already offer nursing programs.
Applications for the Scranton program are already being accepted ahead of its 2027 opening. Those interested in pursuing a nursing career can learn more and apply through the Geisinger School of Nursing website.