As quoted on the college’s website, “Saint Anselm College offers one of the most selective and respected nursing programs in New England.” This statement is evident in the competitive curriculum and extensive opportunities that are offered for nursing students here at the college. However, Saint Anselm is now being pushed into the growing competitive environment of nursing programs across the country. 

According to college factual, Saint Anselm is home to the top nursing program in the state of New Hampshire; this then leading to the college being ranked in the top 10% of the country for its program. The college presents its pride in the program mainly through their humanistic approach to patient care. As a liberal arts institution Saint Anselm aims in preparing nursing students with a curriculum that not only offers first-hand experiences, but engages critical thinking and ethical decision making, and effective communication practices. The college also calls upon its Benedictine Catholic values in the provision of patient care and support. This mentality depicts a primary commitment to the health and safety of the surrounding community. 

In order to maintain these precedents of pride regarding the nursing program the school has launched a presidential nursing commission. Members of this commission are listed below and are comprised of credible health-care professionals: 

• Co-Chair Dixie Douville, a college trustee and professor of nursing at Sacred Heart;
• Co-Chair Margret Emmons, also a trustee and a retired nursing executive from Dartmouth-Hitchcock medical center;
• Co-Chair Maureen O’Reilly, the chair of the Saint Anselm nursing department;
• Jennifer Cassin, chief nursing officer of Catholic Medical Center;
• Drew Harding, interim chief nursing officer at south shore hospital;
• Roger Jean, a former trustee and retired executive vice president at Liberty Mutual;
• Lisa Kennedy Sheldon, a trustee and chief clinical officer for the oncology nursing society;
• Martha Leighton, chief nursing officer at Elliot hospital;
• Pam Preston, associate professor of nursing at Saint Anselm College;
• Sheila Evjy, trustee and retired nursing executive from Elliot hospital
• Susan Reeves, a representative from Dartmouth-Hitchcock.

In the Town Hall meeting where President Favazza announced this new commission, he stated, “with growing competition for nursing students, it is critical that we defend our market position as a leader in nursing education.” The exact details on how this commission will function or how its objective will be implemented remains unknown, however there is more to come regarding this initiative within the coming months.