The Decker School of Nursing has a national reputation as a center for academic excellence, the result of a diverse and gifted student body, a dedicated and caring faculty and a skilled and supportive professional staff. The success rate of graduates from the Decker School of Nursing is outstanding.

For over thirty years and since its establishment, the School has earned an enviable reputation among baccalaureate, master's and doctoral nursing programs in New York and the nation, as well as in other countries. The undergraduate and graduate programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

The school is recognized for its commitment to educational excellence but also as a growing leader in nursing research as demonstrated by the accomplishments and mission of the School's Kresge Center for Nursing Research (KCNR).

Academic Facilities

The Decker School located in Academic Building B on the Binghamton University campus houses a state-of-the-art Innovative Practice Center, nursing student computer pod, and multimedia learning center. These facilities provide students with excellent learning experiences using a variety of hands-on learning models, simulation equipment and the latest computer hardware and software.

The Decker School and Binghamton University offer a host of academic and tutorial support services to insure academic success for its students.

The Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) provides academic tutoring and advising to nursing students who meet the specific program criteria.

The Center for Academic Excellence provides students with tutorial services, primarily in the sciences and mathematics.

Through the Writing Center, students can obtain writing assistance from English Department graduate students who provide tutoring.

The English as a Second Language (ESL) Program helps students with English language skills in an academic environment.

The Discovery Program helps undergraduate students develop greater competence in handling educational and career responsibilities and explore ways to make meaningful contributions to society. Students have access to academic support and student-living services on campus, free peer tutoring and courses taught by faculty who maintain a student-centered perspective and support Discovery values and goals. Discovery Centers are located in residence communities and fellow students -- Discovery Assistants -- lives in each residence hall.

The University's Counseling Center provides individual and group counseling and psychotherapy, and consultation for students, faculty and staff. The center also trains peer counselors, who are used in a number of programs.

Supported by New York State's Educational Opportunity Program and the Federal Special Services Project, the Educational Opportunity Program offers special assistance in the form of counseling, tutoring, developmental course work and financial aid to financially and educationally disadvantaged students.

SimMan is one of two human patient simulators (HPS) now housed at the Decker School's Innovative Practice Center, created in 2005 with a $500,000 gift from the Dr. G. Clifford and Florence B. Decker Foundation. He breathes, he talks, he bleeds — in fact, he does whatever he's told to do.

“We can create computer driven events and scenarios that require students to respond as directed by classroom lectures and activities,” said Susan Russell, coordinator of the School's various learning labs. “If they complete the scenario correctly, the HPS will respond by getting better. If not, complications may occur."

The Decker School student Computer Facility features state-of-the-art multimedia computers that have sophisticated software programs available via a local area network reserved for use only by nursing students.

The Decker School's Multimedia Center is home to an extensive audio and video collection to assist with nursing students' learning needs. Students are brought closer to actual health-care situations through interactive CD-ROM workstations that focus on client care.

The Decker School also has a Home Assistance Lab where students can practice client care in a mock home setting and an Alternative Therapies Suite where students may learn about homeopathic methods of treatment.



Additional resources at the Decker School include multiple hands-on learning models, simulation resources and equipment. Small clinical class size also offers students excellent individual attention and instruction.

Research and Community Health Services

Students can also be involved with the Kresge Center for Nursing Research which facilitates faculty and student research by offering support in design, methodology, statistical analysis, editing, and computer consultation. The Decker School's Kresge Center for Nursing Research supports scientific inquiry and expansion of the knowledge base of nursing and health care. The Center is able to further its mission by facilitating faculty research, conducting collaborative research with community health care agencies, supporting student research, and generating proposals seeking external funding. Opportunities have also been made available through the Kresge Center to students to participate in educational tours where Decker School students and faculty study health care systems in other countries. The School has sponsored tours of the United Kingdom and Greece.




Additionally, students can be part of the nationally renowned AIDSNET program through The Decker School. The School serves the local community through AIDSNET which is a computerized health care support network allowing HIV+/PWA's to communicate with one another and health care professionals without leaving their homes. This computerized support network provides an invaluable connection between homebound patients and healthcare providers.

The Elder Services Center is also a part of the Decker School which helps families and other caregivers, as well as health professionals, learn positive approaches to managing the problems associated with Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias. Elder Services aims to preserve and enhance functional abilities and quality of life in patients with Alzheimer's Disease and helps maintain patients' independence in the community by means of medical care, counseling and education.