The origin of the TSON dates back to 1891 when it was known as Elizabeth General Hospital Training School for Nurses. It has had several name changes since then. Its current name came from the merger of two hospitals in Elizabeth – St. Elizabeth Hospital and Elizabeth General Medical Center – into one entity, Trinitas Hospital, now known as Trinitas Regional Medical Center (TRMC), 16 years ago, in 2000. The School is a hospital-based diploma program. However, with the formation of a Cooperative in Nursing Program with UCC in 1971, graduates are awarded not just a diploma in nursing but also an associate in science degree from UCC. Graduates are then eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensure examination and to move seamlessly to a BSN completion program anywhere in New Jersey and the U.S. The School has a phenomenal record of NCLEX-RN passage rate – an average of 97% for 40 classes over 20 years from 1990 through 2012.

Trinitas School of Nursing was one of the first nursing schools in the nation to integrate simulation technology into its curriculum. Through grants, the Learning/Simulation Center is furnished with state-of-the-art simulation equipment such as high-fidelity patient simulators and computers. All nursing courses are offered in a blended format utilizing the Canvas learning management system. All of these educational technologies promote active learning and help assist the faculty in moving students towards their professional role as safe, competent nurses.

In 2004, TSON entered a partnership with the College of Saint Elizabeth (CSE) to bring an RN-BSN program onsite to the nursing school location at the Elizabeth campus of UCC. This arrangement has benefited many of our graduates in terms of location and accessibility of classes, scholarships offered by Trinitas Regional Medical Center to graduates who are employees of the hospital, and familiarity with the school environment. Many of our graduates have obtained their BSN degree through the onsite BSN offered by CSE.

To further facilitate the educational mobility of our students, TSON and CSE again partnered in 2007 to bring a graduate nursing program (MSN) onsite at the School. This opened another door of opportunity for our graduates to continue their education to another level. The goal of this collaboration was two-pronged: to increase minority representation in nursing at the education at faculty level and to address the acute shortage of academic nurse educators. The first MSN cohort from Trinitas recently graduated and some of the graduates are poised to join the TSON as adjunct faculty.

In 2008, the National League for Nursing officially recognized TSON as a Center for Excellence in Nursing Education for its sustained efforts to create environments that promote student learning and professional development. This re-designation must be earned each time through a rigorous re-application process. Trinitas was the first school in New Jersey and the first Cooperative Nursing Program in the nation to receive this recognition. In September 2011, the School was re-designated as a NLN Center for Excellence. This four-year re-designation is in recognition of the School's success in sustaining its efforts to maintain excellence through a series of long-range strategic plans. A third re-designation as a Center for Excellence was awarded by the NLN for 2015-2020.

As the School continues to educate future nurses for 21st century healthcare, the faculty is very cognizant of the many changes that must be addressed and adapted by nursing curricula. We are committed to our vision of excellence as we continue to move forward into the second decade of this millennium.

Trinitas School of Nursing is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Nursing Education, Inc. and accredited and approved by the New Jersey State Board of Nursing.

Member of: National League for Nursing; Association of Diploma Schools of Professional Nursing