The Department of Public Health presented a packet of information on Nov. 5, 2025, about Goodwin University's undergraduate nursing programs (ADN, ABSN and practical nursing), including faculty rosters, vacancies, rescheduled or canceled clinical experiences, makeup plans and grievances for the prior three months. DPH noted site visits to Goodwin's ABSN program and that the ABSN had previously received unconditional approval after a first-time NCLEX pass rate of 73%.

Goodwin's dean, Vivian Friday, told the board the school had appointed an interim practical-nursing program director and was actively recruiting for vacancies (one lab coordinator vacancy at the Bridgeport campus). She said a clinical site late withdrawal had delayed LPN clinical starts and students had been placed in lab for skills practice before making up clinical hours; the school provided a schedule of makeup clinical dates, including several Saturday clinicals and additional dates in November and December to prevent hour deficiencies.

Board questions focused on the use of virtual clinical simulation for makeup hours. Goodwin staff described virtual simulation products (historically NurseThink; currently available through ATI/Shadow Health) that assign virtual patients and require students to perform care, medication administration and prioritization; the program provides reports showing student engagement and scenario completion. Goodwin said LPN clinical makeup requires actual clinical hours in a clinical setting, not lab, but ABSN and ADN programs also include virtual clinical assignments in limited circumstances. The school told the board that total required hours in the LPN track are 1,500 (about 750 didactic and 750 clinical) and that makeup scheduling was intended to preserve required clinical hour totals.

Several board members, including Mary Dieteman, said the regulations do not currently specify virtual simulation as acceptable replacement for direct-care clinical hours and expressed concern about graduate preparedness after COVID-era reliance on simulation. Attorney Ryan Burns advised that interpretation of the regs and any policy changes should be addressed in a later agenda item so the board can analyze consistency across programs and prior case law (including Nightingale-related matters). Board members requested DPH staff prepare a future agenda item to examine the regulatory status and evidence base for virtual clinical hours and how they should count toward required clinical time.

Ending: The board did not take enforcement action on Goodwin's programs at this meeting. Staff and the school agreed to continue reporting and to provide additional documentation if requested; the board asked DPH to return with a focused agenda item on virtual clinical hours and program approval procedures.