How Fairleigh Dickinson University Advances Nursing Education Through Telehealth and EHR Training in the USA
Healthcare delivery across the USA has changed dramatically over the past decade. Patients now expect virtual visit options, clinicians document care within integrated electronic health record (EHR) systems, and remote patient monitoring has become a routine part of managing chronic conditions. For anyone considering a career in nursing, this shift raises a practical question: which nursing education programs genuinely prepare graduates for a technology-enabled workplace? Recent developments at Fairleigh Dickinson University provide a clear answer — and a useful checklist for prospective students comparing programs nationwide.
This fall, the Henry P. Becton College of Nursing and Allied Health (CoNAH) at Fairleigh Dickinson University introduced two initiatives with direct implications for nursing education: the ChartSmart Lab, a specialized training environment built around electronic health records and telehealth, and the CoNAH Academic Achievement Center, a dedicated student support hub. Combined with new pathways in pharmacy and public health, these updates reflect broader healthcare news trends shaping the profession in the USA — and they show what students should look for in any program they consider.
Considering a nursing or allied health career? Explore admissions at Fairleigh Dickinson University and attend a virtual information session this fall to see whether these programs align with your goals.
Why Telehealth and EHR Skills Now Define Nursing Education in the USA
Hospitals and health systems across the country have consolidated around a handful of EHR platforms, with Epic leading the market. At the same time, telehealth has moved from a pandemic-era contingency to a permanent mode of care delivery. The result is that employers increasingly expect new nursing graduates to document accurately, communicate across digital platforms, and conduct effective patient consultations without sharing a physical space.
As Francesca Martinez, nursing faculty member and director of clinical laboratories for nursing and allied health at FDU’s Metropolitan Campus, explains, technology is no longer separate from standard practice. Electronic health record training shows students how technology integrates directly into patient care — from documenting and reviewing patient information to communicating across the healthcare team and supporting safe clinical decision-making. Telehealth education, meanwhile, prepares students to deliver effective care and communication when the patient and provider are not in the same location.
Inside the ChartSmart Lab: Hands-On Training for Modern Care Delivery
The ChartSmart Lab, located on the second floor of Dickinson Hall at FDU’s Metropolitan Campus, gives nursing and allied health students hands-on practice in the two areas where classroom theory and clinical reality most often diverge: digital documentation and virtual care. Students practice charting, coordinate with simulated care teams, and run virtual patient consultations in a low-stakes educational setting before they ever face these tasks with real patients.
The telehealth simulations deserve particular attention. Remote consultations present communication challenges that traditional clinical rotations rarely address — reading nonverbal cues through a camera, guiding patients through self-examinations, and troubleshooting technology in the middle of an appointment. By rehearsing these scenarios during nursing education, FDU students close the gap between coursework and clinical practice before graduation rather than after it.
Epic Training Woven Into the Curriculum — Not Bolted On
Here is where Fairleigh Dickinson University stands out nationally. CoNAH is one of only eight nursing schools in the USA that currently teaches Epic software to nursing students — and, according to Maria Moffa, director of experiential learning and digital health operations, it is the only nursing school integrating Epic throughout both pre-clinical and clinical coursework.
Rather than treating EHR education as a stand-alone workshop, FDU embeds Epic directly into foundational courses such as Foundations for Nursing and Comprehensive Health Assessment. As students learn to conduct patient assessments and develop clinical reasoning, they simultaneously learn to document those activities in the electronic health record. The pedagogical point is deliberate: documentation is not separate from patient care — it is an essential component of communication, clinical decision-making, patient safety, and continuity of care.
For graduates, the practical benefit is straightforward. Because so many American health systems run on Epic, students who have used the platform throughout their nursing education arrive on day one already fluent in the tools their employers use.
Want to see these facilities yourself? Contact the FDU admissions office to schedule a campus visit to the Metropolitan Campus and tour the ChartSmart Lab and Academic Achievement Center in Dickinson Hall.
The CoNAH Academic Achievement Center: Structured Support for Demanding Programs
Nursing programs are academically rigorous, and even strong students sometimes need targeted help. The new CoNAH Academic Achievement Center takes a proactive approach: identifying individual learning needs early and providing structured support before small struggles become academic setbacks. The center is designed to strengthen students’ knowledge, hands-on skills, and professional confidence while improving retention and academic excellence.
Students in the College of Nursing and Allied Health can access:
- Course-specific tutoring to master difficult subject matter
- Skill-development workshops for practical, hands-on applications
- Remediation resources to get back on track after a difficult exam or course
- Academic coaching to optimize study habits and overall performance
The center also extends the college’s digital health mission. According to Moffa, students receive education and hands-on experience with telehealth software and remote patient-monitoring technologies, building the skills needed to assess, communicate with, educate, and monitor patients when care is delivered outside a traditional face-to-face clinical setting.
For prospective students, this matters more than it may appear. Attrition in nursing programs is a nationwide challenge, and the difference between struggling alone and having a dedicated support infrastructure often determines whether a student finishes a degree on schedule. When comparing nursing education options in the USA, ask each school specifically what academic support exists beyond the classroom.
Nursing and Allied Health Program Options for Every Career Stage
One of Fairleigh Dickinson University’s strengths is the breadth of its healthcare pathways. CoNAH hosts virtual information sessions via Zoom on select dates throughout the fall, covering programs at every level:
- Undergraduate and entry-level nursing: the traditional BSN and the Accelerated BSN for career changers
- MSN Entry-to-RN Practice: a master’s-level route into registered nursing
- Graduate nursing: MSN degrees, postgraduate certificates, and the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
- Allied health and health studies: including respiratory therapy, clinical lab assistant, and phlebotomy tracks
- Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc): an advanced practice doctorate
Each session includes a program overview and the chance to ask faculty direct questions — an efficient way to evaluate fit without traveling. Register for an information session that matches your intended program, and bring specific questions about clinical placements, technology training, and academic support.
Broader Healthcare News from Fairleigh Dickinson University
Nursing is not the only area where FDU is expanding healthcare education. Three additional developments are worth noting for anyone tracking healthcare news in the USA.
A Structured Pathway to the Doctor of Pharmacy
Fairleigh Dickinson University and Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) signed a new articulation agreement creating a defined route into the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program at FDU’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Each year, five qualified RVCC students who earn an Associate of Science in Biological Sciences on the pre-medicine and prepharmacy track will be granted an interview for admission. Candidates must maintain the required GPA in their major and prerequisite courses, complete 66 undergraduate credits within four academic years, and submit letters of recommendation — one of which may come from a pharmacist. Anastasia Rivkin, dean of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, notes that pharmacists today work across direct patient care in community and hospital settings, the pharmaceutical industry, and managed care, serving as medication therapy experts on clinical teams.
An Online Certificate in Public Health Communication
For working professionals, FDU now offers a fully asynchronous online certificate in public health communication. The 15-credit, five-course program covers public health foundations, leadership, health communication, and health disparities and cultural issues, plus a specialized focus such as risk and crisis communication or health misinformation. Credits may also apply toward future graduate study in the Master of Public Health (MPH) program — a flexible entry point for professionals who want to design and evaluate health messaging that improves population outcomes.
Global Healthcare Perspectives, from China to England
FDU’s Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) program officially launched in China this summer, delivered through an 18-month cohort model with 12 courses combining synchronous and asynchronous online instruction — no in-person attendance required. Closer to home, the School of Public and Global Affairs launched its first International Health Systems study-abroad program at Wroxton College in Oxfordshire, England. Students spend a week studying the British healthcare system in depth, with site visits to the Florence Nightingale Museum, Great Ormond Street Hospital, the Oxford School of Nursing and Midwifery, and Northampton General Hospital. For nursing and health administration students, understanding how other nations organize care is increasingly valuable context in an interconnected healthcare landscape.
How to Evaluate Nursing Programs in a Digital-First Healthcare Era
The developments at Fairleigh Dickinson University offer a practical framework for any prospective nursing student. Use these five criteria when comparing programs in the USA:
- Ask how EHR training is delivered. A standalone workshop is not enough. Look for programs that embed electronic health record use throughout coursework, the way FDU integrates Epic from the first pre-clinical courses onward.
- Confirm hands-on telehealth practice. Virtual consultation skills require rehearsal. Ask whether the program includes simulated telehealth encounters and training in remote patient-monitoring tools.
- Inspect the academic support system. Tutoring, workshops, remediation, and coaching — the model FDU’s Academic Achievement Center follows — can significantly improve completion rates in rigorous healthcare programs.
- Match the program format to your life. Accelerated BSN options, evening and virtual information sessions, online certificates, and asynchronous coursework matter if you are working while studying.
- Meet faculty before committing. Virtual information sessions, open houses, and campus visits let you judge program quality firsthand — and ask the specific questions above.
Ready to move forward? Submit your application to Fairleigh Dickinson University or contact the admissions team to discuss which nursing or allied health pathway fits your background and career plans.
The Bottom Line for Future Healthcare Professionals
The convergence of nursing education and healthcare technology is no longer a prediction — it is the current standard of care in the USA. Fairleigh Dickinson University’s ChartSmart Lab, its nationally distinctive Epic integration, and its new Academic Achievement Center show what it looks like when a nursing college aligns its curriculum with how modern healthcare actually operates. Add in new pharmacy pathways, a flexible public health certificate, and global study options, and prospective students have a genuinely current picture of where healthcare education is heading.
If you are weighing nursing education options, use the checklist above, attend an information session, and ask every program the hard questions about technology training and academic support. Have questions about studying nursing or allied health at FDU? Reach out to the admissions office directly — or share your questions and experiences in the comments below to help other prospective students navigating the same decision.
