Sentara has a mission of "improv[ing] health every day by providing educational programs to meet the human resource need for competent healthcare personnel." The school provides several nursing programs, from the traditional degree in nursing to transitional programs for those LPNs or RNs who desire to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Though the main campus for nursing is located in Chesapeake, there is second campus in Hampton.
The Medical Careers Institute provides a Bachelor's Degree program in Nursing. They allow registered nurses to move up in the program and recognizes their previous experience by awarding advanced standing. The institute also offers an Associate of Applied Science in Health Science degree program with a major in Registered Nursing for those who wish to specialize. Registered and practical nursing certificates can also be taken at the institute.
Fortis provides an Associate's Degree in Nursing and is offered at a variety of locations to make schooling more accessible to students in Virginia, Ohio and Indiana, and has a facility in Chesapeake. Accredited in several different states, Fortis has high expectations in patient care from its students. The degree granted is recognized throughout the country for nursing, and was cited in 2011 by Medical Education Technologies, Inc. for the quality of its programs.
The University had one of the first associate degree programs in the United States. The school educates registered nurses as well as providing Bachelor's of Science in Nursing degrees. The program has two different tracks, one that allows licensed practical nurses to upgrade their degrees, and another for those with no formal background in nursing to enter into the program.