The general call by nurses in Nigeria to improve the standard of nursing education by commencing a collegiate system of education is gradually gaining momentum. The deadline of 1990 for the use of General Certificate of Education as the entry requirement into Nigerian Universities has forced academic staff in the various disciplines offered in tertiary institutions to review their curriculum in the light of the new 6-3-3-4 system of education, the social needs of the country, and the needs of students who would function in the society after graduation. The nursing profession must not be left behind. Members of the profession must together review the present curriculum and mode of education of nurses so as to enable the discipline of nursing fit into the overall educational system of the country. This paper reviews the 6-3-3-4 system of education, discusses the socio-cultural context of the healthcare delivery system, and attempts to explain the structure and function of a proposed model of collegiate education to meet the needs of the Nigerian society and the consumers of healthcare.