Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Philosophy
The nursing program philosophy contains the faculty's beliefs about nursing and nursing education.

The faculty believes that caring is the essence of nursing. Caring in the human health experience is the focus of the discipline of nursing. Caring is a relational process in which the aim is to nurture the wholeness of persons, including faculty, students, colleagues, and patients. Caring has both spiritual and ethical dimensions. Spirituality involves creativity and choice and is revealed in support, empowerment, growth, and hope in caring practice. The crucial part of ethical caring focuses on promoting the good and functions as the compass in the nurses? choice making.

In transpersonal caring, the nurse seeks to connect with the spirit of another in a mutual search for meaning and wholeness. Through transpersonal caring, the nurse develops a helping-trusting, authentic caring relationship with a client or patient to facilitate healing. The transpersonal nurse centers consciousness and intentionality on caring, healing, and wholeness, rather than on disease, illness, and pathology. Transpersonal caring calls for an authenticity of self, an ability to be present to self and others in a reflective frame. Caring in practice is developed and known through reflection-on-experience.

The holographic paradigm in nursing recognizes the interconnectedness of all things, and that everything is a whole in one context and a part of the whole in another context. Spiritual/ethical caring infuses all nursing phenomena, including physical, social-cultural, legal, technological, economic, political, and educational structures. The holographic paradigm, based on the reality of practice, introduces the spiritual and ethical dimensions of caring to the whole of nursing.

 

Learning Outcomes
  • Critical Thinking
    • Integrate empirical, ethical, and personal knowledge to provide caring in the human-health experience.
    • Use critical clinical decision-making to provide nursing care for individuals, groups, families, and communities.
    • Analyze and evaluate research findings for application to best nursing practice.

  • Communication
    • Collaborate and communicate with other professionals and community resource groups to promote the health, safety, and well being of the community and itsmembers.
    • Facilitate change in meeting current and future societal health needs through the use of leadership skills and knowledge of the healthcare system.

  • Effective Citizenship
    • Develop helping-trusting, authentic caring relationships with clients/patients to facilitate healing.
    • Assume professional responsibility and accountability through reflection on experience, for own nursing practice within legal and ethical standards.
    • Create a therapeutic and caring environment that facilitates promotion, maintenance, and restoration of health for culturally diverse individuals of all ages.

Admission Requirements
  • To establish eligibility for admission into the nursing program, students must have the following:
    • A cumulative GPA of all coursework of 2.5 or above and a nursing program-specific GPA of 3.00 or above.
    • Courses completed with a grade “C-“ or lower will not be considered for transfer.
    • A student must complete all prerequisite course requirements prior to entry into the upper division major.
    • Score on TEAS preadmission test (see School of Nursing home page for more detailed information).
    • Enrollment in the nursing program may be limited.

  • Retention Requirements
    • All students must earn a grade of "C" or higher in each course (including clinical courses) used to complete the nursing degree to continue in the program.
    • Maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA.
    • Pass a drug calculation and pharmacology competency examination each semester of the program.

Health Documents
  • Students must provide for their own health insurance, as well as their own transportation to clinical sites.  They must also provide documentation that they have met various health requirements prior to entry into the nursing major including:
    1. Hepatitis B vaccination series
    2. Rubella vaccine or titer
    3. Rubeola vaccine or titer
    4. Tetanus and diphtheria: inoculation within past ten (10) years
    5. Chicken pox: history or documented receipt of vaccination

    6. Tuberculosis: Must do either a, b, or c:
      1. Two-step TB skin test (PPD) for students with no history of receiving a PPD or have not been tested in the last 12 months;
      2. Proof of a negative Tuberculin-PPD in the last 12 months and an original negative two-step;
      3. Documentation of a negative chest x-ray within the past 5 years for students with a history of past positive PPD

    7. All students with a history of a past positive PPD must complete the tuberculosis signs and symptoms questionnaire available in the nursing program office yearly.
    8. Negative result to an 8-panel drug screen.
    9. CPR certification (health care provider)
    10. Background check
    11. Physical Exam
    12. Health History

 

Curriculum

  1. College Core Curriculum ....................................................................... 31-36

    1. English (3-6 credits)
      1. ENG 101 – Composition I ...................................................................... 3
      2. ENG 102 – Composition II ..................................................................... 3
        Note: Students who place in ENG 102 are not required to complete ENG 101.

    2. Study and Technology Skills (2 credits) - Refer to Study & Technology Skills section of the Core Curriculum

    3. Mathematics (3 credits)
      1. MATH 124 – College Algebra..................................................................... 3

    4. Natural Science (7-8 credits)
      1. BIOL 189 – Fundamentals of Life Science ................................................................... 4
      2. CHEM 110 – Chemistry for Health Sciences II...................................................................... 4

    5. Social Sciences - choose one course from (3 credits):
      • ANTH 101 – Introduction to Cultural Anthropology .............................................. 3
      • SOC 101 – Principles of Sociology.......................................................................... 3

    6. Fine Arts, (3 credits) - Refer to the Fine Arts, section of the Core Curriculum

    7. Humanities (6 credits)
      1. COM 101 – Fundamentals of Speech Communication (NOTE: This course is required) ............................................... 3
      2. Refer to the Humanities section of the Core Curriculum ............................................ 3

    8. Constitution (3 -4 credits) - Refer to the Constitution section of the Core Curriculum

    9. Community-Based Learning Capstone (3 credits) - Refer to the Community-Based Learning section of the Core Curriculum

  2. Additional College Requirements ..............................................................................3

    1. NURS 122 – Medical Terminology (RNs exempt) ................................................... 3 OR
    2. NURS 408 – Transitions in Professional Nursing (RNs only)................................. 3

  3. Major Requirements .................................................................................................. 88

    1. Natural Sciences (19 credits)
      1. BIOL 223 – Human Anatomy and Physiology I....................................................... 4
      2. BIOL 224 – Human Anatomy and Physiology II ..................................................... 4
      3. BIOL 251 – Microbiology......................................................................................... 4
      4. CHEM 111 – Chemistry for Health Sciences II.......................................................... 4
      5. NUTR 223 – Principles of Nutrition ......................................................................... 3

    2. B. Social Sciences (6 credits)
      1. PSY 101 – General Psychology ................................................................................ 3
      2. PSY 201 – Development Across the Lifespan........................................................... 3

    3. Statistical Methods (3 credits)
      1. PSY 210 - Statistical Methods.................................................................................3

    4. Upper-Division Nursing Requirements (55 credits)
      1. NURS 323 – Pharmacology………………………………………           3
      2. NURS 328 – Health Assessment Across the Lifespan – ………...  3
      3. NURS 329 – Health Assessment Across the Lifespan – Lab ……  1
      4. NURS 330 – Fundamentals of Human Care Nursing ……………  4
      5. NURS 331 – Pathophysiology/Pharmacology I …………………  3
      6. NURS 332 – Pathophysiology/Pharmacology II ………………..   3
      7. NURS 337 – Pathophysiology…………………………………... 3
      8. NURS 338 – Fundamental Nursing Skills – Lab ………………..   1
      9. NURS 339 – Foundations of Clinical Nursing – Practice ……….   4
      10. NURS 345 – Caring for the Human Family: Maternal Child Health …………………………………………………………………….         4
      11. NURS 347 – Maternal Child Nursing Skills – Lab ……………….            1
      12. NURS 348 – Maternal Child Nursing – Practice …………………            4
      13. NURS 409 – Caring for the Human Family: Medical-Surgical & Mental Health ……………………………………………………………..        4
      14. NURS 412 – Medical-Surgical and Mental Health Nursing Skills – Lab ……………………………………………………………………..        1
      15. NURS 413 – Medical-Surgical and Mental Health Nursing – Practice ……………………………………………………………………..        5
      16. NURS 431 – Community Health Nursing ………………………...            4
      17. NURS 432 – Community Health Nursing – Practice …………….. 4
      18. NURS 447 – Human Care Nursing Management ………………...            3
      19. NURS 448 – Professional Human Care Nursing – Practice ……... 3

 

Summary of credit requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing
College Core Curriculum Requirements...................................... 31-36
Additional College Requirements................................................... 1-3
Major Requirements ....................................................................... 82
Electives ..................................................................................... 7-14
Total Credits................................................................................ 128