Department of
Nursing

Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science
in Nursing Track
Pre-licensure Track

The Department of Nursing offers the BSN program, which is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The Pre-licensure track is approved by the California State Board of Registered Nursing. The department is a member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

RN to BSN Track
Admission Requirements for Upper-Division Nursing Major
Students seeking to enter the program must have

1. A current license as a Registered Nurse in California,
2. Completed 60 semester units of baccalaureate-level transferable college credit,
3. Completed an AD or Diploma in nursing with a minimum of 30 semester units of nursing coursework, with a grade of C or better in each course,
4. Completed at least half of the University’s General Education breadth requirements, including college-level English composition, mathematics, and critical thinking, with a grade of C or better,
5. Completed an acceptable college-level chemistry course, equivalent to CHEM 1000, of at least 3 semester units with a grade of C or better,
6. Gained admission to the University with an overall grade point average of 2.0 or better, and
7. Gained admission to the Department of Nursing.

Registered nurses not in the nursing program may take NURS 3000, 3100, 3200, or 3600 with consent of instructor or department chair.

In addition to the 26 or 27 units in the nursing major, the Nursing Department will allow up to 15 upper division units of validated credit for equivalent nursing course work completed in preparation for nursing licensure. Validation of these units will be allowed, by challenge, upon successful completion of: NURS 3100, Professional Nursing, NURS 3000 Health Assessment, and NURS 3600, Transcultural Nursing Care. See Nursing Department for validation process.

Requirements — RN to BSN Track

1. Complete University General Education requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree (51 units minimum including transferable General Education units).
2. Complete the major of 26 or 27 upper-division units. NURS 4240 must be taken CR/NC. All other courses must be taken for a letter grade.
3. Complete 9 upper-division units which meet the upper-division General Education requirements. Completion of a minor is not required.
4. All prerequisite courses to enter the Nursing program must be completed with a grade of C or better.

The Major — RN to BSN Track (26 or 27 units)
Note: Must be a registered nurse to take these courses.
Complete the following courses:

NURS 3000 Health Assessment, 3?units*
NURS 3100 Professional Nursing, 3?units
NURS 3200 Pathophysiological Concepts Applied to Nursing, 3?units*
NURS 3310 Nursing Leadership and Management (WP), 4?units
NURS 3600 Transcultural Nursing Care, 3 units
NURS 3700 Introduction to Nursing Research, 3?units
NURS 4010 Issues Facing the Profession, 3 units
NURS 4210 Advanced Clinical Nursing Practicum, 3?units or
NURS 4240 Advanced Clinical Nursing, 2 units
NURS 4400 Community Health Nursing, 3 units
NURS 4410 Community Health Nursing Practicum, 3?units

* These courses may be challenged based on student preparation.

Typical Student Program
Full-time students normally complete the program in three semesters and attend nursing classes two days a week. Part-time students normally complete the program in five semesters and attend nursing classes one day a week. Full-time and part-time schedules can be obtained from the Nursing Department Web site.

Note: NURS 3100 is recommended as the beginning class for part-time students; other first-semester courses may be taken simultaneously or G.E. can be taken as needed. Not all courses are offered every semester. Full-time students have pri­ority for course enrollment; however, clinical site geographic locations are not guaranteed.

Pre-licensure BSN Track (Basic Nursing)
The Department offers a Pre-licensure nursing track leading to the Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing. Graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX exam after graduation.

Incoming freshmen should have taken high school chemistry with a lab, biology with a lab, and at least three years of college prep math. Transfer students need to adhere to the CSU transfer policies. (See transfer requirements in the Admission section of this catalog, or inquire at Enrollment Services.). Nursing-bound students should list “Pre-Nursing” as the university major. This does not, however, guarantee a seat in the Pre-licensure track.

It is an impacted program with supplemental criterion for permission to enroll in the program and is competitive.

Note: When applying for licensure in California, the applicant is required to obtain clearance from the Department of Justice and to report any misdemeanor or felony conviction(s) to the Board of Registered Nursing (BRN). Some convictions may result in denial of licensure. The BRN determines cases individually and the Department of Nursing has no jurisdiction over such decisions.

Minimum Admission Requirements for the Pre-licensure Nursing Major

Prerequisites or Equivalent for the Pre-licensure Track

1. ENGL 1001 First-Year Composition, ENGL 1002, or ENGL 1005
2. ZOOL 2230/2232 Physiology and Lab
3. ZOOL 2250/2252 Human Anatomy and Lab
4. CHEM 2090/2092 or CHEM 3010 Biochemistry or Organic Chemistry
5. ENGL 2000, PHIL 2000, 2100 or 2005 Critical Inquiry, Philosophical Inquiry, Logic, or Honors Critical Thinking
6. COMM 2110 or COMM 2000 Group Discussion Processes or Public Speaking
7. MATH 1600 Statistics
8. MBIO 2010/2012 Microbiology for Nursing and Lab or
   MBIO 3010/3032 Bacteriology and Lab

Note: MBIO 2010/2012 is only offered summer term. (Subject to change.)

Non-CSU Stanislaus students seeking admission to the Nursing Pre-licensure Program for the Fall semester must submit an application for admission to the University during the priority admission application filing period, (See the Admission section in this catalog for priority filing period and sources of application forms.)

The nursing program starts the semester after students have completed the required prerequisites. Students need to be admitted to the University in order to apply to the nursing program. The application period for fall admission to the nursing program is January to February 28th; spring admission application period is September to October 15. Only completed applications will be accepted. Nursing applications are submitted directly to the Department of Nursing. Official transcripts for all prerequisite and/or general education courses taken at colleges or universities must accompany the application, including CSU Stanislaus transcripts. Applications are available on-line and at the nursing office.

Forty students will be enrolled in the Pre-licensure program each fall and 30 each spring. Half of the prerequisite courses must be completed at the time of application to the program, including at least two science prerequisites courses. Remaining prerequisite courses may be in progress at the time of the nursing application. For fall entry, one course may be taken in the summer prior to entry. Evidence of completion or work in progress is required for the application. For selected applicants, a final grade of C or better in an outstanding course is required to enter the program.

This is an impacted program and supplemental criteria are used for the selection of students. Applicants must have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0, a GPA of 2.75 in the prerequisite science courses, a GPA of 2.75 in other prerequisite courses, and complete the ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills with a minimum score. No more than two prerequisite courses may be repeated once.
Applicants are ranked according to the following formula:
Overall GPA - 20%
Science Prerequisite GPA - 20%
Other Prerequisite GPA - 20%
ATI Test of Academic Skills - 20%
Up to 20% can be earned for the following:

1. Continuing CSU Stanislaus student with last 10 units completed on campus
2. California residency
3. Permanent residency in Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, or Tuolumne counties (the CSU Stanislaus service region)
4. Health care experience
5. Bilingual

Criteria subject to change; contact department.
Note: California residents are given preference over out-of-state and international students as long as the program is on impacted status.

Requirements — Pre-licensure BSN Track

1. Complete University General Education requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree (51 units minimum including transferable General Education units)
2. Complete the major of 64 units. All courses are taken for a letter grade.
3. Complete 9 upper-division units which meet the upper-division General Education requirements (6 units are designated as co-requisites in the nursing program.)
4. All prerequisite courses to enter the Pre-licensure track must be completed with a C or better.

The Major — Pre-licensure BSN Track (64 units)
NURS 1040 Human Development Over the Life Span, 3 units
NURS 2800 Introduction to Nursing, 2 units
NURS 2820 Basic Skills in Nursing, 3 units
NURS 2850 Introduction to Pharmacology and Nutrition, 2 units
NURS 2860 Pharmacology in Nutrition, 2 units
NURS 2900 Adult Health Nursing I, 4 units
NURS 2910 Adult Health Nursing I Clinical, 3 units
NURS 3000/3002 Health Assessment/Lab, 3 units
NURS 3320 Pre-licensure Nursing Leadership and Management (WP), 3 units
NURS 3700 Introduction to Nursing Research, 3 units
NURS 3800 Pediatric Nursing, 3 units
NURS 3810 Pediatric Nursing Clinical, 2 units
NURS 3820 Reproductive Health Nursing, 3 units
NURS 3830 Reproductive Health Nursing Clinical, 2 units
NURS 3900 Mental Health Nursing, 3 units
NURS 3910 Mental Health Nursing Clinical, 2 units
NURS 4010 Issues Facing the Profession, 3 units
NURS 4230 Pre-Licensure Advanced Clinical Nursing Practicum, 4 units
NURS 4400 Community Health Nursing, 3 units
NURS 4410 Community Health Nursing Practicum, 3 units
NURS 4800 Adult Health Nursing II, 3 units
NURS 4810 Adult Health Nursing II Clinical, 3 units
NURS 4820 Pre-licensure Seminar, 2 units

Corequisites — Pre-licensure BSN Track
(12 units of the required General Education units)

PSYC 2010 Introduction to Psychology (D.2.b), 3 units
CS 4000 Personal Computing (F.1), 3 units
PHIL 4401 Professional Ethics (F.2), 3 units

Continuance in the Nursing Major (both tracks)
Students must maintain a minimum grade of C– (73%) in courses constituting the nursing major. Students must have completed MATH 1600 Statistics, or an equivalent, with a grade of C or better for progression in the major, and as a prerequisite to NURS 3700 Introduction to Nursing Research.

With department approval, a student may repeat a nursing course once. If class enrollment is limited, priority will be given to students who maintain regular progress in the program. Only two nursing courses may be repeated. Students repeating nursing courses must earn grades of C– (73%) or better to remain in the program and may not progress until these have been successfully completed.

A student whose pattern of behavior is found to be unsafe may be terminated from a clinical practicum at any time during the semester and receive a non-passing grade for the course. The consequence of unsafe practice may result in expulsion from the program. See Nursing Student Handbook for current information.

Program Requirements for RN to BSN and Pre-licensure BSN Tracks
From the time a student enters the program and until graduation, the student must have the following:

• Continuous Malpractice Insurance — $1 million/$3 million
• Continuous Health Insurance
• Current CPR Certification for Medical Professionals
• Annual TB skin test (some agencies require the two-step) or X-ray, with evidence of freedom from tuberculosis
• Measles, Rubella, HBV, and Varicella vaccination, or proof of immunity
• Current California driver’s license and car insurance
• Current California RN license (for RN to BSN track only)
• Background check (for PL track only)
• Drug screening

In addition, some agencies may have additional requirements such as fingerprinting and clearance from the Department of Justice. See the Nursing Student Handbook for additional information on other liability and health requirements.

The University reserves the right to limit the enrollment of students in the nursing major to available space and clinical facilities.

Licensed Vocational Nurses
LVNs seeking an upgrade to BSN or LVN 30-unit option should visit the Web site or contact the Nursing Department regarding options.

Mission of the Department of Nursing
The mission of the Department of Nursing is to prepare baccalaureate-level registered nurses for the broad scope of professional nursing practice. The Department of Nursing is committed to creating a learning environment which encourages faculty, staff, and students in the department to realize their potential, to appreciate and contribute to the health and enrichment of diverse communities, to promote a caring attitude, to be leaders in their communities, and to develop a passion for lifelong learning.

Goal Statement of the Department of Nursing
To facilitate this mission, we promote academic excellence in the teaching and scholarly activities of our faculty, encourage personalized student learning, foster interactions and partnerships with our surrounding health care agencies, and provide opportunities for the intellectual, cultural, and professional development of the nursing community.

Student Learning Outcomes/Learning Objectives
A graduate with a Bachelor of Science, Nursing degree:

• Integrates knowledge from the liberal arts and sciences in making nursing judgments.
• Demonstrates professional values, which derive from the core value of caring: altruism, autonomy, human dignity, integrity, and social justice.
• Uses critical thinking as an integral part of all decision making.
• Demonstrates competent verbal, nonverbal, written, and technological communication in interdisciplinary settings.
• Performs accurate and comprehensive client assessments regarding health status that include the following: data collection, diagnoses, plan, interventions, and evaluation.
• Performs technical skills competently using healthcare technologies in nursing care situations.
• Utilizes knowledge of health promotion, risk reduction, and disease prevention, illness and disease management, and information and health care technologies as required in nursing interventions in varying health care situations.
• Practices within an ethical decision-making framework and follows legal guidelines.
• Modifies nursing interventions respecting culture-specific values, beliefs, and lifestyles of diverse populations.
• Appreciates the uniqueness and diversity of local, regional, and global environments that affect health care.
• Understands health care systems and policy, along with legal and regulatory processes, that impact nursing and health care delivery.
• Performs as a provider of care by using theoretical and research-based knowledge, and when developing partnerships with clients and interdisciplinary team members.
• Performs as a designer/manager/coordinator of care through leading, collaborating, delegating, negotiating, coordinating, and evaluating within interdisciplinary systems.
• Performs as a member of the nursing profession through lifelong learning, professional behavior, and advancement of the profession.

Click here for Course Descriptions