Admission to the BSN Program

Students may declare the intent to pursue a nursing major at any time. However, application for admission to the upper-division program is made during the sophomore year. Nursing studies begin at the junior level with the exception of Nutrition (NURS 3305) which may be completed prior to admission to the nursing program. Admission requirements are as follows:

• A completed Application for Admission to Nursing. An application form is available from the College Admissions office and in the office of the Department of Nursing or it can be filled-out as an on-line document from the nursing webpage.
• Completion of a sufficient number of credits in General Education and other required courses is needed to permit an uninterrupted progression in the nursing major.
• A minimum ATI TEAS Composite Score of 70%.
• A grade of C- or higher is required in Anatomy and Physiology I and II and Microbiology.  A student is allowed one attempt to repeat one of these courses. A subsequent failure in this course or any other of these prerequisite courses will render the student ineligible to enter the nursing program. A limit of five years applies to completion of Anatomy and Physiology and Microbiology courses.
• A cumulative overall GPA of 2.5 or higher is required at the time of entry into the nursing program, including all courses completed or attempted at any institution.
• An interview with a member of the nursing faculty will be required. 

An applicant who has completed any program of study leading to licensed employment in the health care area (such as registered or practical nursing, emergency medical technician) must present the license in person.

Unlicensed students enrolled in the nursing program may not be employed by any health care agency in the capacity of licensed nursing personnel. They shall not represent themselves in any practice setting as nursing students unless engaged in planned programmatic learning activities which are part of the nursing curriculum.

In addition to completing the general education requirements, students pursuing a major in Nursing must complete the following major program requirements:

 

Curriculum for the Traditional Program

Nursing courses are offered in a 4-1-4 semester sequence during the junior and senior years of study. The total BSN curriculum can be completed in four academic years (8 semesters) and includes 46 credit hours in the Common Core, 16 credit hours in other required and elective courses, and 60 credit hours in nursing major courses. Selected courses required for the BSN degree may fulfill certain Common Core Requirements; these and other required non-nursing courses are:

BIOL 2148 and BIOL 2149	Human Anatomy and Physiology*
MATH 1101	College Algebra*
PSYC 1101	Introduction to Psychology*
PSYC 3302	Human Growth and Development*
ENGL 1101, 1102	Rhetoric and Composition*
BIOL 3320	Medical Microbiology *

*These courses must be completed prior to entering the nursing courses.

Junior Year

Fall:

NURS 3305    Nutrition and Health (may be completed in advance)

NURS 3311    Health Assessment

NURS 3312    Foundations of Nursing Practice

NURS 3400    Mental Health Nursing

Spring:

NURS 3331    Pharmacology in Nursing

NURS 3330    Maternal and Pediatric Nursing

NURS 3350    Medical Surgical Nursing I

Senior Year

Fall:

NURS 4430    Medical Surgical Nursing II

NURS 4431    Research in Nursing

NURS 4440    Nursing Care: A Community Focus

Spring:

NURS 4432    Senior Capstone in Nursing

NURS 4433    Medical Surgical Nursing III

NURS 4450    Leadership

 

Progression

1. All nursing courses are designed to be sequential or concurrent. The only exception is NURS 3305: Nutrition, which may be completed prior to admission to the nursing program.
   
   
2. Students must meet all classroom and clinical or lab requirements in order to pass a course, regardless of the final course grade (see Nursing Grading Policy and Criteria in BSN Handbook). Any student who fails to meet these requirements will not be able to continue in the nursing program.
   
   
3. Students must meet all vaccination and training requirements requested by our clinical partners. Should a student fail to meet the vaccination requirements of our clinical partner(s), that student will not be able to participate in clinical rotations and will ultimately receive a failure in the course (read about course failures in #6 and #7 below).
   
   
4. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 must be maintained throughout the period of enrollment in nursing courses. A nursing major who GPA falls below 2.0 will be place on program probation and has one semester to raise the GPA to 2.0 or higher. Failure to achieve a 2.0 in one semester will result in withdrawal from the nursing program. A 2.0 GPA is required for entrance into Senior-Level courses and for graduation.
   
   
5. A minimum course grade of C (75%) is mandatory in all courses required for the BSN degree. Course syllabi and the BSN Student Handbook detail requirements for achieving a passing grade of C or better. A grade of D+, D, or F is a failing grade.
   
   
6. Should a student earn a D+, D, or F in any nursing course on the first attempt, that student may repeat the course one (1) time. Re-enrollment to repeat a nursing course is not guaranteed (see the Re-enrollment Policy for details). The student may not progress to any higher-level nursing courses until successful completion of the failed course. The student is responsible for dropping any NURS courses from their schedule for the upcoming semester and meeting with their advisor to develop a plan.
   1. First Semester Failure: If a student fails one (1) course in the first semester of the program, they must compete for readmission with the next application pool.
   2. Repeat Course Attempt: If a student earns a passing grade in the repeat course attempt, they are eligible to continue with the progression of the nursing program. If a student earns a failing grade on the repeat course attempt, or in a subsequent nursing course, the student will be dismissed from the program.
      
      
7. Should a student earn a D+, D, or F in two (2) or more concurrent nursing courses on the first attempt, the student will be dismissed from the program.
   
   
8. All General Education requirements and non-nursing courses must be completed prior to the beginning of Senior-Level nursing courses. Students who fail to complete these requirements will be required to apply for re-enrollment to the program for the following year.
   
   
9. The faculty of the Nursing program reserve the right to dismiss at any time a student whose health, conduct (academic dishonesty, professional conduct), general attitude, clinical performance, or scholastic standing make it inadvisable to retain the student in the program. Students are expected to display qualities that are desirable in professional persons.

Refer to the BSN Handbook for further details of all nursing major policies.

 

Progression in BSN Completion Option

In addition to the guidelines above, the following policies apply to progression in the BSN Completion Option:      

• A valid Georgia RN license must be maintained throughout enrollment in clinical nursing courses.
• Credit for NURS 3431 (Pharmacology) may be earned through successful completion of a standardized examination. Should a passing score not be achieved on the first attempt the student is required to complete the course.
• All previously earned ADN or Diploma nursing credits will be placed in escrow when the RN student enters the nursing program. Upon satisfactory completion of 6 credit hours of BSN nursing courses, the escrowed credits will be transferred to the student's permanent academic record. Should the RN student not be successful in the initial 6 hours of nursing courses, the previously earned nursing credits will not be applied toward the BSN degree.

 

Assessment of Learning Objectives in the Major

In order for students and faculty to monitor learning progress and to provide for evaluation of the educational program, periodic assessment measures are used. All assessments are program, course, or College requirements. Students are provided information as to the scheduling and cost of each assessment.

• Senior Institutional Assessment. Prior to graduation, students are required to complete a senior institutional assessment that measures students’ creative, critical, and communicative abilities. This assessment is designed to determine the extent to which students have achieved the objectives of the College curriculum.
• Standardized Exams. ATI achievement exams are administered at intervals throughout the nursing program. These tests are required within selected nursing courses.
• Assessment in the Major. Standardized testing through Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI) with course specific tests will be used in each course as a percentage of the course grade. Those students scoring below Level II for each test will be required to remediate using ATI study materials. The RN Comprehensive Predictor Exam will be used in the last semester as a predictor of NCLEX readiness.