Nursing, B.S.N.
Nursing
615-898-4803
Jenny Sauls, program director
Nursinginfo@mtsu.edu
The Nursing Program consists of four academic years. Upon successful completion of the program, graduates are awarded the B.S.N. and become eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for Registered Nurse (RN) licensure.
All applicants will be admitted based on academic candidacy route of admissions and rank-ordered based on composite score.
Admission through Academic Candidacy
Applicants will be rank ordered based on composite score (GPA + HESI). Students with less than 7.75 composite will be admitted pending space availability.
For further information about the composite score, see the BSN Program Admission, Progression, and Retention Policy.
All Applicants
- Applicant must be admitted to a university prior to completing a program application.
- An online application must be on file in the School of Nursing by published application deadlines.
- Transcript validation of all prerequisite courses must be on file in the MTSU Records Office by published application deadlines.
- At least one biology grade must be posted by application deadline.
- Applicants must have no grade less than a C (2.00) in any prerequisite and General Education course with the exception of Human Anatomy and Physiology I (BIOL 2010), Human Anatomy and Physiology II, (BIOL 2020) and Microbiology in Disease (BIOL 2100) which requires a B (3.00) by the end of Summer Term (for those entering in Fall Semester), or by the end of Fall Semester (for those entering in Spring Semester).
- Scores from a standardized examination along with the inclusive (MTSU and transfer) college grade point average will be used to calculate a composite score and to rank candidates for progression to upper division. To be considered for admission to upper-division nursing, a minimum GPA of 3.00 and a minimum Entrance Exam composite score of 75 is required as well as a 75 minimum subscore on each of the following components of the HESI standardized entrance exam: a. Mathematics; b. Biology; c. Chemistry; d. Anatomy and Physiology.
- Students will be asked to present evidence of physical and/or mental health prior to or at any time during their enrollment in the nursing courses. Students must be physically, emotionally, and cognitively able to meet the criteria required for clinical skills. Students must be able to perform clinical skills without physical or psychological threat to themselves or others. Students who have chronic health problems which are controlled and which do not put themselves or others in danger are eligible to be considered for admission.
- Faculty reserves the right to determine each student's eligibility to participate in clinical rotations based upon satisfactory preparation, meeting School of Nursing and clinical agency's policies, and performance at a safe level of practice. If any of these are not satisfactory, faculty may give a student an unsatisfactory grade and ask a student to leave the clinical agency for the day.
- Students with infectious diseases will not be permitted to participate in clinical experiences. Causes for clinical absences must be cleared with the instructor and reported to the clinical agency before the clinical experience is to begin. Unexcused absences will be counted as unsatisfactory clinical performance.
- Students must attain a minimum grade of B (3.00) in all theory courses as well as a "pass" in each corresponding lab/clinical course.
- Students will be dismissed from the Nursing major if they
- commit a breach of ethics or gross professional negligence, or
- use mind-altering drugs or alcohol when engaged in any nursing activity in or outside of class,
- fail to make a 'B' or better in all upper-division courses. One repeat is allowed.
- fail two or more courses in the same semester;
- fail to progress due to unsuccessful attainment of requirements. Students who fail to progress will be readmitted on a space-available basis. Only one readmission for failure to progress will be allowed.
- violate the student honor code.
- If a student fails a nursing course at MTSU, the course must be repeated at MTSU.
- Students from other nursing programs will not be admitted.
- Students are allowed to withdraw from nursing courses one (1) time only.
- A student may apply to the program a total of two (2) times.
- The specific details regarding admission and progression are available online in the document BSN Program Admission, Progression, and Retention Policy.
Academic Map
Following is a printable, suggested four-year schedule of courses:
Nursing, B.S.N., Academic Map
Degree Requirements
| General Education | 41 hours |
| Major Requirements | 72 hours |
| Supporting Courses | 17 hours* |
| TOTAL | 120-130 hours |
*This program requires courses that can also fulfill requirements of the General Education curriculum. If courses for this program are also used to fulfill General Education requirements, the program of study may be completed in 120 hours.
General Education (41 hours)
General Education requirements (shown in curricular listings below) include courses in Communication, History, Humanities and/or Fine Arts, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social/Behavioral Sciences.
The following courses required by the program meet General Education requirements:
Major Requirements (72 hours)
NURS 3000 - Professionalism in Nursing
1 credit hour
Exposes the novice nursing student to the profession of nursing. Concept of professionalism explored and related to nursing. Includes a brief historical review of nursing and nursing theories. Professional values, practice standards, informatics, and communication with health care professionals introduced. Legal implications for nursing explored. One hour lecture.
NURS 3010 - Pathophysiology
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: BIOL 2010/BIOL 2011, BIOL 2020/BIOL 2021, and BIOL 2100/BIOL 2101. Basic mechanisms of disease processes and their role in disrupting normal physiology. Three hours lecture.
NURS 3030 - Health Assessment
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: BIOL 2010/BIOL 2011 and BIOL 2020/BIOL 2021; accepted into upper-division nursing. Corequisite: NURS 3040. Principles and techniques required for the assessment and analysis of data. Normal assessment findings and selected abnormal findings studied. Cultural variations and assessment variations across the lifespan explored. Three hours lecture.
NURS 3042 - Basic Dosage Calculation
1 credit hour
Presents systems of measurement and mathematical computations essential to medication administration as a component of professional nursing practice.
NURS 3045 - Basic Assessment and Introductory Skills Clinical
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to upper-division nursing. Offers instruction and demonstration of basic health assessment and introductory clinical skills used to care for adult clients. The student will demonstrate basic assessment of select body systems and identify normal assessment findings as well as demonstrate other psychomotor skills and techniques in the provision of safe care. Three hours laboratory.
NURS 3170 - Clinical Pharmacology in Nursing
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: General Education Natural Science; BIOL 2100/BIOL 2101, BIOL 2010/BIOL 2011, BIOL 2020/BIOL 2021; NURS 3000, NURS 3010, NURS 3030, NURS 3040, NURS 3041, NURS 3042. Knowledge and responsibility necessary for the assessment and monitoring of clients receiving pharmacotherapeutics. Three hours lecture.
NURS 3350 - Introduction to Nursing Practice
4 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3000, NURS 3010, NURS 3030, NURS 3040, NURS 3041, and NURS 3042. Corequisite: NURS 3360. Introduces nursing care concepts necessary to support basic care of clients across the lifespan; foundation for subsequent nursing courses. Four hours lecture.
NURS 3360 - Introduction to Nursing Practice-Clinical
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3000, NURS 3010, NURS 3030, NURS 3040, NURS 3041, and NURS 3042. Corequisite: NURS 3350. Nursing practice applied in laboratory and clinical settings. Six hours laboratory per week for duration of course.
NURS 3380 - Caring for Clients with Mental Health Alterations
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3000, NURS 3010, NURS 3030, NURS 3040, NURS 3041, NURS 3042. Corequisite: NURS 3390 . Provides students with experience communicating and providing care to a variety of patients experiencing mental health issues. Opportunity for students to learn theoretical concepts relating to mental health and psychiatric nursing. Interpersonal and group communication, psychopathology, and legal and ethical issues explored. Methods used in providing nursing care for clients with alterations in mental health presented. Interdisciplinary health care team and its function in the psychiatric setting explored. Three hours lecture.
NURS 3390 - Mental Health Clinical
2 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3000, NURS 3010, NURS 3030, NURS 3040, NURS 3041, NURS 3042. Corequisite: NURS 3380. Provides students with experience communicating and providing care to a variety of patients experiencing mental health issues. Four hours laboratory per week for duration of course.
NURS 3530 - Caring for Adult Clients I
4 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3170, NURS 3350, NURS 3360, NURS 3380, and NURS 3390. Corequisite: NURS 3540. Professional nursing care in a variety of settings for the adult client with simple and chronic health problems. Four hours lecture.
NURS 3540 - Caring for Adult Clients I-Clinical
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3170, NURS 3350, NURS 3360, NURS 3380, and NURS 3390. Corequisite: NURS 3530. Applying the nursing process in a clinical setting with the adult client experiencing acute and chronic health deviations. Sixteen hours clinical/lab per week for seven weeks.
NURS 3550 - Caring for the Childbearing Family
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3170, NURS 3350, NURS 3360, NURS 3380, and NURS 3390. Corequisite: NURS 3560. Incorporates the nursing process and critical thinking skills into the professional nursing care of the childbearing female and the family. Focuses on health promotion, prevention, and adaptation for the childbearing client. Three hours lecture.
NURS 3560 - Caring for the Childbearing Family-Clinical
2 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3170, NURS 3350, NURS 3360, NURS 3380, and NURS 3390. Corequisite: NURS 3550. Nursing process for applying the clinical application and principles of nursing and family theory to childbearing families. Focuses on health promotion, prevention, and adaptation for childbearing families. Approximately 12 hours clinical/lab per week for seven weeks.
NURS 3580 - Health and Gerontology
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3170, NURS 3350, NURS 3360, NURS 3380, and NURS 3390. Focuses on the normal aging process and related health care issues from an interdisciplinary perspective. Incorporates concepts of health promotion, prevention, and adaptation for those who are aging and their families. Three hours lecture.
NURS 4330 - Caring for Adult Clients II
4 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3530, NURS 3540, NURS 3550, NURS 3560, and NURS 3580. Corequisite: NURS 4340. Incorporates the nursing process and critical thinking skills into the professional nursing care of the adult client experiencing complex, multi-system illness, failure, and trauma. Opportunities for the nursing student to combine acquired knowledge from previous nursing courses and courses from other disciplines with new phenomena encountered in a variety of high acuity care settings. Four hours lecture.
NURS 4340 - Caring for Adult Clients II-Clinical
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3530, NURS 3540, NURS 3550, NURS 3560, and NURS 3580. Corequisite: NURS 4330. Opportunity for nursing students to integrate didactic and empirical knowledge and skills for clients with critical needs into the acute care setting. Understanding of complex, multi-system illness, failure, and trauma in providing nursing care. Approximately 18 hours clinical/lab for four weeks.
NURS 4370 - Caring for the Community as Client
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3530, NURS 3540, NURS 3550, NURS 3560, and NURS 3580. Opportunity for students to learn theoretical concepts and epidemiological principles related to health promotion and preventive services. Primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of prevention covered. Focuses on the work of an interdisciplinary health care team and concepts of nursing and public health when working with the individual, family, group, and community as client. Three hours lecture.
NURS 4380 - Community Clinical
2 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3530, NURS 3540, NURS 3550, NURS 3560, and NURS 3580. Corequisite: NURS 4370. Introduces students to clinical competencies and attributes required for the provision of care to clients and families with a community focus. Primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention explored along with the use of local, state, and federal resources. Total of 60-90 hours clinical/lab.
NURS 4390 - Health Care Research
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3530, NURS 3540, NURS 3550, NURS 3560, and NURS 3580. Explores the role of the professional nurse by utilizing systematic inquiry and analysis for problem solving and supporting evidence based practice for positive patient outcomes. Three hours lecture.
NURS 4570 - Professional Practice and Leadership
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 4330, NURS 4340, NURS 4370, NURS 4380, and NURS 4390. Opportunity for students to examine and evaluate theoretical concepts relating to leadership and management in nursing. The learning experiences emphasize the development of strategies that enhance leadership capabilities including decision-making, managing conflict, using power, and delegating. Three hours lecture.
NURS 4585 - Caring for Children and Teen Clients
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 4330, NURS 4340, NURS 4370, NURS 4380, and NURS 4390. Corequisite: NURS 4586. Incorporates the nursing process and critical thinking skills into the professional nursing care of children, adolescents, and their families. Explores the principles of growth and development and family-centered care. Three hours lecture.
NURS 4586 - Caring for Children and Teen Clients-Clinical
2 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 4330, NURS 4340, NURS 4370, NURS 4380, and NURS 4390. Corequisite: NURS 4585. Provides assistance in transferring knowledge to the implementation of nursing care of children, adolescents, teens, and their families in a variety of clinical settings. Total of 60 hours clinical/lab in a four-week period.
NURS 4590 - Capstone Clinical
5 or 6 credit hours
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NURS 4590 - Capstone Clinical
5 or 6 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3000, NURS 3010, NURS 3030, NURS 3040, NURS 3041, NURS 3042, NURS 3350, NURS 3360, NURS 3170, NURS 3380, NURS 3390, NURS 3530, NURS 3540, NURS 3550, NURS 3560, NURS 3580, NURS 4330, NURS 4340, NURS 4370, NURS 4380, NURS 4390. A clinical practicum, pairing senior nursing students with RN preceptors practicing in various fields of nursing within the community. Areas of experience may include clinics, acute and critical care settings, long-term care, and hospice or palliative care. Emphasis placed on development of critical thinking/clinical reasoning, leadership skills, and the transition of student into the role of the professional nurse. 150-180 hours clinical/lab.
- Guided elective 3 credit hours
Supporting Courses (17 hours)
BIOL 2010 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I
4 credit hours
Completion of BIOL 1030 and BIOL 1031 or a grade of C or better in high school chemistry and biology within the last five years is strongly recommended. Corequisite: BIOL 2011 . Meets requirements for many pre-health professional programs including nursing. Structure and function of the cell, integumentary, skeletal, muscle, and nervous systems. Three hours lecture and one three-hour laboratory.
BIOL 2011 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I Lab
0 credit hours
Corequisite: BIOL 2010.
BIOL 2020 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II
4 credit hours
Prerequisite: C or better in BIOL 2010/BIOL 2011. Corequisite: BIOL 2021. Meets requirements for many pre-health professional programs including nursing. Structure and function of endocrine, circulatory, respiratory, urinary, digestive, and reproductive systems. Biology majors passing both BIOL 2010/BIOL 2111 and BIOL 2020/BIOL 2021 with a C or better may substitute both courses for BIOL 3020. However, the substitution is not recommended for pre-med students and does not count for upper-division hours. Three hours lecture and one three-hour laboratory.
BIOL 2021 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II Lab
0 credit hours
Corequisite: BIOL 2020.
BIOL 2100 - Microbiology in Disease
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: BIOL 2010/BIOL 2011 and BIOL 2020/BIOL 2021 with grades of C (2.0) or better. Corequisite: BIOL 2101. Fundamentals of the role of microorganisms responsible for disease in humans. Does not apply toward a major or minor in Biology. Two hours lecture and one two-hour laboratory per week.
BIOL 2101 - Microbiology in Disease Lab
0 credit hours
Corequisite: BIOL 2100.
MATH 1710 - College Algebra
3 credit hours
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MATH 1710 - College Algebra
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: DSPM 0850 or two years of high school algebra; a Math Enhanced ACT 19 or greater or COMPASS placement. Course satisfies the General Education Mathematics requirement. Topics include functions--linear, quadratic, exponential, and logarithmic; analysis of graphs; linear systems; inequalities; counting principles; and probability. Graphing calculator required. Course may be taken by correspondence. Not open to those who have had MATH 1730. TBR Common Course: MATH 1710
PSY 1410 - General Psychology
3 credit hours
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PSY 1410 - General Psychology
3 credit hours
Prescribed prerequisite: READ 1000. Introductory survey course. Includes biological foundations, perception, principles of learning, intelligence, motivation, emotion, human development, personality, social psychology, behavior disorders, and psychotherapy.
Curriculum: Nursing
The following program of study is recommended; however, students are expected to seek advising from the pre-nursing advisor or faculty advisor each semester to ensure proper sequence for program completion. The faculty reserves the right to make changes in curricula requirements and/or course sequencing as appropriate.
Curricular listings include General Education requirements in Communication, History, Humanities and/or Fine Arts, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social/Behavioral Sciences categories.
Freshman Fall
ENGL 1010 - Expository Writing
3 credit hours
The first General Education English course. Emphasis on learning to adapt composing processes to a variety of expository and analytic writing assignments. Minimum grade of C- required to meet degree requirements.
MATH 1710 - College Algebra
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: DSPM 0850 or two years of high school algebra; a Math Enhanced ACT 19 or greater or COMPASS placement. Course satisfies the General Education Mathematics requirement. Topics include functions--linear, quadratic, exponential, and logarithmic; analysis of graphs; linear systems; inequalities; counting principles; and probability. Graphing calculator required. Course may be taken by correspondence. Not open to those who have had MATH 1730. TBR Common Course: MATH 1710
PSY 1410 - General Psychology
3 credit hours
Prescribed prerequisite: READ 1000. Introductory survey course. Includes biological foundations, perception, principles of learning, intelligence, motivation, emotion, human development, personality, social psychology, behavior disorders, and psychotherapy.
- Social/Behavioral Sciences 3 credit hours
BIOL 2010 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I
4 credit hours
Completion of BIOL 1030 and BIOL 1031 or a grade of C or better in high school chemistry and biology within the last five years is strongly recommended. Corequisite: BIOL 2011 . Meets requirements for many pre-health professional programs including nursing. Structure and function of the cell, integumentary, skeletal, muscle, and nervous systems. Three hours lecture and one three-hour laboratory.
BIOL 2011 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I Lab
0 credit hours
Corequisite: BIOL 2010.
Subtotal: 16 Hours
Freshman Spring
ENGL 1020 - Research and Argumentative Writing
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: ENGL 1010. The second General Education English course. Emphasis on analytic and argumentative writing and on locating, organizing, and using library resource materials in the writing. Minimum grade of C- required to meet degree requirements.
- Humanities and/or Fine Arts 3 credit hours
- Natural Science 4 credit hours
BIOL 2020 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II
4 credit hours
Prerequisite: C or better in BIOL 2010/BIOL 2011. Corequisite: BIOL 2021. Meets requirements for many pre-health professional programs including nursing. Structure and function of endocrine, circulatory, respiratory, urinary, digestive, and reproductive systems. Biology majors passing both BIOL 2010/BIOL 2111 and BIOL 2020/BIOL 2021 with a C or better may substitute both courses for BIOL 3020. However, the substitution is not recommended for pre-med students and does not count for upper-division hours. Three hours lecture and one three-hour laboratory.
BIOL 2021 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II Lab
0 credit hours
Corequisite: BIOL 2020.
HIST 2010 - Survey of United States History I
3 credit hours
Survey of the political, economic, social, cultural, and diplomatic phases of American life in its regional, national, and international aspects. Discusses the era from the beginning to 1877. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement. HIST 2010 is NOT a prerequisite for HIST 2020. TBR Common Course: HIST 2010
HIST 2020 - Survey of United States History II
3 credit hours
Survey of the political, economic, social, cultural, and diplomatic phases of American life in its regional, national, and international aspects. Discusses the era from 1877 to the present. May be used to satisfy one part of the the General Education History requirement. HIST 2010 is NOT a prerequisite for HIST 2020. TBR Common Course: HIST 2020
HIST 2030 - Tennessee History
3 credit hours
The role of the state in the development of the nation. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement. TBR Common Course: HIST 2030
HIST 2040 - Survey African American History I
3 credit hours
The role of African Americans in establishing and shaping the American nation. Covers their historical development and contributions to American art, music, literature, and religion. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement.
NOTE: HIST 2040 is not a prerequisite for HIST 2050.
HIST 2050 - Survey African American History II
3 credit hours
The role of African Americans in shaping the American nation and creating a twentieth-century racial identity. Covers their historical development and examines their contributions to American art, music, literature, and religion. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement.
Subtotal: 17 Hours
Sophomore Fall
ENGL 2020 - Themes in Literature and Culture
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020. Traces a specific theme or idea through a number of literary texts that reflect different historical and cultural contexts. Subject will vary.
ENGL 2030 - The Experience of Literature
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020. The reading of a variety of literary types which illuminate themes and experiences common to human existence.
HUM 2610 - World Literatures
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020. Representative works of French, German, and Hispanic authors in English translation. No foreign-language proficiency required. Carries General Education credit.
COMM 2200 - Fundamentals of Communication
3 credit hours
Introduces principles and processes of effective public oral communication including researching, critical thinking, organizing, presenting, listening, and using appropriate language. Counts as part of the General Education Communication requirement. TBR Common Course: COMM 2025
- Humanities and/or Fine Arts 3 credit hours
BIOL 2100 - Microbiology in Disease
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: BIOL 2010/BIOL 2011 and BIOL 2020/BIOL 2021 with grades of C (2.0) or better. Corequisite: BIOL 2101. Fundamentals of the role of microorganisms responsible for disease in humans. Does not apply toward a major or minor in Biology. Two hours lecture and one two-hour laboratory per week.
BIOL 2101 - Microbiology in Disease Lab
0 credit hours
Corequisite: BIOL 2100.
HIST 2010 - Survey of United States History I
3 credit hours
Survey of the political, economic, social, cultural, and diplomatic phases of American life in its regional, national, and international aspects. Discusses the era from the beginning to 1877. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement. HIST 2010 is NOT a prerequisite for HIST 2020. TBR Common Course: HIST 2010
HIST 2020 - Survey of United States History II
3 credit hours
Survey of the political, economic, social, cultural, and diplomatic phases of American life in its regional, national, and international aspects. Discusses the era from 1877 to the present. May be used to satisfy one part of the the General Education History requirement. HIST 2010 is NOT a prerequisite for HIST 2020. TBR Common Course: HIST 2020
HIST 2030 - Tennessee History
3 credit hours
The role of the state in the development of the nation. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement. TBR Common Course: HIST 2030
HIST 2040 - Survey African American History I
3 credit hours
The role of African Americans in establishing and shaping the American nation. Covers their historical development and contributions to American art, music, literature, and religion. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement.
NOTE: HIST 2040 is not a prerequisite for HIST 2050.
HIST 2050 - Survey African American History II
3 credit hours
The role of African Americans in shaping the American nation and creating a twentieth-century racial identity. Covers their historical development and examines their contributions to American art, music, literature, and religion. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement.
Subtotal: 15 Hours
Sophomore Spring
NURS 3000 - Professionalism in Nursing
1 credit hour
Exposes the novice nursing student to the profession of nursing. Concept of professionalism explored and related to nursing. Includes a brief historical review of nursing and nursing theories. Professional values, practice standards, informatics, and communication with health care professionals introduced. Legal implications for nursing explored. One hour lecture.
NURS 3010 - Pathophysiology
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: BIOL 2010/BIOL 2011, BIOL 2020/BIOL 2021, and BIOL 2100/BIOL 2101. Basic mechanisms of disease processes and their role in disrupting normal physiology. Three hours lecture.
NURS 3030 - Health Assessment
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: BIOL 2010/BIOL 2011 and BIOL 2020/BIOL 2021; accepted into upper-division nursing. Corequisite: NURS 3040. Principles and techniques required for the assessment and analysis of data. Normal assessment findings and selected abnormal findings studied. Cultural variations and assessment variations across the lifespan explored. Three hours lecture.
NURS 3042 - Basic Dosage Calculation
1 credit hour
Presents systems of measurement and mathematical computations essential to medication administration as a component of professional nursing practice.
NURS 3045 - Basic Assessment and Introductory Skills Clinical
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to upper-division nursing. Offers instruction and demonstration of basic health assessment and introductory clinical skills used to care for adult clients. The student will demonstrate basic assessment of select body systems and identify normal assessment findings as well as demonstrate other psychomotor skills and techniques in the provision of safe care. Three hours laboratory.
- Guided elective 3 credit hours
Subtotal: 14 Hours
Junior Fall
NURS 3170 - Clinical Pharmacology in Nursing
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: General Education Natural Science; BIOL 2100/BIOL 2101, BIOL 2010/BIOL 2011, BIOL 2020/BIOL 2021; NURS 3000, NURS 3010, NURS 3030, NURS 3040, NURS 3041, NURS 3042. Knowledge and responsibility necessary for the assessment and monitoring of clients receiving pharmacotherapeutics. Three hours lecture.
NURS 3350 - Introduction to Nursing Practice
4 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3000, NURS 3010, NURS 3030, NURS 3040, NURS 3041, and NURS 3042. Corequisite: NURS 3360. Introduces nursing care concepts necessary to support basic care of clients across the lifespan; foundation for subsequent nursing courses. Four hours lecture.
NURS 3360 - Introduction to Nursing Practice-Clinical
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3000, NURS 3010, NURS 3030, NURS 3040, NURS 3041, and NURS 3042. Corequisite: NURS 3350. Nursing practice applied in laboratory and clinical settings. Six hours laboratory per week for duration of course.
NURS 3380 - Caring for Clients with Mental Health Alterations
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3000, NURS 3010, NURS 3030, NURS 3040, NURS 3041, NURS 3042. Corequisite: NURS 3390 . Provides students with experience communicating and providing care to a variety of patients experiencing mental health issues. Opportunity for students to learn theoretical concepts relating to mental health and psychiatric nursing. Interpersonal and group communication, psychopathology, and legal and ethical issues explored. Methods used in providing nursing care for clients with alterations in mental health presented. Interdisciplinary health care team and its function in the psychiatric setting explored. Three hours lecture.
NURS 3390 - Mental Health Clinical
2 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3000, NURS 3010, NURS 3030, NURS 3040, NURS 3041, NURS 3042. Corequisite: NURS 3380. Provides students with experience communicating and providing care to a variety of patients experiencing mental health issues. Four hours laboratory per week for duration of course.
Subtotal: 15 Hours
Junior Spring
NURS 3530 - Caring for Adult Clients I
4 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3170, NURS 3350, NURS 3360, NURS 3380, and NURS 3390. Corequisite: NURS 3540. Professional nursing care in a variety of settings for the adult client with simple and chronic health problems. Four hours lecture.
NURS 3540 - Caring for Adult Clients I-Clinical
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3170, NURS 3350, NURS 3360, NURS 3380, and NURS 3390. Corequisite: NURS 3530. Applying the nursing process in a clinical setting with the adult client experiencing acute and chronic health deviations. Sixteen hours clinical/lab per week for seven weeks.
NURS 3550 - Caring for the Childbearing Family
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3170, NURS 3350, NURS 3360, NURS 3380, and NURS 3390. Corequisite: NURS 3560. Incorporates the nursing process and critical thinking skills into the professional nursing care of the childbearing female and the family. Focuses on health promotion, prevention, and adaptation for the childbearing client. Three hours lecture.
NURS 3560 - Caring for the Childbearing Family-Clinical
2 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3170, NURS 3350, NURS 3360, NURS 3380, and NURS 3390. Corequisite: NURS 3550. Nursing process for applying the clinical application and principles of nursing and family theory to childbearing families. Focuses on health promotion, prevention, and adaptation for childbearing families. Approximately 12 hours clinical/lab per week for seven weeks.
NURS 3580 - Health and Gerontology
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3170, NURS 3350, NURS 3360, NURS 3380, and NURS 3390. Focuses on the normal aging process and related health care issues from an interdisciplinary perspective. Incorporates concepts of health promotion, prevention, and adaptation for those who are aging and their families. Three hours lecture.
Subtotal: 15 Hours
Senior Fall
NURS 4330 - Caring for Adult Clients II
4 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3530, NURS 3540, NURS 3550, NURS 3560, and NURS 3580. Corequisite: NURS 4340. Incorporates the nursing process and critical thinking skills into the professional nursing care of the adult client experiencing complex, multi-system illness, failure, and trauma. Opportunities for the nursing student to combine acquired knowledge from previous nursing courses and courses from other disciplines with new phenomena encountered in a variety of high acuity care settings. Four hours lecture.
NURS 4340 - Caring for Adult Clients II-Clinical
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3530, NURS 3540, NURS 3550, NURS 3560, and NURS 3580. Corequisite: NURS 4330. Opportunity for nursing students to integrate didactic and empirical knowledge and skills for clients with critical needs into the acute care setting. Understanding of complex, multi-system illness, failure, and trauma in providing nursing care. Approximately 18 hours clinical/lab for four weeks.
NURS 4370 - Caring for the Community as Client
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3530, NURS 3540, NURS 3550, NURS 3560, and NURS 3580. Opportunity for students to learn theoretical concepts and epidemiological principles related to health promotion and preventive services. Primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of prevention covered. Focuses on the work of an interdisciplinary health care team and concepts of nursing and public health when working with the individual, family, group, and community as client. Three hours lecture.
NURS 4380 - Community Clinical
2 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3530, NURS 3540, NURS 3550, NURS 3560, and NURS 3580. Corequisite: NURS 4370. Introduces students to clinical competencies and attributes required for the provision of care to clients and families with a community focus. Primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention explored along with the use of local, state, and federal resources. Total of 60-90 hours clinical/lab.
NURS 4390 - Health Care Research
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3530, NURS 3540, NURS 3550, NURS 3560, and NURS 3580. Explores the role of the professional nurse by utilizing systematic inquiry and analysis for problem solving and supporting evidence based practice for positive patient outcomes. Three hours lecture.
Subtotal: 15 Hours
Senior Spring
NURS 4570 - Professional Practice and Leadership
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 4330, NURS 4340, NURS 4370, NURS 4380, and NURS 4390. Opportunity for students to examine and evaluate theoretical concepts relating to leadership and management in nursing. The learning experiences emphasize the development of strategies that enhance leadership capabilities including decision-making, managing conflict, using power, and delegating. Three hours lecture.
NURS 4585 - Caring for Children and Teen Clients
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 4330, NURS 4340, NURS 4370, NURS 4380, and NURS 4390. Corequisite: NURS 4586. Incorporates the nursing process and critical thinking skills into the professional nursing care of children, adolescents, and their families. Explores the principles of growth and development and family-centered care. Three hours lecture.
NURS 4586 - Caring for Children and Teen Clients-Clinical
2 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 4330, NURS 4340, NURS 4370, NURS 4380, and NURS 4390. Corequisite: NURS 4585. Provides assistance in transferring knowledge to the implementation of nursing care of children, adolescents, teens, and their families in a variety of clinical settings. Total of 60 hours clinical/lab in a four-week period.
NURS 4590 - Capstone Clinical
5 or 6 credit hours
(5 credit hours required)(5 credit hours required)
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(5 credit hours required)
NURS 4590 - Capstone Clinical
5 or 6 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3000, NURS 3010, NURS 3030, NURS 3040, NURS 3041, NURS 3042, NURS 3350, NURS 3360, NURS 3170, NURS 3380, NURS 3390, NURS 3530, NURS 3540, NURS 3550, NURS 3560, NURS 3580, NURS 4330, NURS 4340, NURS 4370, NURS 4380, NURS 4390. A clinical practicum, pairing senior nursing students with RN preceptors practicing in various fields of nursing within the community. Areas of experience may include clinics, acute and critical care settings, long-term care, and hospice or palliative care. Emphasis placed on development of critical thinking/clinical reasoning, leadership skills, and the transition of student into the role of the professional nurse. 150-180 hours clinical/lab.
Subtotal: 13 Hours
Nursing
NURS 3000 - Professionalism in Nursing
1 credit hour
Exposes the novice nursing student to the profession of nursing. Concept of professionalism explored and related to nursing. Includes a brief historical review of nursing and nursing theories. Professional values, practice standards, informatics, and communication with health care professionals introduced. Legal implications for nursing explored. One hour lecture.
NURS 3010 - Pathophysiology
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: BIOL 2010/BIOL 2011, BIOL 2020/BIOL 2021, and BIOL 2100/BIOL 2101. Basic mechanisms of disease processes and their role in disrupting normal physiology. Three hours lecture.
NURS 3030 - Health Assessment
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: BIOL 2010/BIOL 2011 and BIOL 2020/BIOL 2021; accepted into upper-division nursing. Corequisite: NURS 3040. Principles and techniques required for the assessment and analysis of data. Normal assessment findings and selected abnormal findings studied. Cultural variations and assessment variations across the lifespan explored. Three hours lecture.
NURS 3040 - Health Assessment Laboratory
1 credit hour
Prerequisites: BIOL 2010/BIOL 2011 and BIOL 2020/BIOL 2021; accepted into upper-division nursing. Corequisite: NURS 3030. Opportunity to practice the basic principles and techniques required for the assessment and analysis of data. Normal assessment findings in the adult as well as selected abnormal findings studied. Cultural variations and assessment variations across the lifespan explored. Two-hour laboratory.
NURS 3041 - Clinical Skills Lab
2 credit hours
Introduces students to basic clinical skills required for the provision of care prior to progression to NURS 3350. Four hour lab each week.
NURS 3042 - Basic Dosage Calculation
1 credit hour
Presents systems of measurement and mathematical computations essential to medication administration as a component of professional nursing practice.
NURS 3045 - Basic Assessment and Introductory Skills Clinical
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to upper-division nursing. Offers instruction and demonstration of basic health assessment and introductory clinical skills used to care for adult clients. The student will demonstrate basic assessment of select body systems and identify normal assessment findings as well as demonstrate other psychomotor skills and techniques in the provision of safe care. Three hours laboratory.
NURS 3170 - Clinical Pharmacology in Nursing
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: General Education Natural Science; BIOL 2100/BIOL 2101, BIOL 2010/BIOL 2011, BIOL 2020/BIOL 2021; NURS 3000, NURS 3010, NURS 3030, NURS 3040, NURS 3041, NURS 3042. Knowledge and responsibility necessary for the assessment and monitoring of clients receiving pharmacotherapeutics. Three hours lecture.
NURS 3350 - Introduction to Nursing Practice
4 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3000, NURS 3010, NURS 3030, NURS 3040, NURS 3041, and NURS 3042. Corequisite: NURS 3360. Introduces nursing care concepts necessary to support basic care of clients across the lifespan; foundation for subsequent nursing courses. Four hours lecture.
NURS 3360 - Introduction to Nursing Practice-Clinical
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3000, NURS 3010, NURS 3030, NURS 3040, NURS 3041, and NURS 3042. Corequisite: NURS 3350. Nursing practice applied in laboratory and clinical settings. Six hours laboratory per week for duration of course.
NURS 3380 - Caring for Clients with Mental Health Alterations
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3000, NURS 3010, NURS 3030, NURS 3040, NURS 3041, NURS 3042. Corequisite: NURS 3390 . Provides students with experience communicating and providing care to a variety of patients experiencing mental health issues. Opportunity for students to learn theoretical concepts relating to mental health and psychiatric nursing. Interpersonal and group communication, psychopathology, and legal and ethical issues explored. Methods used in providing nursing care for clients with alterations in mental health presented. Interdisciplinary health care team and its function in the psychiatric setting explored. Three hours lecture.
NURS 3390 - Mental Health Clinical
2 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3000, NURS 3010, NURS 3030, NURS 3040, NURS 3041, NURS 3042. Corequisite: NURS 3380. Provides students with experience communicating and providing care to a variety of patients experiencing mental health issues. Four hours laboratory per week for duration of course.
NURS 3530 - Caring for Adult Clients I
4 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3170, NURS 3350, NURS 3360, NURS 3380, and NURS 3390. Corequisite: NURS 3540. Professional nursing care in a variety of settings for the adult client with simple and chronic health problems. Four hours lecture.
NURS 3540 - Caring for Adult Clients I-Clinical
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3170, NURS 3350, NURS 3360, NURS 3380, and NURS 3390. Corequisite: NURS 3530. Applying the nursing process in a clinical setting with the adult client experiencing acute and chronic health deviations. Sixteen hours clinical/lab per week for seven weeks.
NURS 3550 - Caring for the Childbearing Family
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3170, NURS 3350, NURS 3360, NURS 3380, and NURS 3390. Corequisite: NURS 3560. Incorporates the nursing process and critical thinking skills into the professional nursing care of the childbearing female and the family. Focuses on health promotion, prevention, and adaptation for the childbearing client. Three hours lecture.
NURS 3560 - Caring for the Childbearing Family-Clinical
2 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3170, NURS 3350, NURS 3360, NURS 3380, and NURS 3390. Corequisite: NURS 3550. Nursing process for applying the clinical application and principles of nursing and family theory to childbearing families. Focuses on health promotion, prevention, and adaptation for childbearing families. Approximately 12 hours clinical/lab per week for seven weeks.
NURS 3580 - Health and Gerontology
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3170, NURS 3350, NURS 3360, NURS 3380, and NURS 3390. Focuses on the normal aging process and related health care issues from an interdisciplinary perspective. Incorporates concepts of health promotion, prevention, and adaptation for those who are aging and their families. Three hours lecture.
NURS 4005 - Independent Health Care Study
1 to 3 credit hours
Prerequisites: Admission to the upper division of the nursing program and permission of instructor. Allows the student to pursue individual interests in nursing by contracting with an instructor and documenting the plan of learning as well as its fulfillment. One to three lectures or two to six laboratory hours. Pass/Fail.
NURS 4330 - Caring for Adult Clients II
4 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3530, NURS 3540, NURS 3550, NURS 3560, and NURS 3580. Corequisite: NURS 4340. Incorporates the nursing process and critical thinking skills into the professional nursing care of the adult client experiencing complex, multi-system illness, failure, and trauma. Opportunities for the nursing student to combine acquired knowledge from previous nursing courses and courses from other disciplines with new phenomena encountered in a variety of high acuity care settings. Four hours lecture.
NURS 4340 - Caring for Adult Clients II-Clinical
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3530, NURS 3540, NURS 3550, NURS 3560, and NURS 3580. Corequisite: NURS 4330. Opportunity for nursing students to integrate didactic and empirical knowledge and skills for clients with critical needs into the acute care setting. Understanding of complex, multi-system illness, failure, and trauma in providing nursing care. Approximately 18 hours clinical/lab for four weeks.
NURS 4370 - Caring for the Community as Client
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3530, NURS 3540, NURS 3550, NURS 3560, and NURS 3580. Opportunity for students to learn theoretical concepts and epidemiological principles related to health promotion and preventive services. Primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of prevention covered. Focuses on the work of an interdisciplinary health care team and concepts of nursing and public health when working with the individual, family, group, and community as client. Three hours lecture.
NURS 4380 - Community Clinical
2 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3530, NURS 3540, NURS 3550, NURS 3560, and NURS 3580. Corequisite: NURS 4370. Introduces students to clinical competencies and attributes required for the provision of care to clients and families with a community focus. Primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention explored along with the use of local, state, and federal resources. Total of 60-90 hours clinical/lab.
NURS 4390 - Health Care Research
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3530, NURS 3540, NURS 3550, NURS 3560, and NURS 3580. Explores the role of the professional nurse by utilizing systematic inquiry and analysis for problem solving and supporting evidence based practice for positive patient outcomes. Three hours lecture.
NURS 4570 - Professional Practice and Leadership
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 4330, NURS 4340, NURS 4370, NURS 4380, and NURS 4390. Opportunity for students to examine and evaluate theoretical concepts relating to leadership and management in nursing. The learning experiences emphasize the development of strategies that enhance leadership capabilities including decision-making, managing conflict, using power, and delegating. Three hours lecture.
NURS 4585 - Caring for Children and Teen Clients
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 4330, NURS 4340, NURS 4370, NURS 4380, and NURS 4390. Corequisite: NURS 4586. Incorporates the nursing process and critical thinking skills into the professional nursing care of children, adolescents, and their families. Explores the principles of growth and development and family-centered care. Three hours lecture.
NURS 4586 - Caring for Children and Teen Clients-Clinical
2 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 4330, NURS 4340, NURS 4370, NURS 4380, and NURS 4390. Corequisite: NURS 4585. Provides assistance in transferring knowledge to the implementation of nursing care of children, adolescents, teens, and their families in a variety of clinical settings. Total of 60 hours clinical/lab in a four-week period.
NURS 4590 - Capstone Clinical
5 or 6 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 3000, NURS 3010, NURS 3030, NURS 3040, NURS 3041, NURS 3042, NURS 3350, NURS 3360, NURS 3170, NURS 3380, NURS 3390, NURS 3530, NURS 3540, NURS 3550, NURS 3560, NURS 3580, NURS 4330, NURS 4340, NURS 4370, NURS 4380, NURS 4390. A clinical practicum, pairing senior nursing students with RN preceptors practicing in various fields of nursing within the community. Areas of experience may include clinics, acute and critical care settings, long-term care, and hospice or palliative care. Emphasis placed on development of critical thinking/clinical reasoning, leadership skills, and the transition of student into the role of the professional nurse. 150-180 hours clinical/lab.
Mission
The mission of Middle Tennessee State University School of Nursing is to provide excellence
in nursing education by preparing individuals to meet the dynamic and complex healthcare
needs of society. Through robust academic programs, the School of Nursing demonstrates
its commitment to the art and science of nursing.
Philosophy
The Middle Tennessee State University School of Nursing has established an operating
framework with five core competencies at the foundation. These are communication, critical thinking, personal and professional relationships, leadership and the nursing process. From this base, additional concepts emerge to provide interaction with persons, the environment, health, professional nursing and nurse education.
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Communication includes all interaction, verbal and nonverbal, that occurs with an individual or
the environment. Because communication is a complex process, education and experience
contribute to expanding an individual’s ability in this competence. Good communication
involves receiving as well as sending messages. It is essential in order for any of
the other competencies to be useful.
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Critical thinking encompasses all forms of analysis, creativity and reasoning. It is essential for
good decision-making. Although it involves some basic intuitive ability, critical
thinking skills can be taught. Since critical thinking can be taught, opportunities
for practice and improvement are available in a variety of settings. This skill is
a cornerstone without which the other core competencies would remain at a dangerously
superficial level.
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Personal and professional relationships are important factors in the operating framework because they are the context in which
the other competencies interact. Through the process of socialization, students learn
the professional role in formal and informal ways. Experiences can increase abilities
to interact with a large variety of individuals, thus enhancing relationship skills.
Competency in interpersonal relationships is crucial for successful goal attainment.
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Leadership is a dynamic process that includes technical skills in combination with the art of
nursing. Effective leaders demonstrate all other core competencies as they guide others
in the professional role. Adaptation to future trends in the healthcare system is
possible through skills in management that allow for control of both material and
human resources. The baccalaureate graduate is prepared to assume positions that require
this important core competency.
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The Nursing process is the vehicle that connects and applies all other competencies. It is the profession’s
method of problem solving and allows for consistent, creative and skillful care. Through
the nursing process, a team of concerned professionals meets individuals’ needs for
health and well-being.
All five of the core competencies must be present in order for an individual to demonstrate
competency in the art and science of nursing. Anyone missing a portion of this core
could not be a successful nursing professional. Together, the five core competencies
prepare individuals with the resources to operate in the healthcare arena knowing
that they possess appropriate skill to handle challenging situations. The combination
of communication, critical thinking, personal and professional relationships, leadership,
and the nursing process provide a broad base that stimulates ongoing knowledge and
skill acquisition.
The additional concepts encircle the core competencies and add further definition
and depth to the practice of nursing. Person, environment, health, professional nursing and nursing education contribute dimensions to the core competencies that clarify expectations of the practicing
nurse. All terms represent factors that the nurse encounters while delivering care.
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Every person is a unique and multifaceted individual. Persons live, work and play as individuals,
families, groups and communities. They are bio-psycho-social and spiritual beings
who represent the entire spectrum of cultural diversity. Nurses can administer care
for persons singly or in any configuration. Communication occurs with any of these
combinations, highlighting interpersonal relationships. Critical thinking is required
in order to plan care using the nursing process.
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The person interacts with the environment in an ongoing, continually changing cycle. In order to fully understand persons, their
environment must be examined. Again, use of the core competencies facilitates nurses’
ability to incorporate all environmental influence.
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Health is a continuum of wellness to illness. It is not merely the presence or absence of
disease, but includes all forms of life influencing factors. Persons, in connection
with their environment, strive for a place on the continuum of health that is realistic
and comfortable for them. Nurses act to assist each individual in this effort. Use
of all five core competencies is crucial in gaining the skill to allow optimal service
to all individuals, families and communities.
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Professional nursing is an art and a science. Courses are taken in a wide variety of disciplines to supplement
the knowledge gained from nursing courses. Not only do students acquire a broad knowledge
base, but also they learn to interact with a diverse group of team members.
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Nursing education takes place in environments of higher learning. It includes a variety of experiences
to assist students in gaining beginning competence in providing holistic care. Nursing
education includes courses from many disciplines. Courses in humanities, arts, sciences
and mathematics are eventually combined with nursing content to produce a well-rounded
individual capable of using communication and critical thinking in developing the
nursing process and accomplishing productive personal and professional relationships.
Major Concepts/Core Competencies
The core competencies were derived from concept identification and clarification exercise
with faculty in April 2001. It yielded five core competencies with sub-categories
identifying behaviors or characteristics for each sub-category. These are competencies
the graduate should demonstrate to fulfill the program outcomes.
- Communication
- Oral Skills
- Teaching
- Professional Interaction
- Therapeutic Communication
- Assertiveness
- Public Speaking
- Negotiation
- Written Skills
- Manuscript
- Technical Reports
- Composition
- Professional Correspondence
- Documentation
- Plans of Care
- Information Technology Skills
- Word Processing
- Web Searching
- Terminology
- Electronic Communication
- Navigation of the Web
- Database Management
- Critical Thinking
- Scientific Inquiry
- Research Dissemination
- Research Utilization
- Quality Improvement
- Critical Elements Identification
- Reflective Thinking
- Creativity
- Autonomy
- Self-expression
- Risk Taking
- Flexibility
- Leadership
- Personal
- Role Modeling
- Professional Accountability/Responsibility
- Lifelong Learning
- Coordinator of Care
- Team Member
- Clients/Patients
- Delegation
- Materials Management
- Accountability
- Appropriation
- Information Manager
- Human Resources
- Groups/Aggregates
- Workforce Manager
- Time Management
- Organization
- Nursing Process
- Assessment
- Analysis
- Planning
- Implementation
- Evaluation
- Personal and Professional Relationships
- Morality
- Socialization
- Spirituality
- Altruism
- Social Justice
- Values
- Quality of Life
- Ethics
- Integrity
- Human Dignity
- Code of Nurses
- Legality
- Nurse Practice Act
- Patient Rights
- Civil and /or Criminal Law
- Standards of Practice
- Cultural Care Competency
- Sensitivity
- Diversity
- Caring
- Empathy
- Empowerment
- Collegiality
- Compassion
- Respect
Definitions
- Accountability- Maintains inventory control systems
- Analysis- Examine and interpret data to make nursing judgements
- Appropriation- Judicious use of supplies
- Assessment- A deliberate and systematic collection of data
- Caring- Behavior that shows understanding and respect for another’s perceptions, feelings, needs
and desires
- Clients/Patients- Responsible for direct and indirect care of clients with multiple healthcare deficits
- Communication Skills- Exchange of ideas via a variety of formats
- Creativity- The procurement, reordering or identification of data to facilitate change
- Critical Thinking Skills- Utilizing skills of reasoning, analysis, research, or decision making relevant to
the discipline of nursing
- Cultural Competency- Awareness of a response to differences among people
- Delegation- Directly and indirectly supervises others
- Ethics- The study of suitable actions based on values and morals of society
- Evaluation- Continuous process essential to ensuring the quality and appropriateness of nursing
interventions
- Groups/Aggregates- Staffing, budgeting and FTE management
- Implementation- Putting a nursing plan into action
- Information Manager- Input/output data systems
- Leadership- Use of knowledge and skills to design coordinate and manage care of individuals within
a system
- Legality- Standards of behavior defined by law
- Lifelong Learning- Recognizes the need to expand knowledge base throughout one’s career
- Morality- Establishment and maintenance of standards of thinking and behaving
- Nursing Process- An orderly, logical, problem-solving approach to administer nursing care so that client’s
needs are met
- Oral Skills- Verbal and nonverbal communication
- Organization- Use problem solving to achieve multiple tasks
- Personal and Professional Relationships- Standards of behavior in the practice of nursing
- Planning- Develop a strategy that prescribes interventions to attain expected outcomes
- Professional Accountability/Responsibility- Ultimately answers for health care outcomes
- Role Modeling- Students will model professionalism
- Scientific Inquiry- Attainment, synthesis, and utilization of data
- Team Member- Practices with other healthcare professionals, including lesser skilled personnel,
i.e. unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP)
- Technology Skills- Utilization of technology to promote validation and exchange of information
- Writing Skills- Ability to communicate information in written format
- Workforce Manager- Line supervisor, i.e. charge nurse
Program Outcomes
Graduates of the baccalaureate program receive preparation designed to enable them
to:
- Develop professional knowledge and skills necessary to design coordinate, and lead
within the healthcare system
- Utilize the nursing process as a foundation for nursing practice
- Communicate in a variety of media to facilitate the exchange of ideas, knowledge,
and information
- Employ critical thinking abilities for personal and professional development and nursing
practice refinement
- Exhibit personal and professional development responsive to changes in nursing, healthcare, and
society
