| Admission To The BSN Program | Nursing Major | Nursing Major |
| Course Offerings | Nursing Electives |

The mission of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program is derived from the institutional mission statement of the College. The mission of the Notre Dame College Nursing Program is to prepare a professional nurse who is responsive to the health needs of a diverse global society.

This mission is implemented through fostering personal, professional and social responsibility within the context of a values based faith environment. Liberal arts and the sciences serve as the foundation for the professional education and the development of core competencies. The baccalaureate nursing program provides unique opportunities for service to meet the health needs of society, especially the vulnerable and underserved. International educational opportunities are also integrated throughout the program to prepare students for practice in a rapidly changing global health care environment. The baccalaureate nursing program prepares individuals for practice in a variety of health care settings and serves as a foundation for further graduate education.

Tracks
Multiple entry levels for the program are designed to meet the needs of the lifelong learner. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program has two tracks. The Pre- Licensure track is designed to prepare the student to become a professional nurse. Upon completion of the program the graduate is eligible to take the National Council Licensing Exam (NCLEX-RN) to become a registered nurse.

The second track is the RN to BSN Post-Licensure track. This track is designed for the registered nurse (RN) who has a diploma in nursing or an Associate of Science degree with a major in nursing and who wants to complete their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.

Program Outcomes
Graduates of the BSN Program will:

1. Synthesize concepts and theories from the liberal arts, sciences and the discipline of nursing to promote the health and well being of individuals, groups, communities and populations.

2. Communicate effectively using oral, written and other forms of information technology.

3. Demonstrate competence in technological skills in professional nursing practice.

4. Apply critical thinking to evaluate alternatives and make decisions that affect the health and well-being of self and others.

5. Integrate personal and professional values to practice within the legal and ethical standards of the profession.

6. Respect human diversity in the provision of health care to populations of different gender, socioeconomic, religious or cultural traditions.

7. Demonstrate leadership and management in the delivery of health care within complex adaptive systems.

8. Support a commitment to lifelong learning for personal and professional development.

9. Use evidence-based practice in the provision of health care services for individuals, groups, communities and populations in a variety of settings.

10. Participate in political processes that influence the economic, legal and social direction of health care policies.

ADMISSION TO THE BSN PROGRAM

Nursing Program admission is open to all students who demonstrate that they have the intellectual ability, emotional stability and personal qualifications needed to be a professional nurse. Students wishing to apply to the BSN Program must first be admitted to the College. This is a separate application process conducted through the Admissions Office.

Prerequisites needed before students may apply for admission to the BSN Program include:
EN100/101 Basic Principles of Expository Writing (6 cr.) OR
EN 110 Advanced Composition: Expository Writing (3 cr.)
CH 106/107 Principles of Inorganic Chemistry/ Lab (4 cr.)
CH 116/117 Principles of Organic and Biological Chemistry/Lab (4 cr.)
MA110 Intermediate Algebra (3 cr.)
BI 204/BI 205 &
BI 206/BI 207 Human Anatomy & Physiology I & II/Lab (8 cr.)
PY 201 General Psychology (3 cr.)

The nursing application process is competitive with preference given to current Notre Dame students and graduates of the Notre Dame Associate of Health Sciences Program. Not all qualified students may be accepted into the program.

Current Notre Dame College students may apply to the Pre-Licensure track of the BSN program Spring semester for entry beginning the following academic year. Students applying to the nursing program must: 1.) have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 or higher (grades earned over 10 years ago will not be used to calculate the GPA), 2.) complete the course prerequisites for the nursing program with a grade of C or greater, 3.) submit ACT or SAT scores (students who have not taken SAT or ACT scores must take the Nursing Entrance Test (NET), 4.) submit a 1-2 page essay describing their personal/ professional goals, and 5.) meet physical capabilities of the program, as documented in the applicant’s physical exam from their health care provider.

Registered Nurse (RN) students in the Post-Licensure BSN completion track must also show evidence of graduation from a pre-professional nursing program accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) and evidence of unencumbered licensure as a registered nurse in the state of Ohio. RN students must meet the same requirements as traditional students in the generic track, with the exception of the ACT/SAT requirement.

Conditional acceptance for students in the Pre-Licensure track may be given for those students who are currently enrolled in nursing program prerequisites at the time of application, based on mid-term grades. All nursing course prerequisites must be completed with a grade of C or better and all other requirements must be met for full acceptance into the program. Students in the Pre- Licensure track will be notified of final acceptance into the program once grades are received for Spring semester and the cumulative GPA is determined. Students in the RN to BSN Post-Licensure track may be given provisional acceptance pending completion of nursing program prerequisites.

Physical capabilities required for applicants to the Nursing Program include (but are not limited to):

• Visual acuity with or without corrective lenses to read small print on medication labels and/or physician’s orders, calibrate equipment, perform physical assessment and recognize when a patient is in imminent danger.

• Hearing ability with or without auditory aids to understand the normal speaking voice without seeing the person’s face, hear emergency alarms, student/patient’s calls for help, call bells, and stethoscope sounds originating from body systems.

• Physical ability to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, pulling, pushing, stooping and kneeling.

• Ability to communicate effectively in verbal and written form.

• Manual dexterity and fine motor skills, including the ability to draw up medication in a syringe.

• Emotional stability to function in stressful situations and to accept personal responsibility and accountability for his/her actions.

Notre Dame College will make reasonable accommodations to assist a student with a disability to advance through the program.

Transfer and Advanced Standing
Faculty of the Notre Dame Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program will evaluate content of nursing courses to determine if the course is comparable to one offered in the Notre Dame Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program. Students may be asked to submit course syllabi or other evidence for evaluation of transfer credit. Nursing courses completed more than five years before admission may not transfer and may need to be repeated. Students may be required to take proficiency tests in identified subjects.

The transfer policy for students enrolled in the Notre Dame College Associate of Health Sciences Program that wish to transfer into the Notre Dame College Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program is provided in the BSN Student Handbook.

Transfer students must submit a nursing application to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program and must meet all prerequisites for entry into the Program. The best qualified applicants will be selected each year based on the number of seats available.

Any student admitted to the Nursing Program with advanced standing must meet current college and nursing program curriculum and graduation requirements at the time of admission to the program.

Grading
A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 is required for all students in the baccalaureate nursing program.

A minimum grade of “C” is required in the following pre-requisites and support courses for the nursing major: BI 204/205 Human Anatomy and Physiology I/Lab; BI 206/207 Human Anatomy and Physiology II/Lab; CH 106/107 Principles of Inorganic Chemistry; CH 116/117 Principles of Organic and Biological Chemistry; MA 110 Intermediate Algebra (or equivalent); EN 100/101 Basic Principles of Expository Writing or EN 110 Advanced Composition: Expository Writing; PY 201, General Psychology; SC 201, Introductory Sociology and BI 240/241, Microbiology/Lab.

A minimum grade of “C” is required for satisfactory completion of each nursing course. Students must achieve a minimum exam average of 73 percent in each nursing course and complete all course requirements, as specified in the syllabus, in order to satisfactorily pass the nursing course with a grade of “C” or greater.

If a nursing course has a clinical component, students must achieve a satisfactory rating in the clinical component, as well as meet all other course requirements, in order to successfully pass the course. Prerequisite courses, support courses and nursing courses may be repeated only once if a grade less than “C” is achieved.

Pre-Licensure Track Requirements
Prerequisites (25-28 Credits):
BI 204/205 Human Anatomy & Physiology I with Lab
BI 206/207 Human Anatomy & Physiology II with Lab
CH 106/107 Principles of Inorganic Chemistry with Lab
CH 116/117 Principles of Organic & Biological Chemistry with Lab
EN 100/101 Basic Principles of Expository Writing OR
EN 110 Advanced Expository Writing
PY 201 General Psychology
MA 110 Intermediate College Algebra

Support Courses (16 Credits):
BI 240/241 Introductory Microbiology with Lab
HP 215 Nutrition for Sports, Fitness & Health
MA 221 Statistics I
PY 251 Lifespan Development
SO 201 Introduction to Sociology

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NURSING MAJOR

61 Credits
NR 200 Health Assessment Across the Lifespan
NR 215 Foundations of Nursing I
NR 216 Foundations of Nursing II
NR 225 Pharmacology
NR 310 Evidence Based Practice
NR 320 Adult Nursing Practice
NR 330 Mental Health Nursing
NR 340 Family Nursing
NR 410 Health Care Policy in Complex Adaptive Systems
NR 420 Community/Populations Nursing Practice
NR 430 Nursing Care of Adults/Families with Complex Multisystem Health Alterations
NR 440 Professional Issues
NR 450 Gerontology
NR 460 Health Care Leadership/Management
NR 461 Professional Practicum

Nursing Elective (3 Credits), Choose one:
NR 470/471 Complementary/Alternative Health
NR 472/473 Selected Topics in Nursing NR
474/475 International Nursing in a Developing Country

Post-Licensure RN to BSN Requirements:
A Registered Nurse (RN) student who is a graduate of a nursing program accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) will receive a minimum of 31 semester credits for previous nursing courses. These credits will be awarded upon completion of the NR 300 Professional Transitions course.

RN students who submit evidence of current certification in critical care from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses or who have certification in emergency nursing from the Emergency Nurses Association may obtain credit by examination for NR 430 Nursing Care of Adults/Families with Complex Health Alterations. This credit will be applied upon completion of the program.

Prerequisites (25-28 Credits):
BI 204/205 Human Anatomy & Physiology I with Lab
BI 206/207 Human Anatomy & Physiology II with Lab
CH 106/107 Principles of Inorganic Chemistry with Lab
CH 116/117 Principles of Organic & Biological Chemistry with Lab
EN 100/101 Basic Principles of Expository Writing
OR
EN 110 Advanced Expository Writing
PY 201 General Psychology
MA 110 Intermediate College Algebra

Support Courses (16 Credits):
BI 240/241 Introductory Microbiology with Lab
HP 215 Nutrition for Sports, Fitness & Health
MA 221 Statistics I
PY 251 Lifespan Development

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NURSING MAJOR

30 Credits
NR 200 Health Assessment Across the Lifespan
NR 300 Professional Transitions
NR 310 Evidence Based Practice
NR 410 Health Care Policy in Complex Adaptive Systems
NR 420 Community/Populations Nursing Practice
NR 430 Nursing Care of Adults/Families with Complex Multisystem Health Alterations
NR 450 Gerontology
NR 460 Health Care Leadership/Management

Nursing Elective (2-3 Credits), Choose one:
NR 470/471 Complementary/Alternative Health
NR 472/473 Selected Topics in Nursing
NR 474/475 International Nursing in a Developing Country

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