The Department of Nursing at SCSU is nationally accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and is approved by the South Carolina State Board of Nursing. There are three curriculum plans/tracks for students interested in pursuing a career in nursing. The pre-licensure/generic curriculum plan is for students without a nursing background. The LPN – BSN plan is for individuals who have already completed an approved practical nurse program and are licensed to practice as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). The RN – BSN plan is for RNs who have completed a Diploma or Associate Degree program for RNs and now wish to obtain the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. Students who graduate from the Program of Nursing will obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. Pre-licensure/generic and LPN to RN graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). The generic BSN program, including the LPN to BSN program, will undergo voluntary closure on December 31, 2014. The RN-BSN program will remain active. MISSION
The mission of the Department of Nursing is to prepare and graduate baccalaureate nurses who are capable of exercising independent professional judgments in the delivery of safe, cost effective and compassionate care while promoting the care management and care integration in families, groups, and communities across settings. Graduates are expected to respond to changing and emerging societal needs and to advocate for quality healthcare diverse and vulnerable populations. Inherent in the professional role is a commitment to evidenced based practice, community service and continuous personal and professional development. The Department of Nursing faculty recruits students from diverse populations who are committed to eliminating health disparities and address the educational needs of the rural community as espoused by the university’s 1890 land-grant commitment. The Department of Nursing at SCSU is nationally accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and by the South Carolina State Board of Nursing.
VISION
The Department of Nursing is committed to a trajectory that includes becoming the leading student centered, evidence based academic unit on campus, advancing nursing education, practice, research and community service. We additionally envision in the near future being among the leading programs of nursing in HBCU’s, attracting a top tier of faculty, teaching low income, but highly capable students and producing sufficient numbers of highly skilled, competent, economically and socially aware graduates to reverse the health disparities in South Carolina, the Nation and around the Globe.
GOALS
The Department of Nursing seeks to:
1. Prepare quality nurse generalists who have the capability to serve as providers and Coordinators of nursing care and who are members of the profession.
2. Recruit, retain and graduate members of minority, low income and diverse group of students who are committed to lifelong learning, including formal graduate education.
3. Implement and enhance collaborative relationships between the Program of Nursing and local, state and national agencies/ organizations for the benefit of student learning and improved
health outcomes for clients. PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the completion of the SC State Department of Nursing, graduates will be able to:
1. Integrate liberal education core and bio-psycho-socio-cultural- spiritual theories and models to implement the nursing process in partnership with individual clients, families, groups and global populations,
2. Evidence client centered care with use of critical thinking capabilities, information systems, research and technology to identify and apply innovative decision making for effective professional performance,
3. Use communication processes to increase knowledge and behavioral change among clients and client systems about the nature of health problems, avenues for interventions and maintenance of self-care,
4. Collaborate with clients, family and other health care professionals to formulate goals, develop the plan of care based upon scientific knowledge, implement the plan of care to include critical thinking and psychomotor skills, and determine the effectiveness of the outcomes of the plan of care, 5. Utilize effective leadership behaviors and cultural competency
skills to promote health, eliminate health disparities and improve client quality of life for diverse clients in a variety of settings,
6. Demonstrate professional values and behaviors such as caring, reliability, accountability, integrity, altruism, autonomy, human dignity and social justice in implementing the ANA Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice derived from the discipline of nursing,
7. Indicate increased capacity for critical thinking as determined on nursing care plans, problem oriented clinical simulations, success on benchmarked examinations, and on the NCLEX- RN,
8. Indicate the belief that an appreciable increase in personal and professional development as well as program satisfaction has occurred during the nursing education process.
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS 1. Entering Freshmen
Freshmen who meet the requirements for S C State University may declare nursing as a major and enroll in required pre- nursing courses. Students who have successfully completed pre-nursing courses may apply to the Nursing Program for acceptance into the nursing major. The student’s academic performance is evaluated and preference for admission into the nursing major is given to those with the strongest academic background. No new freshmen will be permitted to declare nursing as a major or enroll in required pre-nursing courses effective Fall Semester 2012. The generic BSN program, including the LPN to BSN component, will undergo voluntary closure effective December 31, 2014. “The RN- BSN program will remain active.”
2. Acceptance Into the Nursing Major *
The minimal requirements for acceptance into the nursing major are:
90
a. Cumulative GPA of 2.8 in all university work.
b. Successful completion of all courses required by the department.
c. A grade of “C” or better in all natural science and mathematics courses.
* Students with the highest GPA and students who have not repeated science courses will be given priority.
d. No new students will e accepted into the nursing major, Upper Division, as of Fall semester 2012.
e. The generic BSN program is scheduled for voluntary closure on December 31, 2014.
3. Progression Within the Nursing Major
The minimal requirements for a student to progress within the nursing major are:
a. Cumulative GPA of 2.8 in all university work. b. A grade of “80” or better in all nursing courses. c. Adherence to the repetition requirements.
d. Successful completion of all nursing courses before enrolling in final semester coursework.
4. Repetition Policy
a. A student who makes a C, D, or F may repeat one nursing course to improve the grade to a “B. Failure to obtain a B or better in repeated courses will result in dismissal from the nursing major. Students who make a C, D or F in an upper division nursing course may not progress to the next semester.
b. A student may repeat one natural science course and one mathematics course once to improve the grade to a “C” or better. Failure to obtain a grade of C or better in a math or science course will result in inability to progress to the upper division major.
c. Students who make a total of two failing grades (C, D or F) in upper division courses will be dismissed from the nursing major.
5. Grading for Nursing Courses:
*Nursing courses require a passing grade of at least “B” in theory and in the clinical. Failure in either component will require repetition of both since theory and clinical are important integrated entities.
6. Other Requirements
a. All students must show and maintain current proof of liability insurance and CPR certification before progressing in clinical nursing courses.
b. Before entering the clinical nursing courses, students must have a health record in the student health center, showing proof of current HBV immunization, physical examination, and PPD which are reviewed.
c. Students must provide for their own transportation to classes and clinical agencies. The University does not reimburse for mileage to clinical agencies.
d. Students may have to attend clinical rotations in the evening and/or weekend.
e. At the completion of each course, students are required to take the appropriate ATT Achievement examinations. Any student not achieving at the appropriate percentile will be required to
complete enhancement work before progressing to the next semester nursing courses.
f. A student withdrawing from the program for more than one semester must petition for readmission.
g. A student convicted of a crime must inform the Director of the Program of Nursing. Conviction of a crime (other than a minor traffic violation) could make a person ineligible to take the licensing exam.
Readmission Policy
Students who are in good standing but have not returned after one or more semesters (summer excluded) must file an application for a readmission with the University. Additionally, an application for readmission to the nursing major must be completed and returned 90 days prior to the semester of readmission. Forms may be obtained from the Department of Nursing or the admissions office.
Readmission after Voluntary Withdrawal
a. The Department of Nursing Admission’s Committee will act upon all requests for readmission. Readmission to the Program is not automatic.
b. A student who withdraws voluntarily should submit a new application for admission to the Program of Nursing. The new application should include a typewritten letter stating the circumstance that resulted in the students withdrawing from the program and reason(s) that readmission to the program is justified.
Readmission after Non-Voluntary Withdrawal
A student who is dismissed for academic failure (failed two nursing courses) may be evaluated for readmission under the following circumstances.
a. Be un-enrolled in the Program of Nursing for 12 months post dismissal.
b. Make a formal (re) application to the Program
c. At the time of reapplication, submit a statement that addresses the reason(s) for the failure, outlines what the student has done to ensure success in the Program and why the student should be readmitted. The statement must be written by the student.
d. Have a personal interview with the Student Affairs Committee. In addition, the Student Affairs Committee will review the student’s complete record, including all clinical evaluations and interview faculty from courses in which the student had difficulty before a decision for readmission is made.
e. Readmission to the Program is not guaranteed. Policy for Transfer Student Admission
Transfer students (including LPN to RN and RN to BSN students) from accredited universities/colleges must meet the following criteria to be considered for admissions into the Upper Division Nursing Program.
a. A grade of C or better in all transferred general education, physical and biological sciences and math courses required to complete BSN degree curriculum requirements. B. Cumulative GPA of 2.8. b. Nursing courses taken at other institutions are to be completed
with a grade of “B” or better (indicated on the transcript) to be considered for transfer.
c. The Program of Nursing Director makes recommendations and collaborates with the registrar for acceptance/transferability of
91 nursing courses.
d. Additionally, see the SC State University Undergraduate Catalog “Transfer to Credit” policy section.
e. As of the Fall of 2012, no new students will be accepted for transder into the generic nursing program, including LPN to BSN students. The generic BSN program is scheduled for voluntary closure on December 31, 2014. The RN to BSN program will remain active. THE CURRICULUM OFFERINGS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF NURSING
Nursing offers a three track program leading to a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing.
a. Pre-Licensure
b. LPN – BSN
c. RN – BSN
The generic BSN program and the LPN to BSN component shall undergo voluntary closure on December 31, 2014. The RN to BSN component will remain active.