Nursing (Pre-licensure BSN in School of Professional Studies)

Faculty

Nancie Bruce, Nursing Program Director
Danielle Artis, Assistant Professor
Karen Bartice, Assistant Professor
Jennifer Dahlman, Assistant Professor
Stephanie Denison, Clinical Coordinator
Janet Flynn, Assistant Professor
LaVerne Green, Assistant Professor
Denise Jarboe, Assistant Professor
Kathryn Mancusi, Assistant Professor
Denise McKain, Assistant Professor
Daphne Waite, Assistant Professor

Description

Designed for students just starting their studies in nursing, Trinity’s Pre-Licensure BSN Program combines the academic structure and clinical preparation necessary for a career in nursing. Students focus initially on liberal arts courses that provide a framework for their chosen major in nursing. The rigorous academic coursework in the nursing program then lays the foundation for a progressive mastery of the knowledge, skills, values, ethics, and abilities required of a professional nurse. Toward the end of the program, students will have ample opportunities to experience firsthand the rewards of nursing in numerous, closely supervised clinical settings. The culmination of the program is the successful completion of the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses, after which students are qualified to practice as licensed registered nurses.

Major Requirements

I. CORE CURRICULUM (37-38 credits)

Area I: Skills for Life and Work

  1. Writing (3 credits)
    1. ENGL 107 College Composition
  2. Communication (6 credits)
    1. COM 290 Public Speaking
    2. COM 225 Intercultural Communication OR SPAN 103 Spanish for the Workplace
  3. Numeracy (3 credits) – MATH 108 Finite Mathematics
  4. Information Literacy (3 credits) – INT 109 Information Literacy

Area II: Understanding the Self and Society

  1. Arts and Humanities (6 credits) – choose from existing list
  2. Social Sciences (6 credits)
    1. Psychology (PSYC 101 Introductory Psychology)
    2. Sociology (SOCY 100 Introduction to Sociology)
  3. Scientific Understanding (7-8 credits)
    1. BIOL 101 Introduction to Biology
    2. CHEM 113 Chemistry for the Health Sciences

Area III: Ethics and Moral Reasoning (3 credits)

  1. PHIL 251 Bioethics

II. PRE-NURSING COURSES (24 credits)

BIOL 121 Human Anatomy and Physiology I
BIOL 122 Human Anatomy and Physiology II
BIOL 130 Microbiology for the Health Professions
HPNU 110 Professional and Career Success in the Health Professions
HPNU 200 Nutrition, Diet Therapy, and Health Promotion
HPNU 210 Pathophysiology
MATH 110 Introduction to Statistics

III. NURSING-SPECIFIC DIDACTIC AND CLINICAL COURSES (49 credits)

NURS 220 Health Promotion, Policy and Politics in Nursing and Health Care
NURS 215 Pharmacology
NURS 330 Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice
NURS 350 Medical-Surgical Nursing I
NURS 350C Medical-Surgical Nursing I Clinical
NURS 360 Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing
NURS 360C Psychiatric and Mental Health Clinical
NURS 361 Medical-Surgical Nursing II
NURS 361C Medical-Surgical Nursing II Clinical
NURS 410 Leadership and Management of Health Care
NURS 420 Community and Public Health Nursing
NURS 420C Community and Public Health Clinical
NURS 460 Maternity and Newborn Nursing
NURS 460C Maternity and Newborn Nursing Clinical
NURS 461 Pediatric Nursing
NURS 461C Pediatric Clinical
NURS 480 Nursing of Older Adults
NURS 491 Senior Clinical Seminar
NURS 491C Senior Clinical Practicum
NURS 492 NCLEX Preparation

IV. ADDITIONAL NURSING SKILLS-RELATED COURSES (12 credits)

NURS 117 Foundations for Professional Nursing Practice
NURS 117L Foundational Skills for Nursing Practice
NURS 262 Introduction to Health Assessment
NURS 362 Comprehensive Nursing Health Assessment
NURS 362L Comprehensive Health Assessment Skill Lab
NURS 417L Comprehensive Nursing Skills

V. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA BOARD OF NURSING – REQUIRED UPPER-LEVEL GENERAL EDUCATION ELECTIVES (6 credits)

Program Policies

I. Acceptance into the BSN Nursing Program

Pre-licensure BSN students must be formally accepted into the Nursing Program before taking any course designated as a NURS course.

A. Acceptance Criteria:

Formal acceptance requires:

  1. Successful completion of ALL SPS Core Curriculum and Pre-Nursing courses with a grade of “C” or higher.
  2. Overall GPA of at least 2.5
  3. Satisfactory score on the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS)

Pre-licensure BSN students should direct any questions about the process for formal acceptance into the Nursing Program to their undergraduate advisor in the School of Professional Studies.

B. Application Process for Acceptance:

1. Students should apply early in the semester PRIOR to the semester of their projected acceptance date.

2. Students should take the TEAS within two years of applying to the nursing program.  Students may take the TEAS up to three times.

3. Students will be notified by the Nursing Program Director of the results of their application when all criteria for considering the application have been received and evaluated.

Questions regarding the application process, acceptance criteria, or TEAS should be directed to the Nursing Program Office (202.884.9670) or to the student’s undergraduate advisor.

II. Health Requirements*

  • Current physical examination
  • Current immunization records or titers
    • Tetanus/diptheria (TD booster within 10 years)
    • MMR – (two vaccines or a positive titer)
    • Varicella – (Chicken pox) – (two vaccines or a positive titer)
    • Hepatitis (series of 3 vaccines given in a 6 month period.  All 3 vaccines must be completed before students can participate in the clinical portion of the program.)
    • PPD (Tuberculosis skin test given within the last 6 months with followup chest X-ray if the skin test result is positive.  A new skin TB test must be completed annually once a student is accepted into the nursing program.)
    • Influenza (Annual)
  • Current major medical health insurance

NOTE: No student will be allowed to participate in clinical experiences unless and until these health requirements have been satisfied.

III. Other Requirements

  • Satisfactory results of a criminal background check – including all aliases and nationwide sexual offenders index with a set of fingerprints.  (Criminal background check is at the students’ expense and must be completed prior to the start of the clinical portion of the nursing program.)
  • Negative results on a drug screening test. (Drug screening test is at the students’ expense and must be completed prior to the start of the clinical portion of the nursing program.)
  • BLS/CPR certification for the Health Care Provider
  • Clinical agencies may have additional health or safety requirements which students are required to meet prior to receiving access to the clinical placement site

NOTE: No student will be allowed to participate in clinical experiences unless and until these other requirements have been satisfied.

IV. Transfer Policy

Students transferring to Trinity in or after Fall 2002 from another appropriately accredited institution of higher learning for a bachelor’s degree must earn a minimum of 45 of their final 60 credits through course work at Trinity, excluding credits for experiential learning. Therefore, students may transfer up to 83 credits to fulfill the pre-licensure BSN degree requirements of 128 credits.

V. Grades in Major Courses

Students are required to earn a grade of “C” (2.0) or better in all courses counted to fulfill requirements for the major.

VI. Pass/No Pass

The pass/no pass grading option is not accepted in pre-nursing or nursing courses.

VII. Transportation

Students are required to provide their own transportation to and from clinical sites. Trinity’s free shuttle service connects the Main campus with the Brookland metro station.

Course Descriptions

NOTE: Students must be formally accepted into the SPS Pre-Licensure Nursing Program before taking any course designated as a NURS course.

HPNU 110 Professional and Career Success in the Health Professions
HPNU 200 Nutrition, Diet Therapy, and Health Promotion
HPNU 210 Pathophysiology
NURS 117 Foundations for Professional Nursing Practice
NURS 117L Foundational Skills for Nursing Practice
NURS 215 Pharmacology
NURS 220 Health Promotion, Policy and Politics in Nursing and Health Care
NURS 262 Introduction to Health Assessment
NURS 330 Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice
NURS 350 Medical-Surgical Nursing I
NURS 350C Medical-Surgical Nursing I Clinical
NURS 360 Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing
NURS 360C Psychiatric and Mental Health Clinical
NURS 361 Medical-Surgical Nursing II
NURS 361C Medical-Surgical Nursing II Clinical
NURS 362 Comprehensive Nursing Health Assessment
NURS 362L Comprehensive Health Assessment Skill Lab
NURS 410 Leadership and Management of Health Care
NURS 417L Comprehensive Nursing Skills
NURS 420 Community and Public Health Nursing
NURS 420C Community and Public Health Clinical
NURS 460 Maternity and Newborn Nursing
NURS 460C Maternity and Newborn Nursing Clinical
NURS 461 Pediatric Nursing
NURS 461C Pediatric Clinical
NURS 480 Nursing of Older Adults
NURS 491 Senior Clinical Seminar
NURS 491C Senior Clinical Practicum
NURS 492 NCLEX Preparation