Nursing (B.S.N.)

Faculty

Carrie O’Reilly, RN, MSN, PhD, Program Director; Associate Professor of Practice, Nursing
Nephtalie Perrin, RN, MSN, CNM, Director of the Simulation Laboratory, Assistant Professor of Nursing
Keisha Rollins-Monroe, RN, PhD, Conway Scholar Mentor and Assistant Professor of Nursing
Ellen Gustafson, DPT, Assistant Professor of Anatomy and Physiology
Khafi Muhammad, RN, MSN, Assistant Professor of Nursing
Sheila Spurlock-White, RN, PhD, Assistant Professor of Nursing
Jennifer Wallace, RN, MSN, Assistant Professor of Nursing

Description

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. When pre-nursing students are in their final semester of completing prerequisite nursing courses, they are eligible to submit an application for formal acceptance into the nursing program. 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. Students will have ample opportunities to experience firsthand the rewards of nursing in numerous closely supervised clinical settings. Upon successful completion of the program, graduates are eligible to apply for licensure as a registered nurse. Graduates must pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) to practice as licensed registered nurses.

Major Requirements

I. CAS General Education Requirements

Foundational Skills (24 credits)

• Critical Reading (7 credits) CRS 101 Critical Reading and Writing Seminar IThis course strengthens critical reading and academic writing skills through engagement with liberal arts texts with a focus on "Discovering your strength" as a Trinity woman. The ability to comprehend and write about arguments in academic texts is essential for success in all liberal arts courses and in lifelong learning. Students will develop the ability to identify a text's main argument and the evidence used to support that argument. Students will also reflect comprehension by accurately and clearly paraphrasing and summarizing texts' arguments. Students will also use annotation and argumentation strategies to respond to liberal arts texts with their own ideas.
  
  All students will be expected to work toward the following learning goals:
  Explore and develop values, especially those relating to social justice, race, and gender, through the study of and response to a variety of academic texts;
  Develop confidence as readers and writers;
  Actively read, summarize, and analyze texts;
  Articulate and support an argument;
  Write clearly, logically, and with attention to audience;
  Formerly CRS 101 - Critical Reading Seminar.
  
  4 credits
  Prerequisitea: None. and CRS 102 Critical Reading and Writing Seminar IIThis course further develops the critical reading and academic writing skills addressed in CRS 101 through engagement with texts in a particular academic discipline. Students will choose a CRS 102 course that addresses an interesting, meaningful or important disciplinary question, and build reading and writing skills through close readings and written responses to the assigned texts. CRS 102 courses are offered on a variety of academic topics, and students choose the one that is most compelling to them.
  All students will be expected to work toward the following learning goals:
  -Describe and apply comprehension strategies
  -Summarize textual ideas accurately and in their own words
  -Compare, contrast and organize textual ideas and arguments into writing
  -Apply revision and editing strategies to writing
  -Acknowledge sources according to disciplinary conventions
  -Locate, differentiate between and evaluate the credibility of academic sources
  
  Formerly CRS 102 - CRS: Prof & Career Success in the Health Professions.
  
  3 credits
  Prerequisite: CRS 101.
  This course is usually taken simultaneously with English 107.
• Written Communication (3 credits or waived by assessment placement) ENGL 107 College CompositionDevelops effective writing of evidence-based, thesis-centered academic essays. Emphasizes the research and documentation skills necessary for successful academic writing. Focuses on argumentative essays that build to a substantive research paper. Formerly ENG 107 College Composition.
  3 credits
  General Education: Foundational Skills Area
  FLC Area I Core Area I: Skills for Work and Life
• Oral Communication (5 credits) NURS 360 Psychiatric and Mental Health NursingThis course focuses on the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for nursing care of clients with mental health disorders. Using an integrative approach, course content is based on the biological, psychological, and ethnocultural aspects of behavior disorders. Emphasis is on the therapeutic use of self with individuals, families and groups. This course contains a clinical component which is PASS/FAIL. Students must demonstrate competency (delivery of safe and competent patient care with a score of Satisfactory) for clinical competencies to achieve a PASS grade for the clinical portion of the course. Failure to achieve a passing grade constitutes a failure of the course.
  5 credits (3/2)
  Prerequisite(s) : All Junior Level Nursing Courses and NURS 361, NURS 410, NURS 461, and NURS 405 or Departmental Approval
• Critical Reasoning (5 credits required) NURS 117 Foundations for Professional Nursing PracticeThis course introduces basic concepts, values and nursing skills required for nursing care across the life span. An emphasis is placed on critical thinking, communication skills and the nursing process as the underlying foundation for professional nursing practice in health care settings.
  This course contains a laboratory and clinical component which are PASS/FAIL. Students must demonstrate competency (delivery of safe and competent patient care with a score of Satisfactory) in order to achieve a PASS grade for the laboratory and clinical portions of the course. Failure to achieve a passing grade constitutes a failure of the course.
  6 credits (4/1/1)
  Prerequisites: Admission to the Nursing Program. General Education: Foundational Skills (Nursing students only)
• Quantitative Reasoning (4 credits) MATH 108 Finite MathematicsThis is a quantitative literacy and reasoning course designed for education majors and those students intending to study nursing and other allied health fields. Topics include: problem solving, set theory, logic, algebra, and measurement; including unit conversions and dimensional analysis. Additional topics include functions, graphs, systems of equations and inequalities, as well as probability and statistics. Real-world applications will be emphasized throughout the course. Formerly MATH 108 and MAT 108 Elementary Mathematical Modeling.
  4 credits
  Prerequisites: None
  General Education Area: Foundational Skills or higher

Knowledge and Inquiry (29 credits)

• Social Sciences (complete 6 credits in 2 different disciplines)
  • Psychology PSYC 101 Introductory PsychologyIntroduces the student to the scientific study of the mind and behavior. All major sub-areas of psychology (social, developmental, clinical, physiological, motivation and emotion, sensation and perception) are explored, as well as the major theoretical perspectives (behavioral, cognitive, psychoanalytic, and humanistic). Formerly PSY 121 Introductory Psychology.
    3 credits
    General Education Curriculum: Knowledge and Inquiry Area
    FLC Area V
    Core: Area II
  • Sociology SOCY 100 Introduction to SociologyIntroduces students to the science of sociology and prepares students for upper-level social science course work. Formerly SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology.
    3 credits
    General Education Curriculum: Knowledge and Inquiry Area
    FLC Area V
    Core Area II: Understanding the Self and Society
• Sciences and Mathematics (complete 7-8 credits, of which one course must be in laboratory science)
  • Biology BIOL 121 Human Anatomy and Physiology IA systematic approach to the study of the human body. The first part of this year -long course emphasizes the tissues, the integumentary system, the bones and skeletal tissue, muscles and muscle tissue, and the nervous system. Students have the opportunity to apply concepts discussed during the lecture portion of the class to clinical questions presented throughout the semester. Three hours of laboratory per week. Does not fulfill Biology major requirement. There is an additional laboratory fee.
    4 credits
    Pre-/Co-requisite: MATH 102, MATH 108 or MATH 109.
    Pre-requisite: BIOL 101 (SPS); pass BIOL 101 with a C or better or placement test score (CAS).
    General Education: Knowledge and Inquiry Area.
  • Chemistry CHEM 113 Chemistry for the Health SciencesIntroduces students to basic concepts in chemistry, including the nature of matter, chemical reactions, stoichiometry, solutions, principles of organic chemistry, and the chemistry of the most important biomolecules. The course also introduces students to the proper use of basic laboratory equipment as well as basic laboratory techniques. Lab experiments are designed to provide the student with the tools to understand connections between theory and results found in the lab.
    4 credits
    General Education Requirements: Knowledge and Inquiry (Science and Mathematics)
    Prerequisites: MATH 108
• History, Arts, and Literature (9 credits) Complete one course in each discipline.
  • History: AFST 200 Intro to Africana StudiesExplores the academic field of Africana Studies, including an intellectual genealogy of the discipline and introduction to the major concepts, methods, terms, and techniques used in thinking about the Africana experience through time and space. Follows a narrative progression of the Africana experience beginning with the origin of humanity and spanning human history; the African experience in the U.S. is a tiny fraction of that larger historical arc (one that has unfortunately framed the study of Africana in general). Moves beyond this debilitating circumstance to build knowledge incrementally using discussion and interpretation of evidence through disciplinary lenses; assigned texts provide evidentiary anchors and interpretive frames for discussion.
    3 Credits
    Prerequisites: None; HIS 128 Creation of the Atlantic WorldExamines the contacts and interactions that shaped the culture and history of the ?Atlantic World?, the vast pathway linking Africa, the Americas, and Europe after Europeans crossed the ocean in the 15th century. Tells the story of the peoples who moved across the Atlantic and the ideas, texts, goods, and microbes they carried - all of which changed the course of human history. Explores cultural collisions between Africans, Indigenous populations, and Europeans while examining the early political, cultural, and economic development of Africa, South America, the Caribbean basin, Canada, and the United States.
    3 credits
    General Education: Knowledge and Inquiry Area
    FLC Area II, History Cluster, HIS 130 Introduction to American CivilizationsExplores the major themes that have shaped the American experience from the Colonial period to 1890. Topics include the Age of Exploration and Discovery, the American Revolution, the causes of the Civil War, and industrialization and urbanization.
    3 credits
    General Education Curriculum: Knowledge and Inquiry
    FLC Area II, History Cluster, HIS 132 Twentieth Century United StatesIntroduces the critical issues of 20th-century United States, including the transition to a post-industrial society, the challenge of the Civil Rights and feminist movements, the development of the modern welfare state, and the consequences of the United States' role as a global superpower.
    3 credits
    Core Area II: Understanding Self and Society
    General Education: Knowledge & Inquiry, HIS 138 The African DiasporaExplores the collective historical and contemporary experiences of the African Diaspora. Examine the social, cultural and political relationships between Black communities, knowledge, and movements across the Diaspora. Examines the interwoven concepts of memory, culture and resistance, and span themes such as consciousness of Africa; the Haitian Revolution and resistance to slavery; African cultural transformation in the Americas; maroonage; Garvey and the UNIA; pan-African movements and global liberation struggles; women and resistance; Black Power, and issues of identity and race. Explore primary sources, historical terminology and themes and practices of the African Diaspora. Introduces students to major scholars of the African Diaspora through readings, films, group projects, and guest lectures.
    3 credits
    Core Area II: Understanding Self and Society
    General Education: Knowledge and Inquiry, HIS 238 Washington, DC: People/PlacesExperience Unlimited: The Cultural Politics of Washington, DC. This interdisciplinary course introduces the cultural history of Washington, DC., tracing the city?s growth from slave trade center to becoming the nation?s first-majority black city in the late 1960s. Considers how the 1968 race riots, political battles for statehood, drug war of the 1980s-1990s, gentrification and immigration transformed the Capital from ?Chocolate City? to cosmopolitan status. Assesses impacts of local issues of class inequality, crime, education, LGBTQ rights; compares the city?s transformation with adjacent communities in the broader DMV. Explores significant DC landmarks, neighborhoods, museums, embassies, churches, individuals, sports teams, and cultural expressions such as Go-Go music, cuisines (mumbo sauce), and fashions. Also emphasizes critical inquiry about one?s environment, data collection and analysis, and communicating results. 3 credits General Education: Knowledge and Inquiry Area FLC Area II, History Cluster, HIS 241 US to1865: America Comes of AgeIntroduces the history of the United States from pre-Columbian times to 1865. Covers topics such as the Columbian exchange, European colonization of the New World, trans-Atlanticslavery, the causes and consequences of the US War of Independence, the negotiation of the US constitution, industrialization, women?s rights, the family, westward expansion, slave rebellions, the evolution of sectional conflict, and the US Civil War.
    3 credits, HIS 242 Civil War to SuperpowerStudies the growth and development of the United States in the years after the U.S. Civil War. Explores American industrialization and urbanization and the growing wealth, gender, and racial inequality after 1865. Deals with major historical conflicts involving economic, political, social, racial & gender issues such as women winning the vote, Prohibition, the Great Depression, the African-American experience during WWII and the Civil Rights era. Explores political changes between the 1960s and 1980s and looks at U.S. actions in the world as it rises to superpower status after WWII. Examines how various people, ideas, and events influenced the development of the United States after 1865. *3 credits
  • Fine Arts: FNAR 101 Survey: History of Art IExamines the development of painting, sculpture, and architecture from prehistoric times to the end of the Middle Ages. It is recommended that the two survey courses (101 and 102) be taken before advanced courses and, if possible, in chronological order. Formerly ART 101 Survey: History of Art I.
    3 credits
    General Education: Knowledge and Inquiry Area
    FLC Area II
    Core Area II: Understanding Self and Society, FNAR 102 Survey: History of Art IISurveys the development of painting, sculpture, and architecture from the Renaissance to the present. Formerly ART 102 Survey: History of Art II.
    3 credits
    General Education: Knowledge and Inquiry Area
    FLC Area II
    Core Area II: Understanding Self and Society, FNAR 103 African American Art IAfrican American Art I is a survey course that will begin in pre-colonial slave trade West Africa, considering the visual culture and creativity of the peoples who would, through an unjust forced labor system, become the first African Americans. Topics and movements will include, but are not limited to: Slavery and the Antebellum South, Life after Emancipation, The Harlem Renaissance and The Jim Crow Era. This course will explore questions of representation and inclusion, and will investigate the many historical, cultural, social and political factors that have influenced African American creativity and art making from approximately 1492 to 1945., FNAR 104 African American Art IIAfrican American Art II is a survey course that will continue a chronological examination of the visual culture and creativity of African American artists, beginning with The Civil Rights Movement, The Black Power Movement, Modernism, Post-modernism, and Contemporary art movements. This course will explore questions of representation and inclusion, and will investigate the many historical, cultural, social and political factors that have influenced African American creativity and art making from approximately 1945 to 2015., FNAR 241 Experiencing Musical ArtExamines the way that music exists within cultures. The course explores musical elements such as melody, harmony, rhythm, and texture as they are experienced in rituals, religious and healing ceremonies, dancing, and performance in the United States and around the world. No prior experience in music is required for this course. Formerly MUS 201 Experiencing Musical Art.
    3 credits
    General Education: Applications Area
    FLC Area II, FNAR 243 Blues, Jazz, Gospel, and RagtimeTraces the origin and development of styles and major forces that shaped American music from the late 19th century to the present. Topics include work songs and field "hollas," revival and camp meeting hymns, bebop and "cool" jazz, along with new rhythms, harmonies, and "blue" notes. This course requires attendance at live performances, written listening assignments and extensive oral presentations. Formerly MUS 226 Blues, Jazz, Gospel and Ragtime.
    3 credits
    General Education: Knowledge and Inquiry Area
    FLC Area II, FNAR 247 Women in Music HistoryExplores the history of women in music from the Middle Ages through the 20th century. The course includes reading in primary sources and study of recent research on women as performers, composers, publishers, producers, educators, and patronesses. Students explore both recorded and live performances of music by women. Formerly MUS 252 Women in Music History.
    3 credits
    General Education: Knowledge and Inquiry Area
    FLC Area II, FNAR 253 Music and Social ChangeExplores how music is inextricably woven into the cultural and social fabric of resistance movements.
    3 Credits
    Prerequisites: None, FNAR 310 Culture: Hip Hop NYC to WorldTraces the evolution of hip-hop to its current status as a global phenomenon influencing the arts, business, the classroom, the church, legal systems, political protests, foreign diplomacy, and more. Uses hip-hop?s lens to discuss historical and contemporary themes of race, class, gender, religions, sexuality, nationality, politics and social activism, multiculturalism, multilingualism, migrations, appropriation and defense of spaces, and the search for self-identity. After a careful analysis of hip-hop?s evolution from 1970?s NYC Black/Latinx underground cultures to the present, follows hip-hop?s journey across the globe to Brazil, Canada, Cuba, France, Japan, the Middle East, and West Africa.
    3 Credits
    Prerequisites: None, FNAR 311 Nineteenth Century ArtExplores the painting, sculpture and architecture in Europe from the end of the 18th Century through the 1880s. Movements such as Romanticism and Impressionism are among those covered. Formerly ART 471 Nineteenth Century Art.
    3 credits
    Prerequisites: None
    General Education: Knowledge and Inquiry, FNAR 313 Art of the AmericasExamines the art of the Americas and considers influences of Europe, Africa, and American Indigenous civilizations. Includes the visual heritage of indigenous cultures and explores the impact and legacy of migration, ethnicity, and colonization in the art world.
    3 Credits
    Prerequisites: None; FNAR 315 Twentieth Century ArtSurveys the movements in painting, sculpture, and architecture in the period from 1900-1945. Formerly ART 481 Twentieth Century Art.
    3 credits
    General Education: Knowledge and Inquiry; FNAR 317 Contemporary ArtExplores the major developments in art since 1945 with an emphasis on painting and sculpture. The nature of art and prominent ethical questions which arose during this period are also discussed. Formerly ART 381 Contemporary Art.
    3 credits
    FLC Seminar II
    General Education Requirements: Capstone Seminar; FNAR 321 Women ArtistsExamines the history of women in the arts from the Middle Ages to the present day and the social conditions which influenced their art. Artists included are: A. Gentileschi, Mary Cassatt, Berthe Morisot, Georgia O'Keeffe, Judy Chicago and others.
    3 credits
    General Education Capstone Seminar
  • Literature: ENGL 214 Major United States Writers IStudies varied major works and authors from the earliest US writing through the late nineteenth century. Formerly ENG 251 American Literature I.
    3 credits
    General Education: Knowledge & Inquiry, ENGL 215 Major United States Writers IIStudies major US literary works in a variety of genres from the late 1800s to the present, including poetry, fiction, and drama. Formerly ENG 252 American Literature II.
    3 credits, ENGL 220 African American LiteratureThis course introduces students to the study of African American literature, including the vernacular tradition, the New Negro Renaissance of the early twentieth century, periods of realism and modernism in the late 1940s and early 1960s, the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s, and newer voices at the end of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century. Students will practice literary analysis and study the literary techniques and genres belonging to this literature, as well as the ways in which the texts attempt to reinvent, disrupt, or challenge traditional European/North American literary traditions and criticisms. Many of the texts will engage the meaning of race, the forced migration of Africans to the Americas, racism and black resistance to it, institutionalized enslavement and strategies for survival, economic oppression, the celebration of blackness, and the literary achievements of black authors. Biographical, historical, and political contexts will be examined as ways to enrich the reading of the texts.
    3 credits
    General Education Requirement: Knowledge and Inquiry, ENGL 230 Writing About LiteratureIntroduces the study of literature; engages critical reading, analysis and discussion, founding argument on close textual reading, and the development and writing of thesis-centered essays about literature. Also covers literary criticism and theory, research methods, and documentation techniques. Formerly ENGL 150
    
    General Education: Knowledge and Inquiry.
    3 Credits
    Prerequisites: None, ENGL 267 Multicultural United States LiteratureExamines largely contemporary writings by writers representing the diverse cultures in the US with a consideration of the ways in which difference or "the other" may be constructed. Formerly ENG 200 Multicultural US Literature.
    3 credits
    General Education Requirement: Knowledge and Inquiry
    Core Area II: Understanding the Self and Society, ENGL 271 Literature of the African DiasporaIntroduces students to the study of literature written by authors of African descent in Europe and the Americas and explores the development of an international and multicultural consciousness with Africa and the Diaspora as its referents. Formerly ENG 204 Literature of the African Diaspora.
    3 credits
    Prerequisites: None
    General Education Requirement: Knowledge and Inquiry, ENGL 276 US Crime LiteratureA survey of highlights of the crime genre from detective fiction and the fugitive story to Capote?s ?nonfiction novel? and the contemporary literary thriller. In these fictions, we find insight into the psychology and sociology of crime and policing, as well as the continuous redefinition of the boundaries of society and law.
    *3 credits, ENGL 280 Literature of Sickness & HealthThis course explores literature (fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and/or film) associated with illness and health. Students will consider how this literature influences the way we talk about and understand illness and related topics. For those in health care, such study can provide another way of viewing and discussing their field. Texts may include specific short-term, chronic, or terminal illnesses; mental illness; addiction; disability; the difficulty of healing from illness; and dealing with grief when healing doesn't come.
    
    Recommended for, but not limited to, students in nursing and other health-related fields.
    
    Gen Ed Knowledge and Inquiry Requirement, ENGL 283 Stories and Their WritersIntroduces the study of prose fiction, both classic and contemporary, in its multicultural contexts, with attention to form, theme, major figures, and historical contexts and influences. Formerly ENG 205 Stories and Their Writers.
    3 credits
    General Education: Knowledge and Inquiry, ENGL 373 African American Women WritersExamines the history and images of African Americans, especially women, in selected works by African American women writers ranging from Zora Neale Hurston to Toni Morrison. Formerly ENG 363 African American Women Writers.
    3 credits; SPAN 213 Latina VoicesFosters awareness and understanding among women of the Americas, their different cultures and traditions as told through their own stories. Students will also reach a better understanding of the ethnic and racial diversity that characterizes the whole American continent including the United States, thus becoming more able to participate in a multicultural environment, both in the labor force and in their personal lives. Readings and discussions will be in English. Native speakers of Spanish may choose to do written assignments in Spanish. Formerly SPA 210 Latina Voices.
    3 credits
    FLC II
    General Education Requirements: Knowledge and Inquiry
• Foreign Language (6 credits)

Values and Belief (6 credits)

• Religious Studies (3 credits)
• Philosophy (3 credits) PHIL 251 BioethicsExamines the legal and moral issues in areas dealing with the biology of human health and development, for example, experimentation on human subjects, organ transplants, euthanasia, abortion, fetal tissue use, contraception, and other aspects of human reproduction, as well as questions regarding rights to health care. Formerly PHI 211 Applied Ethics: Bioethics.
  3 credits
  General Education Curriculum: Values and Beliefs recommended

Application: Turning Knowledge into Action (6 credits)

• Civic Knowledge (3 credits) SNHP 220 Health Promotion, Policy and PoliticsThis course explores political factors that influence patient outcomes and health promotion strategies to enhance health and health care systems. Students are engaged in understanding how health care policy shapes health care systems, determining accessibility, accountability and affordability. Students will evaluate how health care delivery systems are organized and financed, and the effect this has on patient care.
  3 credits
  Prerequisites: None
  General Education Curriculum: Applications Area
• Leadership (3 credits) NURS 410 Leadership and Management of Health CareThis course incorporates the application of management principles and leadership, change, and administration theories in nursing practice and health care delivery in a hybrid format. Content focuses on delegation, prioritization, communication/collaboration, legal and ethical issues, resource management, quality improvement and risk management, evidence based practice, and the healthcare consumer in various healthcare markets.
  3 credits
  Prerequisites: All Junior Level Nursing Courses or Departmental approval.
  General Education: Application Leadership (Nursing students only).

General Education Capstone Seminar (3 credits)

• General Education Capstone Seminar (taken in junior year in the Nursing program): NURS 330 Nursing Research and Evidence-Based PracticeResearch and Evidence-Based Practice focuses on relevant scientific and phenomenological information to assist the student to understanding the role of theory and research in nursing practice and health care. The course will provide an overview and analysis of theoretical approaches and research methodologies. Students will learn how to critically review and utilize research supporting common aspects of nursing practice.
  
  3 credits
  Prerequisites: NURS 117, NURS 218, SNHP 220, NURS 222, and, or Departmental Approval. General Education Capstone (Nursing students only)

II. Additional Required Pre-Requisite Nursing Courses for Students Intending
to Declare a Nursing Major

• BIOL 121 Human Anatomy and Physiology IA systematic approach to the study of the human body. The first part of this year -long course emphasizes the tissues, the integumentary system, the bones and skeletal tissue, muscles and muscle tissue, and the nervous system. Students have the opportunity to apply concepts discussed during the lecture portion of the class to clinical questions presented throughout the semester. Three hours of laboratory per week. Does not fulfill Biology major requirement. There is an additional laboratory fee.
  4 credits
  Pre-/Co-requisite: MATH 102, MATH 108 or MATH 109.
  Pre-requisite: BIOL 101 (SPS); pass BIOL 101 with a C or better or placement test score (CAS).
  General Education: Knowledge and Inquiry Area. (4 credits) (this also fulfills General Education Knowledge and Inquiry)
• BIOL 122 Human Anatomy and Physiology IIA systematic approach to the study of the human body. The second part of this year-long course emphasizes the endocrine, lymphatic, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, urinary and reproductive systems. Students have the opportunity to apply concepts discussed during the lecture portion of the class to clinical questions presented throughout the semester. Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory per week.
  
  Does not fulfill Biology major requirement. Prerequisite: C or better in BIOL 121. There is an additional laboratory fee.
  4 credits (4 credits)
• BIOL 130 Microbiology for the Health ProfessionsAn introduction to the study of microorganisms with emphasis on disease-causing bacteria. Topics include the nature of microorganisms, their relationships with humans, infectious diseases, and immunity. Three hours of lecture and three hours of lab per week. Does not fulfill microbiology requirement for Biology major. There is an additional laboratory fee.
  4 credits (4 credits)
• CHEM 113 Chemistry for the Health SciencesIntroduces students to basic concepts in chemistry, including the nature of matter, chemical reactions, stoichiometry, solutions, principles of organic chemistry, and the chemistry of the most important biomolecules. The course also introduces students to the proper use of basic laboratory equipment as well as basic laboratory techniques. Lab experiments are designed to provide the student with the tools to understand connections between theory and results found in the lab.
  4 credits
  General Education Requirements: Knowledge and Inquiry (Science and Mathematics)
  Prerequisites: MATH 108 (4 credits) (this also fulfills General Education Knowledge and Inquiry)
• HPNU 120 Medical TerminologyThis is an 8-week course designed for individuals interested in learning the language of medicine required to work within a variety of health care fields. The student will acquire word-building skills in the field of medicine and will have a solid understanding of basic medical language and a foundational start on basic medical science and health related concepts that will be useful for other courses within the health professions.
  
  1 credit
  Prerequisites: None (1 credit)
• HPNU 200 Nutrition, Diet Therapy, and Health PromotionComprehensive survey of the biochemical basis of nutrition and disease for those intending to major in nursing or clinical health professions. Provides a foundation for understanding metabolic syndromes such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, as well as the impact of diet therapy on optimal health in wellness planning. Addresses social, physiological, psychosocial, behavioral and cultural influences on nutritional status and allows students to examine and analyze their own dietary values and beliefs. While not required, a basic understanding of chemistry is recommended.
  3 credits (3 credits)
• MATH 110 Introduction to StatisticsThis course presents the basic principles of statistics with applications to the social sciences. Topics include descriptive statistics, graphical representations of data, normal probability distributions and the Central Limit Theorem, linear correlation and regression and probability theory. This course also offers an introduction to the use of statistical software. Formerly MAT 110 Introduction to Statistics.
  3 credits
  Prerequisites: MATH 102, MATH 108, MATH 109 or higher level mathematics course. (3 credits)
• SNHP 220 Health Promotion, Policy and PoliticsThis course explores political factors that influence patient outcomes and health promotion strategies to enhance health and health care systems. Students are engaged in understanding how health care policy shapes health care systems, determining accessibility, accountability and affordability. Students will evaluate how health care delivery systems are organized and financed, and the effect this has on patient care.
  3 credits
  Prerequisites: None
  General Education Curriculum: Applications Area (3 credits)

III. Nursing Specific Courses

Junior Year (First Semester)

• NURS 117 Foundations for Professional Nursing PracticeThis course introduces basic concepts, values and nursing skills required for nursing care across the life span. An emphasis is placed on critical thinking, communication skills and the nursing process as the underlying foundation for professional nursing practice in health care settings.
  This course contains a laboratory and clinical component which are PASS/FAIL. Students must demonstrate competency (delivery of safe and competent patient care with a score of Satisfactory) in order to achieve a PASS grade for the laboratory and clinical portions of the course. Failure to achieve a passing grade constitutes a failure of the course.
  6 credits (4/1/1)
  Prerequisites: Admission to the Nursing Program. General Education: Foundational Skills (Nursing students only)
• NURS 222 Health AssessmentFocuses on the acquisition and development of professional nursing skills used in health assessment across the life span. Includes a laboratory component to demonstrate competency in performing a complete health assessment; failure to achieve a passing grade in the laboratory component constitutes a failure of the course.
  3 credits.
  Prerequisites: Admission to the Nursing Program.
• NURS 240 Pathopharmacology IEmphasizes two related nursing concepts, pathophysiology and pharmacology. Pathophysiology relates disease manifestation, risk factors, and principles of pathology underlying illness and injury to therapeutic nursing interventions and outcomes. Pharmacology focuses on basic drug classification, as well as core pharmacological concepts and principles with special consideration for nursing?s role in developing a comprehensive approach to the clinical application of drug therapy. Also examines nursing implications relative to the utilization of drug therapy. First in a two-semester pathopharmacology sequence.
  3 credits
  Prerequisites: Acceptance to nursing program.

Junior Year (Second Semester)

• NURS 350 Medical-Surgical Nursing IThis course is the first component of a two semester sequence of Medical-Surgical Nursing with a focus on nursing science and knowledge applicable to the management of care for clients with complex conditions. Emphasis is placed on the expected outcomes and effects of nursing interventions with adult clients experiencing selected health conditions at multiple levels of care. Students will apply critical thinking to make clinical judgments in various healthcare settings. This course contains a clinical component which is PASS/FAIL. Students must demonstrate competency (delivery of safe and competent patient care with a score of Satisfactory) for clinical competencies to achieve a PASS grade for the clinical portion of the course. Failure to achieve a passing grade constitutes a failure of the course.
  6 credits (4/2)
  Prerequisites: NURS 117, NURS 218, SNHP 220, and NURS 222,
• NURS 460 Maternity and Women's Health NursingThis course focuses on the knowledge, skills and attitudes of the professional nurse in health promotion, risk reduction, clinical judgement and management of women?s health issues, perinatal care of mothers and infants, gynecological health and men?s reproductive health.
  This course contains a clinical component which is PASS/FAIL. Students must demonstrate competency (delivery of safe and competent patient care with a score of Satisfactory) for clinical competencies to achieve a PASS grade for the clinical portion of the course. Failure to achieve a passing grade constitutes a failure of the course.
  5 credits (3/2)
  Pre-requisites: Pre-requisites: NURS 117, SNHP 220, NURS 222, and NURS 218
• NURS 250 Pathopharmacology IIThe second component of a two-semester sequence of pathopharmacology; emphasizes two related nursing concepts, pathophysiology and pharmacology. Pathophysiology relates disease manifestation, risk factors, and principles of pathology underlying illness and injury to therapeutic nursing interventions and outcomes. Pharmacology focuses on basic drug classification, as well as core pharmacological concepts and principles with special consideration for nursing?s role in developing a comprehensive approach to the clinical application of drug therapy. Also examines nursing implications relative to the utilization of drug therapy.
  3 credits.
  Prerequisites: NURS 117, NURS 222, NURS 240
• SNHP 330 Research and Evidence-Based PracticeIntroduces fundamentals of research design, methods, data collection, analyzing results, and discussion of findings. Focuses on the entire research cycle from forming a research question, drafting a proposal, designing protocols, understanding research ethics such as IRB guidelines, patient safety and rights, to presenting or disseminating findings in professional and scientific settings. Outcomes include development of a student research project.
  3 Credits
  Prerequisites: C or better in MATH 110
  Gen Ed V: Capstone Seminar

Senior Year (First Semester)

• NURS 361 Medical-Surgical Nursing IIThis course is the second component of a two semester sequence of Medical-Surgical Nursing with a focus on nursing science and knowledge applicable to the management of care for clients with complex conditions. Emphasis is placed on the expected outcomes and effects of nursing interventions with adult clients experiencing selected health conditions at multiple levels of care. Students will apply critical thinking to make clinical judgments in various healthcare settings. This course contains a clinical component which is PASS/FAIL. Students must demonstrate competency (delivery of safe and competent patient care with a score of Satisfactory) for clinical competencies to achieve a PASS grade for the clinical portion of the course. Failure to achieve a passing grade constitutes a failure of the course.
  
  6 credits (4/2)
  Prerequisites: All Junior Level Nursing Courses
• NURS 410 Leadership and Management of Health CareThis course incorporates the application of management principles and leadership, change, and administration theories in nursing practice and health care delivery in a hybrid format. Content focuses on delegation, prioritization, communication/collaboration, legal and ethical issues, resource management, quality improvement and risk management, evidence based practice, and the healthcare consumer in various healthcare markets.
  3 credits
  Prerequisites: All Junior Level Nursing Courses or Departmental approval.
  General Education: Application Leadership (Nursing students only).
• NURS 461 Pediatric NursingThis course focuses on the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the professional nurse for comprehensive nursing care of the pediatric client in the context of social justice, cultural competence and equity of healthcare. A family-centered approach is used with emphasis on developmental stages and health promotion strategies for the child and family unit. This course contains a clinical component which is PASS/FAIL. Students must demonstrate competency (delivery of safe and competent patient care with a score of Satisfactory) for clinical competencies to achieve a PASS grade for the clinical portion of the course. Failure to achieve a passing grade constitutes a failure of the course.
  5 credits (3/2)
  Pre-requisites: All Junior Level Nursing Courses
• SNHP 405 Informatics and Data ManagementThe focus of this course is on the integration of nursing, computer, and information science for the support of professional nursing practice including critical thinking and clinical reasoning. Discussion and examination will be conducted of: ethical considerations in nursing informatics use of social networking tools, handheld computers and e-portfolios in health care environments.
  3 credits
  Prerequisites: None

Senior Year (Second Semester)

• NURS 360 Psychiatric and Mental Health NursingThis course focuses on the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for nursing care of clients with mental health disorders. Using an integrative approach, course content is based on the biological, psychological, and ethnocultural aspects of behavior disorders. Emphasis is on the therapeutic use of self with individuals, families and groups. This course contains a clinical component which is PASS/FAIL. Students must demonstrate competency (delivery of safe and competent patient care with a score of Satisfactory) for clinical competencies to achieve a PASS grade for the clinical portion of the course. Failure to achieve a passing grade constitutes a failure of the course.
  5 credits (3/2)
  Prerequisite(s) : All Junior Level Nursing Courses and NURS 361, NURS 410, NURS 461, and NURS 405 or Departmental Approval
• NURS 420 Community and Public Health NursingThis course is designed to prepare students for community/population health practice in a changing health care system. Promoting and protecting the health of the public using health promotion, risk reduction and disease management and control strategies with vulnerable clients and populations. Community assessment, epidemiologic, environmental, change, community engagement and case management frameworks are used to guide evidence based nursing care. This course contains a clinical component which is PASS/FAIL. Students must demonstrate competency (delivery of safe and competent patient care with a score of Satisfactory) for clinical competencies to achieve a PASS grade for the clinical portion of the course. Failure to achieve a passing grade constitutes a failure of the course.
  5 credits (3/2)
  Pre-requisites: All Junior Level Nursing Courses and NURS 361, NURS 410, and NURS 461 and SNHP 405
• NURS 491 Capstone: Transition to Professional Nursing PracticeThis course provides an experiential learning opportunity to apply and integrate previously learned knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop an evidence-based professional nursing practice. The course is also designed to prepare students to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) includes registration for the exam, test taking strategies, developing a study plan for review of core nursing content. Students will take a comprehensive assessment/readiness test and secured predictor tests for the NCLEX-RN at the end of the program. This course contains a clinical component which is PASS/FAIL. Students must demonstrate competency (delivery of safe and competent patient care with a score of Satisfactory) for clinical competencies to achieve a PASS grade for the clinical portion of the course. Failure to achieve a passing grade constitutes a failure of the course. 4 credits (2/2) Prerequisites: This course must be taken in the last semester of nursing program prior to graduation.

Program Policies

I.   Acceptance into the Pre-Licensure BSN Nursing Program

A.  Acceptance Criteria:

Formal acceptance into the Nursing program requires the following at minimum:

1. Successful completion of ALL required prerequisite nursing courses with a grade of “B-” or higher.
2. Overall GPA of at least 3.0
3. A science GPA of at least 2.75
4. No more than one failure in a science course
5. Proficient level or higher 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 College of Arts and Sciences.

B.  Application Process:

1. Students should submit their application to their advisor early in the semester PRIOR to the semester of their projected acceptance date.
   1. Nursing program deadlines:
      1. Fall Semester: February 1
      2. Spring semester: October 1
2. Official TEAS results should be submitted with the formal application to the Nursing Program.
   1. TEAS results are valid for one year. Students must take the exam during the 12 months prior to the application deadline.
   2. After taking the TEAS, a student may not take it again for 30 days.
   3. Students may take the TEAS up to three times in a 12-month period.
3. Students will be notified by the nursing program of the results of their application when the Nursing Admissions Committee has completed its review and evaluation of all submitted applications.
4. Questions regarding the application process, acceptance criteria, or TEAS should be directed to the Nursing Program Office (202.885.9670) or to the student’s undergraduate advisor.

II.    Health Requirements*

• Current physical examination by a health care provider
• Current immunizations
  • Tetanus/diphtheria (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 with a 6 month period.
  • PPD (Tuberculosis skin test given within the last 6 months with follow-up 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 until all health requirements have been satisfied.

III.    Other Requirements

• Criminal Background Check (the criminal background check is at the student’s expense)
• FBI Fingerprint
• Drug Test (the drug screening test is at the student’s expense)
• BLS/CPR certification for the Health Care Provider (2-year card)
• 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 until all 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.

V.    Grades in Major Courses

B.S.N. students must earn a minimum of “C+” as a final course grade in all nursing (NURS and SNHP) courses. A final grade below a C+ will require the student to repeat the course to successfully complete all requirements of the nursing curriculum plan. The most updated curriculum nursing plan may be obtained from the academic advisor for nursing majors. A final grade below a “C+” may impact a student’s academic progression in the nursing program. Any grade involving a numerical fraction is NOT rounded up at the end of the semester in the final course grade.

A nursing student may fail or withdraw from no more than one nursing course (NURS or SNHP prefix). If a student fails or withdraws from a nursing course, the student may repeat the nursing course only once. Students may repeat no more than one nursing course. Failing or withdrawing from a second nursing course will result in dismissal from the nursing program.

VI.    Pass/No Pass

The pass/no pass grading option is not accepted in courses to be applied for the major.

VII.    Transportation

Students are required to provide their own transportation to and from clinical sites. Clinical placements may be located within a 50 mile radius of the University. Trinity’s free shuttle service connects the Main campus with the Brookland metro station.

Accreditation

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing at Trinity is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.