Nursing

Description

Nursing Program Description

The Stevenson University nursing program is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and approved by the Maryland Board of Nursing. The nursing program prepares graduates with the education to creatively meet the challenges and demands of nursing in the twenty-first century. The goal of the program is to educate nurses who, as members of the health care team, address the varied health concerns of individuals, families, groups and communities. Nurses practice in a wide variety of settings—clinics, schools, hospitals, businesses, long-term care facilities, community agencies, and urgent care centers. In addition to the very real satisfaction a person gains from helping others in need, the reasons to consider nursing as a profession include intellectual stimulation, continued educational development, and the opportunity to work closely with other allied health professionals. Registered nurses are concerned with the health of the whole person. They care for the sick and injured as well as help people maintain and improve their health. Hospital nurses are an integral part of the interdisciplinary health care team; they collaborate by means of nursing and medical diagnoses and deliver expert, compassionate, and complex holistic care.

A combination of liberal arts and science courses develops the foundation for studying the discipline of nursing. An important feature of this program is the strong clinical experience. Students in this program receive a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in nursing and are prepared to take the licensure examination for registered nurses (National Council Licensure Examination—NCLEX-RN). The nursing program provides an educational foundation for graduate study in nursing as well as the knowledge and experience necessary for advancement within the nursing profession.

The first two years of the nursing curriculum focus mainly on the Stevenson Educational Experience (S.E.E.) and other requirements that provide the foundation for 3rd and 4th year nursing courses. The nursing program introduces students to the diversity of nursing roles from wellness advocate to bedside caregiver, with the clinical application of these roles in actual health care settings. Courses enable the student to assess clients in a variety of settings and to plan nursing care strategies that meet their needs. Students are given opportunities to provide nursing care to individuals and families from birth to old age. The last year of the nursing curriculum is designed to move the focus of nursing from individuals and families to groups within a larger socio-cultural context. Students have the opportunity to practice nursing in complex and diverse settings. As students progress through the program, theory and clinical expectations increase as students move toward their desired goal of becoming competent, knowledgeable and caring practitioners. More detail on clinical requirements is included in the School of Health Professions Nursing Student Guide .

Successful completion of at least three years of college preparatory math and science courses provides the best foundation for students who are entering directly from high school. A verbal SAT score of 520 or above, a math SAT score of 500 or above, and a high school unweighted grade point average of 3.4 and above have been strongly correlated with student success in the Stevenson nursing program.

Admission to the Nursing program is reserved for applicants who have demonstrated the ability to meet the demands of Stevenson University's bachelor's level nursing curriculum. Please see the University web site for current admissions requirements.

RN to BS and Masters Options

The RN to BS option is designed to allow registered nurses to build upon prior nursing knowledge and to enable them to develop an understanding of new nursing roles for a changing health care environment. Classes are available online and are also offered in partnership with multiple community colleges, hospitals and other settings throughout the state in an online/hybrid format. For more information on this program or the graduate nursing program, including course descriptions for RN to BS, RN to MS, and Masters level courses, see the School of Graduate and Professional Studies Catalog .

The Associate To Bachelor's Degree Nursing Option (ATB)

The Associate to Bachelor’s (ATB) Option is designed for students who want to be concurrently enrolled in a community college nursing program and the RN to BS Option at Stevenson University.   Currently, Stevenson University partners with the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) and Carroll Community College (CCC).  Additional ATB partnerships are being developed.  To be eligible for the ATB option, students must first be accepted to the respective community college nursing program.  Interested applicants must meet all admissions criteria for both Stevenson University and the community college.  Admission is a collaborative decision between Stevenson and the community college.  Students interested in this option should contact the ATB Coordinator in the School of Graduate and Professional Studies.

Nursing Resource Center

The Nursing Resource Center provides nursing students with the opportunity to practice newly learned skills and apply nursing knowledge in a simulated hospital environment located on campus. The nursing skills laboratories are each furnished with multiple hospital beds, along with wheelchairs, stretchers, and many other items of up-to-date hospital equipment. Both high fidelity simulation and static mannequins provide the opportunity for students to practice skills in a realistic and safe manner. Computer programs in the lab allow students to work on diverse tasks, such as dosage calculations and licensure examination preparation.

Nursing Department Statement of Purpose

The philosophy of the nursing program is articulated as follows:

“The Stevenson University nursing program, as an integral part of its parent institution, is dedicated to the pursuit of higher learning grounded in the arts, sciences, and humanities. The philosophy and curricular focus of the nursing program emphasizes the ethic of caring, critical thinking, and a spirit of inquiry in education, practice, service, and research. The nursing faculty believes nursing is a professional discipline with academic and practice dimensions. The nursing faculty values scholarship and academic integrity and seeks to foster professional involvement and life-long learning in students and graduates. The essence of nursing is grounded in the philosophy of caring. The nursing faculty believes that caring exists in authentic relationships through which all persons are respected and nurtured. Within these co-created relationships, caring opens the possibility of transformation, inviting growth, healing, and wholeness of persons, families, and communities. In the reflective practice of nursing and nursing education, a caring environment affirms diversity in ways of being and ways of knowing.”

Objectives

The nursing program is dedicated to the pursuit of higher learning grounded in the arts, sciences, and humanities. Program objectives reflect the philosophy and curricular focus, emphasizing the ethic of care, critical thinking, and a spirit of inquiry in education, practice, service and research. Based upon these and other concepts, students are encouraged in the practice of caring through interactions and forming of relationships between their patient/clients, peers and faculty. The program has six overall objectives that are delineated into distinct levels which determine course content and progression to more complex learning within the nursing program. These objectives provide the framework for theory and clinical learning experiences throughout the curriculum.

Upon completion of the Stevenson University baccalaureate nursing program, graduates will be able to:

1. Integrate the concepts of caring in nursing practice in diverse health care settings across the health-illness continuum.
2. Engage in holistic reflective nursing practice informed by the arts, sciences, and humanities.
3. Exhibit competencies in critical thinking, communication, evidence-based decision making, scholarly inquiry and technical skills in the practice of nursing.
4. Integrate professional competencies in the nursing roles of provider, designer, manager, and coordinator of care and participate as an active member of the profession.
5. Assume ethical and legal responsibility and accountability in nursing practice, exemplifying the values of altruism, autonomy, human dignity, integrity, and social justice.
6. Apply leadership concepts, skills, and decision-making in creating caring environments to promote health and healing in individuals, families, communities, and global populations.

Policies

Please note: The Nursing Program Policies for Continuance and Progression were inadvertently omitted from the print version of the catalog. As indicated at the front of the print catalog, the electronic version of the catalog is the governing document. The policies listed below are in effect for the 2016-17 school year.

Nursing Program Policies for Continuance and Progression in the Major

Students must earn a minimum GPA as outlined below, and the lowest acceptable grade is a "C" in all nursing, math, and science courses.

During the first two years of study, nursing students must successfully complete the required liberal arts, science and nursing courses. These courses provide the foundation needed for the junior and senior level clinical nursing courses. There are specific criteria that must be met to satisfy prerequisite requirements and before students are allowed to progress from one level to the next. These criteria are outlined below.

Progression criteria for students entering sophomore-level course sequence

To progress to NURS-110 and BIO-240 (offered in the sophomore year) students must meet the following requirements:

1. Cumulative GPA of 2.70 or higher
2. Cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher in all science courses (BIO and CHEM designations)
3. Achievement of at least a "C" or better in all courses required by the major
4. Successful completion of recommended first-year courses, including a minimum of two of the prerequisite science courses
5. None or only one repeated science course
6. Math 135 may only be repeated two times

Progression criteria for students entering junior-level course sequence

To progress to the 300-level clinical nursing sequence, students must meet the following requirements:

1. Cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher
2. Cumulative GPA of 3.00 in all science courses
3. Achievement of at least a "C" or better in all courses required by the major
4. Successful completion of recommended first and second year courses
5. None or only one repeated science or nursing course
6. Math 135 may only be repeated two times
7. Completion of Nutrition ATI content mastery test
8. Health insurance (See clinical requirements)
9. Completion of CPR training (See clinical requirements)
10. Completion of annual PPD (See clinical requirements)
11. Completion of School of Health Professions health form (See clinical requirements)
12. Completion of nursing program-specific health requirements (See clinical requirements)
13. Student Acknowledgment and Waiver form (See health requirements)
14. Completion of criminal background check and drug screening (See health requirements)
15. Completion of clinical documents as required by hospitals (See clinical requirements)
16. Purchase of all required medical equipment, uniform and badge

Progression criteria for students entering senior-level course sequence

To progress to the 400-level clinical nursing sequence, students must meet the following requirements:

1. Cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher
2. Achievement of at least a "C" or better in all nursing courses
3. None or only one repeated science or nursing course
4. Completion of all junior level nursing courses
5. Health insurance (See clinical requirements)
6. Current CPR certification (See clinical requirements)
7. Completion of annual PPD (See clinical requirements)
8. Update of nursing program-specific health requirements (See clinical requirements)
9. Student Acknowledgment and Waiver form (See clinical requirements)
10. Completion of finger print and background check for NURS 405
11. Completion of criminal background check and drug screening (See clinical requirements)
12. Completion of clinical documents as required by hospitals (See clinical requirements)
13. Achievement of 100% on dosage exam, per course requirements
14. Completion of required ATI content mastery tests

Probation:

If a student achieves a grade of "C-," "D+," "D," or "F" in any science, math, or nursing course, the course must be repeated and a "C" or better must be achieved to satisfy the prerequisite requirements. A maximum of one science or nursing course may be repeated once throughout the nursing program, even if it is a course repeated to improve GPA. Additionally, a student who achieves a grade of "C-," "D+," "D," or "F" in any science or nursing course will be placed on probation in the nursing major for the remainder of the program. If a student achieves a grade of "C-," "D+," "D," or "F" in MATH-135, the course must be repeated and a grade of "C" or better must be achieved to satisfy prerequisite requirements. MATH-135 may only be repeated two times. Students in the nursing major are not allowed to take science or nursing courses off campus.

Dismissal from the nursing major:

Students who earn a second grade of "C-," "D+," "D," or "F" in either a science or nursing course will be automatically dismissed from the nursing program. If a third grade of "C-" or lower is earned in MATH-135, the student will be automatically dismissed from the nursing program. Students who are dismissed from the nursing major are not eligible for readmission to the major.

Clinical Requirements

Students have clinical experiences in the Nursing Resource Center, hospitals, and community-based settings. As students progress through the program, the opportunity to learn from experienced registered nurses in real-world settings allows the student to apply theory content to clinical practice. By the last semester for the final practicum experience, students work with a preceptor, following a typical nursing schedule. Throughout the program, clinical experiences may be scheduled for day or evening hours on weekdays or weekends. More detail on clinical requirements is included in the School of Health Professions Nursing Student Guide.  NOTE: Clinical Requirements are subject to change.

1. CPR Certification —In order to participate in clinical experiences, students must maintain current certification in the American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support (BLS) for Health Care Providers course. 
2. Required Vaccinations, Antibody Titers, and Other Health Requirements —In order to participate in clinical experiences, students must submit results of various tests (see below) by July 1st. 
   • Tdap (with Pertussis) or TD (Tetanus and Diphtheria) within the last 10 years
   • MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) - Positive antibody titer for all three components of MMR (lab report or physician verification of results) OR if there are no up-to-date blood tests that show immunity, the student must show documentation of two doses of MMR.
   • Varicella (Chicken Pox) - One of the following is required:
     1. Documentation of two doses of Varicella vaccine, OR
     2. Laboratory evidence of immunity of laboratory confirmation of disease (lab report required OR physician verification of titer results required.  Note: If titer is negative or equivocal documentation of the two original vaccines, dated before or after the titer, OR history of disease, verified by the healthcare provider is required.) OR
     3. Diagnosis or verification by a healthcare provider of a history of Varicella disease OR
     4. Diagnosis or verification by a healthcare provider of a history of Herpes Zoster
   • Written evidence of 3 doses of Hepatitis B vaccine and a positive IgG antibody titer. (laboratory report or physician verification required.)
   • Tuberculosis - Students are required to have an annual negative tuberculin skin test by Mantoux PPD. Documentation MUST include: 1) Administration date and 2) Date read, which should be 48-72 hours apart.)  Note: For positive results, provide the test results signed by a healthcare provider AND a clear (negative) chest xray performed after identification of the positive PPD (and dated within the past five years.  Lab report required.)  Also required is the annual TB Questionnaire (See the School of Health Professions Nursing Student Guide for more details.) 
   • Annual influenza (flu) vaccine - Documentation required of a flu vaccine administered during the current flu season: (August - December.)
   • Physical Examination - A physical exam is required which includes examination of the head, eyes, ears, nose, throat, heart, lungs, abdomen, neurological, and musculoskeletal systems. The exam must be within one year prior to July 1 in the year of the student's enrollment in NURS 310.
   • Proof of health insurance - Provide a signed copy of current health insurance card, front and back, or other proof of coverage.
   • Following orientation to clinical courses, students must place an order and create a Castle Branch  (CB) account and access the forms and tests listed below.  Students must use Stevenson University e-mail when creating CB accounts.  Students are held responsible for keeping accounts active, monitoring when health documents expire, keeping the health requirements current, and for the timely uploading of all health documents to CB for the duration of the nursing program:  
   • Annual submission and upload of Student Acknowledgment and Waiver form to Castle Branch 
     
   • Annual Castle Branch , criminal background check
   • Annual Castle Branch drug screen - A negative drug screen is required. If dilute negative or positive result is obtained, a retest is necessary.
   • Annual maintenance of student's Castle Branch Immunization Tracker
   • School of Health Professions Supplemental Health Form.  This one-page health form must be downloaded, printed, and completed then uploaded to CB.
   • Clinical documents required by partner facilities to be completed per clinical course no later than July 1, unless otherwise stated.
   • Finger print and criminal background check (senior students)

 Other Information

1. Clinical junior and senior requirements —As stated above, clinical requirements include but are not limited to vaccines, titers, background check, drug screening, physical examinations, health insurance, CPR and all other nursing student documentation must be completed as directed by the University and/or the Department of Nursing. The necessary forms can be found under student documents on the School of  Health Professions portal page by clicking on "Student Documents" and then finding the "Nursing" folder. Students are responsible for ensuring that they have met all clinical requirements for participation in the nursing program prior to the established annual deadline of July 1. Failure to do so will result in students being dropped from the clinical courses in which they are enrolled, which will adversely impact progression in the nursing program. Stevenson University Department of Nursing uses the Maryland Hospital Association's designated vendor, Castle Branch, to manage student immunizations, compliance documents, background checks and drug screenings. Students should plan ahead for these extra expenses, as well as the cost of travel to clinical sites, and needed medical equipment, uniform and ID badge. Facility requirements may dictate that students come to the university and/or clinical sites prior to the start of courses to fill out necessary paperwork and complete necessary training. Students are not permitted to arrange their own clinical placements.
2. Transportation —Transportation to and from clinical agencies is the responsibility of the student. Some clinical facilities may be at a distance from Stevenson University, so students should plan for extra time and expenses related to this travel.
3. Dosage Policy --Students must meet the requirements for medication administration as outlined in the School of Health Professions Nursing Student Guide and NURS 310.
4. Personal Health Insurance —Students are required to have personal health insurance coverage by the time they are eligible to take their first clinical course (NURS 310) and are encouraged to receive routine health care. It is the responsibility of the student to notify the Department of Nursing in writing of any changes in health insurance carrier, benefits, or policy information. Students without health insurance may not participate in clinical experiences. The University does not provide or assume responsibility for student health care. The University requires a pre-entry physical examination for all incoming students.

Requirements

The courses listed below are required for completion of the bachelor's degree with a major in nursing for students following the full-time curriculum plan beginning fall, 2016. Students must also complete the requirements for the Stevenson Educational Experience (SEE).

Specific pre- and co-requisites for each course are listed in the course descriptions.

In general, students take lower-level (100- and 200-level) courses in freshman or sophomore years and upper-level (300- and 400-level) courses in junior or senior years. Courses in the nursing program are carefully sequenced to provide students with a growing theory base to promote success in subsequent courses. It is critical that nursing students on this plan consult their academic advisor when planning their course schedule.

Major Requirements:

Minor in Nursing

A minor in nursing is not available.

Course Descriptions

See Nursing Course Descriptions