Online RN to BS Completion Program

Transcription

1 Online RN to BS Completion Program Program Handbook for Students College of Nursing Updated 6/26/2014

2 Table of Contents Table of Contents Getting Started Welcome What do I do now? How do I prepare for my first class? What do I do on my first day of class? Page 2 Program Information Important Phone Numbers and Information Program Information and Requirements Plan of Study Non Nursing Courses Plan of Study Nursing Courses Academic Advising Grading Scale and Honor Code Technology Requirements Registering for Courses, Withdrawal Policy, Enrollment Verification Steps to Web Registration Carousel of Nursing Courses What is? Getting Access and Logging into the Portal Creating your Password Tabs in the Portal NBO Advisees Group Page Gmail Student DegreeWorks Degree Auditing System Course Management System Accessing PUC Blackboard Learn My Courses Blackboard Learn Tuition / Payment Information Making Payments for classes Financial Aid Capstone Course Graduation Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ s )

3 Page 3 Getting Started Welcome Welcome to PUC s Online RN/BS Completion Program. You may be wondering several things now. What do I do now? How do I prepare for my online classes? What do I do on the first day of class? All of these questions are common to new students in this program. Five weeks is a short amount of time to complete a course and we re certain you want to be prepared so you can be successful. You will be immersed in your course during that time so there are some things you will want to do ahead of time to make things run more smoothly. This handbook will help you with that process and preparation. What do I do now? Read the instructions in this handbook and any instructions carefully. You want to watch for an important from Purdue Admissions with your PUID number and mypuc login information. Please read it carefully, print it and keep them in a safe place for future reference. You can even write down some of the important information like your career account user name on page 5 of this handbook. You ll use this information to access mypuc, Blackboard Learn, PUC library, and other school related resources. You ll also have to access two important systems; mypuc (your portal to Purdue Calumet including your Gmail Purdue Calumet account and DegreeWorks), and PUC Blackboard Learn (your course management system for the nursing courses). Login to these systems. Browse around and familiarize yourself with their layout and design. Within Blackboard you will also want to view the course called RNBS Program Resources and Information. Here you can chat with other RNs in the program and receive important announcements and updates about this program from your academic advisor. Being aware of these systems, recognizing how they look and reading important information before classes start will be an important part of your success in this fast paced program.

4 Page 4 Getting Started (Continued) How do I prepare for my first class? There are several things you ll do to prepare for your first class. After your orientation, you will Mary Martinez, Registration Coordinator RN/BS Program, to request registration into your first course. Mary has to register all first time students. The next thing you ll need to do is make sure that your computer meets the minimal requirements (see page 11) and is functioning the way you need it to before your first day of class. You can also find these requirements at under Student Services access FAQs for Technology. Next, you ll want to go through the EPIC orientation by using the login information from one of the s you received after being admitted to the program. You ll also want to check out the text book list at under Department Links Book List: NBO Students ONLY. We would recommend checking this list at least one month before each class starts to make sure a book has not been updated with the newest edition or changed altogether. You will need to plan to spend at least 3 to 4 hours per credit hour each week on top of the time you ll need to spend completing and submitting assignments in the course. In other words, you ll spend 9 to 12 hours a week immersed in a 3 credit hour course besides the time you ll need to complete and submit your assignments. You ll spend this time reading materials, reading posts from the professor, coach, and other classmates, viewing lectures and accessing information in the online library. So, plan ahead and make sure you schedule your time wisely. Remember, 5 weeks will go by fast and it s better to stay on top of things from the very beginning in order to successfully complete your course. What do I do on my first day of class? Now that you ve prepared for your first day of class, what do you do when that day comes? You want to log in to that class sometime during the day. Review the syllabus for the course, familiarize yourself with the contents of the files available to you and check for any assignments your professor has assigned. If you are having difficulties accessing your course, check the NBO Advisees Group Page in the mypuc portal, for announcements and updates. If nothing seems to work (and you know it isn t your own personal computer issue) you can or call your academic coach or instructor. Although you may be concerned about how fast the course may go in that 5 week time period, the first day may take a little time to get everyone in and acclimated to the format of that particular class. Don t panic, but be proactive.

5 Page 5 Important Numbers and Information Purdue ID # mypuc / Blackboard Learn Login User Name: Password: NOTE: This username and password combination is sometimes referred to as your Windows login or career account information. Gmail (PUC Student ) is found in mypuc REMINDER: You must use your Purdue Gmail Account for this program. Gmail is accessed through your mypuc portal. Course/System Related: Academic Partnership Student Coordinators Kelly Kochevar ext Oscar Macias ext Nursing Instructional Technology Jill Ullmann Ullmann@purduecal.edu Purdue Gmail/ mypuc - Help Desk press 2 Blackboard and Login Issues Help Desk (toll free) tlt-ams@purdue.edu Nursing Program Related: Main Office RN/BS program Academic Advisor Last names A L Patricia Mellon Mellon@purduecal.edu Academic Advisor Last names M Z Angelo Cicco angelo.cicco@purduecal.edu Financial Aid/Student Accounts Related: Student Accounts Payment Information Billing Information RN/BS program Kendra Bates bates@purduecal.edu Financial Aid Coordinator RN/BS program Michelle Short Michelle.Short@purduecal.edu

6 Page 6 Program Information & Requirements All courses must be paid for in full by the Friday before the course starts. Students who have not paid by the deadline will be dropped from that course. All students enrolled in the program must keep their RN license current/active. NUR 18200, NUR 38400, NUR 39000, must be completed FIRST, before you can progress into any other nursing courses in the program. Of the non-nursing courses, English Composition 2 and Statistical Methods, MUST be completed before you can progress into NUR All Non-nursing course must be completed with the exception of 6 credit hours upon the completion of the capstone course NUR A cumulative GPA of 2.5 must be maintained in order to continue in the program. If a student receives a grade less than C in a nursing course, a first fail letter will be issued to them. This letter serves as a warning that they must repeat the course again with a passing grade. If the student receives another grade less than C, in that course again or any other nursing course, they will then be dismissed from the program. The College of Nursing requires that all students enrolled in the online RN-BS Completion program receive a C (2.0) or higher in all pre-requisite courses to NUR In addition to re-taking the pre-requisite courses, students that have received a final grade below a C (2.0) in any pre-requisite courses may not proceed with enrollment to NUR Students in this program may not mix regular 16 week classes with the 5 or 10 week carousel classes that are designed for this program in a current semester. Students must continue to take courses and not sit out for more than 2 consecutive 5 week sessions. Students planning to graduate must be registered for a course at PUC during that current semester. Students who intended on graduating but are not registered for any courses at PUC or completing courses at another school must register for candidate status (CAND) in order to receive your diploma.

7 Page 7 Plan of Study - Non-Nursing Courses Non-Nursing Coursework In addition to the upper division nursing courses, students admitted to the RN/BS completion program are required to complete 24 hours of non-nursing electives. These courses satisfy the general education requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing and therefore are required for completion of the degree. Those courses are: Statistical Methods (3 cr)* English Composition 2 (3 cr)* Communication elective (3 cr) Humanities elective (6cr)** Free elective (9 cr) * These courses must be taken prior to beginning NUR ** Humanities includes (but is not limited to) literature, philosophy, history, art, music, theater or foreign language. Courses outside of those areas must have approval by your advisor as to whether or not it will count as a humanities elective. PUC offers non-nursing courses online in 5-week and 10-week sessions. For the schedule of these courses please check the group page in the mypuc portal. Courses that are ready and in rotation are: BHS Statistics Methods 10 weeks COM /21400 Communication Elective 5 weeks ENGL English Composition II 10 weeks ENGL Literature 5 weeks HDFS Human Development 5 weeks HIST 15100/15200/39000 Humanities/Social Science/ Elective 5 weeks PHIL Philosophy 10 weeks POL 10100/13000/39000 Humanities/Social Science/ Elective 5 weeks

8 Page 8 Plan of Study - Nursing Courses Nursing Coursework The nursing program consists of 12 required upper division nursing courses: NUR Conceptual and Theoretical Thinking in Nursing (2 credits)* NUR Concepts of Role Development: Professional Nursing (3 credits)* NUR Nursing Research (3 credits)* NUR Nursing of Families and Groups (3 credits) NUR Health Promotion and Education (3 credits) NUR Nursing Care of the Aged, Disabled and Chronically Ill (3 credits) NUR Pathophysiology (3 credits) NUR Community and Public Health Nursing (4 credits) NUR Professional Ethics (2 credits) NUR Nursing Leadership and Management (2 credits) NUR Nursing Informatics (3 credits) NUR Capstone Course in Nursing (3 credits) All students will begin taking the same block of three courses. Students may begin with either NUR or NUR Once these two courses have been completed, students may register for NUR Keep in mind statistics and English composition 2 are prerequisite courses for Research. These three nursing courses (*) serve as prerequisites and must be completed prior to taking the remainder of the nursing courses. NUR and NUR are taken concurrently in the same 5 week session. You MUST register for both in the same session to remain on track. Students can take NUR with up to 6 credit hours left of non-nursing coursework left. Students who wish to take a nursing course with the capstone must have all degree requirements completed except those last two courses. All non-nursing courses must be completed in order to double up on the last two nursing courses. A written request is to be submitted to the advisor requesting to take a nursing class along with the capstone. Once the request has been reviewed and approved, the advisor will notify both the student and the registrar. Both courses must be completed. If a student wishes to withdraw, he/she will be removed from the capstone course. You can view course descriptions for the Nursing Core courses at:

9 Page 9 Academic Advising Who is my advisor? The academic advisors for the RN/BS Completion Program are Angelo Cicco and Patricia Mellon. Students are assigned their advisor based on the first letter of their last name. A L Patricia Mellon M Z Angelo Cicco What is the role of my Advisor to me? The role of the advisor is to guide you through your program and help you along your educational pathway. The advisor will direct you to the appropriate people for help, and make sure you are getting the answers you need about the different areas and aspects relating to school and your program. Once registered for classes for the first semester, it is up to you, the student, to contact your advisor for additional help. is the best method. Due to the large volume of students currently enrolled and coming into the program, it is essential for you to make sure you read through and understand ALL the materials your advisor provides to you. Most importantly this handbook. This program is designed for students to be able to be self-sufficient in their education, with guidance as needed. Will my advisor register me for classes? No, your advisor does not register you for classes. Upon completing the orientation process, you will know the format for ing Mary Martinez for registration into your first set of courses. Subsequent semesters, you will need to register yourself via web registration or Mary Martinez your request for the next sessions. Please follow the guidelines in the Registering for Courses section or follow the Steps to Web Registration section in this handbook. When should I be in Contact with my Advisor? Touch base with your advisor periodically. Since the program moves at such a fast pace, it is recommended at least once a semester. It is important that it is noted in your file how you are doing and that you are making progress. You should also let your advisor know if you will be stepping out of the program at anytime or make any changes to your plan.

10 Page 10 Grading Scale and Honor Code Grading Scale Effective August 24, 2009, the College of Nursing has established a plus and minus grading scale to be used for all courses taught in the Undergraduate Programs. Grades and quality points will be assigned according to the following scale: Number Grade Letter Grade Quality Point A A A B B B C C C D D D- 0.7 <69 F 0.0 Honor Code Students are subject to the ANA Code of Ethics and the Purdue University Calumet Honor Code (located in the Purdue University Calumet Student Handbook). Students are responsible for acquainting themselves and adhering to the policies outlined in the documents. Students must be aware that academic dishonesty in any form may result in an automatic failure in the course and a referral to the Dean of Students. A letter describing the incident will be placed in your student file. Further disciplinary action will be pursued according to the policies of the university. The College of Nursing has a zero tolerance policy on plagiarism. Plagiarism, a form of academic dishonesty, in any assignment or discussion will result in a failure in the course and referral to the Dean of Students.

11 Page 11 Technology Requirements You will need regular access to a computer with an Internet connection. The minimum computer requirements for the virtual classroom are: Windows 2000/XP/Vista/Windows 7 / Mac OS 9 or better /Linux Any current Flash-compliant browser (e.g. Internet Explorer 7 or Firefox 3.0) 512 MB of RAM, 1 GB or more preferred Broadband connection required courses are heavily video intensive Video display capable of high-color 16-bit display 1024 x 768 or higher resolution A sound card and speakers or headphones Current anti-virus software must be installed and kept up to date Most home computers purchased within the last 3-4 years meet or surpass these requirements. You will need some additional free software for enhanced web browsing. Ensure that you download the most current free versions of the software. Adobe Reader Adobe Flash Player At a minimum, you must have Microsoft Office 2003, XP, 2007 or OpenOffice. Microsoft Office is the standard office productivity software utilized by faculty, students, and staff. Microsoft Word is the standard word processing software, Microsoft Excel is the standard spreadsheet software, and Microsoft PowerPoint is the standard presentation software. Copying and pasting, along with attaching/uploading documents for assignment submission, will also be required. Some nursing classes may have specific class requirements for additional software. These requirements will be listed in the Textbook List.

12 Page 12 Office of the Registrar Registering for Courses During periods of web registration, you can process your own registration by signing into mypuc and clicking on the RN-BS or Enrollment Services tab. Specific instructions regarding web registration can be found on page 14. When web registration is not available, you can contact Mary Martinez, Registration Coordinator, directly via at in the following format: Please Note: ALL new students must register on or prior to the Monday before classes begin. There are no exceptions made to this deadline date. Returning students (who have already successfully completed a course within the program) can register up until the Thursday before the next course starts. Important: If you have specific questions regarding the courses you should be registering for, you should consult the carousel of courses or your academic advisor for assistance. Contact: Mary Martinez Registration Coordinator for Academic Partnerships (219) Mary.Martinez@purduecal.edu

13 Page 13 Office of the Registrar (continued) Withdrawal Policy If you decide to withdraw from a course once it has started, you should contact Mary Martinez in the Office of the Registrar. Please note that you will not receive a refund. Your withdrawal will impact your transcript as shown below: Course Length 5 Weeks 5 Weeks Withdrawal Day Business Days 1-8 Business Day 9 thru 4 th Wednesday Grade Received No impact course is removed from your record W 10 Weeks Business Days 1-10 No impact course is removed from your record 10 Weeks Business Day 11 thru 8 th Wednesday W Enrollment/Grade Verification Enrollment verification services are provided for students who receive educational loans, good student auto insurance discounts, medical insurance, tuition reimbursement for employers and other situations in which official verification of enrollment status is needed. If you are in need of enrollment verification, please contact our office. Feel free to browse our web pages at for information on other services offered by the Office of the Registrar, such as requesting a transcript, changing your address or other contact information and graduation. Contact: Mary Martinez Registration Coordinator for Academic Partnerships (219) Mary.Martinez@purduecal.edu

14 Page 14 Steps to Web Registration Students who have never been registered in the Online RN to BS Completion Program must be registered by a PUC administrator their very first time. Once you have been registered the first time by your advisor or PUC administrator, you may then use web registration to register yourself. From the PUC website homepage: Login to the portal Once you have logged on to Click the tab: RN-BS or the Enrollment Services Find the box titled Registration Tools. Click the link: Look up classes to search for available courses. OR Click the link: Add or Drop classes to register for or change your classes online. Look for NUR classes that have Online Nursing Program ONLY in the description Select term and click submit Select at least one subject and click class search. Note: To view class description, click on the CRN # and click view catalog entry. Then click on Return to Previous or Class Search Once all courses have been selected, you will need to click submit Click on tab marked fee assessment Your registration has been successfully submitted Print your detailed schedule Once you register yourself online it will be easier each time, so give it a try. If you experience technical difficulties, please call (219) / Option 2.

15 Page 15 Carousel of Nursing Courses Students can use this carousel to see the course rotations. The start dates for the 5 week session are in red at the top of the page. Based on your admission date into the program, pick a date to start classes. You can then determine the rest of your courses by reading from left to right based on where you started. Please see the example above highlighted in yellow. This person is starts with NUR 384 on 1/7/13. Then would continue with: NUR NUR NUR &48200 NUR and so on This nursing carousel is updated and kept at: In the left column: Look for Department Links Click NBO Online Completion Program Course Offerings by Semester

16 Page 16 Getting Access to the Portal What is? is the hub of Purdue Calumet s online content. It is a web portal enabling you to access many of the university s online resources from a central location by entering a single username and password only once. Accessing and Logging into the portal There are a couple of different ways to access the web portal. Below are the different ways you can access your web portal. Choose whichever route works best for you. To access directly, visit: To access from Purdue Calumet s homepage, go to In the upper right hand corner of the home page click the mypuc icon Once you get to the login page for the mypuc portal, you will want to enter your username provided to you through your admission letter and your password that you have created. (If you have not set up your password page in this handbook.) please go to the next

17 Page 17 Creating Password & Logging In First Create Your Password New students to Purdue Calumet will not have a password yet so you ll need to follow the steps below to create that password for the first time (same steps to reset a password): Go to the mypuc login page as previously explained From the Login page click Get your password here as illustrated by the red arrow in the picture to the left This link will open to a new page with the information shown in the picture below. Click the link that says Forgot your Password? And follow instructions from that point on.. Once you have created your password, to login, enter your Career Account username and password in the required fields. This is the same username you received in your admission letter. (See previous page in this handbook.)

18 Page 18 Tabs in What does the RN-BS tab have that you need? Registration Tools: Students can register for class through here. You can also search for classes, add or drop a class (before it begins), check your registration status for the semester and amongst other registration functions. My Courses: Students can access their Blackboard account through here. You can see what classes you are currently in, see syllabi, course related materials amongst other items for your classes. DegreeWorks: Degree Works helps you track your progress toward graduation. View your program requirements to see which courses you have completed and which ones you still need to take. You can even plan class schedules for future semesters, see how your current semester grades will affect your overall GPA, and find out how courses you have already taken apply to other Purdue Calumet majors you may be considering. Financial Aid: Check the status on your aid or loans by visitng this channel in your portal. This can help you determine if you have any outstanding steps that you need to complete. Personal Annoucements: (STARTING FALL 2014) Here is where you will receive pertinent information about your program from your academic advisors. This is where you will get registration announcements, when classes are added for you to take, information about the nursing rotation and non-nursing rotation of courses, when a class has been cancelled or new sections have been added, etc. This is a key place to look for updated information as you are progressing through the program.

19 Page 19 Accessing the NBO Advisees - Group Page Accessing NBO Advisees Step 1 : Go to mypuc portal mypuc login page - Step 2: Stay in mypuc Go to the right hand corner of the screen click on the icon Groups Step 3: click on the Groups Index tab Step 4: click on the file icon Academic Step 5: Under the section Groups in Academic click on NBO Advisees click the button Join Group NOTE: This group is open to the public student body of Purdue. Once you request to join this group, you will have immediate access. Problems accessing this group, please call and press option 2.

20 Page 20 Gmail Student Your username for logging into Gmail will be the same as your career account. Therefore, you will be able to login to mypuc, campus computers, and Gmail all with the same username and password. More importantly, you can access your Gmail within the mypuc portal. To enter your Gmail Account: 1. Log into mypuc as previously explained in this handbook. 2. Upon successfully logging into the portal, in the upper right hand corner of the page you will see the Gmail icon. Click on this and you will have access to your student Gmail account. If you have any questions or problems with your Gmail account, please call /option 2. Please note: The RN/BS Completion Program in the College of Nursing at Purdue University Calumet REQUIRES that all students enrolled must use their student Gmail accounts.

21 Page 21 DegreeWorks Degree Auditing System DegreeWorks is an electronic degree audit application and advising tool designed to assist you and your advisor in reviewing your degree progress. Once you have your transfer credits processed into the system, you can access your DegreeWorks audit by signing into mypuc and following the instructions on the tutorials below. Once you are moving through the program and complete courses at Purdue, your audit will automatically update itself upon grades posting. This way, you can keep track of your progress as you move through the program. It is important to check your audit frequently to make sure your credit are distributed correctly. Please follow up with your advisor if you see any discrepancies. Please review instructions on how to access and navigate Degree Works by reviewing the links at If you experience technical difficulties with DegreeWorks, please call (219) / Option 2.

22 Page 22 Accessing PUC Blackboard Learn Using your username and password that you have created, log in to your mypuc portal. Finding Courses in mypuc Once in your mypuc you ll see several tabs. The tab you ll need to select for accessing your courses in Blackboard is the RN-BS tab. Once you click in the RN-BS tab, go to the My Courses box In My Courses you will Click to access Blackboard If you have any questions or problems with your Blackboard account, please call /option 2.

23 Page 23 My Courses Blackboard Learn Courses in mypuc Your courses will show up one week before they start under Courses I m Attending My Courses Blackboard Learn Help You will want to visit the following website for help with Blackboard Learn and to stay up to date with changes, planned outages, etc.

24 Page 24 Payment and Billing Deadline It is important that you make your payment on or before the Friday before the start of class in order to avoid being dropped from the class. An invoice and periodic reminders will be sent to you regarding payment amounts due and payment deadlines. Payment Submission Here are steps to paying online: Access the Purdue University Calumet website at Click on Students, then click on mypuc Portal. Login using your career account and career account password. Click on the Enrollment Services tab. Click on On-Line Payment System Click on Access your personal student records. Click on the Payment Options tab. Wait until your information appears. You can maximize the screen for a better view. Click on Student Account Suite. If you would like to pay your tuition and fees using Webcheck, Visa, Master Card or Discover using our On-line payment system option, you may select the Pay My Bill Option under the same tab mentioned above and follow the prompts. Please pay the exact amount due as shown and do not round your payment up. Continued on next page

25 Page 25 Payment (continued) Note: If you are enrolled in more than one online course per semester, the system brings up the full amount due for all courses. Once you enter your credit card or check information, you can then put in the amount you wish to pay should you decide to only pay for the most recent online course you are taking at that time. If you experience problems trying to pay your tuition, please contact our Student Accounts Department listed below. Payment can be made over the phone. Once Purdue University Calumet receives your payment, you will receive an confirmation from our student accounts area. Account Information If you would like to view your student account information, log into your mypuc account. From there, click on the Enrollment Services. This will allow you to view your account information at anytime. Payment Questions Contact: Student Accounts Billing Questions Contact: Kendra Bates

26 Page 26 Financial Aid How to Apply for Financial Aid To learn how to apply for financial aid for the RN/BS Online Partnership Program, go to: Types of Financial Aid Federal Pell Grant: The federal government offers Pell Grants to undergraduate students in need, which is the foundation of a student s financial aid package. Eligible students must be enrolled in a minimum of 1 credit hour. Federal Direct Subsidized Stafford Loan: For students with financial need based on the results of your FAFSA. Recipients must be enrolled at least half-time (6 credit hours). Recipients are not charged interest while in school at least half-time and during grace or deferment periods. Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan: You are not required to demonstrate financial need to receive this loan. Interest accrues (accumulates) from the time it is first paid out. Recipients must be enrolled at least half-time (6 credit hours). How enrollment is determined for Financial Aid Your enrollment, for financial aid purposes, is based on the total number of credit hours for which you are registered in all five-week sessions during the semester/term. You must be enrolled in a minimum 6 credit hours at PUC to qualify for financial aid. Federal Pell Grant awards will be based on your enrollment as of the census date and will not be adjusted for subsequent increases or decreases in enrollment. If eligible for a second consecutive Pell Grant award during a single award year, you must maintain half-time enrollment during the semester to receive those funds. Stafford Loans will be adjusted for changes in enrollment. If you fall below 6 credit hours your eligibility may change. If refunds have been issued, you may have to return funds to the university. Contact Michelle Short if you are considering withdrawing from any classes to discuss how this might affect your financial aid eligibility. Contact: Michelle Short Michelle.Short@purduecal.edu

27 Page 27 Capstone Course This is a Letter from the Nursing Capstone Course faculty to all students who will be taking the Capstone in the near future. Please read through all very carefully and thoroughly. Dear Future Capstone Student: Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) Capstone Proposal Requirements This information will help you prepare for the final nursing course in the RN-BS in Nursing online course of study. It is intended to make NUR Capstone Course in Nursing a meaningful and enriching learning experience that emphasizes the EBP process. Please identify a nurse clinical liaison prior to the start of the course. This will assist you in meeting course objectives and completing weekly assignments in a timely manner. We recommend this be completed at least about 4-8 weeks prior to the start of class. The liaison will be your contact person and will serve as your agency representative for proposal development and sharing of ideas. The amount of time you spend with your clinical liaison varies depending on the scope of the project. Please note that this is not a hands-on clinical experience that involves direct patient care activities under the direct supervision of a preceptor. The clinical liaison may be selected from your place of employment or can be selected from an acute care/ long term care facility, school, community agency, health department or any organization in which the professional nurse is involved. You will need to verify with your selected clinical agency if a contract is necessary for this Capstone experience. Generally, a contract is not necessary. In rare instances, we have found that an agency does require a contract. Therefore, it is your responsibility to initiate and complete this process at least three months prior to Capstone enrollment. Steps: 1. Check with the agency nursing education department and/ or student affiliations personnel to verify the need for a contract. 2. If a contract is necessary, it is the responsibility of the agency to directly contact Nancy Ross, Nursing Administrative Assistant ( ) to initiate the contract process. Please note, that the agency must provide the name, title, address, phone number, and of the person who negotiates nursing student contracts. 3. Note to Students: Students should not contact Nancy Ross directly. It is the responsibility of the clinical agency to make arrangements with Purdue University. If necessary, a standard contract can be provided by the College of Nursing at Purdue University Calumet.

28 Page 28 Capstone Course (Continued) CAPSTONE COURSE IN NURSING OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of this course, it is expected that the learner will be able to: 1. Engage in activities that promote the importance of nursing and professional nursing roles in creating change in health care environments. 2. Design an evidence-based practice (EBP) project (proposal) that assists individuals, families, groups, or the community meet basic human needs and promote quality of life. 3. Disseminate knowledge relevant to nursing in a complex health care environment. 4. Demonstrate accountability to the nursing code of ethics and legal standards of practice. Preparation for Evidence-Based Practice Proposal: The purpose of this experiential learning course is to provide you with the opportunity to apply and integrate knowledge from previous coursework in the development of an evidence-based practice proposal. The following will help you prepare and are strongly recommended to be completed prior to course start. Identify your Nurse Clinical Liaison. Engage in a dialogue with your nurse clinical liaison about quality improvement, nursing practice, and/or patient outcomes initiatives that may lead to ideas for your evidence-based practice (EBP) proposal. Your EBP proposal must be in the scope of practice for an RN at the BS in Nursing level of practice. It cannot be within the scope of an advanced practice nurse or be outside the scope of nursing (such as medicine or pharmacotherapeutics). Opportunities or challenges that may be addressed (but are not limited to), include clinical issues affecting patient/family/and/or population served by the agency; issues related to the agency s work environment; quality of care or safety issues; and/or needs identified requiring policy changes. The key to a successful proposal is that it must be useful to the identified healthcare agency and have the potential for future implementation. This proposal is then developed based on best available evidence and best practice guidelines. Identify a question of inquiry a PICO question (Population, Intervention, Comparison or Condition, Outcome). Please remember that this question must be in the scope of practice for an RN

29 Page 29 Capstone Course (Continued) at the BS in Nursing level of practice. It cannot be within the scope of an advanced practice nurse or be outside the scope of nursing. Practice writing your question in PICO format. We cannot emphasize this enough! Your PICO is the framework for all Module assignments. It must be written clearly and scoped to nursing practice. We have provided comprehensive EBP content and tutorial(s), course readings, and extensive library resources/readings through the PUC Library Research Guide for NUR To access the NUR Library Research Guide and PUC Library: Please click on the following link to access the PUC Library Research Guide for NUR 49800: If by chance, this link is broken, just log into the PUC library and click on Library Research Guides (Upper left corner); Nursing; Course Specific Research Guides; NUR This guide provides a wealth of useful information that prepares you to be successful in the course. Please take the time to review prior to the start of the course. Review content learned in your Research Course. This is essential as you identify study designs and critically appraise the evidence. You should be able to differentiate between a research question and an EBP PICO question and be able to write a PICO question for your EBP proposal and not a research question. An additional text that has been required in prior courses and strongly recommended. Hopp, L., & Rittenmeyer, L. (2012) Introduction to evidence-based practice. F.A. Davis: Philadelphia. ISBN 13: The importance of using evidence to guide practice is essential in proposal development, implementation, and evaluation. Students have access to the Purdue University Calumet librarian scientists for assistance with database searches. In addition, Purdue University Calumet is a designated Indiana Center for Evidence Based Nursing Practice, a collaborative with the Joanna Briggs Institute. Students can access this site to identify best available evidence and clinical practice guidelines. Many of these resources are included in the NUR Library Research Guide. Course Faculty and Coaches have developed a detailed FAQ that will assist you in course success once you are enrolled in the course. Feedback to your questions and feedback to your graded assignments will be provided in a timely manner. Once you start the course, please check the Announcements and your frequently during the week. Coaches and course faculty provide valuable information on content that includes how to contact the coach, additional points to clarify course content, evaluations, etc.

30 Page 30 Capstone Course (Continued) Finally, read, read, read: course readings, recommended readings, NUR library research guide, announcements, FAQs etc. And once you are in the course, open up the resource module where you will find lecture notes, PowerPoints, sample papers, the EBP proposal template, and other aides that will help you be successful in the course. Making the EBP Proposal Experience Meaningful Develop your PICO question. Plan. When meeting with your clinical liaison, you should have a prepared written outline of possible proposals. Having a good understanding of EBP is necessary for arriving at a possible proposal. Organize and use good time management principles. An extensive time commitment is essential for proposal development and course assignments. Engage in your EBP proposal development. It is an expectation that you adhere to professional standards and policies established by the healthcare agency. Reflect. Take time throughout the course to critically reflect on the experience, your professional goals and course objectives. Evaluate the learning that occurred through reflection, discussions, and assignments. Celebrate course completion and achieving your BS in Nursing! We hope this information will assist you prior to course start. Sincerely, Professors Ellen Moore and Gail Wegner Course Faculty

31 Page 31 Graduation Being enrolled in NUR triggers you as a candidate for graduation. With the approval of your graduation audit by your academic advisor, you will be invited to participate in graduation. Important items to check on in order to prepare for graduation: Review your degree works page and confirm that the information is correct. The degree works page is used by your academic advisor to complete your audit. If credits are missing for whatever reason, it is better to be proactive and contact your advisor to see that your audit is successfully approved. If you have completed non-nursing coursework at other institutions, you must send the official transcripts to Diane Sullivan in PUC Admissions after you have successfully completed the course and received a final grade. Students planning to graduate must be registered for a course at PUC during that current semester. Students who intended on graduating but are not registered for any courses at PUC or completing courses at another school must register for candidate status (CAND) in order to receive your diploma. Students may register for CAND status by ing Mary Martinez. Please contact the Office of the Registrar if you have questions regarding the fees associated with CAND status. Commencement -Purdue University Calumet Purdue University Calumet has graduation twice a year. One commencement ceremony in the Spring (May) and one in the Fall (December). All students who are graduating in those semesters may participate in the commencement ceremony if they choose. Information regarding the commencement ceremony of Purdue University Calumet will come from the Office of the Registrar and any questions about this should be addressed to them at PUC graduation coordinator, Kim Frazier, may also be able to assist students with questions regarding graduation. frazierk@purduecal.edu. Updated information about graduation can be found on the PUC website, under the Graduation Info tab. Nursing Pins: Pins can be purchased individually through George Kingsley ( office@kingsley-inc.com ).

32 Page 32 Frequently Asked Questions Are there clinical requirements for the RN/BS degree? There are no clinical requirements in the traditional sense. Since you are a practicing RN, clinicals are accomplished through assignments that can be completed in your work environment through evidence based projects. What if an emergency happens and I have to take a temporary break from the program? We hope that the flexibility of the courseware will allow you to finish the course you are currently taking. If you cannot continue and you withdraw from the course, you can re-take the course you dropped when it is offered. The last day to withdraw from a course is the Wednesday during the 4th week of the course. However, in order to receive a full refund for the course tuition you must withdraw before the course starts. Must I be connected to the Internet to complete the coursework? Yes. You will need Internet access to download your individual course and online readings onto your computer and to periodically submit and receive feedback on assignments and assessments as well as participate in online discussions. Are refunds given for courses? The refund policy for sessions of 5 or 10 weeks or less is as follows: Before the first class session- 100% refund No refund for drops or withdrawals after the first class session How much preparation time should I expect to commit to my courses? Please plan on allocating 3-4 hours per week per credit hour to complete the didactic coursework. For example, if you are enrolled in a 3-credit hour course, you should anticipate spending approximately 9-12 hours per week completing coursework. This time will be spent completing readings, viewing lectures, participating in discussion boards and accessing information in the online library. This does not include the time needed to complete and submit assignments in the course. Can I take the capstone course when I have completed the nursing credits, but not the non-nursing courses? All nursing courses must be completed prior to the capstone course. However, students may take up to 6 hours of non-nursing coursework after completion of the capstone course. Can I take more than one nursing course at a time? Students may take their final nursing course at the same time as the capstone. Students who wish to take a nursing course with the capstone must have all nursing classes completed with the exception of one nursing course and the capstone. Students must also meet all non-nursing progression requirements. A written request is to be submitted to the advisor requesting to take a nursing class along with the capstone. Once the request has been reviewed and approved, the advisor will notify both the student and the registrar. Both courses must be completed. If a student wishes to withdraw, he/she will be removed from the capstone course.

33 Page 33 Frequently Asked Questions What are the Experiential Learning Course requirements for the RN/BS degree program? The experiential learning component (EXL) is embedded into your nursing core with the courses NUR 394 and NUR 498. By the time you finish your program, you will have completed that degree requirement. There is nothing that you need to do other than take your classes as the EXL requirement will take care of itself. Can I submit transcripts after I have already been admitted? The full disclosure policy at Purdue University Calumet - College of Nursing requires that upon admission to the university, students must submit all official transcripts from all previous schools attended. For students enrolled in the RN-BS Completion program, these transcripts are factored into a cumulative GPA, which must be a 2.50 or higher in order to gain admission to the program. Transcripts that were not presented at the time of admission to the online RN-BS Completion program will not be accepted by the College of Nursing and will not be applied toward transfer credit. In addition, students enrolled in the online RN-BS Completion program prior to the academic year who have withheld transcripts will not be permitted to apply them as transfer credit towards graduation. Can I complete non-nursing course work at another school after I have been admitted to PUC? Yes. Students may want to look into taking a course at another school, perhaps a local community college. Students who chose this option must confirm with their academic advisor that the course will satisfy the requirements. Students can their advisor the name of the school, course number, and a course description prior to enrollment in order to confirm the course will satisfy the requirements. Can I use my personal address for communications related to the RN/BS Completion program? The PUC online RN/BS Completion Program requires that all students enrolled must communicate through their PUC student Gmail accounts. This is the method that instructors, coaches, advisors and other university personnel will be using to contact you. In addition, please include your full name and PUC ID number as this information can facilitate the process of retrieving information.