Nursing, BSN. Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Admission Policies. Admission as a Freshman. Early Promotion into UAH Nursing Program (EPNP)

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1 The University of Alabama in Huntsville 1 Nursing, BSN Bachelor of Science in Nursing The College of Nursing offers the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. The BSN degree includes a track for students who are completing their initial nursing education (pre-licensure) and a track for students currently licensed as registered nurses (RN-BSN). The undergraduate pre-licensure program prepares graduates to assume entry-level positions in a variety of health care settings. The program is divided into two components: the lower and upper divisions. Lower division general studies (prerequisite) courses provide a broad background in general education and form the foundation for the professional nursing component of the program. Upper division courses provide the theoretical and practical basis for nursing practice in complex U.S. health care system. In addition to focusing on essentials of nursing in the hospital, the curriculum also emphasizes community and primary care. Opportunities to provide care to diverse clients are provided. Use of technology is integrated throughout the program. The program prepares graduates for professional positions immediately after graduation and provides a firm foundation for graduate study. Students who earn the BSN degree are eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). The guiding framework for the BSN Program is the The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice. Admission Policies Admission as a Freshman Entering UAH freshmen interested in nursing as a career must meet the general entrance requirements of the University. Each student in the lower division interested in nursing as a career is advised in the College of Nursing Office of Undergraduate Programs. Students enrolled in the lower division of the College should meet with an advisor in planning a program of study. The program of study will ensure that each student registers for the correct prerequisite courses for the upper division major. Students must meet with a nursing advisor each semester prior to registration. Students must complete all lower division general studies (prerequisites) courses prior to enrolling in the upper division of nursing. For information and assistance, call the College of Nursing Office of Undergraduate Programs Early Promotion into UAH Nursing Program (EPNP) Highly qualified students who enter UAH as freshmen, declare Nursing as their major, take all lower division Nursing coursework as listed in the BSN lower division program of study on the UAH campus, and meet the requirements listed below will be guaranteed a slot in the upper division Nursing courses. Since students will also be eligible to enroll in the UAH Honors College, students enrolling in the EPNP should consider applying for the UAH Honor's College. Enrollment in the UAH Honors College, provides students an opportunity to have enriched freshman and sophomore years and additional academic support in preparation for admittance into upper division Nursing. Students may apply online at The combined EPNP/Honors College is not an accelerated Nursing program. It expects students to spend four years as an undergraduate Nursing Student. Rather, the EPNP assures highly motivated undergraduates promotion into the UAH College of Nursing after successful completion of lower division Nursing program of study while maintaining a 3.25 GPA. University merit scholarships are available for in-state and out-of state students who meet the criteria. Additional scholarships are available for in-state students who meet the requirements and conditions of the program and are Alabama residents who have completed their high school education in Alabama. Scholarship support can be used to cover tuition, and fees. The following requirements and conditions are to be met by UAH EPNP students in order to maintain good standing status for promotion into the upper division of Nursing: A high school GPA of 3.5.* A minimum composite ACT score of 28.* Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 on all lower division Nursing and Charger Foundations required courses given in the BSN lower division program of study. Successful completion of the required BSN lower division program of study for promotion into upper division Nursing courses. An overall cumulative score of at least 80% on the HESI Admissions Assessment (A2) exam. Students who do not meet these criteria and are still interested in applying for the EPNP, may have an individual assessment of their application performed. * Requirements and conditions are subject to change. Programs of Study for Lower Division Courses for UAH and Transfer Students Students completing the lower division general studies (prerequisite courses) of the program at UAH should follow the program of study outlined below. Transfer students should follow the program of study approved by the Articulation and General Studies Committee and presented under Admission as a Transfer Student. Transfer students are encouraged to complete courses equivalent to those listed below:

2 2 Nursing, BSN Lower Division Courses Charger Foundations Written Composition EH 101 FRESHMAN COMPOSITION 3 EH 102 FRESHMAN COMPOSITION 3 Humanitites and Fine Arts EH 207 & EH 208 READINGS LITERATURE/CULTURE I and READINGS LITERATURE/CULTURE 2 PHL 101 INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY 3 or PHL 102 or PHL 201 INTRO TO ETHICS INTRODUCTION TO LOGIC Fine Arts/Humanities Elective 3 Natural Science and Mathematics MA 110 FINITE MATHEMATICS 3 or MA 112 PRECALCULUS ALGEBRA BYS 119 PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY 4 CH 101 & CH 105 INTRO TO CHEMISTRY and INTRO CHEMISTRY LAB BYS 214 INFECTION & IMMUNITY 4 BYS 215 HUMAN ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY I 4 BYS 216 HUMAN ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY II 4 History, Social and Behavioral Sciences HY 103 WORLD HISTORY TO or HY 104 WORLD HISTORY SINCE 1500 or HY 221 UNITED STATES TO 1877 or HY 222 UNITED STATES SINCE 1877 SOC 100 INTRO TO SOCIOLOGY 3 or NUR 202 HEALTHY LIVING LIFESPAN PY 101 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY I 3 PY 300 PSYCHOLOGICAL STATISTICS 3 or SOC 303 STATISTICS/SOCIAL SCIENCES PY 201 LIFE-SPAN DEVELOPMENT 3 NUR Total Semester Hours 59 Admission and Progression in the Upper Division BSN Program Students must apply and be admitted to the nursing program to be eligible to enroll in upper division or level 300 and 400 courses with clinical labs. Admission into the upper division nursing major is competitive, and spaces are limited. A separate application for the upper division of the nursing major must be submitted by published dates, on forms provided by the College of Nursing. Each year's junior class is selected from all applicants who meet the minimum requirements. When the number of students applying to the upper division exceeds the number of spaces available, the most qualified applicants will be admitted. Those applicants who present the strongest academic records and who show the most promise for success in the upper division will be admitted. UAH students who have completed 30 or more pre-requisite semester hours at UAH by the time of the application deadline will be given priority consideration for admission over transfer students. Students will be notified within 6 weeks of the application deadline of admission status. The upper division includes the clinical component of the nursing curriculum. In order to be considered for admission to the upper division nursing major, students must be accepted to the University and they must complete a separate nursing application, which is available through the College of Nursing Office of Undergraduate Programs or online. Admission and Progression Criteria 1. Admission to the BSN Program and upper division courses is highly competitive. Students must meet the following criteria to be considered eligible for admission: a. Minimum grade of "C" on all required general studies prerequisite coursework as listed under Baccalaureate Program of Studies. b. Completion of all lower division general studies (prerequisite) course requirements with a minimum of 59 semester hours of credit. 6 4

3 The University of Alabama in Huntsville 3 c. Status of good academic standing. In addition to meeting other admission requirements, students seeking transfer from the upper division of another nursing education program must submit a letter of good standing indicating that the student is in good standing and eligible for continued enrollment in that program. Nursing courses requested for transfer will be reviewed individually for equivalency by the College of Nursing. Transfer requests are to be submitted to the College of Nursing Office of Undergraduate Programs. 2. Students who have earned 30 semester hours of coursework at UAH by the application deadline for the term for which they are applying, and whose cumulative prerequisite GPA is 3.0 or higher, qualify for priority admission consideration. 3. An application for the upper division nursing major must be completed and submitted to the College of Nursing Office of Undergraduate Programs by March 1 for fall admission and by June 15 for spring admission. Applications are available from the College of Nursing Office of Undergraduate Programs and online. 4. Information considered for admission to the Nursing Program: A minimum grade of C in all prerequisite courses and a minimum cumulative calculated GPA of 3.0 on all prerequisite courses. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 in all science courses. A minimum cumulative score of 70% on the HESI Admission Assessment (A2) Exam. 5. Other admission requirements may be instituted in the future. Refer to admission application for details of admission criteria. 6. An overall "C" (2.0) average on all courses taken at UAH is required for graduation. 7. A grade of "C" or above must be earned in all required nursing courses. A student who receives a grade below "C" in a required nursing course may repeat the course only once. 8. Any student who withdraws from or does not successfully complete a course for academic or nonacademic reasons as prescribed on the program of study, must meet with the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs to develop a revised program of study based on space-availability and progression constraints. Before considering placement of any students who have not succeeded in a course, preference for spaces will be given to those applicants who meet all progression criteria. Any alteration of the initial program of study will lengthen the student's program. 9. A student who receives two or more grades below "C" in required nursing courses, in either the same course or in separate courses, at any time during the program will not be permitted to continue in the College of Nursing. Students who wish to continue their nursing education may petition for readmission to the College of Nursing. Readmission request letters are written to the Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Advising in the College of Nursing. Each student is individually reviewed for potential readmission. Readmission into the upper division nursing program is not guaranteed and is based on the availability of space in a cohort. Students who are readmitted and subsequently earn another grade below "C" in any nursing course will be permanently dismissed from the program. 10. Academic dismissal from the College of Nursing precludes progression in the nursing curriculum. Retroactive withdrawal or other related progression decisions from courses after academic dismissal from the nursing program does not result in a reversal of the dismissal. 11. Students are required to take national standardized examinations in selected courses. These examinations are counted as a portion of the overall course grade for each course. Students are required to earn a passing score on the national examination in NUR 408 to successfully complete this course. Failure to satisfactorily complete the standardized examination in this course will delay the student's completion and graduation from the program. 12. Students must meet standards of professional conduct as described in the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics for Nurses, the Alabama Board of Nursing Practice Act, and standards of student behavior as described in the UAH Undergraduate Student Handbook. 13. Throughout the program, students must meet health and other requirements as identified in the Health and Other Requirements section below, as well as requirements specified in clinical agency contracts. 14. Any requests for exceptions to progression and graduation requirements must be addressed in writing to the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs. Health and Other Requirements for Students in Upper Division Nursing Courses Clinical agencies require students to meet various health related requirements. Students must complete and maintain currency of all health documentation requirements prior to enrollment in upper division level courses and throughout the program for progression. Students are responsible for maintaining original health records. Some of these records will be managed by the Office of Undergraduate Programs (health insurance, CPR, drug testing, and criminal background check) and others by the UAH Student Health Center (vaccinations and physical examination). The following are required as part of admission and progression in the upper division nursing major and entry into each course: 1. Physical examination: within the last year of admission to the program and every 3 years thereafter. Any medical or mental health status change from the time of enrollment in the nursing program must be shared with the Associate Dean and documentation of release from healthcare provider for program progression. If a status change is not reported in a timely manner, the student may not be allowed to progress in the program. 2. Hepatitis B: for initial enrollment, verification that the series of injections has begun or results of a recent titer must be received. 3. Evidence of immunity to measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella. 4. Evidence of negative for tuberculosis. Each student is required to have a 2-step tuberculin (TB) skin test or a T-spot less than three months prior to the first day of class of upper division nursing courses. If a student has a current TB skin test, then a two-step is not needed. Instead of skin testing, students may provide evidence of a blood test indicating negative for tuberculosis. If the skin test or the blood test is positive, a chest x-ray is required and possible other medical evaluation may be requested. An annual one-step TB renewal test is required. 5. Annual Influenza vaccination: Students are required to provide evidence of influenza vaccination by October of each year while enrolled in the Nursing Program. 6. Current health insurance: Students are required to provide evidence of current health insurance each year while enrolled in the Nursing Program.

4 4 Nursing, BSN 7. CPR: Basic Life Support for the Healthcare Provider through the American Heart Association certification or recertification is every two years. 8. Drug testing and criminal background check: Students are required to submit to drug testing and criminal background checks upon admission, for reasonable suspicion of drug/alcohol use, and as required by affiliating clinical agencies while enrolled in any Nursing Program. The College of Nursing Undergraduate and Graduate Student Handbooks provide detailed policies. Violations of the policies are serious and will result in dismissal of students from the College of Nursing. 9. Other health requirements may be implemented based on community or clinical agency requirements. Standards of Conduct and Accountability The nursing student shall comply with legal, moral, and legislative standards that determine unacceptable behavior of the nurse and that may be cause for denial of a license to practice as a registered nurse, in accordance with the Alabama law regulating practice of registered and nursing as provided below. The Alabama Board of Nursing may deny a license and/or temporary permit by examination or endorsement based on Alabama rule 610-x and rule 610-x Examples of grounds for denial and discipline of a license may include: 1. Engaging in fraud, misrepresentation, deception, or concealment of a material fact in applying for or securing licensure or taking any examination required for licensure 2. Failure to produce evidence of good moral character such as having a criminal history or pattern of illegal conduct or disregard for the law 3. Any other reasons authorized by law Failure to comply with any of the Alabama Board of Nursing rules while in the nursing program constitutes grounds for dismissal from the program. Completion of the nursing program does not guarantee licensure based on the Alabama Board of Nursling's regulations governing review of candidates for eligibility for initial and continuing licensure. Core Performance Standards Core Performance Standards may also be referred to as essential functions define selected attributes and behaviors necessary for students to demonstrate in order to successfully complete their education and subsequently enter nursing practice. These essential functions are determined to be required for initial and continued enrollment in the College of Nursing. Students must be able to perform each of the following essential functions with or without reasonable accommodations. 1. Critical thinking ability for effective clinical reasoning and clinical judgment consistent with level of education preparation. Examples (not all inclusive) of necessary activities include identifying cause-effect relationships in clinical and classroom situation, use of scientific method in developing patient care plans; evaluation of effectiveness of nursing interventions. 2. Professional relationships, Interpersonal skills sufficient for professional interactions with a diverse population of individuals, families, and groups. Examples (not all inclusive) include the ability to establish rapport with patients/clients and colleagues; capacity to engage in successful conflict resolution; peer accountability. 3. Communication adeptness sufficient for verbal and written professional interaction. Examples (not all inclusive) include explaining treatment procedures, initiating health teaching, and documenting and interpreting nursing actions and patient/client responses. 4. Mobility as physical abilities sufficient to move from room to room and maneuver in small spaces. Examples (not inclusive) include moving around in clients' rooms, work spaces and treatment areas; and administering cardiopulmonary procedures. 5. Gross and fine motor abilities sufficient for providing safe, effective nursing care. Examples (not all inclusive) include completing examinations/ evaluations by writing, typing or demonstration; calibrating and using equipment, and therapeutic positioning of clients. 6. Auditory ability sufficient to monitor and assess health needs. Examples (not all inclusive) include hearing basic conversation; monitoring alarms, emergency signals and auscultatory sounds; and hearing cries for help. 7. Visual abilities sufficient for observation and assessment necessary in patient care. Examples (not all inclusive) include reading documents such as patient charts and laboratory reports, reading calibrations on syringes, sphygmomanometers, and thermometers, and equipment outputs such as waves, printouts, and digital readings; and accurately observing client behaviors such as color changes and nonverbal communication and responses to treatments. 8. Tactile abilities sufficient for physical assessment. Examples (not all inclusive) include performing palpation, percussion, temperature changes, complete physical examinations and other activities related to therapeutic interventions. 9. Behavioral/Social abilities sufficient to demonstrate emotional stability, maintenance or composure under stress, development of mature, empathetic and effective nurse-patient relationships and use of sound and unimpaired judgment in classroom and clinical activities. These core performance standards are not intended to be complete listing of all nursing behaviors, but they are a sampling of the types of abilities needed by nursing students to meet program objectives and requirements. The College or its affiliated agencies may identify additional critical behaviors or abilities. The identified core performance standards are revised and adopted from the Americans with Disabilities Act implications for Nursing Education (revised 2008).

5 The University of Alabama in Huntsville 5 Responsibility Compliance with Clinical Agencies Students are responsible for complying with policies and procedures required by clinical agencies. The College of Nursing may not be able to provide alternative placements for students. Failure to meet this requirement may lead to exclusion from required clinical educational experiences and prevent completion of the program. Admission into the upper division nursing major is competitive, and spaces are limited. A separate application for the upper division of the nursing major must be submitted by published dates, on forms provided by the College of Nursing. Each year's junior class is selected from all applicants who meet the minimum requirements. When the number of students applying to the upper division exceeds the number of spaces available, the most qualified applicants will be admitted. Those applicants who present the strongest academic records and who show the most promise for success in the upper division will be admitted. UAH students who have completed 30 or more pre-requisite semester hours at UAH by the time of the application deadline will be given priority consideration for admission over transfer students. Students will be notified within six-weeks of the application deadline of admission status. The upper division includes the clinical component of the nursing curriculum. Students must apply and be admitted to the nursing program to be eligible to enroll in upper division or level 300 and 400 courses. In order to be considered for admission to the upper division nursing major, students must be accepted to the University and they must complete a separate nursing application, which is available through the College of Nursing Office of Undergraduate Programs or online. Upper Division Courses The following upper Division courses are required for a baccalaureate degree in nursing. Please note that curricular changes are being implemented Fall Contact the College of Nursing Office of Undergraduate Programs for the most current information. For Pre-Licensure (Basic) Students: (admitted Fall 2015 and beyond) Charger Foundations College General Education Requirements 41 Pre-Professional 18 NUR 301 CONCEPTS IN NURSING 3 NUR 303 HEALTH ASSESSMENT 3 NUR 303L CLINICAL 0 NUR 304 APP PATHOPHYSIOLOGY LIFESPAN 3 NUR 305 NUR PROC MENTAL HLTH/ILLNESS 4 NUR 305L CLINICAL 0 NUR 307 SCHOLARLY INQUIRY IN NURSING 3 NUR 308 NURS CARE ADULTS ALTER HLTH I 9 NUR 308L CLINICAL 0 NUR 309 CLINICAL INFORMATICS 2 NUR 310 PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE NURS I 6 NUR 310L CLINICAL 0 NUR 311 CLINICAL CALCULATIONS 1 NUR 312 GERO NURSING CARE 3 NUR 321 PHARMACOLOGY IN NURS 3 NUR 401 NURS CARE ADULTS ALTER HLTH II 7 NUR 401L CLINICAL 0 NUR 403 FAM CENTER/PARENT-INFANT NUR 4 NUR 403L CLINICAL 0 NUR 404 FAMILY-CENTER NUR CARE CHILDRE 4 NUR 404L CLINICAL 0 NUR 405 COMMUNITY HEALTH NURS 6 NUR 405L CLINICAL EXPERIENCE 0 NUR 407 PROF PRACTICE IN NURSING II 7 NUR 407L CLINICAL EXPERIENCE 0 NUR 408 PROF PRAC IN NURS III SEMINAR 1 Total Semester Hours 128

6 6 Nursing, BSN For Pre-Licensure (Basic) Students: (admitted prior to Fall 2015; includes summer) Charger Foundations College General Education Requirements 41 Pre-Professional 18 NUR 302 NURSING & HEALTH PROMOTION 3 NUR 303 HEALTH ASSESSMENT 3 NUR 303L CLINICAL 0 NUR 304 APP PATHOPHYSIOLOGY LIFESPAN 3 NUR 305 NUR PROC MENTAL HLTH/ILLNESS 6 NUR 305L CLINICAL 0 NUR 307 SCHOLARLY INQUIRY IN NURSING 3 NUR 308 NURS CARE ADULTS ALTER HLTH I 7 NUR 308L CLINICAL 0 NUR 310 PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE NURS I 6 NUR 310L CLINICAL 0 NUR 321 PHARMACOLOGY IN NURS 3 NUR 401 NURS CARE ADULTS ALTER HLTH II 7 NUR 401L CLINICAL 0 NUR 402 POPULATION BASED HLTH CARE 3 NUR 403 FAM CENTER/PARENT-INFANT NUR 4 NUR 403L CLINICAL 0 NUR 404 FAMILY-CENTER NUR CARE CHILDRE 4 NUR 404L CLINICAL 0 NUR 405 COMMUNITY HEALTH NURS 6 NUR 405L CLINICAL EXPERIENCE 0 NUR 406 LEADERSHIP & MGMT IN NURSING 3 NUR 407 PROF PRACTICE IN NURSING II 7 NUR 407L CLINICAL EXPERIENCE 0 NUR 408 PROF PRAC IN NURS III SEMINAR 1 Total Semester Hours 128 For Pre-Licensure (Basic) Students: (admitted Fall 2015 and beyond) Semester 1 Semester Hours NUR 301 CONCEPTS IN NURSING 3 NUR 303 HEALTH ASSESSMENT 3 NUR 303L CLINICAL 0 NUR 304 APP PATHOPHYSIOLOGY LIFESPAN 3 NUR 309 CLINICAL INFORMATICS 2 NUR 311 CLINICAL CALCULATIONS 1 Term Semester Hours: 12 Semester 2 NUR 310 PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE NURS I 6 NUR 310L CLINICAL 0 NUR 312 GERO NURSING CARE 3 NUR 321 PHARMACOLOGY IN NURS 3 Term Semester Hours: 12 Semester 3 NUR 305 NUR PROC MENTAL HLTH/ILLNESS 4 NUR 305L CLINICAL 0 NUR 307 SCHOLARLY INQUIRY IN NURSING 3 NUR 308 NURS CARE ADULTS ALTER HLTH I 9

7 The University of Alabama in Huntsville 7 NUR 308L CLINICAL 0 Term Semester Hours: 16 Semester 4 NUR 401 NURS CARE ADULTS ALTER HLTH II 7 NUR 401L CLINICAL 0 NUR 403 FAM CENTER/PARENT-INFANT NUR 4 NUR 403L CLINICAL 0 NUR 404 FAMILY-CENTER NUR CARE CHILDRE 4 NUR 404L CLINICAL 0 Term Semester Hours: 15 Semester 5 NUR 405 COMMUNITY HEALTH NURS 6 NUR 405L CLINICAL EXPERIENCE 0 NUR 407 PROF PRACTICE IN NURSING II 7 NUR 407L CLINICAL EXPERIENCE 0 NUR 408 PROF PRAC IN NURS III SEMINAR 1 Term Semester Hours: 14 Total Semester Hours: 69 For Pre-Licensure (Basic) Students: (admitted prior to Fall 2015; includes summer Semester 1 Semester Hours NUR 302 NURSING HEALTH PROMOTION 3 NUR 303 HEALTH ASSESSMENT 3 NUR 303L CLINICAL 0 NUR 304 APP PATHOPHYSIOLOGY LIFESPAN 3 NUR 310 PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE NURS I 6 NUR 310L CLINICAL 0 Term Semester Hours: 15 Semester 2 NUR 305 NUR PROC MENTAL HLTH/ILLNESS 4 NUR 305L CLINICAL 0 NUR 308 NURS CARE ADULTS ALTER HLTH I 9 NUR 308L CLINICAL 0 NUR 321 PHARMACOLOGY IN NURS 3 Term Semester Hours: 16 Semester 3 NUR 307 SCHOLARLY INQUIRY IN NURSING 3 NUR 402 POPULATION BASED HLTH CARE 3 NUR 406 LEADERSHIP MGMT IN NURSING 3 Term Semester Hours: 9 Semester 4 NUR 401 NURS CARE ADULTS ALTER HLTH II 7 NUR 401L CLINICAL 0 NUR 403 FAM CENTER/PARENT-INFANT NUR 4 NUR 403L CLINICAL 0 NUR 404 FAMILY-CENTER NUR CARE CHILDRE 4 NUR 404L CLINICAL 0 Term Semester Hours: 15 Semester 5 NUR 405 COMMUNITY HEALTH NURS 6 NUR 405L CLINICAL EXPERIENCE 0 NUR 407 PROF PRACTICE IN NURSING II 7

8 8 Nursing, BSN NUR 407L CLINICAL EXPERIENCE 0 NUR 408 PROF PRAC IN NURS III SEMINAR 1 Term Semester Hours: 14 Total Semester Hours: 69