The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) track prepares students to develop nursing competencies while building upon a liberal arts education that expands their world view of the global community. The curriculum is sequential and integrates theory from the biological and social sciences to develop clinical reasoning and communication skill in graduates who will be expected to serve as leaders in the changing healthcare environment. Content is presented in a simple to complex format and is organized using seven strands to help conceptualize the professional nursing role, including nursing process, research, therapeutic care, teaching/learning, communications, and role development, and incorporates theory and practice to meet the “Essentials for Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice” (AACN, 2008).
Each Essential is presented throughout the curriculum in the classroom and operationalized in clinical settings. Incorporation of the nursing process allows the nursing student to differentiate the independent, dependent, and interdependent functions of nursing.
The General Education courses provide the foundation for the nursing major and continued learning in all educational programs. The addition of both clinical and non-clinical nursing courses in each program prepares graduates for practice at differing levels of experience and responsibility from entry to the nursing profession through the baccalaureate level.
The nursing curriculum provides the opportunity for the student to acquire the professional nursing knowledge and skills necessary to assist patients to an optimal level of health. This is accomplished through an integration of theoretical nursing knowledge with essential clinical skills. Students are provided the opportunity to practice in a changing health care environment in acute and long-term care facilities, as well as in community settings.
Upon graduation from West Coast University, students will have met the following Program Learning Outcomes:
Program Information and Disclosures
Pre-Licensure Nursing Requirements prior to clinical assignments (ADN, BSN & LPN to BSN):
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Obtain a criminal background clearance (information on how to obtain this clearance will be provided to students during the enrollment process). A misdemeanor or felony may interfere with clinical placement and subsequent licensure as a Registered Nurse;
- Submit documentation of required immunizations;
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Provide and maintain a current American Heart Association Basic Life Support (CPR) for Health Providers;
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Provide a current Fire Card, where required;
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Meet the requirements outlined in the “Essentials of RN Job Functions” as documented by a licensed Physician, Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant;
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Undergo drug screening.
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Provide acceptable proof of adequate health insurance coverage;
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Comply with clinical site specific requirements.
Nursing Residency Requirements
A minimum of 18 credits must be taken at WCU for the ADN program offered in Florida only. Exceptions may be considered.
A minimum of 30 credits must be taken at WCU for the BSN and LPN to BSN programs. Exceptions may be considered.
Registered Nurse Licensure Disclosure - Florida
The student satisfactorily completing the pre-licensure BSN or ADN program is eligible to apply for licensure by the Florida Board of Nursing. The Florida Board of Nursing requires that applicants for a nursing license must provide a United States issued social security number. A United States issued social security number is also required to be eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) in the state of Florida. This requirement will prevent anyone from applying for RN licensure in Florida and being employed as an RN without a United States
issued social security number.
Examination Fees
Students Enrolled in the August 2013 Term and After
Starting in the August 2013 term, new/reentry students will be required to pay for Authorization to Test (ATT) fees and NCLEX-RN fees as part of the NCLEX Incentive Program. This program is designed to provide a financial incentive for students to pass the examination on first attempt. Upon enrollment in NURS 493 Integration of Nursing Concepts, the student account will accrue a one-time charge for examination and licensures fees. The University will forward these funds to Pearson (NCLEX) and the State Board of Nursing. On successfully completing the NCLEX examination on first attempt, the University will refund the testing fees noted above and provide the student with a financial incentive. Please see the campus Testing Coordinator for the NCLEX Incentive Program eligibility criteria.
Immunizations
Based on the CDC Recommended Immunizations for Health-Care Personnel (HCP), all HCPs must submit documentation of immunization to Hepatitis B (series of three doses with anti-HBs serologic testing 1-2 months after dose #3), proof of immunity to Hepatitis B, or a signed declination; Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR); Varicella (chickenpox); and Tetanus, include Influenza (yearly), Hepatitis A, and Pneumonia. For some individuals, a titer test will be indicated vs. vaccinations. Titer tests showing immunity to listed pathogens are acceptable. Titer tests showing a negative response require appropriate immunizations and follow-up titers must be completed and submitted. Diphtheria and Pertussis (booster every 10 years) are highly recommended immunizations for HCPs. If one or more of the listed immunizations are contraindicated, documentation must be submitted clearly identifying the reason(s). Clinical laboratory reports with the facility stamp and a medical doctor’s signature is required. See the Nursing Student Handbook for additional information. WCU’s clinical site partners require students to provide proof of immunization against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) to participate in the clinical experience rotation at their site. In addition, healthcare settings require proof of immunization including against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) for employment. If the student is unable to fulfill the clinical site’s requirements, they will not be able to progress towards their degree, and may be withdrawn from the program.
For more information on immunizations and vaccines, visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website at http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/.
Public Health Nurse Certification
Graduates of the BSN program at West Coast University, and who have obtained an unobstructed RN license in the State of California, will be eligible to apply for Public Health Nurse Certification with the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN). For information the Public Health Nurse Certification application process, visit the California Board of Registered Nursing website at
www.rn.ca.gov
NURS 493 Comprehensive Predictor
Each student will take the ATI Comprehensive Predictor Assessment during the last week of the NURS 493 course. Each student must achieve an ATI predictive probability of passing NCLEX at or above 92%. Each student will have ONE (1) attempt to meet the benchmark.
NURS 493 is graded on a Pass/No Pass scale. Only students who meet the benchmark will be given a "Pass" (P) for the course and be allowed to graduate from the program. Students who do not achieve a score of 92%, will be given a "No Pass" (NP) grade and will need to take NURS 493R at no additional cost or units the following term.
Students scoring at least or above 92% probability of NCLEX success on the ATI Comprehensive Predictor given in week 9 of the course will:
- Complete a focused review of the Comprehensive Predictor
- Attend the full ATI Live Review
- Work through the ATI Live Review Study plan to prepare for NCLEX
- Students will be enrolled into the Virtual ATI onlne NCLEX review for post-graduation support to prepare for NCLEX.
Students
scoring below 92% probability of NCLEX success on the ATI Comprehensive Predictor will be required to complete the following:
- NURS 493R course at no additional cost including:
- Completing alternative capstone assignments
- Completing ATI assessments
- Retaking the ATI Comprehensive Predictor
- Attending the ATI Live Review if Comprehensive Predictor is passed.
- Students who have taken NURS 493R and passed the course will be identified as needing additional support and, after attending the Live Review and meeting all University requirements to graduate and test for NCLEX, will be enrolled in the Virtual ATI online NCLEX review for continued post-graduation review and support to prepare for NCLEX.
Nursing Corequisite Course Drop
Pre-licensure Nursing students who are enrolled in courses with corequisites must maintain enrollment in both courses throughout the term. If a student is seeking to drop, or is dropped/withdrawn from a course with a corequisite, the co-requisite course will also be dropped. The drop of the corequisite will not count as an unsuccessful attempt. When a student drops, or is dropped/withdrawn from a course with a corequisite after the Withdrawal (W) deadline, as published in the University Catalog, the student will be permitted to continue in the corequisite course.
Transfer Credit Requirement:
To receive transfer credit for this program, previous General Education course must have achieve a grade of at least a "C", and Core courses require a minimum grade of a "C+". Approval on transfer credit is based on the program's discretion.
Admission Requirements
BSN and LVN/LPN-BSN Admissions Requirements-Florida and Texas
For Admissibility into the BSN & LVN/LPN to BSN Program, Applicants Must Meet the Following Requirements:
- Submit a completed WCU application for admissions
- Submit WCU approved documentation of high school graduation or equivalent
- Foreign high school diplomas/credentials or their equivalent must have an official evaluation performed by an approved organization)
- Participate in an admissions interview arranged by a University admissions advisor
- Achieve a HESI composite score of 76 or higher
- HESI exam scores must be within three (3) years of enrollment date.
- HESI exam scores below 76 are denied admission
- Examination Retake Details
- BSN applicants will have a maximum of two attempts, a week apart, to successfully pass the admissions exam.
- If an applicant does not pass the admissions exam after two attempts, he or she must wait a period of 1 months to retest and must provide proof of remediation.
- Additional acceptable external scores are eligible for full admission:
- TEAS score of 43 or higher
- TEAS exam scores must be within three (3) years of enrollment date
- SAT score of 835 or higher or ACT score of 16 or higher
- SAT or ACT must be within three (3) years of enrollment date
- WCU only collects Verbal and Quantitative scores for SAT and ACT
- Complete an enrollment agreement (must be signed by a parent or guardian if the applicant is under 18 years of age)
- Meet program-specific entrance requirements.
- Applicants to the LVN-BSN program must provide proof of current unobstructed licensure as a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN).
BSN & LVN-BSN Post Secondary Transcripts for Transfer Credit Evaluation
BSN and LVN/LPN-BSN applicants requesting transfer credit evaluation must provide official transcripts by the Add/Drop deadline on the second Tuesday of the term. All general education, prerequisite, and core nursing coursework must have been taken at an appropriately accredited institution. For nursing credits to be considered for transfer credit, there can be only one year between the end of the last nursing course taken at a previous institution and the beginning of the first course at West Coast University. Exceptions may be considered. Science courses must be taken within the last five years to be accepted for transfer credit. Course syllabi for courses previously taken at another nursing program should be submitted for review to the campus dean for nursing. The maximum allowable transfer credits applied to the BSN program shall not exceed 52 credits of general education, and for the ADN (Florida only) program shall not exceed 27 credits of general education. See the Challenge Credit policy for additional information on receiving nursing credit for previously completed nursing courses. Authority for all final transfer credit decisions is given to the Program Dean/Chair.
Transfer credit will not be awarded based on unofficial transcripts, however, students may be scheduled for their first semester of courses based on unofficial transfer credit review . Financial packaging for the first semester will be estimated without transfer credit unless/until official transcripts are received and evaluated. If transfer credit is evaluated after the add/drop date of the first semester, it will be reflected in financial aid offers for the subsequent semester.
Concurrent Enrollment: Individuals who are concurrently enrolled at another institution at the time of their matriculation to West Coast University, may be allowed to request transfer credit for courses that are in-progress. In this situation, official transcripts must be received by the end of the first term of matriculation in order to receive transfer credit.
BSN & LVN-BSN Post Secondary Transcripts for Veterans
All applicants who are veterans or seeking transfer credit must submit all official applicable postsecondary transcripts by the Add/Drop deadline on the second Tuesday of the term regardless of applicable transfer credits for timely certification of the veterans request for benefits and receipt of funds. Please see the Veterans Educational Benefits policy in the Financial Policies and Information Section of the Catalog.
LVN/LPN-BSN Licensure Requirements
LVN/LPN to BSN applicants who possess a current unobstructed LVN/LPN license may be admitted into the West Coast University LVN/LPN to BSN program without requiring transcripts if they meet all other specific program admission requirements, which would include military training. LVN/LPN’s who were able to obtain their LVN/LPN license using their military training as the academic qualifier and those who have graduated from a school that has since closed and transcripts are no longer available.
ADN Admissions Requirements-Florida Only
Applicants to the Associate Degree in Nursing program must:
- Submit a completed application for admission.
- Complete and execute an enrollment agreement. If the applicant is under the age of 18, enrollment documents must be signed by a parent or guardian.
- Submit documentation of high school graduation or its equivalent.
- Submit documentation of an earned science baccalaureate degree or higher, an MD degree, and/or submit HR documentation from a Clinical Healthcare Partner that shows that the prospective student is already working in a direct or indirect medical patient care position.
- Participate in an interview with a University Admissions Advisor.
- For regular admissions, a composite score of 58.7 on the TEAS Examination, or score a minimum of 80 on the HESI Examination, or score above 21 on the ACT, or above 1649 on the SAT with 3 Sections, or above 1044 on the SAT with 2 Sections is required.
- If a foreign high school diploma is provided as proof of graduation for non-English speaking countries, proof of English proficiency is required by providing one of the below:
- TEAS exam scores of at least 69.0% in Reading and 60.0% in English and Language usage,
- TOEFL (minimum 500 PBT, 61BT - paper based, internet based),
- IELTS (minimum 6.0 on speaking and writing),
- Pearson Test of English (minimum of 44; or level 3, 4, or 5 of PTE - general test),
- Eiken English Proficiency exam (minimum Pre-1 grade),
- Exams identified within the Common European Framework of reference -- Cambridge English: FCE-grade of C or better; or CEFR-B-2 level,
- CLEP minimum score of 50 in College Composition or College Composition modular,
- Graduate with a C or better from an English as a Second Language (ESL) program, or obtained grades of C or better in college-level English course taken at an accredited English-speaking post-secondary institution.
- LPN applicants must provide proof of an unencumbered license to practice as a Vocational Nurse in Florida.
ADN Post Secondary Transcripts for Transfer Credit Evaluation - (ADN is offered in Florida only)
ADN applicants requesting transfer credit evaluation must provide official transcripts by the Add/Drop deadline on the second Tuesday of the term to be admitted to the university All general education, prerequisite, and core nursing coursework must have been taken at an appropriately accredited institution. For nursing credits to be considered for transfer credit there can be only one year between the end of the last nursing course taken at a previous institution and the beginning of the first course at West Coast University. Exceptions may be considered. Science courses must be taken within the last five years to be accepted for transfer credit. Course syllabi for courses previously taken at another nursing program should be submitted for review to the campus dean for nursing. The maximum allowable transfer credits applied to the BSN program shall not exceed 52 credits of general education, and for the ADN (Florida only) program shall not exceed 27 credits of general education. See the Challenge Credit policy for additional information on receiving nursing credit for previously completed nursing courses. Authority for all final transfer credit decisions is given to the Program Dean/Chair.
Transfer credit will not be awarded based on unofficial transcripts, however, students may be scheduled for their first semester of courses based on unofficial transfer credit review. Financial packaging for the first semester will be estimated without transfer credit unless/until official transcripts are received and evaluated. If transfer credit is evaluated after the add/drop date of the first semester, it will be reflected in financial aid offers for the subsequent semester.
Concurrent Enrollment: Individuals who are concurrently enrolled at another institution at the time of their matriculation to West Coast University, may be allowed to request transfer credit for courses that are in-progress. In this situation, official transcripts must be received by the end of the first term of matriculation in order to receive transfer credit.
ADN Post Secondary Transcripts for Veterans
All applicants who are veterans or seeking transfer credits must submit all official applicable postsecondary transcripts by the Add/Drop deadline on the second Tuesday of the term regardless of applicable transfer credits for timely certification of the veterans request for benefits and receipt of funds. Please see the Veterans Educational Benefits policy in the Financial Policies and Information Section of the Catalog.
International MD Transfer Policy
West Coast University accepts a general education block transfer credit from any international institution that granted a Medical Doctor (MD) degree and is recognized by the country’s Ministry of Education or Department of Education. An MD international graduate has to complete:
- Miami (prior to Spring II 2023) FYS001 and CAPS 401
- Miami (starting Spring II 2023) FHE 100
and prove English proficiency by providing one of the below-listed requirements. If no proof of English proficiency is available, in addition to the above classes, international students must complete WCU ENGL140 (ADN and BSN) and ENGL 240 (BSN Only) with a grade of C or better.
In order for the transfer of general education credits including English courses to be granted one has to:
- Graduate with an MD degree from an international higher education institution that is recognized by the country’s Ministry of Education or Department of Education.
- Complete an international transcript equivalency credential evaluation from one of the WCU approved professional evaluation agencies. This evaluation should include: the degree comparability, course by course evaluation, GPA, grade and credit conversion.
- Pass the TEAS exam with a minimum score of 58.7 or composite score of 192.3 or higher.
- Prove English proficiency. This is required by providing either one of the below listed:
- TEAS exam scores of at least 69.0% in Reading and 60.0% in English and Language usage
- TOEFL (minimum 500 PBT, 61IBT-paper based, internet based),
- IELTS (minimum 6.0 on speaking and writing)
- Pearson Test of English (minimum 44; or level 3,4 or 5 of PTE-general test)
- Eiken English Proficiency exam (Minimum Pre-1 grade)
- Exams identified within the Common European Framework of reference--Cambridge English: FCE -grade of C or better; or CEFR- B-2 level
- CLEP minimum score of 50 in College Composition or College Composition modular
- Graduated with a grade of C or better from an English as a Second Language (ESL) program, or obtained grades of C or better in college-level English courses taken at an accredited English-speaking post-secondary institution
Nursing (ADN), Associate Degree International MD Transfer List
Nursing (BSN), Bachelor of Science Degree - International MD Transfer List
RN to BSN (Online) Admissions Requirements
Applicants to the program must meet the following standards:
- Provide proof of a current an active, unencumbered Registered Nurse (RN) license from the United States.
- Students awaiting their licensure exam may be admitted if they meet all other admissions criteria but must show proof of licensure prior to entering the second term of the program.
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Individuals with 15 or more college-level credits are required to have a 2.25 GPA in post-secondary education.
- Applicants with 15 or more college-level credits and a GPA of 2.0-2.24 may be considered for probationary admission after meeting the following admissions requirements:
- The applicant must provide a letter of intent.
- The applicant must be approved for admission following an interview with Program Dean.
- The applicant must satisfy program prerequisites and achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.0 on all coursework attempted over the first trimester (two terms). Students failing to meet these requirements following the first trimester (two terms) will be withdrawn from the university.
- Submit official transcripts from a Board of Nursing licensed Associate Degree or Diploma in Nursing program;
- Applicants can be conditionally admitted into the first week of the program by providing unofficial transcripts or a copy of the conferred nursing degree. Official transcripts which meet the requirements set forth must be received by the end of the add/drop period in order to be admitted into the program.
- Applicants with an active, unencumbered RN license may be admitted with approved documentation of earned high school degree or equivalent pending receipt of official transcripts of nursing degree. Official transcripts must be submitted to document program completion.
*All students must have a current and active, unencumbered RN license in the United States prior to entering the third trimester of the program; an unobstructed license is required for degree completion and will be verified again prior to entering the practicum course. Failure to present a valid RN license will result in dismissal from the university until such time license is current and unobstructed.