Nursing, B.S.N.

Learning Goals

Writing in the Discipline

Jane Williams

Dean, School of Nursing

Chair: Yolande Lockett

B.S.N. Undergraduate Program Director: Lynn Blanchette

R.N. to B.S.N. Program Director: Donna Huntley-Newby

B.S.N. Program Faculty: Professors Byrd, Carty, Costello, Padula, Thomas, Williams; Associate Professors Aflague, Blasdell, Hetzel, Huntley-Newby, Lockett, Quigley, Schwager; Assistant Professors Blanchette, Brennan, Calvert, Coia, Creamer, Dame, DeNuccio, Foote, Galloway, Griffin, Gutierrez, Kutenplon, Mock, Molloy, Pittman, Ross, Servello, Siskind, K. Smith, N. Smith, Stone, Wilks

Application to the School of Nursing

Admission to the School of Nursing is highly competitive. The applicant’s academic performance, indicating potential for success as a nurse, is reviewed and considered carefully in the admission process. The criteria listed below are minimum admission requirements and do not guarantee admission to the nursing program. Students admitted to the college as freshmen are given preference. Transfer and second degree candidates are welcome to apply for a limited number of spaces.

Admission Requirements for All General Declared Nursing Majors

1. Completion of Enrollment Form signed by the faculty advisor and submitted to the School of Nursing by October 15 or April 15 of the preceding semester. Students may apply to the nursing program no more than three times.
2. Completion of the College Mathematics and Writing Requirements.
3. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale.
4. Completion of BIOL 231, CHEM 106, and PSYC 230, with a minimum grade of C; and a minimum overall grade point average of 2.67 (B-) in these courses.

Admission Requirements for RN Students (with an associate's degree in nursing or hospital diploma)

1. Admission to Rhode Island College and declaration of nursing as the major.
2. Completion of Enrollment Form signed by the faculty advisor and submitted to the School of Nursing by November 15 or April 15 of the semester prior to upper level nursing course work (NURS 316, NURS 370, NURS 376).
3. Completion of NURS 207 and NURS 225 with a minimum grade of C.
4. Completion of the College Mathematics and Writing Requirements.
5. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.50.
6. Current unrestricted Rhode Island RN licensure.

Upon admission to the School of Nursing, criminal background investigation verification is required.

Admission Requirements for RN students applying to the RN to BSN Program as second degree candidates are noted below under “Admission Requirements for Second Degree Candidates." 

Admission Requirements for Lateral Transfer Students

Students within the Rhode Island College community who desire a change of major to nursing must go to the BSN Program Director to request the change. The Director then e-mails the change to the Records Office.

Admission Requirements for Transfer Students

Transfer students accepted into the college will need to file an Enrollment Form and will need to meet the same requirements as all general declared nursing majors. Nursing students transferring from other nursing programs are required to forward a letter of recommendation from the head of the previous program.

Admission Requirements for Second Degree Candidates

Second degree candidates admitted to Rhode Island College must apply through the college’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions. A plan of study is then formulated with the BSN Program Director. Acceptance as a second degree student does not guarantee admission to the School of Nursing. The student should contact their nursing advisor regarding eligibility to make formal application to the school. Second degree candidates may petition to take the five beginning-level courses (NURS 220, NURS 222, NURS 223, NURS 224, and NURS 225) in one semester on a space-available basis if all cognate courses are completed.

Admission Requirements for RN students applying to the to RN to BSN Program include submission of the admission application to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions by June 1 for fall semester enrollment or by November 1 for spring semester enrollment. Once the application and all credentials have been received, the admissions office notifies the RN to BSN candidate to schedule an appointment with the BSN Program Director to determine the courses needed to meet the requirements for the second bachelor’s degree. Upon admission to the college, the RN to BSN second degree candidate will meet with an advisor to submit the second Enrollment Form to apply to the RN to BSN Program. 

Retention Requirements for All General Declared Nursing Majors

1. Completion of required prerequisite courses (cognate and nursing courses).
2. Completion of cognates before the junior year (intermediate level).
3. A minimum grade of C in each nursing course. Only one nursing course may be repeated. Students who sustain another failure (a grade below a C) in any nursing course will be dismissed from the program.
4. A minimum grade of C in each cognate course. Students with a grade of C- or below in a cognate course will have the option to progress in nursing (probationary status) for one semester while repeating the course in question.
5. The School of Nursing will notify students who have not met the retention criteria. The faculty of the School of Nursing reserves the right to require withdrawal or dismissal of a student who shows evidence, academically or personally, of an inability to carry out professional responsibilities in nursing. Students are expected to adhere to the School of Nursing code of academic honesty. Students have the right to appeal through the Student Outcomes Committee and the dean of the School of Nursing.

Retention Requirements for RN Students

Please see #3, #4, and #5 of “Retention Requirements for All General Declared Nursing Majors” above.

Health Requirements

Every year students must provide the Office of Health Services with evidence of a negative PPD test or compliance with treatment. Before beginning some clinical nursing courses, students may be expected to meet additional health requirements. All nursing students must provide the following documentation:

1. A physical examination.
2. Two measles immunizations.
3. One rubella (German measles) immunization.
4. One mumps immunization.
5. One dose of tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis (Tdap) if it has been two or more years since last dose of tetanus/diphtheria (Td).
6. Hepatitis B vaccine (a series of three immunizations over a six-month period).
7. Two-step PPD (TB skin testing) within one year of starting clinical rotation.
8. Proof of chicken pox disease or immunization.
9. Influenza vaccine or declination form

Students will not be admitted to the first class meeting of a nursing practicum course without having complied with the health requirements. Proof of immunization may be obtained from your physician, high school, previous college or university, military record, and/or from blood titers.

Nursing majors should follow the guidelines on the college immunization form or call College Health Services at [phone] for further information. Once all required information is complete, students may pick up their documentation of immunization status at College Health Services.

Clinical Placements

Clinical learning provides students with the opportunity to carry out nursing care for persons of all ages and in all stages of the health-illness spectrum. The School of Nursing retains the right to place and schedule students in appropriate clinical settings. Although every effort will be made to place all students, it is possible that in any given semester sufficient placements may not be available. Students in clinical courses are responsible for their own transportation to the clinical area. Affiliating agencies require students to consent to criminal background checks; therefore, students must have periodic Background Criminal Investigation (BCI) checks.

Licensure

Graduates of the nursing program are eligible to take NCLEX-RN for licensure as a registered nurse in any state. An applicant who has been convicted of a felony may not be awarded a license by the Rhode Island Board of Nurse Registration and Nursing Education. For more information, contact the dean of the School of Nursing.

Nursing Fee

The School of Nursing contracts with Assessment Technologies Institute, LLC to provide students with a comprehensive testing and review package, which enhances the program. Nursing students are billed by the college each semester for these services.

Handbook

The School of Nursing Handbook for Undergraduate Students in Nursing provides detailed and essential information about the undergraduate nursing program. It is available online at www.ric.edu/nursing.

Students must consult with their advisor each semester before registering for courses. ALL students must be certified for CPR each year.

Course Requirements - All General Declared Nursing Majors

Courses

Course	Title	Credits	Offered
NURS 220	Foundations of Therapeutic Interventions	3	Fall, Spring.
NURS 222	Professional Nursing I	3	Fall, Spring.
NURS 223	Fundamentals of Nursing Practice	4	Fall, Spring.
NURS 224	Health Assessment	3	Fall, Spring.
NURS 225	Introduction to Writing and Research in Nursing	2	Fall, Spring.
NURS 340	Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing	6	Fall, Spring.
NURS 342	Adult Health Nursing I	6	Fall, Spring.
NURS 344	Maternal Newborn Nursing	6	Fall, Spring.
NURS 346	Nursing of Children and Families	6	Fall, Spring.
NURS 370	Public and Community Health Nursing	6	Fall, Spring.
NURS 372	Adult Health Nursing II	6	Fall, Spring.
NURS 374	Contemporary Professional Nursing	3	Fall, Spring.
NURS 375	Transition to Professional Nursing Practice	6	Fall, Spring.

Cognates

Course	Title	Credits	Offered
BIOL 231	Human Anatomy	4	Fall, Spring, Summer.
BIOL 335	Human Physiology	4	Fall, Spring, Summer.
BIOL 348	Microbiology	4	Fall, Spring, Summer.
CHEM 106	General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry II	4	Fall, Spring, Summer.
PSYC 230	Human Development	4	Fall, Spring, Summer.

Total Credit Hours: 80

Course Requirements - Registered Nurse Students

(Licensed graduates of accredited associate degree or hospital schools of nursing)

Course

Course	Title	Credits	Offered
NURS 207	Baccalaureate Education for Nursing	4	Fall, Spring.
NURS 225	Introduction to Writing and Research in Nursing	2	Fall, Spring.
NURS 316	Physical Assessment of the Adult and Child	4	Fall, Spring.
NURS 370	Public and Community Health Nursing	6	Fall, Spring.
NURS 376	Contemporary Nursing Practices: Issues and Challenges	6	Fall, Spring.
	Nursing Transfer Electives	37

Total Credit Hours: 59