Nursing - Traditional Pre-licensure BSN Option (3.5 Years), BSN

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Associate Dean of Nursing Department - Dr. Heather Zonts, PhD, RN, CNE
Chairperson, Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program - Ms. Christina M. Schilling, MSN, RN, CCRN
BSN Program Coordinator - Ms. Christin Mearns, MSN, RN

Upon completion of the Pre-licensure Program, graduates will be prepared to give professional nursing care in a variety of health care settings, apply for master degree level study in nursing, and serve as leaders in society.

The following end of program student learning outcomes will be achieved by Mount Aloysius College Pre-licensure program graduates:

Patient-Family Centered Care - Recognize the patient and family as a full partner in providing coordinated, compassionate, age- and culturally-appropriate care.
Teamwork and Collaboration - Function effectively as a member of the interdisciplinary team fostering interprofessional and intraprofessional communication, mutual respect, and shared decision making to provide coordinated quality care.
Evidence-Based Practice - Evaluate and integrate current research and evidence with clinical expertise in the delivery of quality healthcare and the improvement of health care processes and outcomes.
Informatics - Employ information systems to communicate, manage knowledge, mitigate error, and support decision-making.
Quality Improvement - Evaluate outcome data of patient care processes and employ improvement methods to improve the quality and safety of health care.
Safety - Anticipate and minimize risk of harm to patients and other healthcare providers through both system effectiveness and individual performance to provide safe and effective delivery of care.
Professionalism - Demonstrate the values, ethics, and legal standards of the nursing profession; responsibility and accountability for own behaviors and decisions; and competent performance in nursing practice to ensure quality patient-centered care.

Admission Requirements

This is a highly competitive program and due to a limited number of seats, not all students who meet minimal requirements for acceptance may be awarded a seat in the program. The student’s cumulative GPA and cumulative science GPA will be used to determine matriculation into the program. Students who meet the following criteria will be considered for matriculation into the traditional BSN option on a space-available basis.

First Time College Students:

Demonstrate a minimum 2.5 CGPA on post-secondary education as verified by official transcript by time of matriculation into first nursing course;
Achieve a combined SAT Critical Reading and Math Score of 1000 or ACT Composite Score of 22;
Any student whose Native language is not English will need to take one of the English Language Proficiency examinations listed below:
- A TOEFL iBT of 84 or higher total score with a minimum speaking score of 26
- TOEFL PBT of 540 or higher total score
- IELTS Academic score of 6.5 or higher with a minimum of 6.0 in each module
- PTE Academic score of 55 or higher overall, with no Communicative Skills sub-scores lower than 50 in each part
- MELAB with speaking score of 81 or higher overall total score and minimum score of 3 in the speaking test is required as part of the application for an individual whose primary language is not English

Matriculation:

Completion of 60 credit hours of the general education curriculum by July 1 prior to first nursing course;
Completion of all pre-requisite science courses with a minimum C grade; and
Demonstrate a CGPA of 2.5 in the pre-requisite science courses.

Transfer Students:

Note: Transfer student applicants must apply for admission for the Fall semester no later than January 15.

Demonstrate a minimum 2.5 CGPA on post-secondary education as verified by official transcript by time of matriculation into first nursing course;
Any student whose Native languagte is not English will need to take one of the English Language Proficiency examinations listed below:
- A TOEFL iBT of 84 or higher total score with a minimum speaking score of 26
- TOEFL PBT of 540 or higher total score
- IELTS Academic score of 6.5 or higher with a minimum of 6.0 in each module
- PTE Academic score of 55 or higher overall, with no Communicative Skills sub-scores lower than 50 in each part
- MELAB with speaking score of 81 or higher overall total score and minimum score of 3 in the speaking test is required as part of the application for an individual whose primary language is not English

Matriculation:

Completion of 60 credit hours of the general education curriculum by July 1 prior to first nursing course*;
Completion of all pre-requisite science courses (CHEM 100 or CHEM 101 , BIOL 201 , BIOL 202 , BIOL 210 , and BIOL 112 ) with a minimum C grade; and
Demonstrate a CGPA of 2.5 in the pre-requisite science courses.

*Transfer credits for general education courses will only be accepted from regionally accredited colleges. Credits earned will be accepted on a case-by-case basis. Completion of challenge exams will be required for nursing courses at the discretion of the nursing faculty. The course must be comparable to the one offered by Mount Aloysius College. Coursework that has been completed seven (7) or more years previously may or may not be accepted as transfer credits.

Transfer Applicants with Prior Nursing Credit

Transfer applicants who have had previous nursing education courses are required to:

meet the matriculation requirements as stated below for transfer students; and
sign and send to the previous nursing program(s) a request for a confidential reference.

In addition, the applicant may apply to take a challenge exam(s) and/or complete the clinical skills challenge. To begin the challenge process, the applicant must submit a course syllabus and calendar to the Program Chairperson a minimum of five (5) weeks prior to the start of the semester. An applicant wishing to challenge a course must have successfully completed a comparable course (including clinical if applicable) at an accredited school within the past three (3) years with a “C” or better; courses older than three years may not be challenged. A fee is associated with challenge exams. The following Bachelor of Science in Nursing courses are eligible to be challenged and successfully passed:

*NUR310 - Nursing Assessment with lab (4 credits)
*NUR315 - Basic Pharmacology (2 credits)
*NUR320 - Foundations of Professional Nursing with clinical and lab (4 credits)
*NUR325 - Gerontological Nursing (2 credits)

The following Bachelor of Science in Nursing course does not require a challenge exam, but must be from a regionally accredited college and completed within the past 3 years with a “C” or better.

*NUR305 - Introduction to Professional Nursing (2 credits)

**Students transferring between nursing programs within the department, refer to the Nursing Program Transfer within the Department of Nursing Policy.

Clinical Enrollment Requirements

Prior to the start of a clinical nursing course, the student must submit the following:

A completed health form, physical exam, and required titers and immunizations;
Two-Step PPD or agency accepted equivalent;
Urine Drug screen from the start of the first clinical course. Additional urine drug screens may be required;
PA Criminal Background***, FBI Fingerprinting***, and Child Abuse History Clearances***; and
CPR Certification (American Heart Association Healthcare Provider or American Red Cross Professional Rescuer which includes Adult, Child, Infant, and AED) within 30 days of the start of the semester

Note: Students who withdraw from the program must submit a NEW PA Criminal Background Check, FBI Fingerprinting, and other documentation required by the college or clinical agencies.

**Students must have health requirements confirmed by Health Services prior to participation in clinical experiences. The Mount Aloysius College School of Nursing Prohibitive Offense Policy guides decisions related to background check findings. Healthcare agencies have the right to deny employment or clinical experiences based on background checks.

**Nursing students must comply with the requirement of the Professional Nursing Law of Pennsylvania (Act of April 14, 1972, P.L. 233, No 64) known as “The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act”.

General Information:

Information related to progression throughout the BSN program includes the following:

Completion of all pre- or co-requisite courses, as listed in the current catalog, with a minimum “C” grade prior to graduation;
Completion of all nursing courses with a minimum 75%;
Completion of all clinical nursing courses with a “P” in the clinical component of the course;
Maintenance of a cumulative grade point average of 2.0;
Annual One-Step PPD is required after the initial 2-Step PPD;
CPR re-certification if a student’s CPR certification expires prior to program completion;
Students are expected to adhere to the Policies and Procedures set forth in the Mount Aloysius College Department of Nursing Student Policy and Procedure Manual;
Clinical site availability is dependent on many factors and varies from semester to semester. No guarantee can be made to students regarding placement at any particular clinical site. Placement in a nursing course that is being repeated is on a space-available basis. Transportation to clinical sites is NOT provided by Mount Aloysius College. Each student is required to provide his or her own transportation to and from clinical sites.

Graduation Requirements

To graduate, students must complete all general education requirements (listed in the current College Catalog) for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree.

The student must complete the degree within six (6) years of starting the first nursing course.

Students must complete their final thirty (30) semester hours at Mount Aloysius College.

Accreditation/Approval

The BSN Degree program is approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing and accredited by the:

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)

3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400

Atlanta, GA 30326

404-975-5000

www.acenursing.org