General Requirements for the Nursing Major (Traditional Day BSN)

Applicants will:

1. Conform to the requirements noted in the Admissions  section of the Undergraduate Catalog under “Admissions Procedures ” and “High School Preparation Recommended for Specific Majors .”
2. Demonstrate minimal combined Math and Verbal SAT scores of 1130, and have attained at least a high school GPA of B
3. International applicants should refer to the language requirements detailed in the Admissions  section of the Undergraduate Catalog, under “International Students .”
4. Submit results and give evidence of reasonably good health and prophylaxis including but not limited to:
   1. Complete physical examination, including specified laboratory studies (form and directions provided by DeSales University’s Department of Nursing and Health);
   2. Current immunizations for poliomyelitis, measles, rubella, tetanus, and diphtheria;
   3. Chickenpox titer (if unable to provide documentation of having had the disease), rubella titer, measles titer, and Hepatitis B antibody titer;
   4. Hepatitis B vaccination (series of three injections). This series must be completed before April of the freshman year.
      
      Completed health requirement forms must be submitted before starting courses in the sophomore year. Some documents may need to be updated on a yearly basis.
      
      Associated costs of examinations and immunizations are the responsibility of the student. Additionally, students must comply with all items included in the “BSN Clinical Requirements ” section of the Undergraduate Catalog, as well as all items in the Pre-licensure BSN Nursing Student Handbook.
5. Must meet the functional abilities essential for nursing practice as outlined in the Pre-licensure BSN Nursing Student Handbook.
6. Submit completed nationwide criminal background check, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) fingerprinting, child abuse, and drug testing clearances before beginning nursing course work (forms and directions provided by DeSales University’s Department of Nursing and Health). Some clearances may need to be updated on a yearly basis. Any costs associated with these clearances are the responsibility of the student. Any offer of full acceptance into the Nursing major is contingent on the results of the applicant’s nationwide criminal background check and FBI fingerprinting. A positive record, on either the nationwide criminal background check or the FBI fingerprinting, will result in revocation of the applicant’s acceptance, or, in the case of a matriculated student, program dismissal.
7. Students seeking transfer into the nursing major either from another major offered at DeSales University or from another academic institution must have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 in order to be accepted into the program. In addition students must meet all minimum progression requirements outlined for nursing majors to be eligible for transfer. Accepted transfer students must abide by the nursing progression requirements outlined in the Undergraduate Catalog in effect at the time of acceptance into the nursing program. The BSN program’s prerequisite science courses are eligible for transfer consideration provided the courses adhere to the undergraduate transfer policy detailed in the Admissions  section of the Undergraduate Catalog, were completed with a grade of “C” or higher, and were completed within the last five years of the student’s matriculation into a DeSales BSN program.
8. The admission process is rigorous; demonstrating minimum admission requirements does not guarantee acceptance or acceptance of transfer into a DeSales nursing program.
9. Once an admission decision has been reached and notification of the decision has been sent to the applicant, the decision is considered final and the application is closed. Information related to closed applications is not discussed with the applicant or the applicant’s designees. There are no further appeals.

Nurse Scholars Program

Acceptance into the Nurse Scholars Program as an incoming freshman assures direct matriculation into the MSN program upon completion of the BSN program, provided that the student remains in “Acceptable Academic Standing ” as outlined in The Undergraduate Program section of the Undergraduate Catalog. The MSN program provides options for advanced study which prepares graduates for certification as a family nurse practitioner, psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner, adult gerontology clinical nurse specialist, or adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioner. MSN degree options also include forensic nursing with certification in investigative forensics, nursing informatics with certification in healthcare information management, and nurse executive via the dual MSN/MBA program (students interested in the dual MSN/MBA program must apply separately to the MBA program for admission consideration; acceptance into the MBA program is not guaranteed). Students may begin course work in graduate level nursing courses during the senior year of their undergraduate program of study, which may be credited toward both undergraduate elective courses and the graduate degree. Students can ordinarily expect to graduate with a BSN within four academic years. Following graduation with the BSN students may obtain an MSN degree through part-time study in approximately 2 years while gaining experience working as a registered nurse.

In addition to fulfilling all requirements of a nursing major seeking the BSN, the nurse scholar must:

1. Demonstrate minimal combined Math and Verbal SAT scores of 1220;
2. Have attained at least a high school GPA of B+;
3. Interview satisfactorily with a Department of Nursing and Health faculty member;
4. Attain at least a B in all nursing and science courses during the undergraduate program of study.
5. Maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher throughout the undergraduate curriculum;
6. Meet all other criteria for undergraduates taking graduate courses as outlined in the Undergraduate Catalog and Graduate Catalog.

If a student is academically ineligible to continue in the Nurse Scholars Program, the student may remain in the nursing major and continue solely to pursue the BSN degree, provided that those requirements for academic progression are met.

Internal Transfer Policy: BSN Programs

The following guidelines are designed to provide smooth transition between BSN programs for students, when necessary, for individual academic progression:

All students are accepted either into the Traditional day BSN program, the Accelerated BSN program, or the ACCESS Evening-Weekend BSN program.

1. Students may take nursing courses only in the program to which they are originally accepted.
2. Students desiring to transfer between BSN programs will seek approval and advising from their Department of Nursing and Health academic advisor.
3. Academic advisor will communicate the student’s plan and its rationale to the chair of the Department of Nursing and Health.
4. Student desiring to transfer will be advised by their academic advisor to formally apply to the desired BSN program.
5. Acceptance into any nursing program will be contingent upon the availability of clinical sites and space in existing clinical groups.
   • Applicants to the Traditional day BSN program will apply through the University admissions office.
   • Applicants to the ACCESS Evening-Weekend BSN program will apply directly to the ACCESS program.
   • Applicants to the Accelerated BSN program will obtain the application guidelines on-line and formally apply.
6. Students accepted into any BSN program as a result of the above process will continue to matriculate in that program for the remainder of their undergraduate nursing studies.
7. Students will be charged the standard tuition associated with the specific BSN program they have transferred into.
8. A student may be permitted to transition BSN programs only once during their undergraduate experience; any transition is up to the discretion of the chair of the Department of Nursing and Health.

General Progression Policies for Nursing Major (Traditional BSN) Students

To progress as a nursing major the student must remain in acceptable academic standing as described under “Acceptable Academic Standing ” in The Undergraduate Program section of the Undergraduate Catalog. In addition to the University “Acceptable Academic Standing ” requirements, nursing majors must be continuously enrolled in nursing courses as outlined in the Undergraduate Catalog. If continuous enrollment cannot be met, students must adhere to the leave of absence policy, detailed in The Undergraduate Program section of the Undergraduate Catalog under “Separation from DeSales University ” and the “Leave of Absence from the Nursing Program” section. For nursing students, acceptable academic standing also includes meeting the following progression policies of the Nursing Major (Traditional day BSN program):

1. Freshman level
   1. The freshman student must earn a C or higher in the following science pre-requisite courses to progress to the sophomore level. Any freshman student who receives less than a C in the following science pre-requisite courses can repeat the course only one time in accordance with the DeSales “Repeat Course Policy ’ detailed in The Undergraduate Program section of the Undergraduate Catalog. The student can repeat a maximum of only one science pre-requisite course one time throughout their course of study in the nursing program.
      BI - 263 Anatomy and Physiology I 
      BI - 264 Anatomy & Physiology II 
      CH - 107 Physiological Chemistry  
   2. The freshman student must have earned a cumulative GPA equal to or higher than 2.75 at the end of spring semester to progress to the sophomore level. If the 2.75 minimum requirement is not met, the student will be dismissed from the nursing program. Cumulative GPAs are calculated to three decimal places and are not rounded when determining progression in the nursing program.
2. Sophomore level
   1. The sophomore student must earn a C or higher in the following science pre-requisite course to progress to the junior level. Any sophomore student who receives less than a C in the following science pre-requisite course can repeat the course only one time in accordance with the DeSales “Repeat Course Policy ” detailed in The Undergraduate Program section of the Undergraduate Catalog. The student can repeat a maximum of only one science pre-requisite course one time throughout their course of study in the nursing program
      BI - 252 Microbiology  
   2. The sophomore student must earn a C or higher in the following psychology pre-requisite course to progress to the junior level. Any sophomore student who receives less than a C in the following psychology pre-requisite course can repeat the course only one time in accordance with the DeSales repeat course policy. The student can repeat a maximum of only one psychology pre-requisite course one time throughout their course of study in the nursing program.
      PS - 240 Human Development  
   3. The sophomore student must earn a C+ or higher in all required nursing courses to progress to the junior level. Any sophomore student who receives less than a C+ can repeat a maximum of only one nursing course one time throughout their course of study in the nursing program. The failed nursing course must be repeated at DeSales University.
      Required nursing courses at the sophomore level:
      NU - 205 Fundamentals of Nursing 
      NU - 215 Health and Physical Assessment 
      NU - 220 Pharmacology 
      NU - 230 Therapeutic Nursing Intervention  
   4. All required freshman and sophomore science courses must be successfully completed with a C or higher before beginning junior level nursing courses.
   5. The sophomore student must have earned a cumulative GPA equal to or higher than 2.75 at the end of spring semester to progress to the junior level. If the 2.75 minimum requirement is not met the student will be dismissed from the nursing program. Cumulative GPAs are calculated to three decimal places and are not rounded when determining progression in the nursing program.
3.  Junior level
   1. The junior student must earn a C or higher in the following mathematics pre-requisite course to progress to the senior level. Any junior student who receives less than a C in the following mathematics pre-requisite course can repeat the course only one time in accordance with the DeSales repeat course policy. The student can repeat a maximum of only one mathematics pre-requisite course one time throughout their course of study in the nursing program.
      MA - 111 Probability and Statistics: MOT/Mathematics  (may be taken prior to junior year)
   2. The junior student must earn a C+ or higher in all required nursing courses to progress to the senior level. Any junior student who receives less than a C+ can repeat a maximum of only one nursing course one time throughout their course of study in the nursing program. The failed nursing course must be repeated at DeSales University.
      Required nursing courses at the junior level:
      NU - 305 Therapeutic Nutrition  
      NU - 335 The Chronically Ill Adult  
      NU - 340 Mental Health Nursing  
      NU - 350 Nursing of the Childbearing Family  
      NU - 365 Nursing Care of Children  
      NU - 370 The Older Adult  
   3. The junior student must have earned a cumulative GPA equal to or higher than 2.75 at the end of spring semester to progress to the senior level. If the 2.75 minimum requirement is not met the student will be dismissed from the nursing program. Cumulative GPAs are calculated to three decimal places and are not rounded when determining progression in the nursing program.
4. Senior level
   1. The senior student must earn a C+ or higher in all required nursing courses to progress and graduate. Any senior student who receives less than a C+ can repeat a maximum of only one nursing course one time throughout their course of study in the nursing program. The failed nursing course must be repeated at DeSales University.
      Required nursing courses at the senior level:
      NU - 320 Health Risk Models and Research  
      NU - 430 Nursing of the Acutely Ill Adult 
      NU - 440 Community and Public Health Nursing 
      NU - 452 Senior Integrating Seminar 
      NU - 454 Clinical Nursing Internship  
   2. The senior student must meet all additional University requirements in order to graduate.
   3. Students are required to participate in the Kaplan Review Course during their senior year of nursing courses. As part of the Kaplan Review Course, students are required to take the Kaplan NCLEX Readiness Test and achieve a minimum score of 65%. All remediation requirements must be satisfactorily met, as assigned, in order to receive permission to take the NCLEX-RN exam.
5. A student failing either the theory or the clinical component of a nursing course will fail the entire course. Failure of a nursing course is defined as any grade below the minimum progression requirement of C+.
6. The student must complete the required number of clinical hours in order to successfully pass a clinical course.
7. If a student has to repeat a nursing course with a clinical component, both the clinical and didactic portion of the course must be repeated. Student placement in the clinical setting is subject to availability. In consultation with the undergraduate clinical liaison, the chair of the Department of Nursing and Health and Director of Undergraduate Nursing Programs will make final decisions as to clinical placement.
8. The student can repeat a maximum of only one science prerequisite course one time throughout the entire BSN curriculum. Failure of a required science course is defined as any grade below the minimum progression requirement of C. Failure of a second required science course results in program dismissal.
9. The student can repeat a maximum of only one nursing course one time throughout the entire BSN curriculum. Failure of a nursing course is defined as any grade below the minimum progression requirement of C+. Failure of a second nursing course results in program dismissal.
10. The student can repeat a maximum of only one required mathematics course one time throughout the entire BSN curriculum. Failure of a required mathematics course is defined as any grade below the minimum progression requirement of C. Failure of a second required mathematics course results in program dismissal.
11. The student can repeat a maximum of only one required psychology course one time throughout the entire BSN curriculum. Failure of a required psychology course is defined as any grade below the minimum progression requirement of C. Failure of a second required psychology course results in program dismissal.
12. Any student who does not follow the sample program plan in this guide, for any reason, or who does not progress through his/her program of study over the typical four year time frame, must make an appointment with their faculty advisor to agree upon an alternative program plan. This plan must include an anticipated date for completion of studies. This program plan must be approved by the chair of the Department of Nursing and Health and Director of Undergraduate Nursing Programs, and this type of request may not necessarily be granted, depending upon clinical site and instructor availability. If the student does not ensure that such a plan is filed in the nursing office, he/she may not be assured future clinical site placement and continuance in the program.
13. Any student who does not meet the 2.75 cumulative GPA progression requirements at the conclusion of any academic level throughout the BSN curriculum will be dismissed from the nursing major. Any student who fails a second nursing course will be dismissed from the nursing major.
14. Any student who must repeat a required science, mathematics, psychology, or nursing course has the opportunity to repeat a course as outlined by the Repeat Course Policy and the nursing progression policy, providing they have met the 2.75 cumulative GPA requirement at the end of the spring semester.
15. The maximum time for completion of the traditional day nursing program is five years from the date of enrollment in the first nursing course. This includes any time lapsed due to an approved leave of absence or time associated with failure to progress.
16. Any dismissed, withdrawn, or inactive student, as defined by University policy, may formally reapply to the nursing program. Re-admission is not guaranteed. Re-admitted students will be required to repeat all nursing coursework, regardless of previous course grades achieved, and are subject to the progression policies outlined in the Undergraduate Catalog under which they are re-accepted.
17. Requested academic references for students who have not met the nursing progression requirements or who have been dismissed from the nursing program will include only the dates of attendance.
18. All nursing students must adhere to and abide by content in the Pre-licensure BSN Nursing Student Handbook and the Undergraduate Catalog. Any deviation or failure to comply with the content may warrant dismissal from the nursing program.
19. All nursing students must abide by the nursing progression requirements outlined in the Undergraduate Catalog in effect at the time of the student’s acceptance into the nursing program.
20. It is the responsibility of the student to contact the Bursar and/or the Financial Aid Office for additional information about the implications of any change in course load for their tuition or financial aid. Questions about housing should be addressed to the Residence Life Office.

Protocol for Academic Due Process

Undergraduate students who are academically dismissed from the nursing program or who feel that he/she has an academic grievance have the opportunity to appeal as described under “Academic Due Process ” in Academic Regulations .

• The student will receive notification both via electronic mail (e-mail) and postal mail to their address recorded with the University of their program progression status. The student has one week from the dated e-mail to submit a formal written appeal. The appealing student must follow the Academic Due Process detailed in Academic Regulations .
• The appealing student will not be allowed to participate in laboratory or clinical experiences until the appeal is finalized. If the appeal is accepted, the Department of Nursing and Health will work with the student to get them back on track with the completion of program requirements.