Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Overview

The first two years of this program consist of general education courses which provide a liberal arts framework for completion of the nursing component of the program and pre-professional courses.

Upon admission to the upper division nursing courses, the student will complete six quarters of nursing education. This is a rigorous program with in-class time averaging approximately 20 hours/week. Students should be committed to considerable out-of-classroom preparation and study. It is expected that success will depend upon three hours of study per hour of classroom time. Class schedules may change at the discretion of the institution.

Preparation of the professional nurse requires classroom, laboratory, and clinical experience. The clinical component of the nursing program will take place in various settings in the Knoxville area and beyond. Students are responsible for costs associated with these clinical rotations, and for any costs associated with any emergency services needed while participating in off-site activities.

Consistent with South College, the faculty of the Department of Nursing is committed to providing a degree program at the undergraduate level that builds on knowledge gained through general education experiences. This nursing education serves both traditional and nontraditional students and offers opportunities to enhance the community’s health care through participatory learning experiences.

Baccalaureate nursing education builds on the general education foundation and establishes the foundation for the beginner in nursing practice. The Department supports the pursuit of the commitment to lifelong learning in a dynamic and culturally diverse health care environment, promoting client advocacy, achieving and maintaining clinical competency, and providing service for the community and profession.

The nursing program received initial approval from the Tennessee Board of Nursing in December 2003, with full approval granted in September 2008. The program was granted continuing accreditation in 2011 by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (3343 Peachtree Road, NE, Suite 500, Atlanta, GA 30326).

Baccalaureate of Nursing Mission Statement

The South College Baccalaureate Nursing program builds on a foundation of liberal arts education, establishing the knowledge base and clinical expertise for the generalist in nursing practice. The faculty supports the commitment to lifelong learning in a dynamic and culturally diverse health care environment, promoting client advocacy, achieving and maintaining clinical competency, and providing service for the community and the profession. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program provides the foundation for graduate education.

Vision Statement of the Baccalaureate of Nursing

The Baccalaureate of Nursing Programaspires to become a baccalaureate program of distinction through an integrated and student-focused curriculum. The program is committed to providing an education that values excellence in ethical patient care and professional growth and integrity.

Philosophy of the School of Nursing

The School of Nursing derives its purpose, mission, vision, philosophy, and objectives from South College. The wellness-illness continuum of care provides the overall organizing framework that serves as the structure for the nursing curriculum, with students introduced to a variety of nursing theoretical frameworks. Related concepts emphasized in the nursing curriculum include ethical decision-making, critical thinking, effective communication, leadership, and management.

Person

A person is a unique, holistic, adaptive, open system. Persons, either alone or in groups, families, or communities, have inherent basic rights and choices. Each person is multi-dimensional with variables such as age, gender, culture, race, religion, socioeconomic status, and lifestyle choices.

Environment

Environment is a complex, open system functioning in a dynamic state of change. The environment is both internal and external, uniquely perceived by each person, either alone or in groups, families, or communities.

Health

Heath is a dynamic phenomenon encompassing physical, emotional and spiritual parameters. Health is individually perceived and influenced by internal and external factors.

Nursing

Professional nursing is an art and a science with caring as the core concept. The role of the nurse is to facilitate optimal independent functioning of persons, alone or in groups, through the promotion, maintenance, and restoration of health. The professional nurse will utilize critical thinking and the nursing process to plan and implement care.

Program Outcomes of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program

The program outcomes of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program are to provide undergraduate students with the:

1. Critical thinking, interpersonal, and technical skills of a nurse generalist;
2. Academic foundation necessary to pursue graduate education.

Student Learning Outcomes of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program

Upon completion of the nursing program, the graduate will meet the following outcomes:

1. Utilizes critical thinking skills to provide holistic nursing care to patients.
2. Validates theoretical knowledge of health practices.
3. Adapts and utilizes therapeutic communication.
4. Supports other health care disciplines in coordinating holistic health care.
5. Integrates information technologies when assessing, planning, intervening, and evaluating care.
6. Summarizes and applies the current trends, issues, ethical dilemmas, personal, and cultural values and practices which affect the health care of patients.
7. Anticipates and adapts the principles of teaching/learning in providing care to facilitate patient autonomy.
8. Uses and applies the nursing process: assessing, planning, intervening, and evaluating care of patients, families, communities, and populations.
9. Integrates nursing research into evidence-based practice.
10. Demonstrates professionalism in nursing practice, encompassing accountability, integrity, and respect for the uniqueness of persons.

 

Role of the BSN in Health Care Delivery

The role of the professional nurse is built on nursing knowledge, theory, and research. The bachelor's level nurse functions as a provider of care; a designer, manager and coordinator of care; and a member of the profession. The bachelor's prepared nurse serves as a patient advocate and educator, using technical, critical thinking, and ethical decision-making skills to promote individual and family well-being. As a designer, manager, and coordinator of care the professional nurse has the knowledge and authority to delegate tasks, supervise patient care and evaluate personnel in the context of a team setting. The nurse functions as a member of a profession by demonstrating a strong foundation of ethical values, becoming an active proponent of political action in the regulatory aspects of the changing health care arena, and assuming a commitment to life-long learning (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2008).

Licensure

Upon completion of degree requirements, each student must make application to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). Professional nurses are prohibited in all states from practicing nursing until the examination is successfully completed and licensure has been granted. Specific information regarding licensure will be provided to the student during the last quarter of the nursing program. State Boards of Nursing have the responsibility and right to deny licensure to persons who have been convicted of a crime other than a minor traffic violation. Persons having a criminal record should consult the Rules and Regulations of the Tennessee Board of Nursing available on line at http://www2.state.tn.us/health/Boards/Nursing/.

Prospective Students to the BSN Major

All students must minimally meet the requirements for general admission to South College. General admission to South College does not guarantee admission to the nursing program. Prospective students applying for admission to the Nursing

Program must meet the following requirements:

1. Application to the nursing program should be made when the student is enrolled in NSG 2030 Introduction to Professional Nursing. The procedures for application can be found on Nursing Page of the South College website or via the Nursing Information Packet available in the Admissions Department.
2. Completion of all required general education courses.
3. Participation in an interview which will be scheduled when the student is enrolled in Introduction to Professional Nursing. The interview must be at least a 2.50 on a 4.00 scale to be eligible for admission to the nursing program. Students who score less than a 2.50 may apply for admission to the next cohort. At that time, the student will be allowed one additional interview. Students who score below a 2.50 on the second interview will be ineligible for admission.
4. Grade point average of at least a 2.50 calculated based on grades earned in the general education requirements for the nursing program. Science courses must be completed with at least a 2.50 overall grade point average as well.
5. To be eligible for the nursing program, a grade of C or better must be earned for all prerequisite courses required for the nursing program in a maximum of two attempts. If courses are repeated, all attempts will be averaged and calculated into the final grade point average for prerequisites and/or science courses when ranking applicants for admission.
6. Students in the following categories may be considered for admission ona space available basis. Space available basis means that admission will be considered only if the class size as determined by the faculty is not met. This applies to students who have:
   a. Been unsuccessful in one course in the nursing program at South College;
   b. Been unsuccessful or dismissed from another health professions program at South College for any reason.

Applicants will be ranked based upon GPA of all general education requirements, GPA of science courses, and interview score. Admission is dependent upon class size.

Students who have been unsuccessful in the South College nursing program,  or other nursing programs, will be reviewed on an individual basis. Students who present transcripts indicating failure from two nursing programs will not be considered for admission or readmission to the South College Nursing program.  Students transferring to the South College Nursing program from another nursing program must successfully complete NSG 2030 Introduction to Professional Nursing before being accepted into the South College Nursing program. For a nursing class (or classes) to be considered for transfer into the South College Nursing program, the class must have been completed within the last five years, and it must be at the baccalaureate level. Only nursing courses with a grade of A or B will be considered for transfer. For final transfer approval, a course description or syllabus may be required.

Requirements for Admission Other Than Academic

In addition to course work, each student must provide proof of ability to perform the skills needed to practice nursing effectively. Health care facilities must meet federal guidelines, and students must also meet these requirements in order to be allowed to gain clinical experience. Therefore proof of the following are requirements for the nursing applicant.

1. Proof of a negative TB test (yearly)
2. Proof of or waiver of Hepatitis B vaccine (3 in series)
3. Proof of or waiver of MMR (2 in series)
4. Proof of varicella vaccine by titer or history
5. Annual influenza immunization or waiver
6. Proof of tetanus (booster required every 10 years)
7. CPR training
8. Physical exam certifying ability to function in the required capacity.

A criminal background check and a drug screen are required for admission. If the background check reveals previous convictions, it will be up to each clinical site to determine the eligibility of students to attend clinical at the site. Students who are denied clinical experiences due to past convictions may be unable to progress in the program which will result in failure to complete the required courses for the program. In any case where a drug screen is positive and no authorized prescription is produced to validate the presence of the drug in the individual’s system, continuation in the program will be denied. Upon notification of the drug screen results, the student will have 5 working days to provide prescription validation. Students are responsible for costs associated with any required testing.

Students admitted to the nursing program must demonstrate the functional capacities as specified in the current catalog.

 

 

 

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