DEPARTMENT OF NURSING
| Office: | 161 Betsy C. Ayo Hall |
| Phone: | 985-448-4696 |
| Professors: | Westbrook. |
| Associate Professors: | G. Barrilleaux, Bethancourt, Franklin, Manfrin-Ledet, Pena, T. Smith, Williams-Jones. |
| Assistant Professors: | A. Allemand, Bour, Crawford, B. Dufrene, M. Dufrene, S. Dupre, Eymard, Graffagnino, B. Guidry, Keller, Lewis, Lewis-Trabeaux, Lyons (Interim Head), Mitchell, Patterson, Pellegrin, Schreiber, C. Smith,S. Smith. |
The Department offers two curricular nursing programs leading to either the Associate of Science or the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. The nursing programs have approval of the Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN), 5207 Essen Lane, Suite 6, Baton Rouge, LA 70809, (225) 763-3570 and are accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC), 61 Broadway – 33rd Floor, New York, NY 10006, (212) 363-5555 and the Bachelor of Science Nursing Program is additionally accredited by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530 Washington, DC 20036, (202) 463-6930. Graduates are eligible to apply to take the licensure examination for registered nurse (NCLEX RN).
Due to the limited number of faculty and clinical facilities, a quota has been placed on the number of students admitted to clinical nursing courses. To be admitted to one of the programs, a student must first meet the requirements of the university and then make separate application to the appropriate program. The policy outlining priorities for admission can be obtained from the Department upon request. Admission and curriculum requirements are subject to change as deemed necessary by the faculty and administration to ensure an effective program of study.
There are expenses unique to the nursing programs over and above the university expenses. Student handbooks describe the expenses as well as policies unique to each program. Student handbooks can be downloaded from www.nicholls.edu/nursing.
It is the responsibility of any student charged with, convicted of, pled guilty or no contest to, or been sentenced for any criminal offense in any state to petition the Louisiana State Board of Nursing in writing for the right to practice as students of nursing in Louisiana prior to enrolling in the first clinical course and to provide certified documentation of charges, indictment, and pardon or restitution.
Individuals who are not U.S. citizens are expected to have an Alien Registration number.
A student cannot earn a minor in nursing.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program
The university awards the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree to those students who successfully complete the program below.
This nursing program prepares the individual for self directed practice, continuing growth in professional nursing, and for formal graduate study. The graduate serves as advocate and provider of nursing services for clients of all ages within family and community settings.
Criteria for Entry, Progression, and Retention
Students may apply for entry into NURS 225 by submitting an Application for BSN Clinical Courses. Appropriate dates for submitting applications may be obtained from the Department of Nursing. Students on probationary status are not permitted to enroll in any nursing courses with a clinical component. Minimum requirements of entry into NURS 225 are:
- Completion of required first 36 hours of BSN curriculum.
- Have a grade-point average of at least 2.75 (4.0 scale) in all required courses with no grade below a C. Only the first 36 hours of required courses in the freshman year of the BSN curriculum will be utilized to determine grade-point average.
Criteria for Retention and Progression
- To progress in the clinical nursing sequence, students must maintain a minimum grade of C and a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 (4.0 scale) in all required courses in the curriculum and satisfy all prerequisite requirements.
- A student is permitted one failure or withdrawal once admitted to the clinical nursing sequence. A second failure and/or withdrawal, in any clinical nursing course, constitutes dismissal from the program.
- Students who do not successfully complete a required clinical course, who fall below a GPA of 2.0 in the nursing curriculum, or who withdraw from a required course must submit an application requesting re entry into the clinical sequence prior to regular registration. Qualified students will be enrolled on a space available basis.
- Requirements for graduation must be completed within seven years from the date of enrollment in the first clinical nursing course in the BSN Program. Failure to do so will necessitate the individual having to repeat all clinical nursing courses.
Transfer Students
Are evaluated on an individual basis for articulation into the program and must submit a letter of good standing from the most recent nursing program.
Policies outlining criteria for admission, progression, retention, and transfer students seeking credit can be obtained from the Department of Nursing upon request.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- (CLR) Computer Literacy Requirement;
- (GER) General Education Requirement;
- (OCR) Oral Communication Requirement;
- (UR) University Requirement
| FRESHMAN YEAR | Sem. Hrs. | SOPHOMORE YEAR | Sem.Hrs. |
| BIOL 114,116 (GER) | 6 | AHSC 220, 221 | 6 |
| BIOL 115, 117, 203 | 5 | CHEM 208 | 3 |
| CHEM 101 (GER) | 3 | CMPS 101 or OIS 200 (CLR) | 3 |
| ENGL 101, 102(GER) | 6 | ENGL Literature Elective(GER) | 3 |
| Freshman Seminar Course (UR) | 1 | DIET 200 | 3 |
| HIST Sequence (GER) | 6 | NURS 225, 226, 255 | 15 |
| MATH 101 (GER) | 3 | PSYC 212 | 3 |
| PSYC 101 (GER) | 3 | 36 | |
| SOCI 151 (GER) | 3 | ||
| 36 | |||
| JUNIOR YEAR | Sem. Hrs. | SENIOR YEAR | Sem.Hrs. |
| ENGL 368 (GER) | 3 | Arts Elective | 3 |
| MATH 214 | 3 | NURS 400, 420, 427, 428, 440 (OCR), and Elective |
23 |
| NURS 340 | 3 | 26 | |
| NURS 355, 371, 381 | 18 | ||
| 27 |
Total Hours Required for Degree: 125
Licensed Personnel Articulations
Licensed personnel are evaluated on an individual basis for articulation into the program. Admission and progression of licensed personnel are governed by the following respective articulation guidelines.
LPN-BSN
The LPN-BSN Articulation provides an opportunity for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) to pursue a BSN degree, and is designed to validate and award credit for existing knowledge, while remaining consistent with the objectives of the generic BSN Program.
Criteria for Admission/Retention/Progression:
- Same criteria as generic BSN Program.
- Yearly documentation of unencumbered Louisiana LPN licensure on file in the Department of Nursing.
Contact the Department of Nursing for information on credit by examination and/or competency testing.
RN-BSN ARTICULATION
The RN-BSN Articulation provides an opportunity for Registered Nurses (RNs) to pursue a BSN degree, and is designed to validate and award credit for existing knowledge, while remaining consistent with the objectives of the generic BSN Program.
Criteria for Admission/Progression:
- Yearly documentation of unencumbered Louisiana licensure as a RN on file in the Department of Nursing.
- Maintenance of a minimum grade of C and a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 (4.0 scale) in all required courses in the curriculum.
- A student is permitted one failure or withdrawal in NURS 226 (3), 417 (5), 420 (5) , 427 (3), 428 (4), or 440 (3).
- Requirements for graduation must be completed within seven years from the date of enrollment in the first clinical nursing course in the BSN Program.
Curriculum:
- The RN-BSN Articulation curriculum is consistent with the curriculum for the BSN degree, with the following exceptions:
- Major courses consist of NURS 226 (3), 417 (5), 420 (5), 427 (3), 428 (4) and 440 (3). Upon successful completion of NURS 417 (5), Registered Nurses may be awarded credit in NURS 225 (5), 255 (7), 340 (3), 355 (8), 371 (5), 381 (5), and 400 (5).
- RN-BSN students must complete four hours of electives (3 semester hours of a nursing elective and 1 semester hour of a general elective).
- Oral communication competency course is NURS 440 (3).
Contact the Department of Nursing for information on credit by examination and/or competency testing.
Associate of Science Nursing (ASN) Program
The university awards the Associate of Science Degree in Nursing to a student upon successful completion of the 74-credit hour curriculum.
The Associate of Science Nursing (ASN) Program articulates with the BSN Program and prepares graduates to provide nursing care for clients of all ages with common health problems. The graduate is a provider of care, manager of client care, and member of the nursing profession.
Criteria for Application and Progression
- Application to the ASN Program must be submitted to the Committee on the ASN Admissions, Progression, Scholarship and Honors. Contact the Department of Nursing regarding application deadline.
- All developmental courses must be completed prior to applying for admission to the program. Students on probationary status are not permitted to enroll in any Nursing courses. Students can obtain the ASN Program Brochure from the Department of Nursing outlining detailed program information.
Minimum Requirements for Admission into NURS 107:
- A score of 100 on the NLN Pre-RN (PAX) exam.
- Letter of acceptance to the university.
Transfer and re-entry students must meet the requirements as outlined above. Transcripts of all prior credits must be on file in and evaluated by the Office of Records & Registration before the student applies for admission to clinical nursing courses. Nursing faculty must also review transcripts to determine the relevancy of course content. Transfer students from other nursing programs must have a letter of good standing submitted from the nursing program they are transferring from, stating that they are eligible to re-enter that program. Applicants previously enrolled in another ASN or BSN program and who were unsuccessful in any two (2) major nursing courses will not be accepted in the ASN program Students currently enrolled in clinical courses in the BSN program at NSU are not eligible to apply.
Students with prior diploma nursing education completed no more than four years prior to applying for admission, may earn advanced standing.
Meeting the minimum requirements for admission does not guarantee program admission.
Criteria for Retention and Progression:
- For the student to progress in the nursing sequence, a minimum grade of C is required in clinical nursing courses and all required support courses.
- A student is permitted one failure or withdrawal once admitted to the clinical nursing sequence. A second failure or withdrawal in any major nursing course constitutes dismissal from the program. Any applicant with credits in nursing who has not been enrolled in a nursing program for five years will be required to repeat the nursing courses previously completed.
- The requirements for graduation must be completed within seven years from the date of enrollment in the first clinical nursing course in the ASN Program.
LPN-ASN ARTICULATION
The LPN-ASN Articulation provides an opportunity for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) to pursue this AS degree in nursing, and is designed to validate and award credit for existing knowledge, while remaining consistent with the objectives of the generic ASN program.
Criteria for Admission:
- G.P.A. of 2.75 in at least 14 hours of all support courses (Biology 114 (3), Biology 115 (1), English 101 (3), Math 101 (3), History 101 (3) or 150 (3), and University Studies.)
- Minimum grade of “C” in support courses.
- Documentation of:
- Current valid license
- A minimum of one year experience in an acute care setting.
- Satisfactory work performance and attendance from employer.
- Official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended must be on file at Nicholls State University
- Meet admission requirements of Nicholls State University.
Contact the Department of Nursing for information on credit by examination and/or competency testing.
Associate of Science Degree in Nursing
| FIRST YEAR | Sem.Hrs. | SECOND YEAR | Sem.Hrs. |
| BIOL 114, 116 (GER) | 6 | Art Elective (GER) | 3 |
| BIOL 115, 117, 203 | 5 | CMPS 101 or OIS 200 (CLR) | 3 |
| ENGL 101, 102 (GER) | 6 | NURS 270, 276, 278, 280 (OCR) | 20 |
| Freshman Seminar Course (UR) | 1 | PSYC 212 (GER) | 3 |
| HIST 101 OR 150 (GER) | 3 | 29 | |
| MANT 101 (GER) | 3 | ||
| NURS 107, 108, 130 | 13 | ||
| 37 | |||
| SUMMER SESSION (Following First Year) |
Sem.Hrs. | ||
| MATH 214 | 3 | ||
| NURS 260 | 5 | ||
| 8 |
Total Hours Required for Degree: 74