BSN Degree : High School Graduates and Transfer Students (Prelicensure)

Course of Study

The BSN Degree Program is a full-time four-year (48 months) course of study designed for high school graduates and transfer students. The 120-credit curriculum includes 53 of Liberal Arts and 67 of Nursing. The theory courses run concurrently with clinical practice experiences to facilitate student’s ability to apply theory in actual practice settings. The curriculum prepares students to be competent baccalaureate prepared nurses proficient in managing patient care in a variety of health care settings and leaders within the Health Care System. The program also prepares students for eligibility to take the RN-NCLEX Licensure Examination. A Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing is awarded upon successful completion of the program.

Admission Requirements

Students seeking admission to the Prelicensure Program must meet the following requirements upon applying to the program:

Admission Requirements for High School Seniors

• A completed application to the University.
• Proof of high school graduation, transcripts, GED/IGCSE or copy of High School diploma.
• 3.2 or higher GPA required.
• Minimum 1040 or higher on the new SAT.
• Minimum ACT composite score of 20 or higher on the newly concorded ACT
• Minimum score "Basic Proficiency" on the TEAS exam
• Students with a GPA of 3.4 or higher are not required to submit testing results.
• A grade of C+ or higher in high school laboratory biology and chemistry
• A grade of C+ in Algebra I and one of the following courses (Geometry, Algebra II, Calculus).

Admission Requirements for Transfer Students

• A completed application to the University.
• Official copies of all transcripts.
• C+ (77) or higher in high school or College level laboratory chemistry.
• C+ (77) or higher in two years of College preparatory math or a University level math course, including at least one year of Algebra.
• Completion of at least 30 University credits which must include the following prerequisite courses (with a C+ or better and a 3.00 or higher GPA)
  • English I & II
  • Lifespan Development
  • Anatomy & Physiology I & II
  • Statistics
  • Microbiology
  • Global Consciousness Elective or Faith and Reasoning Elective
  • Critical and Analytical Thinking Elective
• Students who have taken the required science courses more than ten years prior to beginning the program are required to either pass a challenge examination in order to receive university credit or retake the course/s and achieve a grade of C+ or higher.
• No non-nursing course with a grade less than a C will be accepted for transfer credit.
• An evaluation regarding the transferability of credits in nursing courses is done on a case-by-case basis. The official transcript must be on file with the Admissions Office or the Registrar. It is the responsibility of the student to provide the Associate Dean of the Program a copy of the course syllabus. A grade of B or higher is required in the course in which transfer credit is being requested. The Associate Dean shall make the final decision regarding the awarding of nursing credits.

Degree Requirements

• Successful completion of 120 credits.
• Students must maintain an overall cumulative GPA average of 2.75.
• A grade of C+ in all nursing and science courses.
• A grade of C or higher in all other courses.

Program Requirements

Students are required to follow the policies and standards established by the Prelicensure BSN Program. If a student withdraws from the program and is readmitted at a later date, the requirements in effect at the time of readmission will apply.

Students must comply with the following requirements:

• Proof of current CPR certification from the American Heart Association BLS for the Health Care Provider.
• Proof of professional liability/malpractice insurance with a minimum coverage of 1,000,000/6,000,000.
• Proof of current health clearance issued by the Felician University Center for Health.
  • A positive drug test will result in the student being denied entry into clinical practice. Student shall be withdrawn from the nursing program until such time as the issue has been satisfactorily resolved.
• Adherence to a criminal history background check as required by a clinical agency. The agency reserves the right to exclude a student from their site, based on the result of their Criminal History Background Check. Such exclusion shall result in the student being dismissed from the nursing program.
• Proof of membership in the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA) and New Jersey Nursing Student Association (NJNS).
• Standardized testing is used throughout the curriculum. Specifics in the use of standardized testing are contained within individualized course syllabi.
• Students are financially responsible for the cost of all computerized testing.
• Students are required to complete an ATI NCLEX Review Course following completion of their last semester.
• Degree requirements must be completed within 7 years from the start of the program. This time limit includes leaves-of-absence. Students who do not complete the program requirements within this time frame may be required to complete additional coursework.
• A letter of program completion shall be sent by the Associate Dean of the Program to the New Jersey State Board of Nursing at the time the student has completed all program requirements and has submitted proof that they have applied to the Board of Nursing to take the NCLEX Examination.

Graduates are strongly encouraged to sit for the State Board of Nursing Registered Nurse licensing examination (NCLEX) no later than 6 months after program completion. Graduates who opt to take the exam beyond this are advised to contact the Associate Dean of the Prelicensure Program who can recommend mentoring and remediation activities to prepare for the NCLEX exam.

Progression Prerequisites for Junior Year Clinical Nursing Sequence

Students are required to meet full clinical clearance criteria prior to the start of their second semester sophomore year.

• Satisfactory completion of 60 credits of all required coursework as identified by the Program in the University Catalog with a cumulative GPA of 2.75
• A grade of C+ or higher in all nursing courses.
• A grade of C+ or higher in all science courses
• A grade of C or higher in all other courses.
• Proof of CPR (American Heart Association BLS for the Health Care Provider), Liability Insurance, and Health Clearance on file with the Clinical Compliance Coordinator
• Adherence to a criminal history background check as required by a clinical agency. The Agency reserves the right to exclude a student from their site based on the result of their Criminal History Background Check. Such exclusion shall result in the student being dismissed from the nursing program.

Academic Probation and Dismissal

• Students are required to maintain a 2.75 cumulative GPA throughout the program. Students whose Cumulative GPA falls below 2.75 will be placed on academic probation for one semester. Failure to raise the cumulative GPA to a 2.75 by the end of that semester shall result in dismissal from the BSN Program without a chance of readmission.
• A student is permitted to repeat only one nursing course for a grade less than a C+ or a WD.  A second nursing course grade of less than a C+ or a WD shall result in dismissal from the BSN Program.  The courses not included in this policy are NURS 215, NURS 225, NURS 235, NURS245, NURS380, and NURS450. These courses can be repeated only once, but do not count toward the dismissal policy. 

Advisement

Upon enrolling, nursing students are assigned a faculty advisor to assist with course selection and registration. Every effort will be made to keep the same advisor each semester to promote continuity. Faculty advisors serve as mentors and guides to assist student navigation through the program. Students will receive a letter and can look on Self Service to determine the name of their faculty advisor. It is your responsibility to contact your advisor prior to each registration period, and if you are experiencing any academic difficulty. Advisors are available during posted office hours or by appointment.

Clinical Experience

Students apply their nursing knowledge and skills in a variety of settings including an on-campus nursing resource center and a state-of-the-art simulation laboratory. Additionally, students practice in a variety of health care facilities and clinical settings. All students will have a rotation in a population focused underserved area. Students are responsible for providing their own transportation to and from clinical agencies.

Clinical sections are assigned by the course coordinator for each course and finalized by the Associate Dean. The program will not be able to accommodate individual student requests, therefore the clinical section assignments are non-negotiable. Clinical sections may meet during the day, evening or weekends, and students should be prepared to attend during these times. Clinical hours may be in 6, 8 or 12 hour blocks, dependent on the course requirements.

Students practice in a variety of health care settings including acute care agencies and community settings. Sites are accredited by the Joint Commission. Most of the agencies have Magnet recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

Senior Immersion

The Senior Immersion program occurs in the final semester of the senior year. It consists of structured learning and clinical experiences with nurse preceptors designed to assist the student in the transition to their first professional nursing role. Clinical Nursing students work in a health care setting and provide care to individuals and groups of patients as a fully integrated member of the health care team. Clinical Nursing students work one-on-one with a variety of Registered Nurse Preceptors in executing the nursing regime under the supervision of nursing faculty. The Immersion Program bridges the gap between the role of the nursing student transitioning to the role of staff nurse.