Nursing (NU)
Pre-licensure and post-licensure (RN to BSN) programs are offered.
Students must meet immunization and other agency requirements (including criminal background checks) prior to the beginning of and continuing throughout nursing clinical courses. Drug screening may be included in these requirements. Students admitted to nursing courses must a) hold current certification in BCLS healthcare provider course, b) submit annual TB skin test results, and c) carry their own health insurance coverage while in the nursing major. A health insurance form must reflect company and coverage and be on file in the nursing office.
Accreditation
The baccalaureate degree in nursing at Avila University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530, Washington DC 20036 (http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ccne-accreditation). The program has conditional approval by the Missouri State Board of Nursing.
Major Requirements
The candidate for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing must complete all the general degree requirements from the Core Curriculum .
Post-License (RN to BSN) Program
Admission Information
The Avila University School of Nursing is committed to non-discrimination and equal opportunity in its admission process. Students seeking admission to the RN to BSN nursing program must:
- Be a diploma nurse or have an Associate Degree in Nursing from a regionally accredited institution.
- Have a cumulative GPA of 2.7.
- Possess an unencumbered RN License.
- Be eligible for Missouri and/or Kansas licensure.
- Complete nursing pre-requisites with a minimum grade of “C.” Post-licensure students are waived from Biology w/lab, Chemistry w/lab, and Pathophysiology.
- Transfer prerequisite courses must be approved by the university and the School of Nursing.
Process of Admission
- Student must complete the Avila Advantage admission process, including submission of official transcripts from all higher learning institutions attended.
- After admission to the University and completion of NU 456 - Healthcare Informatics (2-3) , students are evaluated for admission to the RN to BSN program by the Director of the RN to BSN Program.
- Students seeking an exception to the admission criteria must submit a letter of petition to the Director of the RN to BSN Program. The RN to BSN Admissions and Progression Committee will consider the individual circumstances and send a letter to the applicant documenting the final decision.
- Students admitted to the RN to BSN program will be assigned to a nursing advisor and will meet with this advisor on a regular basis beginning the semester prior to enrolling in their first nursing course.
- Students may elect to complete a proficiency assessment NU 452 - Nursing Pharmacology (3) and NU 453 - Health Assessment (3) . (Students should be aware that some graduate level schools may not accept courses that are transcripted only as “Credit”).
- After completion of seven nursing credits with a minimum grade of “C,” students will apply for and be granted 26 credit hours reflecting completion of the following courses:
Post Baccalaureate Applicants
Cumulative GPAs of applicants who have already earned an undergraduate degree in another field will be calculated on completed coursework that is required for the nursing major.
Dismissal from Program
A student will be dismissed from the nursing program after a second grade of “D” or “F” is earned in any nursing course and/or for breaches in professional conduct.
Readmission to the Nursing Major
A student who is dismissed or withdraws from the nursing program may apply for readmission to the nursing program. The student seeking readmission must meet the criteria for admission and graduation that are in effect at the time of readmission to the nursing major.
Core Requirements
All students must complete the Avila University Core Curriculum as a part of their degree programs. The Core consists of a minimum of 39 credit hours that meet the requirements listed below. Please go to Core Curriculum for more information and to view all Core classes.
Core Foundations (9-11 credit hours)
Foundations requirements provide the basic skills essential for effective participation in other classes as well as the professional world.
Core Pillars & Levels (30 credit hours)
Pillars and Levels requirements address the breadth of knowledge expected of a liberal arts education and challenges students to integrate prior knowledge and create new ideas through higher levels of coursework.
Cross-Application Note: All courses that meet a Pillar also meet a Level and may meet a Designation requirement. Some courses taken for major and/or minor requirements may also meet Core requirements.
| CORE CURRICULUM OBJECTIVES |
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Social Justice & Civic Life Pillar
(6 credit hours required) |
Creativity & Culture Pillar
(6 credit hours required)
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Belief & Reason Pillar
(6 credit hours required) |
Explorations of Nature Pillar
(6 credit hours required) |
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24 credit hours required
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ACQUIRE LEVEL |
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| TRANSFORM LEVEL |
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| 6 credit hours required |
CONTRIBUTE LEVEL |
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Core Designations
Core Component Designations requirements incorporate assignments and experiences focused on developing and deepening student understanding to prepare students for responsible lifelong contributions to the global community.
| CORE Designations |
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Interdisciplinary Studies (IS)
(9 credit hours)
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Global Studies (GS)
(9 credit hours)
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Community Engagement (CE)
(3 credit hours)
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Transfer Students
The Core Component Designations requirement for transfer students is determined by the number of credit hours transferred to Avila University. Please see the Transfer Students page within this catalog.
Cross-Application
As noted above, courses can have multiple designations and thus meet multiple requirements at once.
Example: BI 215 - Humans & the Environment (3) meets all of the following requirements:
- Belief & Reason Nature Pillar
- Transform Level
- Global Studies (GS) Designation
- Major Requirement
Post-Licensure (RN to BSN) Program Requirements
Requirement 1.
Satisfactory completion of at least 120 semester hours of academic work with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0.
Requirement 2.
Satisfactory completion of required assessments.
Requirement 3.
Satisfactory completion of prerequisites:
Social & Behavioral Sciences
Natural Sciences and Math
Requirement 4.
Completion of the following nursing courses in addition to the university core requirements and prerequisite courses:
Nursing Hours Granted in Process of Admission (26 hours)
Nursing Core Courses (24 hours)
Student Selected Electives (6 hours)
Requirement 5.
As required for CCNE accreditation, practice experience is included in NU 491 for all students to bridge to baccalaureate-level professional nursing practice. This practice may include direct and/or indirect care experiences.
Requirement 6.
See university catalog for additional graduation requirements.
Technology Requirement
Computer competency will be demonstrated by successful completion of:
Outcomes
In addition to general degree requirements stated earlier in this university catalog, nursing majors are expected to meet the following program outcomes:
Outcome 1.
Select and use effective and facilitative communication techniques to deliver evidence-based patient-centered care with emphasis on patient safety and positive professional working relationships (all nursing courses).
Outcome 2.
Perform professional role competencies with an emphasis on the roles of provider of care, designer/manager/coordinator of care, and member of the interprofessional team (all nursing courses).
Outcome 3.
Integrate clinical reasoning and evidence-based decision making to deliver patient-centered care in a changing practice environment (all nursing courses).
Outcome 4.
Demonstrate personal knowing, spirituality, and cultural humility in socially and globally responsible healthcare (all nursing courses).
Assessment
Assessment activities occur throughout, at the end of the nursing curriculum and post-graduation. Assessment early in the nursing curriculum can provide the faculty a baseline from which to evaluate curricular impact on outcomes. Formative assessments (conducted throughout the program) identify areas of strength and weakness and provide opportunities for focused student attention. Summative assessment activities completed by students may include such things as course assignments or surveys. Post-graduation outcome assessments help to evaluate such things as graduate satisfaction and success on the nursing licensure examination.
Note
Additional information on policies may be found in the Student Nursing Handbook available upon admission to the program. Students may submit a written petition with rationale to the School of Nursing for special exception to the above policies. The nursing faculty will have the right to accept or reject this petition.
Students must provide their own transportation to clinical experiences when enrolled in nursing courses. A program fee will be charged for each semester of the nursing major.
