Major:
Nursing Traditional (B.S.N.)
The Nebraska Wesleyan University Traditional BSN program offers a traditional 4-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree combining clinical and foundational knowledge including liberal arts courses to receive a more comprehensive education.
Students will gain hands on experience with over 800 clinical hours completed upon graduation from the program. Students will further develop critical thinking, decision-making and communication skills through clinical and preceptorship experiences. Students will also train in a fully equipped skills lab. Access to a simulation lab will be included in the clinical coursework.
This program has small class sizes with experienced faculty in all specialty areas of nursing. A preparatory course is built into the curriculum to help students succeed on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).
The program application process opens November 1 and closes February 1.
Students will first complete prerequisite coursework totaling 17-21 credits before admission to the program. (See prerequisite course list below.)
Standard Admission
Admission to the NWU's Traditional BSN program is a competitive, holistic process and is based upon prerequisite GPA, overall college GPA, entrance exam, essay, and professional references. It is a selective process that admits a limited number of students per year. Students must meet these requirements to be admitted:
- Meet all NWU admission requirements.
- Attain a grade of “C” or better in all prerequisite courses (see below).
- BIO 1080 Microbiology and BIO 1080L Microbiology Laboratory
- BIO 1090 Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology I and BIO 1090L Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory
- BIO 1100 Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology II and BIO 1100L Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology II Lab
- CHEM 1110 Chemical Principles I and CHEM 1110L Chemical Principles I Laboratory
- HHP 1910 Medical Terminology
Admission process is subject to change and/or revision by nursing faculty.
Priority Status Admission as a High School Student
Priority Status Admission is available to applicants of the Traditional BSN program whose high school GPA is 3.50 or higher. Up to 75% of each cohort can be admitted via Priority Status Admission. Students in Priority Status Admission program must meet these criteria to maintain their Priority Status Admission status:
- Submit the Priority Status Admissions Intent Form and tuition deposit.
- Complete the Confirmation of Intent to Enroll form to reserve a place in the cohort any time from November 1 - February 1.
- Meet the ongoing Priority Status Admissions criteria:
- Maintain a college GPA of 3.0 or higher in all completed college coursework.
- Complete all prerequisite coursework (listed above) with a "C" or better on the first attempt.
- Complete all admissions requirements (listed above).
The designated number of Priority Status slots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis based on the date the admission office receives a deposit from the student.
- CPR certification for Healthcare Providers from an approved provider (American Red Cross, American Heart Association, National Safety Council, or Pro CPR).
- Successful completion of a Certified Nurse Aid course and student is listed on the state registry.
- Submission of 2 professional references.
- Successful completion of background check, drug screen, immunization tracker, and essential functions form (Castlebranch).
If the student does not maintain the Priority Status Admission Criteria (as outlined above) they will need to apply for admission to the BSN program via the standard admission process November 1 - February 1.
Retention and Program Progression Policies
- Students must achieve a minimum grade of a "C+" in all required nursing courses to continue in the nursing program.
- The student must maintain a cumulative average of 78% on exams in all core nursing courses (NURS) to progress. The weighted average of all examinations will be calculated before other coursework. If the average of exam grades is less than 78%, the exam average becomes the course grade. If the exam average is greater than or equal to 78%, then other coursework scores will be added, and the resulting average must be 78% or greater to pass the course.
- Final course grades and exam averages will be rounded to the nearest tenth. Example - a score of 77.5% or above will round to 78% while a score of 77.49% will round 77%.
- For courses in which there is a theory and lab/clinical component, a letter grade will be earned for each portion of the course. Students must achieve a 78% overall course grade for both theory (see 1a) and lab/clinical to progress in the program.
- If a student fails any portion of a course (theory or lab/clinical) the student will be required to re-take both courses.
- Students will be dismissed from the nursing program if a final course grade of less than 78% (C+) is earned more than once in any combination of core nursing courses required for the nursing major.
- Students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or above (including archway curriculum, supporting, pre-requisite, and nursing courses). NWU Student Code of Conduct violations may also result in program dismissal.
Departments/Programs:
| Prerequisite Courses (Required to be taken before admission to program. Grade C or higher required in all prerequisite courses) | 17-21 hours |
|---|---|
| IDS 1010 Archway Seminar/IDS 1020 Integrative Seminar | 1-4 hours |
| BIO 1080 Microbiology and BIO 1080L Microbiology Laboratory | 4 hours |
| BIO 1090 Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology I and BIO 1090L Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory | 4 hours |
| BIO 1100 Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology II and BIO 1100L Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology II Lab | 4 hours |
| CHEM 1110 Chemical Principles I or CHEM-1090 | 3-4 hours |
| HHP 1910 Medical Terminology | 1 hour |
| Capstone** | 3 hours |
|---|---|
| NURS 4970 Internship | 3 hours |
| Supporting Courses | 9 hours |
|---|---|
| PSYCH 2350 Lifespan Development | 4 hours |
| MATH 1300 Statistics | 3 hours |
| HHP 2500 Basic Human Nutrition | 3 hours |
**Grade of "C+" or better required for all Nursing courses.