Nursing, RN-to-BSN Program Option, B.S.N.*

Program Approval

The pre-licensure components of the CSUSM nursing program (traditional and accelerated BSN have been approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN).

Program Accreditation

All undergraduate nursing programs (traditional, accelerated BSN and RN-to-BSN) have been accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Impacted Status

The Nursing major is an impacted program and more qualified applicants apply than can be accepted into the major. All students desiring to enter the traditional BSN program must submit a supplemental application to the School of Nursing between October 1 and November 30 for the subsequent academic year beginning each Fall semester. In order to meet admission eligibility, students must complete and document all supplemental criteria by the end of the Spring semester prior to the Fall semester in which they are seeking admission. Students will then be rank ordered according to a 7-item point system and selected for admission to the major based on the following supplemental criteria:

• GPA in pre-nursing core requisites (25 points)
• Overall cumulative GPA (5 points)
• Composite Score on the TEAS standardized exam (12 points)
• Proficiency in a second language (up to 10 points)
• Applicable work and volunteer experience (5 points)
• Residency, based on college attended for the last 60 units (8 points)
• Completed 4 core science requirements in consecutive 12-month period (3 points)

Program Student Learning Outcomes

Students who graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing will be able to:

1. Apply the nursing process through critical thinking and professional nursing judgment to provide and evaluate nursing care in acute and long-term care, and community settings.
2. Utilize the research process, its application to the discipline of nursing and its essential relationship to evidence-based nursing practice.
3. Function within the specific professional nursing roles to provide care, coordinate care, deliver health education, and advocate for individuals, families, groups, and communities.

Preparation

High school students are encouraged to take algebra or college preparatory math, Spanish, chemistry and biology. A familiarity with computers is also encouraged.

Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Students (ABSN)

Admission requirements for the ABSN program are:

• Completion of a baccalaureate degree in a discipline other than nursing
• GPA of 3.0 in the last 60 semester units of completed courses
• Completion of courses listed in the catalog as preparation for the major (44 units) including pre-nursing core (29 units) and other supporting course work (15 units) required of other BSN students

The ABSN option is offered through Extended Learning and students are admitted to the self-support special sessions. Students will pay extended education fees for this option.

Transfer Students

For the returning RN student, it is anticipated that many of the required general education courses may have been completed at a community college. These students will be required to meet the same mandatory standards either by transferable course work, certification of general education requirements by previous academic institutions, or by completion of general education requirements at CSUSM. These courses will be included in the maximum transfer credit of 70 lower-division units from a community college. Imbedded in these 70 units are 35 units, which will be articulated for lower-division nursing courses from a Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) approved, and regionally accredited, community college nursing program. Some prerequisite and required preparatory courses for the nursing major are also imbedded in the 51 units of required general education courses.

Special Requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Completion of all courses in the Pre-Nursing Core (or the equivalent) and with no grade lower than a C (2.0) is required for all NURS courses.

Students in the nursing program must carry their own health insurance, pass a physical health examination, and be in compliance with immunizations consistent with the requirements of the School of Nursing and the healthcare agencies in which they are placed for clinical experiences.

Students are required to complete a background check including statewide, county, and federal screening before placement in a healthcare agency for clinical assignments. Background checks are also required for persons seeking a nursing license in the state of California. Students who have reason to believe that a background check would reveal a prior misdemeanor or felony conviction should seek to have these matters expunged from their record if possible and/or seek another career path.

Students will be expected to perform or with reasonable accommodations, demonstrate proficiency in specific core performance standards in the following five categories:

1. Critical thinking ability sufficient for clinical judgment.
2. Interpersonal abilities sufficient to interact with individuals, families, and groups.
3. Communication abilities sufficient for verbal and written interaction.
4. Physical ability to move from place to place, demonstrated manual dexterity, and eye-hand coordination.
5. Demonstrated auditory, visual, tactile, and olfactory ability sufficient to assess and monitor patients safely.

The academic advisor for the School of Nursing, working with the Office of Disabled Student Services, will assist students to determine what accommodations will be needed to enable students to meet these standards.

In order to remain in the Nursing program:

1. Students in the nursing major must attain grades of C (2.0) or better in all required nursing and preparatory to the major courses. Nursing courses and Pre-Nursing Core courses for which the student earns less than a grade of C (2.0) may be repeated once with consent of instructor, but only on a space-available basis.
2. Students in the nursing major must maintain good academic standing. Students on academic probation are not permitted to enroll in a nursing course until the probation has been removed.
3. The same core performance standards required for admission to the nursing major will be required for continuation.