Nursing (B.S.)
Nursing is an interdisciplinary program grounded in the liberal arts. Nursing majors are undergraduate students who do not have an RN license. First year students are admitted to the College as Nursing majors and progress to upper level nursing courses in the junior year if all progress criteria are met. The nursing program is designed to ensure that graduates possess the knowledge, skill, and attitude reflecting the standards of the State of New Hampshire Board of Nursing (BON) and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The program of study in nursing, with the identified course learning outcomes, expectations, and cumulative semester competencies is designed to reflect the academic integrity expectations of all Keene State College programs while also achieving the requirements of state and national accreditation for our nursing graduates.
Fees
Additional expenses associated with the Nursing program include payment for immunizations, differential fees for clinical courses, travel expenses to and from off-campus clinical assignments, uniforms, professional memberships, and occasional conferences and workshops.
Admission and Progression Criteria
Nursing Major
Because of the professional nature of nursing and its responsibility to the public, the Nursing program has established the following admissions, progression, and graduation standards for student selection and progression toward earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing.
Admitted Freshmen - Declared Nursing Majors
First-year students/freshmen are conditionally admitted to the College as Nursing majors. Each cohort is limited to 32 students. Students in the Nursing major are advised and assisted with program planning throughout the program of study by nursing faculty. Nursing graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensing Exam for RNs (NCLEX-RN) upon program completion of the Nursing major and graduation requirements.
Admission Criteria
Entering first-year students must meet minimum entry requirements of the college and have a minimum high school GPA of 3.25. Admission to the Nursing major guarantees progression to clinical nursing course sequence starting in junior level if at the end of the sophomore spring semester year, the student has met the following progress criteria.
Progression Criteria
- Attending a mandatory nursing orientation meeting in the spring of their sophomore year.
- Successful completion of the ISP and Allied Discipline requirements by the end of the sophomore year.
- Successful completion of the nursing Basic Math Competency requirement.
- A minimum overall GPA of 3.4 to progress to junior level nursing courses.
- A minimum course grade of 3.0 (B) and a cumulative GPA of 3.25 in the following required science classes: CHEM-111 General Chemistry, BIO-230 Human Anat & Phys I, BIO-332 Human Anat & Phys II, and HLSC-240 Microbio for Health Profession.
Additional Expectations and Responsibilities for Nursing Students
- Each semester, students must successfully (90%) complete the Nursing Clinical Calculation Competency assessment test as one of the required components for administering medications to clients in clinical.
- Students must earn a 3.0 (B) or higher in each required nursing (NURS) course.
- Students must achieve a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 to earn the bachelor of science degree in nursing (BSN).
- Students are responsible for the purchase of nursing apparel, professional memberships, ATI Nursing Education materials and expenses associated with required background checks and drug testing prior to clinical placement.
- Students must submit a satisfactory background check with results indicating no findings that could compromise clinical placement eligibility.
- Students must provide proof of immunization prior to clinical placement. Immunizations include: 2-step Tb, Varicella, MMR, Hepatitis B series (HEPVAC). HEPVAC requires that the series start around the time of application submission to ensure the six-month series is entirely completed before clinical practice begins.
- Students must provide proof of certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation for health care providers at the point of application and must maintain certification until after graduation.
- Travel outside of the Keene area is required for clinical experiences, and students are responsible for their own transportation.
Non-Nursing Majors (Internal or External Transfer Students)
Each cohort of nursing majors is limited to a maximum of 32 students; a limited number of openings for transfer students may occur. Should openings be available, individual non-nursing major students may apply to become Nursing majors.
Application to the Nursing major for Non-Nursing majors (internal transfers) and transfer students from other institutions (external transfers) can occur at the end of the freshman year, but must be started prior to the beginning of spring semester sophomore level.
Admission Criteria
- Students transferring from other institutions must apply to the College and be accepted.
- All interested students must contact the Nursing program director by email at nursing@keene.edu.
- Transfer students must successfully complete all the ISP and Allied Discipline requirements by the end of the sophomore year or request special consideration to complete progression requirements during the summer prior to junior year.
- Successful completion of the nursing Basic Math Competency requirement. See Nursing Program Student Handbook at www.keene.edu/nursing.
- A minimum overall GPA of 3.4.
- A minimum course grade of 3.0 (B) and a cumulative GPA of 3.25 in the following required science classes: CHEM-111 General Chemistry, BIO-230 Human Anat & Phys I, BIO-332 Human Anat & Phys II, HLSC-240 Microbio for Health Profession. A student who fails to achieve a minimum grade of B or higher in a prerequisite science course (INCHEM 111, BIO 230, BIO 332, and HLSC 240 must repeat the course and achieve a B or higher. They can retake one science course only. If lower than a B on two courses, students are dismissed and must reapply to the Nursing program (see readmission policy. )
Transfer Criteria
- This policy pertains to students requesting internal transfer (change of major at KSC) or external transfer (students from another institution/readmission to program) (refer to readmission policy)
- Students requesting transfer may apply to the Nursing Program following these guidelines:
- Minimum GPA of 3.4, “B” or higher in science courses
- Submit a letter of request to Director of Nursing
- For external transfers, considering course content and scaffolding, all NURS courses post-progression must be completed at Keene State. Students who take NURS courses at another institution cannot transfer those credits to substitute for required courses at KSC.
- Selection is based on:
- Space available in the cohort, according to the following priority order: students returning from an approved LOA, change of major students and KSC alumni (internal transfer), external transfer, students applying for readmission.
- Meet all progression requirements
- If two or more students meet progression requirements equally, admission will be based on cumulative GPA in all prerequisite courses taken
Readmission Criteria
Nursing students requesting readmission to the KSC Nursing Program following dismissal for any reason may apply to the Director of Nursing one time to be considered for readmission. Potential readmit students must reapply by submitting a letter formally requesting readmission to the program, which should address the reason(s) for their dismissal and identify a plan(s) for successful completion of the program, should the student be readmitted. The Director may require an interview with the potential student to review his/her proposals and explore the potential for the student’s future success in the Program. If the student is granted readmission to the KSC Nursing Program, certain conditions may apply. Readmitted students will be required to agree to all terms of readmission as stated in their readmission letter, prior to readmission. The student will return a signed copy of the readmission letter to the Director of Nursing within 14 days after receipt of the readmission letter. Should the readmitted student fail to achieve a passing grade in any NURS courses, the student will be dismissed from the Program with one additional opportunity to reapply. If a student is unsuccessful in two or more pre-requisite science or two or more NURS courses they are permanently dismissed from the KSC Nursing Program and referred to Academic Advising.
Progress to the junior level Nursing courses will be based on:
- the availability of open seats, and
- the applicant's cumulative GPA.
In the event two or more students have the same cumulative GPA, the tie will be broken based on:
- their cumulative GPAs in Science courses and/or
- the discretion of the Director of Nursing.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements (108 credits) | ||
| Pre-Licensure Option | ||
| Allied Courses (20 Credits) | ||
| MATH-141 | Introductory Statistics | 4 |
| HLSC-175 | Essentials of Nutrition Sci | 4 |
| HLSC-285 | Health in Society | 4 |
| PSYC-312 | Lifespan Psychology | 4 |
| Foreign language course | 4 | |
| Science Courses (16 Credits) | ||
| BIO-230 | Human Anat & Phys I | 4 |
| BIO-332 | Human Anat & Phys II | 4 |
| CHEM-111 | General Chemistry | 4 |
| HLSC-240 | Microbio for Health Profession | 4 |
| Pre-Licensure Courses (60 Credits) | ||
| NURS-101 | Professional Nursing | 2 |
| NURS-302 | Fundamentals of Nursing | 4 |
| NURS-303 | Nursing Pharmacology I | 2 |
| NURS-304 | Clinical: Patient Cntr Care | 8 |
| NURS-306 | Pathophysiology for Nursing | 2 |
| NURS-307 | Evidence Based Practice I | 8 |
| NURS-308 | Medical Surgical Nursing I | 4 |
| NURS-309 | Nursing Research I | 2 |
| NURS-312 | Health Promo & Assess | 4 |
| NURS-314 | Nursing Pharmacology II | 2 |
| NURS-316 | Psychosocial Nursing | 4 |
| NURS-403 | Evidence Based Practice II | 8 |
| NURS-404 | Nursing Leadership | 4 |
| NURS-405 | Nursing Research II | 2 |
| NURS-406 | Transition to Practice Clin | 4 |
| NURS-407 | Medical Surgical Nursing II | 4 |
| NURS-408 | NCLEX-RN Prep & Review | 2 |
| NURS-410 | Medical Surgical Nursing III | 2 |
| NURS-411 | Parent Child Nursing Care | 4 |
| Total Credits | 108 | |
Institutional Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Explorations Requirements | 40 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Institutional Requirements | 120 | |
| Electives must be taken to reach at least 120 credits, (including GEE, major or minor credits), to satisfy degree completion requirements for the college. | ||
| 40 credits must be at the 300 or 400-Level. | ||
Upon completion of the Nursing B.S. degree, student will:
- Incorporate perspectives derived from the sciences and the liberal arts to define nursing knowledge and develop clinical judgment.
- Develop respectful, therapeutic relationships with patients, families, and teams to provide individualized plans to achieve comprehensive person-centered care.
- Deliver equitable nursing care at the community and global level through advocating for health promotion, policy changes, and mitigation of population-based health risks.
- Apply nursing scholarship to identify problems, while utilizing research principles to implement evidence-based practice in an ethical and inclusive manner.
- Utilize quality improvement initiatives to create a just and inclusive culture of safety and minimize the risk of harm to patients and providers on the individual and systems levels.
- Intentional collaboration with interprofessional teams through open communication, prioritizing mutual respect, and shared decision-making to improve client outcomes.
- Coordinate integrative nursing care within evolving health care systems to provide high quality and equitable care.
- Utilize healthcare information and technology to improve communication, manage knowledge, mitigate errors, and support decision-making.
- Demonstrate accountability for nursing practice within established moral, legal, ethical, regulatory, and person-centered principles.
- Foster a commitment to self-care, advocacy, and lifelong learning to demonstrate resiliency and leadership qualities.