Nursing

Karen Crouse, Chair
crousek@wcsu.edu
White Hall 107a, Midtown campus
(203) 837-9061
203) 837-8550 (fax)

Kathy Barber, Department Secretary
barberk@wcsu.edu
White Hall 107, Midtown campus
(203) 837-8556
203) 837-8550 (fax)

Faculty

K. Crouse, Chr. J. Aina E. Abate
C. Avery D. Brown K. Daley
C. Delaney E.P. Geraci L. Halloran
D. Lajoie P. Lund J. Lupinacci
P. Moreland J. Palladino B. Piscopo
C. Rice M.A. Riley  

Mission

The Department of Nursing strives to provide a nursing education that is aimed at preparing beginning and advanced practice nurses to meet the ever-changing health care needs of Connecticut and the surrounding region. This is achieved through:

  • A dynamic curriculum that is responsive to students and community needs;
  • Clinical competence, scholarship and research;
  • Service to the university, the public and the profession;
  • Accommodation of diverse values and interests;
  • A commitment to a caring culture.

Program Objectives

  1. Synthesize knowledge from the arts, sciences, and humanities with nursing theory as the basis for making nursing practice decisions.
  2. Exercise critical thinking in using the nursing process to assess, diagnose, plan, implement, and evaluate the care provided to individuals, families and communities.
  3. Apply the nursing process to design, implement, and evaluate therapeutic nursing interventions to provide preventive, curative, supportive, and restorative care for individuals, families, and communities in both structured and unstructured settings, using a variety of techniques.
  4. Use a variety of communication techniques, including written documentation, in the process of assessment, counseling, and therapeutic interventions with individual clients, families, groups and communities.
  5. Develop and implement a variety of teaching-learning strategies in the provision of health teaching for individuals, families, and groups in a variety of settings.
  6. Use the process of scientific inquiry and research findings to improve nursing care delivery.
  7. Manage information, human resources, and material resources to achieve optimum client outcomes in a cost-effective manner.
  8. Use leadership, management, and collaborative skills as a member of a multidisciplinary team within the health care delivery system to develop, implement, and evaluate health care provided to clients.
  9. Exercise independent judgement and ethical decision-making, and act as an advocate for consumers of health care services.
  10. Demonstrate accountability in learning and in nursing actions, based on accepted standards of nursing care and in accordance of professional nursing practice.

Program Information

The program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), One Dupont Circle, NW Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036-1120. Phone: (202) 887-6791; fax: (202) 887-8476.

www.aacn.nche.edu/accreditation.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing:

Completion of all general education requirements, including physical education, and requirements in nursing and foundational sciences specified in the program outlined below, to total a minimum of 125 semester hours.


All courses identified in the following eight semester sequence are requirements in this major. Completion of the program within four academic years requires that the biology and chemistry courses be completed in the semesters shown. The remaining credits to meet general education requirements and additional free electives for a total of 125 SH, including physical education, may be scheduled at the student’s discretion with approval of the departmental adviser.

Registered nurse graduates of associate degree and hospital diploma nursing programs who hold a current RN license in Connecticut or another state are encouraged to apply to this program. A current RN license is required from the state in which clinical affiliations are scheduled.  These students must complete all college and department course requirements satisfactorily to be eligible for the B.S. degree in Nursing. Western Connecticut State University is a participant in the Connecticut Articulation Model for Nurse Educational Mobility. Please contact the department for information regarding eligibility for admission under the articulation model and opportunities for earning credit for specific foundational courses by examination.

Freshman Year

Fall Semester
BIO 105 4 SH
CHE 120 4 SH
SOC 100 3 SH
COM 162 3 SH
Elective 3 SH
_____
17 SH

Spring Semester
BIO 106 4 SH
CHE 121 4 SH
PSY 100 3 SH
Writing Intensive
Course (W) 3 SH
Physical Activity
(HPX Course) 2 SH
_____
16 SH

Sophomore Year

Fall Semester
NUR 201 4 SH
NUR 205 4 SH
BIO 215 4 SH
HPX 205 2 SH
Gen Ed 3 SH
_____
17 SH

Spring Semester
NUR 225 2 SH
NUR 230 3 SH
NUR 235 5 SH
MAT 115 or 120 3 SH
NUR 300 4 SH
_____
17 SH

Junior Year

Fall Semester
NUR 255 6 SH
NUR 361 2 SH
Gen Ed 3 SH
Gen Ed 3 SH
_____
14 SH

Spring Semester
NUR 335 8 SH
NUR 374 2 SH
Gen Ed 3 SH
Gen Ed 3 SH
_____
16 SH

Senior Year

Fall Semester
NUR 325 7 SH
NUR 330 4 SH
Gen Ed 3 SH
_____
14 SH

Spring Semester
NUR 375 5 SH
Gen Ed 3 SH
Elective 3 SH
Elective 3 SH
_____
14 SH

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.)

Admission, Retention and Graduation Requirements

Admission

  1. All nursing applicants must have successfully completed college preparatory classes in chemistry and biology in high school, or their equivalents in a post-secondary institution.
  2. Applicants interested in nursing are admitted as pre-nursing students.
  3. All students must be admitted to the university prior to applying for admission to the nursing major. Admission to the nursing major is competitive and is by application to the Department of Nursing. The applicant pool is not limited to pre-nursing students. The decision to admit an applicant to the nursing major is made by the Department of Nursing. Students will be admitted on a space available basis.

The process of application to the nursing major is as follows:

  1. Applicants must obtain an application form from the Department of Nursing.
  2. The completed application must be received by the Department of Nursing by February 1 for the applicant to be considered for enrollment in the nursing major in the forthcoming fall semester. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed by the Department of Nursing.
  3. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50.
  4. Applicants must have successfully completed the following courses:
    1. Writing Intensive Course (W) or COM 16X
    2. PSY 100 or SOC 100
    3. BIO 105 or equivalent with a grade of “C” or better
    4. CHE 120 or equivalent with a grade of “C” or better
    5. MAT 100 Intermediate Mathematics or equivalent test score
  5. Once accepted into the nursing program, applicants must complete BIO 106 or equivalent and CHE 121 or equivalent (both with a grade of “C” or better) and any remaining prerequisite courses (a writing intensive course {W}, COM162, PSY 100 or SOC 100) by the semester (spring) in which they are accepted, and must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50.
  6. Students will be notified by April 15 of the admissions decision by the Department of Nursing. Students who meet the above criteria will be admitted on a space-available basis.

4. Applicants to the nursing major will be held to the program requirements in effect at the time of acceptance into the major.

5. Applicants to the nursing major must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.50.

6. Transfer students and WestConn students wishing to change their major to nursing must apply to the department for admission to the nursing major and must meet the same requirements as pre-nursing students. Transfer students and students wishing to change their major will be admitted on a space-available basis.

Retention

  1. In order to remain in the nursing program, students must earn at least a “C” grade in all courses with a NUR 200 or NUR 300 designation.
  2. Enrollment in NUR 225, 230 and 235 requires a grade of “C” or above in BIO 215.
  3. In order to remain in the nursing program, nursing students must fulfill academic requirements and must also show evidence of meeting the behavioral objectives (cognitive, psychomotor and affective) of preparation for professional nursing as described and distributed in each nursing course with a NUR 200 and NUR 300 designation.
  4. A student who receives a grade of “C-” or lower in a NUR 200 or NUR 300 level nursing course, whose cumulative grade point average has dropped below 2.50, who has withdrawn from a NUR 200 or NUR 300 level nursing course, who has taken a leave of absence from the nursing program, or who has withdrawn from the nursing program must apply for readmission to the nursing program. The student may be readmitted to the program provided that, in the judgement of the nursing faculty, the student meets the criteria for readmission.
  5. Any student who receives more than one course grade below “C” in any of the NUR courses will not be readmitted to the nursing program.
  6. Students who demonstrate an unsafe level of patient care will not be permitted to continue in the clinical area.
  7. Under provisions of Public Act 86-365, students whose ability to function is impaired or who have engaged in unethical or illegal acts, or whose behavior does not conform to accepted standards of the nursing profession may jeopardize their eligibility for obtaining or retaining professional nurse licensure in the State of Connecticut. (A copy of the act with explanatory material is available for review in the department office.) Such conduct or behavior may also be grounds for disciplinary action, including suspension or dismissal from the program, by the nursing faculty or departmental administrator.

Graduation

  1. The student must have earned a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 based on at least 125 credits earned.
  2. The student must have at least a “C” grade in all 200 and 300 level nursing courses.
  3. The student must have sustained evidence of academic and behavioral characteristics acceptable for professional nursing as set forth in the philosophy and objectives of the Department of Nursing.

Professional Nurse Licensure

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates are eligible to apply to the State Board of Examiners for Nursing in Connecticut, or in any other state of their choice, for examination for Professional Nurse licensure. Each state board may have additional criteria for eligibility according to the laws of the state. In Connecticut, the limitations to eligibility for licensure are delineated in Public Act 86-365. A copy of this act is available for review in the department office.

Health Policies And Requirements

Because of the nature of the clinical experiences and regulations of various clinical agencies utilized in the nursing program, all nursing students are required to adhere to policies in addition to the immunizations required of all university students. This information may be obtained from the department.

In addition to the above stated health requirements, students must meet any additional health requirements identified by a clinical affiliating agency.

If a student’s physical or emotional health status is deemed unsafe for clinical laboratory experiences by the nursing faculty, the student may not attend clinical laboratories until the problem is corrected.

Additional Requirements

Students are required to furnish their own uniforms and to provide their own transportation to clinical facilities. Students may also be required to purchase their own Student Malpractice Liability Insurance when assigned to clinical areas.

All students must be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) prior to entering sophomore year, and must maintain current certification to be eligible to attend clinical experience.

In addition to liability protection under the Statutes of Connecticut [Chapter 170, Section 10-235(a)], the university carries professional liability insurance coverage for nursing students.

WestConn at Waterbury

The Nursing Department also offers courses for the RN-BSN degree completion program at WestConn’s Waterbury program located on the grounds of Naugatuck Valley Community College in Waterbury. This program is available only to students who hold a current RN license in Connecticut or another state. A current RN license is required from the state in which clinical affiliations are schedule.

Some courses offered at Waterbury are also open to students taking classes at Danbury. For more information on this program, contact the WCSU at Waterbury Dean, Founder’s Hall 129, (203) 596-8777 or 203-837-8556 in Danbury.


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