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Undergraduate Nursing Program

Welcome to Western Connecticut State University’s Nursing Program!

 
Monica Sousa, Ed.D, ACNS-BC, MSN, APRN
Undergraduate Coordinator
sousam@wcsu.edu

Western’s Nursing begins in the student’s sophomore year. This provides the students with three full years of nursing courses. We offer smaller class sizes and faculty are readily accessible to students. Western’s nursing department has affiliations with many health care agencies in the greater Danbury, Waterbury and New Haven areas. WCSU nursing has one of the highest pass rates for the NCLEX in Connecticut. Our graduates have gone on to be very successful in many areas of nursing and are sought after by many employers in Connecticut.

Please feel free to contact me if you have further questions regarding our program.

The (baccalaureate degree program in nursing/master’s degree program in nursing or post-graduate APRN certificate program) at Western Connecticut State University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S)

Students who graduate with a B.S. degree in Nursing from Western will possess the following learning outcomes. They will be able to:

Synthesize knowledge from the arts, sciences, and humanities with nursing theory as the basis for making nursing proactive decisions.

Exercise critical thinking in using the nursing process to assess, diagnose, plan, implement, and evaluate the care provided to individuals, families and communities.

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 structures and unstructured settings, using a variety of techniques.

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.

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.

Use the process of scientific inquiry and research findings to improve nursing care delivery.

Manage information, human resources, and material resources to achieve optimum client outcomes in a cost-effective manner.

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.

Exercise independent judgment and ethical decision-making, and act as an advocate for consumers of health care services.

Demonstrate accountability in learning and in nursing actions, based on accepted standards of nursing care and in accordance of professional nursing practice.

 

ADMISSION

Anyone admitted to pre-nursing/nursing major will automatically have a seat in the nursing program provided pre-requisite courses are completed and GPA meets criteria for entry.

Initially, students must be accepted into the University. Once accepted to the University, any pre-nursing/nursing major will be considered for entry to nursing program in December/January. A link will be made available for students through WCSU email and department of nursing website to confirm intent for entry and desire to be evaluated for the nursing program. The link survey must be completed by the first Monday of February. Incomplete or late entries may not be considered by the Department of Nursing (DON). The applicant pool is not limited to pre-nursing students. The decision to admit an applicant to the Nursing major is made by the DON. Qualified students may not be accepted because of a limited number of clinical placements and limited DON resources.

In evaluating students for acceptance into the nursing program, the following criteria are used:

  • GPA (3.0)
  • Completion of prerequisite courses (from next page)
  • Evaluation of overall academic record
  • Academic history at other colleges and universities.

Students must earn at least a C+ in the four science prerequisite courses (BIO 105, BIO 106, CHE 120, and CHE 121) for consideration of acceptance. Sciences may not be more than 5 years old. Consistent with the university admission requirements, preference is given to those candidates who, in the judgment of the DON, have academic and personal qualifications with the greatest potential for program success.

Applicants must have successfully completed or be enrolled in the following courses:

  • Writing Intensive Course (WI) or (W2)
  • Oral Communication Competency (OC) completed by graduation.
  • PSY 100 Introduction to Psychology
  • SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology or SOC 120 (W2)
  • BIO 105 and BIO 106 or equivalent with a grade of “C+” or better
  • CHE 120 and CHE 121 or equivalent with a grade of “C+” or better
  • Students are ineligible to apply for admission to the nursing program if they have been dismissed for either academic or clinical reasons from another nursing program.

Students newly accepted into the program must adhere to the Health Policies of the DON. The following information must be submitted on or before June 1 prior to starting nursing classes.

  • Current health form
  • Results of either PPD skin test or chest x-ray or Quantiferon blood test
  • Evidence of measles, mumps, and rubella/rubeola, and varicella vaccinations or antibody titers
  • Evidence of Hepatitis B vaccination, Hepatitis B titers or signed declination to receive vaccine
  • Tdap vaccine completed within the last 10 years
  • CPR certification for professional rescuers Basic Life Support (Health Care Provider) American Heart Association or Red Cross Professional Rescuer

Students without documentation of health requirements and/or CPR certification will not be allowed to participate in clinical experiences.

Transfer students coming into the University must first apply to the Admissions Department and must meet the same standards listed above. University students wishing to change their major to Nursing must apply to the DON for admission to the Nursing major and must meet the same requirements as pre-nursing students. Please refer to the above criteria.

Retention
  1. In order to remain in the Nursing program, students must earn at least a “C” grade in all courses with a NUR designation and BIO 215 and HPX 203. **Please be reminded that sophomore nursing students who are transitioning between the fall and spring semester are required to complete a Medication Math Test and must pass with > 85**.  This is administered during the Fall exam for NUR 105.
  2. 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.
  3. A student who receives a grade of “C-” or lower in a 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 (whether medical or otherwise), 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 judgment of the nursing faculty, the student meets the criteria for readmission.
  4. Any student who receives more than one course grade below “C” in any of the nursing courses will not be readmitted to the Nursing program.  In addition, any student who has for any reason reapplied and been readmitted and then subsequently withdrawn or fails, will not be allowed to reapply a second time.
  5. Students who demonstrate an unsafe level of patient care will not be permitted to continue in the clinical area.
  6. 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 120 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.