Nursing, B.S.N.

Program Description

The Wellstar School of Nursing (WSON) offers both full-time traditional and accelerated BSN programs for students who want to become a registered nurse. The curriculum includes courses in the humanities and the biological and social sciences as well as the theoretical and clinical practice background necessary for the practice of professional nursing. 

Once accepted into the BSN program, students will follow a specific curriculum plan. The traditional program is five semesters (with no required classes first summer semester of program). The accelerated program is an abbreviated four consecutive- semesters for students who hold a baccalaureate degree in another discipline (from an accredited U.S. institution, or equivalent international degree). All program admission requirements are the same for traditional and accelerated applicants, except for the requirement to hold a baccalaureate degree in another field of study for the accelerated program. Students in both the traditional and accelerated programs will sequentially take a series of 13 courses (57 credit hours) in sequential order on a full-time basis, as outlined in the BSN Curriculum Plan. The exact schedule and sequence of courses varies depending on the semester in which students begin the program, as well as whether they are traditional or accelerated. The WSON does not offer a part-time curriculum in either program. Refer to the WSON website for additional details about both programs.

In addition, all KSU students must complete KSU’s General Education Core IMPACTS Curriculum  and university-wide degree requirements to graduate with any bachelor’s degree. These courses can be taken before, during, or after acceptance into and completion of the BSN program, but all courses must be completed before students can graduate with a BSN degree. Transfer students and students who already hold a degree in another field may already meet some or all of these general core requirements.

The purpose of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing is to prepare graduates for generalist nursing practice. Graduates will be prepared to practice with patients including individuals, families, groups, and populations across the lifespan and across the continuum of healthcare environments. Upon completion of this program graduates will:

1. Synthesize knowledge from a liberal education including social science, natural science, nursing science, and the art and ethics of caring as a foundation for providing holistic nursing care.
2. Implement competent, patient-centered care of individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations along the health-illness continuum and throughout the lifespan within multicultural environments.
3. Utilize leadership skills to critically examine and continuously improve healthcare delivery systems, with emphasis on safety, quality, and fiscal responsibility.
4. Analyze current research and apply conceptual/theoretical models for translating evidence into clinical practice.
5. Apply knowledge and skills in information management and patient care technology in the delivery of quality patient care.
6. Identify the significance of local, state, national, and global healthcare policies including financial and regulatory environments.
7. Demonstrate effective communication skills with an interdisciplinary healthcare team including collaboration, negotiation, and conflict management.
8. Employ principles of health promotion, and disease/injury prevention in providing care to individuals and populations.
9. Assume responsibility and accountability for professionalism, including lifelong learning, and the inherent values of altruism, autonomy, human dignity, integrity and social justice in the practice of nursing.

 

This program is a part of the Wellstar College of Health and Human Services .

 

Accreditation

The baccalaureate degree and master’s degree in nursing at Kennesaw State University are accredited by the:

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education

655 K Street NW

Suite 750

Washington, DC 20001

Phone: 202-887-6791

 

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Admission, Enrollment, and Graduation Policies

Admissions Requirements

Admission to the Nursing program is separate from Admissions  to Kennesaw State University. Students must meet the following program requirements to pursue this degree program. 

Requirements for students include:

• Annual health history and physical exam.
• Immunizations and proof of immunity to specified communicable diseases as required by clinical agencies.
• Annual tuberculosis screening (more frequently for some clinical agencies).
• Mandatory health insurance coverage.
• Certification in health care provider cardiopulmonary resuscitation by the American Heart Association.
• Uniforms (must be purchased from designated School of Nursing vendor), stethoscope, a suitable watch, and other supplies.
• An initial fee of approximately $800.00 to cover the cost of achievement exams taken during the program, $1600 for mandatory health insurance per semester (unless a waiver is approved), $1000 or more for uniforms and supplies, and credentialing software activation fees ($50 annually + other fees applicable). Note: Costs are estimates and may vary. Additional expenses such as those related to clinical agency credentialing and health requirements will be incurred throughout the Nursing program where applicable.
• Attend mandatory nursing orientation session prior to entry into the Nursing program. Failure to attend the mandatory nursing orientation will result in the cancellation of a student’s admission into the program.
• Criminal background check and drug screen (cost incurred by student) must be conducted by vendor designated by the School of Nursing. Dismissal from the program may result if the student is not capable of meeting clinical agency requirements for criminal background check and/or is found to have a positive drug screen or multiple negative dilute results.
• Students’ health records will be released to clinical agencies when requested for clinical credentialing. Students enrolled in clinical nursing courses who have not met the above requirements may be administratively withdrawn from courses.
• Students must be able to attend their assigned clinical days which are assigned at random, 7 days a week and at various hours, including nights and weekends. In addition, they must provide their own transportation to the clinical sites and adhere to clinical agency credentialing requirements to attend clinical. This includes all vaccination requirements of the agency. Successfully completing clinical is a requirement for progression in the Nursing program.

Baccalaureate Program Admission Criteria

• Students must be admitted to Kennesaw State University through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions or be a currently enrolled student. Previously admitted KSU students inactive for 3 or more semesters must reapply to the university. Once admitted to KSU, students must be able to log into Owl Express to access the application for the Nursing program.
• Students must successfully complete 11 prerequisite courses (with a grade of “C” or higher in each course) prior to beginning the Nursing program; 6 of these courses may be taken within the General Education Core IMPACTS Curriculum  and 5 courses within the Core Field of Study. These 11 prerequisite courses include the following (or approved KSU equivalents):
  • Core IMPACTS Area Communication in Writing (2 courses),
  • Core IMPACTS Area Mathematics & Quantitative Skills (1 course),
  • Core IMPACTS Area Technology, Mathematics, and Sciences (one of the following Natural Sciences sequences, consisting of 2 courses and their associated labs):
    • CHEM 1151 /1151L  and CHEM 1152 /1152L ; OR
    • CHEM 1211 /1211L  and CHEM 1212 /1212L ; OR
    • PHYS 1111 /1111L  and PHYS 1112 /1112L ; OR
    • BIOL 1107 /1107L  and BIOL 1108 /1108L .
  • Core IMPACTS Area Social Sciences (1 course), and
  • The Core Field of Study (5 courses), including:
    • PSYC 1101 ; 
    • STAT 1401 ; 
    • BIOL 2251  and BIOL 2251L ; 
    • BIOL 2252  and BIOL 2252L ;  
    • BIOL 2260  and BIOL 2260L .
• While students must successfully complete all 11 prerequisite courses before starting the Nursing program (if accepted), applicants only have to complete a minimum of 7 of these 11 courses before the nursing application deadline (for the semester in which applicant is applying for), to be considered for admission. Of these 7 courses, at least 5 must be from the math and science requirements.
  • Note: courses with a lab component will be counted together as one prerequisite course.
  • Note: If an applicant is invited for admission but does not successfully complete all 11 prerequisite courses before starting the Nursing program, their admission will be canceled.
• Applicants must have at least a 3.00 grade point average (GPA) at the time of the applicable nursing application deadline. For students who have completed less than 18 credit hours at KSU by the nursing application deadline, their transfer GPA will be reviewed. For students who have completed 18 or more credit hours at KSU by the nursing application deadline, their KSU cumulative GPA will be reviewed.
• In order for transfer courses to be considered for nursing admission, they must be transferred to and verified by the KSU Registrar’s Office by the nursing application deadline.
• The Wellstar School of Nursing will only accept the first two graded attempts for STAT 1401  and for the science prerequisite courses; however, a third attempt may be considered after five years. Science courses older than ten years at the time of the nursing application deadline will not be accepted. However, an exception can be made for students who successfully complete a KSU approved Prior Learning Assessment as available (e.g., CLEP exam; departmental challenge exam) to demonstrate relevant knowledge in the course which was taken over 10 years ago.
• Applicants must take the ATI TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills) exam within 5 years prior to the nursing application deadline (remotely online or in-person) and ensure their score is submitted to KSU. Cost is incurred by the student. Historically, students accepted for admission have scored at least a 78. While lower scores may be considered, a score of 78 or higher is strongly recommended.
  • Note: Applicants may retake the TEAS as many times as needed. However, ATI requires a 14-day waiting period between each exam attempt.

Admission is a competitive process and will be based on a combination of several factors such as number of required prerequisite courses completed at the time of nursing application deadline, grades received in these courses, and the score received on the ATI TEAS exam.

Applications for entry into the baccalaureate nursing sequence must be completed by designated deadlines, which are published on the WSON website.

Decisions regarding admission into the Nursing program and progression in the program will be made by a nursing Admissions, Progression and Retention committee.

Students who were previously enrolled in a nursing program and were dismissed from the program for any reason may not be eligible for admission to the KSU Nursing Program. To be considered for eligibility, these students must submit a letter to Nursing Admissions that explains details of their previous dismissal.  

 

Transfer Credit for Nursing Courses

Transfer credit for nursing courses are rarely awarded toward a BSN degree in the KSU Nursing Program. In order for any course to be considered for transfer credit, the nursing course must be from an accredited nursing program and evaluated and approved by the Director of Nursing or designee. The course must also have been completed within the past two years and a grade of “B” or better, received in the course. 

Enrollment Requirements

KSU students are not able to declare Nursing as their major until they achieve acceptance into the program. Prior to admission, students are encouraged to declare an identified SCRAPPY (A System for Completion, Retention and Academic Professional Pathways) with a Nursing Concentration in Human Services, Integrated Health Science, or Public Health. Note, students may select from other majors offered on campus, but they will not see the -N (Nursing) concentration on their Degreeworks plan and will need to track the requirements for admission to Nursing.

Criteria for progression once admitted to the Nursing major are as follows:

• A student must receive at least a grade of “C” in all nursing prerequisite courses prior to beginning the Nursing program.
• A student must receive at least a grade of “C” in all nursing courses to progress.
• A student may repeat only one nursing course.
• A student who receives less than a “C” in one nursing course will repeat that course, upon availability.  In addition, if the student is in the accelerated program, they will automatically be moved to the traditional program.
• A student who receives less than a “C” in any two or more nursing courses will result in being dismissed from the program.
• Students who are dismissed are not eligible to reapply to the Nursing program; however, they may make a formal appeal of the dismissal decision as described below.

A student may submit a request for a leave of absence (LOA) from all nursing courses for one semester, due to extenuating circumstances only. Requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and must be approved and granted by the Associate Director of Undergraduate Nursing Programs (or designee).

If a student leaves the Nursing program temporarily, whether by choice or because of failure, readmission to the nursing sequence is not guaranteed. Eligible students who drop out of the nursing sequence for any reason will be readmitted to the sequence on a space-available basis. Students will be accommodated in rank order according to their GPA. Students interested in reentry must notify the Director of Nursing (or designee) in writing of their interest. If a student has been on leave from the Nursing program for more than 24 months, they must reapply for admission to the program and repeat the entire sequence of required nursing courses, if accepted.

If a student is on leave from the Nursing program for an extended period of time without communication, they may be administratively withdrawn from the program and may or may not be eligible to reapply to the program. If the student is allowed to reapply and is accepted for admission, they must repeat the entire sequence of required nursing courses.

 

Admission, Progression, and Retention Decision Appeals

A formal appeal of a decision to deny admission, to delay progression, or to dismiss a student from the Wellstar School of Nursing may be made to the Admissions, Progression and Retention Committee within 30 days of notification. Prior to an appeal, students are encouraged to meet with the Associate Director of Undergraduate Nursing Programs or designee. The committee will review the student appeal, WSON academic and clinical history, and any exceptional or extenuating circumstances. The committee will notify the student of the decision in writing. If a student wishes to appeal the decision of the Admissions, Progression and Retention Committee, a formal appeal must be submitted in writing to the Director of the Wellstar School of Nursing or designee within 30 days of receipt of notification of the Committee’s decision. The decision of the Director is final.

For students readmitted to the Nursing Program through the appeals process, they must follow specific conditions outlined in their readmittance letter. Should they fail one or more courses in the nursing curriculum, they will be dismissed from the program again but may make a formal appeal of the dismissal decision as previously described.

 

Core Performance Standards

The Wellstar College of Health and Human Services has adopted core performance standards for admission and progression within the nursing major. These standards identify the abilities and skills necessary to perform in an independent manner. If a student admitted to the program believes that they cannot meet one or more of the standards without accommodations or modifications, then the student should notify the Director of the School of Nursing (or designee) in writing and provide appropriate documentation.  The Nursing program will follow KSU’s policies and collaborate with Student Disabilities Services to determine, on an individual basis, whether or not necessary accommodations or modifications can reasonably be made. Core performance standards for admission and progression are contained in the WSON Student Handbook for the Undergraduate Nursing Program (which is available online at the Wellstar School of Nursing website), and on the acceptance contract for admission to the Nursing program.

Graduation Requirements

Each student is expected to meet the requirements outlined in Academic Policies: 5.0 PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS & GRADUATION .

 

Licensing Exam

The program of study in nursing offers the opportunity to obtain a BSN degree.  After completion of the degree, graduates will be eligible to apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX) to practice as a registered nurse (R.N.). All applicants must be aware that the state examining board has the right to refuse to grant a registered nurse license to any individual regardless of educational credentials under circumstances of (1) falsification of application for licensure, (2) conviction of a felony or crime of moral turpitude, or (3) other moral and legal violations specified in the Georgia law.

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Program Course Requirements