Nursing Program
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Program Overview
If you are just beginning your nursing education—or if you are interested in earning a bachelor’s degree—you have come to the right place. Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ's highly-regarded traditional and accelerated undergraduate nursing programs prepare you to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), which you must pass to obtain the initial license to practice nursing as a registered nurse.
For registered nurses who would like to complete their bachelor's degree, Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ's RN to BSN program is offered in an online format, allowing flexibility for working professionals.
Program Overview
The program is built to maximize your opportunities for growth and advancement in the dynamic and rapidly-changing healthcare industry. Our curriculum features theoretical components and clinical coursework that build on a solid liberal arts foundation, and we place a strong emphasis on practical clinical application. Graduates are prepared for excellence in practice, leadership opportunities, and advanced nursing coursework.
The nursing program will prepare you for graduate education and provide opportunities for you to obtain a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Our partnerships with NLNAC-accredited associate degree programs facilitate the transition of graduates from those schools to Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ.
Request Information
Interested in learning more about the nursing program? Request information today!
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Curriculum
Curriculum Requirements - Total Credits Required: 126
First Year - Credits: 33
- Global Issues General Education RequirementÌýÌýÌý (Cr: 3)
- Literary Perspectives General Education RequirementÌý Ìý(Cr: 3)
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BIO 201/201LÌý-ÌýAnatomy and Physiology I and Lab (Cr: 4)
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BIO 202/202LÌý-ÌýAnatomy and Physiology II and Lab (Cr: 4)
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ENG 111Ìý-ÌýCritical Reading and Writing I (Cr: 3)
Satisfies the Writing Designated Core requirement.
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ENG 112Ìý-ÌýCritical Reading and Writing II (Cr: 3)
Satisfies the Writing Designated Core requirement.
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NU 230/230LÌý-ÌýHealth Assessment (Cr: 4)
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EX 200Ìý-ÌýNutrition (Cr: 3)
Satisfies Science and Technology General Education Requirement
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PSY 100Ìý-ÌýGeneral Psychology (Cr: 3)
Satisfies General Education PrescribedÌýElective
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PSY 110Ìý-ÌýLifespan Development (Cr: 3)
Satisfies Individual and Society General Education RequirementÌý
Second Year - Credits: 31
- General Education Elective above 100 levelÌý Ìý(Cr: 3)
- Elective above 100 level (Cr. 3) or Honors Program Course (Cr. 3)
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BIO 224Ìý-ÌýMicrobiology for Healthcare Professionals (Cr: 3)
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NU 210/210LÌý-ÌýFundamentals of Nursing (Cr: 8)
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NU 211/211LÌý-ÌýCare of Adults (Cr: 8)
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NU 221Ìý-ÌýPathopharmacology for Nurses I (Cr: 3)
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NU 222Ìý-ÌýPathopharmacology for Nurses II (Cr: 3)
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NU 307Ìý-ÌýPharmacology (Cr: 3)
Third Year - Credits: 33
- Aesthetic Awareness General Education Requirement or Honors Program CourseÌý (Cr:Ìý3)Ìý
- General Education Elective above 100 levelÌý or Honors Program CourseÌý(Cr: 3)Ìý
- World Cultures General Education RequirementÌý Ìý(Cr: 3)Ìý
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MTH 126Ìý-ÌýApplied Statistics (Cr: 3)
Satisfies Quantitative Reasoning General Education RequirementÌý
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NU 306Ìý-ÌýScholarship for the Nursing Discipline (Cr: 3)
Satisfies the Writing Designated core requirement.
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NU 313/313LÌý-ÌýCare of Childbearing Families (Cr: 5)
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NU 314/314LÌý-ÌýCare of Children (Cr: 5)
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NU 316/316LÌý-ÌýPsychosocial Nursing (Cr: 6)
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NU 321Ìý-ÌýClinical Judgment in Nursing (Cr: 2)
Fourth Year - Credits: 32
- Values and Ethical Reasoning General Education RequirementÌý (Cr: 3)
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NU 400Ìý-ÌýNursing Internship and Seminar (Cr: 4)
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NU 408Ìý-ÌýLeadership and Management in Nursing (Cr: 3)
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NU 410/410LÌý-ÌýAcute Care Nursing (Cr: 8)
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NU 411/411LÌý-ÌýCommunity/ Population Health Nursing (Cr: 4)
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NU 420Ìý-ÌýPreparation for the RN-NCLEX© (Cr: 1)
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NU 489Ìý-ÌýSenior Research (Cr: 3)
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NU 491Ìý-ÌýSenior Capstone (Cr: 3)
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the bachelors degree nursing program, the graduate will be able to do the following as an Entry Level Professional Nurse:
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Demonstrate clinical judgment based in knowledge from nursing, the arts, humanities, and natural, physical, and social sciences.
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Use a holistic approach to deliver person-centered care.
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Implement quality population-focused care in the protection, promotion, and advancement of health.
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Apply research methods to address health care and nursing issues.
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Contribute to an environment of safety for clients and providers.
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Function as an effective member of the interprofessional care team.
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Apply knowledge of the healthcare system in planning, organization and optimizing care across delivery settings.
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Use information and communication technologies in the delivery of effective care.
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Reflect the ethics and values of the nursing profession in providing equitable care for all.
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Demonstrate leadership skills that foster a commitment to personal and professional well-being.
Requirements for the Nursing Program
A. Admission RequirementsÌý
InÌýaddition to the general college recommendations for admission, minimally a 3.0 GPA* is required from high school. However, the middle 50% of students accepted to the program are between a 3.7 and 4.0 GPA (3.88 GPA average).ÌýTest scores (either SAT or ACT) will be optional for admission to the Nursing program due to the challenges surrounding testing during COVID 19. A grade of "C" or higher in all high school science courses is required minimally for admission. All applicants will be given full consideration if an application is submitted for the Early Decision, Early Action or Nursing Priority Deadlines. Nursing applications submitted after the Nursing Priority Deadline, will be evaluated on a space-available basis.
*GPA is a recalculated weighted grade point average, based on a 4.0 grading scale.ÌýApplicants are evaluated holistically.Ìý
B. Current CPR Certification, Immunization, and TB Clearance.
American Heart Association CPR for the Healthcare Provider (Level C) is required of all students prior to beginning each clinical course. Students are required to be certified in infant, child, and one-person and two-person adult CPR. The college follows the immunizations required by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for all undergraduate students in a health science program who may be in contact with patients. ÌýProof of two measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccinations, completion of the Hepatitis B vaccination series, documentation of a varicella (chicken pox) antibody titer or two immunizations with varivax, a tetanus/diphtheria booster within ten years, and proof of tuberculosis non-infectivity must be documented and on file in the student's Castlebranch account and with College Health Services.ÌýOther vaccines as required by clinical sites,Ìýstate and college policies.
C. National Criminal Background Check and Drug/Alcohol Screening
Clinical agencies require students and faculty to have an annual National Criminal Background check, MA COR, Ìýand/or agree to be subject to drug/alcohol screening each semester prior to participation in a clinical education experience at their agency.
D.ÌýEssential Functional Abilities
Certain functional abilities are essential for the delivery of safe, effective nursing care during clinical education activities. Therefore, the School of Nursing has determined that certain functional abilities are required for admission, progression, and graduation from the nursing programs.
The College will consider an applicant who demonstrates the ability to perform, or to learn to perform, the skills listed here. An applicant is not required to disclose the nature of a disability, but an applicant with concerns about these academic standards is strongly encouraged to discuss the issue with the Associate Dean of Nursing. If appropriate, and upon request from the applicant, reasonable accommodations for a qualified individual with a disability will be provided.
An individual must be able to independently, with or without reasonable accommodation, meet the following academic standards:
- (1) General abilities
- (2) Observation
- (3) Communication
- (4) Motor
- (5) Intellectual, conceptual, and quantitative abilities
- (6) Essential behavioral and social attributes
- (7) Ability to manage stressful situations
Individuals unable to meet these academic standards, with or without reasonable accommodation, will not be able to complete the program. Please see the Baccalaureate Nursing Program Policy & Information Booklet for more information.
E. Transportation to Clinical Sites
Students are responsible for their own transportation to clinical experiences.
F. Full-time Status
All students, except RNs, must be enrolled as full-time students.
Note: Students who may be qualified for part-time enrollment will be reviewed on an individual basis. It is mandatory that the nursing courses required for each semester all be taken simultaneously within that semester.
G. Relationship of Credits to Class Hours
One credit of class is equivalent to one 50-minute class per week.
One credit of laboratory is equivalent to two or three, 50-minute laboratory sessions per week, depending on the course.
One credit of clinical is equivalent to three, 60-minute sessions of clinical experience per week.
H. Promotion and Graduation
Students must achieve a "C+" or better in all nursing courses and a "C" or better in sciences to remain in the Nursing major. To obtain a "C+" in a nursing course requires an average of 77 or better. Students must alsoÌýmaintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5Ìýeach semester in order to progress in the program and be recommended for graduation from the nursing program. Nursing students may repeat one science course (once) and one nursing course (once), and remain in the nursing major.
I. Eligibility for Licensure as a Registered Nurse
Any applicant for initial licensure as a registered nurse who has a criminal conviction(s) and/or past or pending disciplinary action against a professional/trade/license/certificate should contact the Board of Registration in Nursing in the state in which he/she plans to practice to determine if his/her court record or disciplinary action will be a barrier to eligibility for licensure as a registered nurse. Applicants planning to apply for initial licensure in Massachusetts should review the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing "Good Moral Character Information Sheet for First Time Nurse Licensure in Massachusetts." The information sheet is available in the nurse license application packet, from the dean of the School of Nursing or atÌý or by calling 617-973-0800. The Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing is located at 239 Causeway Street, Boston, MA 02114. Applicants should review the information sheet carefully since it contains important details about the convictions that permanently exclude individuals from nurse licensure. All other nurse licensure applicants must be conviction free for a minimum of five years before submitting an application for nurse licensure (unless the applicant meets the exception criteria) and all matters related to criminal convictions or disciplinary action must be closed before the Board will evaluate the applicant's compliance with the "good moral character" licensure requirement specified at General Law, Chapter 112, Section 74.
Please note: a previous court conviction does not automatically preclude someone from eligibility for licensure as a registered nurse. However, if someone falsifies a statement concerning a felony or misdemeanor conviction on the license application, and it is later discovered, the individual could be denied from practicing in nursing for the remainder of his/her life.Ìý
J. Professional Nursing Licensure Disclosure
The Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program at Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ College has full approval by the Massachusetts State Board of Registration in Nursing (MA BORN). The BSN Program is in compliance with 244 CMR 6.05: Procedures for the Establishment and Continuing Operation of Nursing Education Programs, and will prepare students to take the national licensure examination for registered nurses (NCLEX-RN®).Ìý Individuals graduating from the program will meet the requirements for licensure in the state of Massachusetts and will be able to take the NCLEX-RN®.
Passing the NCLEX-RN® is a requirement for licensure in all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories.ÌýAdditional licensure requirements may vary widely from state to state including, but not limited to, the number of required clinical hours, specific coursework, documentation verifying citizenship (i.e. social security number) as well as criminal background checks/fingerprinting. Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ College has not yet made a determination of whether the nursing program's curriculum meets educational requirements for licensure in the remaining 49 states, District of Columbia or U.S. territories.
It is the student's responsibility to contact the agency in the state in which they wish to pursue licensure to determine/confirm whether Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ College's BSN program meets requirements for professional licensure in that state.
To obtain the contact information for the nursing professional licensing boards, please go to the following link:
https://www.ncsbn.org/contact-bon.htm
If you wish to review your state's Board of Nursing Professional Licensure Requirements please visit NCSBN.org.
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Internships and Careers
An Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ education means you'll graduate with a degree and a resume.
Whether you pursue graduate school or embark on your career right away after graduation, we believe that your time at Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ will prepare you for the next step. Take a look at what our graduates have been up to lately.
Recent Internships
- Boston Children's Hospital
- Boston Medical Center
- Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Tufts Medical Center
Alumni Employment
- Tufts Medial Center
- Lahey Clinic and Medical Center
- Brigham and Women's Hospital
- UMass Memorial Hospital
- Boston Medical Center
Graduate School Acceptances
- Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ College
- Boston College
- Northeastern University
Nursing Graduates Are Successful—It's in the Numbers.
Our 1:6 average faculty-to-student ratio in clinicals is a formula for success, demonstrated by a program completion rate of 100% for 2023, and more.
Fifth Year M.S. Program in Nursing
The Fifth Year Master of Science in Nursing program allows students graduating from Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ’s baccalaureate program in nursing to move into a master’s degree program in nursing education or nursing administration. Upon application and meeting eligibility criteria, students take two graduate level courses in the senior year. After successful completion of their nurse licensure examination, students continue coursework in the late summer following graduation and complete the master’s program the following May.
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