The Division of Nursing Education offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree (BSN). The BSN degree is a four-year program with a major in nursing. The Mission of the Division of Nursing Education is to provide professional nursing education for students that is characterized by excellence and rooted in a Christian liberal arts tradition. The baccalaureate degree in nursing qualifies the graduate to take the licensure exam (NCLEX-RN), to take beginning positions in professional nursing, and to begin graduate study.

ADMISSION POLICY
Admission to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is a two-step process:

1. Admission to Kansas Wesleyan University as a pre-nursing student.

2. Application to the BSN program is made in the sophomore year or after the student has completed the majority of the liberal studies and support courses** related to nursing.

• Applicants must have a 2.6 cumulative grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale. Applicants who have a GPA between 2.0 and 2.59 may be considered for admission if they have a GPA of 2.6 on pre-requisite support courses for the nursing program.

• Applicants must have completed NURS 250, Introduction to Professional Nursing and required support courses for nursing with a grade of “C” or higher.

• A minimum TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of 500 is required of students for whom English is their second language.

Applicants should be advised that nursing licenses may be denied or disciplined by the Kansas State Board of Nursing (KSBN). Possible grounds for such action may include being guilty of any felony being guilty of a misdemeanor that involves an illegal drug offense if the KSBN determines that such a person has not been sufficiently rehabilitated to warrant the public trust. Also considered are patterns of practice and other behaviors exhibiting an apparent incapacity to practice nursing. The Kansas State Board of Nursing will deny licensure in Kansas to an individual who has been convicted of a felony crime against a person. All criminal history must be revealed to and will be evaluated by the KSBN before licensure is granted or denied.

Early Admission Policy
Students who have a high school GPA of 3.0 or higher will be given the opportunity to "guarantee" a position in the nursing class (two years after the year of admission) if they fulfill the following criteria:

• Maintain at least a 3.0 GPA during the freshman and sophomore years at KWU
• Take all pre-nursing classes at KWU (Any college courses, up to 15 credits, taken while in high school will be exempted from this criterion).
• Achieve a grade of "C" or higher in support classes

A letter will be sent to students at the time they are admitted to the college, offering them the opportunity to be a part of the Early Admission Plan if they have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students wishing to be considered for Early Admission will sign a statement of intent and will meet with a Nursing Advisor to plan their curriculum. Eligibility for the Early Admission Program will be based on the student's GPA at the time of graduation from high school. Students will apply to the Nursing Program just as other students do, but if they meet the criteria listed above, they will not be subject to the rating system, but will be placed on the "accepted" list. Students who briefly fall below a 3.0 GPA for one semester may continute on the Early Admission Plan if they have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the time admission to the program in March.

 

Transfer Credit Policy
Courses transferred from another nursing program are evaluated by the Chair of the Division of Nursing Education and credit is granted with the approval of the Director of Enrollment Services for courses that are equivalent to nursing courses offered at KWU.

Progression Policy
In addition to University requirements, the nursing student must meet the following requirements for progression in the BSN program:

1. The tuberculin skin test must be kept current during student enrollment in the BSN program.
2. Provide evidence of current CPR certification (adult and child) as often as necessary throughout the program.
3. Earn a grade of C or better in all nursing and required support courses. A student who earns a grade of less than a C in any required nursing course or required support course must repeat that course to achieve a C grade in that course. A second failure in any one course or a failure in any two nursing courses or support courses will result in automatic dismissal from the nursing program.
4. On petition to the full nursing faculty, exceptions to dismissal may be granted by a two-thirds majority vote. Any request for exception to the progression policies must be submitted in writing to the Admission and Progression Committee.
5. Dismissal from the nursing program may result from ethical, legal or professional conduct unsuited to the nursing profession.
6. For clinical courses, grades of S/U (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory) are given. If a student receives a grade of U for a clinical course or any portion of a clinical course, the student must repeat the portion of the clinical courses for which he/she received a U. A student must pass all components of a clinical course with a grade of S before progressing to the next clinical course.

Readmission Policy
After a lapse of one semester returning students must complete the Student Petition for Admission and Progression Committee and meet with the Admission and Progression Committee to be approved for a position in a nursing course. If the semester absence was due to a major health problem, a physician’s clearance must be submitted in order to return to classes and clinical.
After a lapse of two semesters or more, in addition to the above, a returning student must:

- Re-apply for University admission through the KWU Admissions Office.
- Apply for admission to nursing.
- Adhere to the most current catalog requirements.
- Plan with a nursing advisor to develop a degree plan which meets all curricular and program requirements.
- Submit a new physical examination form and current CPR Certification (adult and child) and current tuberculin skin test.
- Validate competency in clinical skills.

Counseling and Guidance
Students will be assigned an advisor who is a faculty member in the Division of Nursing Education when they are admitted to the university or when they declare themselves to be a pre-nursing student.

Employment Policy
Unless otherwise qualified, certified or licensed as a specific health care provider (LPN, LMHT, MSW, RT, OT, PT or other) the student nurse who is employed in a health care setting may work only as an unlicensed assistive personnel.

The number of hours of employment per week should be balanced with the student’s educational commitment. Full time employees should consider carrying a partial academic load (6-9 hours); whereas, a full time student should consider working no more than 16-20 hours per week.

KWU nametags and uniform components that would identify a student with Kansas Wesleyan University must not be worn during employment in a health care agency.

Representation on Faculty Governance Bodies
Nursing student representatives are appointed to all Division of Nursing Education committees.

Nursing students may also be appointed to serve as student representatives on Kansas Wesleyan University committees.

Graduation
1. In order to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree the student must earn a minimum of 126 academic credit hours with cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.
2. At least 48 of the last 62 academic credits or 24 of the last 33 credit hours must be taken at KWU.
3. At least 63 credit hours must be taken from a four-year institution.
Completion of the Liberal Studies component and academic major and support courses
4. Complete an Application for Graduation during the fall semester of the year in which the student expects to graduate.
5. Nursing students will be expected to take the National League for Nursing Baccalaureate Nursing Achievement Examination during their last semester in the nursing program.. This is the departmental exam used in the assessment program of the university.
Nursing students will also take the Arnett Test—On Site Computer Adaptive Test as an assessment of readiness for the NCLEX-RN exam.
6. In nursing programs graduates are expected to be current in their field. Therefore, coursework from nursing courses with a NURS prefix more than five years old must be validated. Nursing courses that are over 10 years old cannot be validated. Support course/liberal studies courses more than five years old will be evaluated on an individual basis.
Students can petition to the Admission and Progression Committee for acceptance of prior coursework.

RN-BSN Program

The Division of Nursing Education also offers a program for RN’s who have a diploma in nursing or an associate degree in nursing to earn a BSN degree with minimum repetition of content.

Articulation Policy
Currently licensed graduates of an accredited diploma nursing program or an accredited associate degree nursing program are eligible to apply for articulation into the Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN). Licensed graduates from out-of –state programs will be individually evaluated.
The registered nurse follows these steps for articulation:

1. Apply and be accepted by the university.

2. Have cumulative GPA of 2.6 on a 4 point scale. Applicants who have a cumulative GPA between 2.0 and 2.59 may be considered for admission if they have a GPA of at least 2.6 on all pre-requisite support courses for nursing.

3 The applicant must complete all of the Liberal Studies requirements for the baccalaureate degree. The registered nurse applicant must complete at least the required support courses for nursing prior to taking the first nursing course. Most of these support courses will meet Liberal Studies requirements.