Nursing Major

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Description

The program is designed to help students become scientifically and humanistically prepared to become professional nurses, and it provides a foundation for graduate study in nursing. Beginning practitioners are most frequently employed in either hospital or community settings. Hospitals offer challenging opportunities for the baccalaureate graduate as do long-term health care facilities. In the community, nurses are employed by public health departments, health maintenance organizations, community and migrant health centers, outpatient clinics, physician’s offices, voluntary health organizations and hospices. Increasingly, nurses have opportunities to participate in entrepreneurial endeavors as independent health care providers. The armed services also offer excellent career opportunities for graduates.

Licensed RNs with an associate's degree who wish to pursue the RN-to-BSN Fast-Track major should review that program.

What can I do with a Nursing major?

Admission to the Program

Admission/Progression policies provide an opportunity for a baccalaureate education in nursing to qualified students in each of four groups:

  1. Students enrolled in SUNY Brockport,
  2. Transfer students from other colleges and universities. Transfer students wishing to apply to the traditional nursing program must have a minimum of 15 credits (not pass/fail courses) completed at SUNY Brockport to be eligible to apply to the nursing program.
  3. Students with bachelor degrees in another field (who should see the second degree guidelines on the Department of Nursing website), and
  4. Registered nurses (who should see the RN-to-BSN Fast-track Major)

The Department of Nursing is limited in the number of students it can accept into its traditional program as a result of limited available clinical placements. Affiliating agencies require strict faculty-student ratios. Admission criteria are subject to change and extenuating circumstances require departmental review of written requests. Consult the Department of Nursing website for current information.

Minimum Criteria for Admission

  1. Progression into the nursing program is competitive. There is no guarantee of progression into the nursing program even if admitted to the College. There is a separate application for progression into the traditional nursing program and this must be submitted during the applicant's sophomore year. Students must document successful completion of all admission criteria in their application. All applications are reviewed by the Admissions Committee early in the spring semester. Students will then be notified whether or not they are accepted to progress into the nursing program.
  2. A minimum cumulative college grade point average of 3.00 by the end of fall semester of sophomore year is required for consideration to progress into the nursing program. IMPORTANT NOTE: In recent years, a cumulative GPA of well over 3.00 has been necessary to gain admission to the nursing program.
  3. A minimum of 54 non-nursing liberal arts credits must be completed prior to the beginning the nursing program in the fall semester.
  4. Achievement of a "C" or higher in all nursing prerequisites.
  5. ALL prerequisites must be completed by May of the year the student plans to start the nursing program.
  6. Consult the Department of Nursing website for application deadlines and other admission information.

Nursing Intents

Students who hope to study nursing and who are admitted to the College as freshman (and some transfers) are classified as "nursing intents." A nursing intent is a student who plans on applying for progression into the nursing program when all admissions criteria are met. Nursing intents receive academic advisement from nursing faculty. However, being a nursing intent does not guarantee progression into the nursing program. Students with 25 or more Brockport credits and whose cumulative grade point average falls below 2.75, lose their status as nursing intents. Students who are admitted to the College as freshmen, but who are not nursing intents, may become nursing intents if they achieve a Brockport cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher and meet with a nursing faculty advisor every semester. Students who transfer into the College in the hopes of becoming a nursing intent, must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher to be accepted into the College as a transfer nursing intent student. Transfer students admitted to the College under a different major with a transfer GPA less than 3.0 may not change their major to nursing intent.

General Education Requirements (25 credits)

Prerequisites (28 credits)

Required Prerequisite Courses

  • BIO 321 Anatomy and Physiology I
  • BIO 322 Anatomy and Physiology II
  • BIO 323 Microbiology
    • A non-preparatory Chemistry course higher than an introductory course (CHM 260 is strongly encouraged):
    • CHM 260*
    OR
    • CHM 205*
  • HLS 311 Nutrition
  • SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology*
  • PSH 110 Introduction to Psychology*
  • PRO 204 Development Assessment

Transfer students should note that substitute courses for PRO 204 must cover the entire lifespan from birth to death.

Program Requirements

Students in the nursing major pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, and must complete its requirements.

Students must achieve and maintain a grade of 75 in each nursing course for continued progression through the nursing program and to qualify for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.

Students are also responsible for meeting the General Education requirements of the College. All degree requirements must be completed within five years after beginning the clinical component of the major.

Major Departmental Requirements (60 credits)

Core Courses

  • NUR 321 Introduction to Pharmacology
  • NUR 328 Math for Safe Medication Administration
  • NUR 342 Foundations for Professional Practice for Nursing
  • NUR 343 Foundations for Professional Practice for Nursing Clinical
  • NUR 344 Health Assessment
  • NUR 345 Health Assessment Laboratory
  • NUR 346 Medical Surgical Nursing 1
  • NUR 347 Medical Surgical Nursing 1 Clinical
  • NUR 348 Childbearing Family and Women’s Health
  • NUR 349 Childbearing Family and Women’s Health Clinical
  • NUR 350 Medical Surgical Nursing II
  • NUR 351 Medical Surgical Nursing II Clinical
  • NUR 360 Nursing Care of the Older Adult
  • NUR 440 Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing
  • NUR 441 Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing Clinical
  • NUR 442 Critical Care Nursing
  • NUR 443 Critical Care Nursing Clinical
  • NUR 444 Community Health Nursing
  • NUR 445 Community Health Nursing Clinical
  • NUR 446 Pediatric Nursing
  • NUR 447 Pediatric Nursing Clinical
  • NUR 478 Problem Solving in Nursing I
  • NUR 479 Problem Solving in Nursing II
  • NUR 495 Senior Nursing Seminar
  • PRO 310 Research: Process and Critique
  • PRO 451 Issues in Leadership and Management*

*denotes courses that meet both major and general education requirements

Additional Prerequisites (0-4 credits)

Electives (3-7 credits)

Total Credits (120 credits)

Additional Degree Requirements

  • Achievement of C or better in each prerequisite course
  • GPA of at least 3.0 to apply to the progress into the nursing program
  • All prerequisites must be completed by the end of May of the year that the student will start the program.
  • Achievement of a grade of 75 or better in all nursing courses is required for continued progress through the nursing program
  • Completion of all college-wide degree requirements

Student Health Requirements

Because of the special demands of the nursing program and the need to protect patients and students, junior students in the nursing program are required to have a physical examination and prescribed lab tests prior to the start of the school year. A current, complete health form including the prescribed lab tests must be on file in the Department of Nursing by the date specified in the admission letter in order for the student to participate in clinical learning experiences. Nursing students are required to discuss with their nursing faculty advisors any health factors that may affect their capacity to perform as professional nurses. NOTE: New York State Department of Health and individual health care agencies also require additional protective measures prior to caring for patients. Presently, health care agencies require a positive rubella titer or evidence of immunization, a PPD, influenza vaccination, varicella immunization or positive titer and Hepatitis B vaccination or its declination.) Senior students are required to have a completed health update and PPD prior to the beginning of their senior year. An annual Flu vaccine is also required by the health care institutions and must be obtained before November 10 of each fall semester.

Transportation

The majority of the clinical facilities are located in Rochester, 16 miles east of the Brockport campus. Transportation to and from clinical sites is the student's responsibility. Students entering senior year must have a valid NYS driver's license and have access to their own car. It is not possible for students to share rides with other nursing students to all clinical sites.

Uniforms

Uniforms must be purchased before the beginning of the junior year. Students accepted into the program are advised concerning arrangements for fittings and costs.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

  1. Integrate theories and concepts from nursing, the liberal arts, sciences, and humanities into professional nursing practice in a world of global interdependence.
  2. Provide safe and holistic patient centered care for all ages in a variety of health care settings utilizing the nursing process, informatics, and emerging technology.
  3. Provide evidence based care of patients patients across the lifespan for the delivery of optimal health care.
  4. Articulate a professional philosophy that reflects autonomy, advocacy, social justice, accountability, responsibility and ethical decision making in the provision of patient centered care.
  5. Communicate and collaborate with individuals, families, communities, population and interdisciplinary team members fostering open communication, mutual respect and shared decision-making.
  6. Integrate processes and skills of critical thinking, management, and leadership to promote and continuously improve the quality and safety of health care delivery.
  7. Evaluate nursing care outcomes within the context of clients' values, preferences, and well-being.