Undergraduate Programs
The Department of Nursing exists to prepare undergraduate students for careers in professional nursing practice.
The Associate of Science in Nursing degree prepares graduates for entry-level nursing practice as nurse generalists. Students are assisted to value service and develop caring behaviors in clinical practice by recognizing, responding and valuing caring as the foundation for the profession of nursing. The nursing roles of provider of care, manager of care and member of the discipline are emphasized as students progress through the curriculum. Students integrate concepts from physical, social and behavioral sciences and humanities with nursing knowledge and evidence-based practice. Using the nursing process as a critical thinking framework, students provide safe, accurate and individualized nursing care to select individuals and groups with health needs or common well-defined health problems. Students care for a variety of patient populations across the life span and the health care continuum in acute care, long-term care and community based settings. After completing the degree, graduates are eligible for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program prepares graduates for entry level practice as nurse generalists to practice professional nursing with individual clients, families, groups and communities across the life span in a variety of settings. Guided by the Franciscan Values, students are assisted to value service, lifelong learning and caring behaviors as the foundation for professional nursing. In addition to basic nursing roles, students practice in structured and unstructured settings, fulfill leadership roles, and evaluate and apply research to improve client outcomes. Knowledge from humanities, social and behavioral sciences, and life and physical sciences are synthesized with nursing theory and practice. The curriculum provides an academic background which serves as the basis for graduate education and continued personal and professional growth. After completing the degree, graduates are eligible for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).