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School of Nursing
School of Nursing | Courses | Faculty

111 Arnold House

Degree: Bachelor of Science

Contact: Cynthia S. Jacelon

Office: 233 Arnold

Phone: 545-9576

Dean: Professor Eileen T. Breslin. Professor
Young-Mason; Associate Professors Bright, Chandler, Gilbert, King, McKenry, Millette, Ryan, Vanetzian; Assistant Professor Swinney; Clinical Associate Professors Carcio, Hayes; Clinical Assistant Professors Asselin, Bechar, Bianchi, Brunell, Burns, Carpenter, Cowles, Cunningham, Curnin, Discoe-Keough, Drummond, Eckhoff, Epes, Fey, Founds, Goldberg, Hogan, Jacelon, Lamoureux, Leitch, Liptak, Lusardi, Moyel, Nair, Ostiguy, Plotkin, Rissmiller, Rivera Goba, Roche, Rosier, Shea-Murphy, Steiner, Whiteley, Williams-Kohl, Wolter, Zaida, Zucker. Adjunct Faculty Alexander, Allen, Anderson, Berkenwald, Bougeois, Brummer, Brunell, Burglass, Burns, Calcasola, Cleary, Conrad, Corrigan, Craig, Curran, Curtiss, Daggett, Dowling, Dreher, Duda, Fain, Farrell, Fine, Fitzgerald, Flaherty, Forfa, Friedman, Frieswick, Gibeau, Gingras, Giuliano, Goldman, Goodman, Gordon, Hallock, Hegedus, Herliczak, Higney, Hubbard, Hutchinson, Izsak, Jairath, Jessen, King, Krupnick, Larue, LaScala, Leitch, Lipez, Mazur, Meeropol, Morsi, C. Murphy, J. Murphy, Navin, Newell-Stokes, Nugent, Orr, Pepper, Perlak, Peterson, Phipps, Prince, Rivera, Rosier, Rucki, Russell, Schippts, Schwartz, Shea, Siano, Stetler, Stirewelt, Stone-Adair, Teehan, Thomson, Tropp, Vacon, Ventura, Weig, Wilk.

The Field

Nurses help individuals, families, and groups to promote, maintain, or restore optimal health within the context of their environments. Nursing practice requires substantial specialized knowledge of nursing and related scientific, behavioral, and humanistic disciplines. It also incorporates thinking, relating, respecting, and managing into the development and implementation of strategies of care to accomplish defined goals and the evaluation of responses to care and treatment. Nursing includes the performance of services which promote and support optimal functioning across the life span, collaboration with other members of the health team, health counseling and teaching, the provision of comfort measures, teaching and supervising others, and participation in research contributing to the expansion of nursing knowledge.

The many areas of nursing include community health nursing, parent-child nursing, medical-surgical nursing, rehabilitation nursing, and mental health nursing.

Nurses' responsibilities have expanded and for today's professional nurse, a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Nursing is essential.

The Major

The School of Nursing offers an undergraduate program leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science which is approved by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing, and fully accredited by a recognized national nursing education accrediting body. Completion of requirements qualifies the graduate to take the National Council Licensing Examination in Nursing (NCLEX), a prerequisite to becoming a registered nurse.

The purpose of the undergraduate program is to prepare graduates who will: 1) practice as generalists in the profession of nursing; 2) function effectively in intra- and interprofes-sional collaboration; 3) demonstrate critical thinking in the evaluation of nursing practice; 4) demonstrate commitment to continued professional development in their own careers; 5) participate in activities that promote the growth of the nursing profession; 6) possess a foundation for graduate study; and 7) apply knowledge of human relations to advocacy of the clients' rights and responsibilities for health.

Standard Undergraduate Curriculum

Nursing is a major with limited enrollment. Students who plan to apply are designated PreNursing while completing required courses and credits in the freshman and sophomore years. Students who meet the qualifications for admission to the Nursing major are eligible to submit an application to the School of Nursing in the late fall of their sophomore year. Clinical nursing courses begin in the first semester of the junior year. Reliable transportation to and from clinical agencies is the responsibility of each student.

The major builds upon General Education requirements and courses in the humanities and sciences which provide the foundation for a humanistic and scientific approach to nursing practice. Self-paced modules, lectures, seminars, simulated laboratory, distance learning, independent study, and clinical practice are all methods used to present the subject matter of nursing. Clinical practice is arranged under faculty direction with the cooperation of a number of community agencies and health care facilities including senior citizen centers, schools, occupational settings, ambulatory care centers, area community hospitals, and tertiary care medical centers.

Students are required to consult with their assigned academic adviser about the content and sequence of their work throughout their program and to be familiar with the School's educational policies, as presented in the Student Handbook. Nursing students should follow the required course of studies in consultation with their advisers.

The School of Nursing requires a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check before students begin clinical work. Prior convictions may affect the student's acceptance at the clincial site.

Nursing is undergoing dynamic changes because of rapid advances in scientific technology, new trends in delivery of health care, and greater public awareness of health needs. Departmental requirements are subject to change.

A. PreNursing Requirements:

CHEM 110 General Chemistry for Nonscience Majors

BIOCHM 205 Introduction to Biochemistry

PSYCH 100 Elementary Psychology

ENGLWP 112 College Writing

BIOL 339 Human Anatomy and Physiology

NURSE 100 Perspectives in Nursing

NURSE 190A Study Skills for Nursing Seminar

NURSE 210 Human Development Throughout the Life Cycle

MICBIO 255 Introduction to Medical Microbiology

NUTR 130 Nutrition for a Healthy Lifestyle

NURSE 301 Pathophysiology

PSYCH 380 Abnormal Psychology

Applied Statistics Course

Five additional General Education courses and math requirement by test or course

Elective coursework

B. Nursing Major Requirements

Junior Year

312 Cultural Diversity in Health and Illness

390C Introduction to Nursing Research

390H Health and Physical Assessment of In- dividuals and Families

390K Pharmacology in Nursing I

390L Community Health Nursing I:
Health Promotion

390M Community Health Nursing IIA:

Parent-Child Health Nursing

390P Community Health Nursing IIB:

Mental Health Nursing

397A Writing in Nursing I, II, III

398E Clinical Practicum I

398F Clinical Practicum IIA:

Parent-Child Nursing

398G Clinical Practicum IIB:

Mental Health Nursing

Senior Year

490I Community Health IIIA: Home Health

490J Community Health Nursing IIIB:
Restorative Nursing

498B Clinical Practicum IIIA:
Home Health Care

498C Clinical Practicum IIIB:
Restorative Nursing

490K Pharmacology II

490L Professional Role

490M Community Health Nursing IV:
Community

498D Clinical Practicum IV: Community

498E Clinical Internship

Elective

C. Optional Courses

The School of Nursing offers a departmental honors track and elective courses. Independent studyand special topics courses are also available for students who want to pursue individual areas of interest in nursing.

Curriculum for Students Obtaining a Second Bachelor's Degree

For students who have a degree in a field other than nursing, a second Bachelor's Degree program is also offered. Prerequisites for this program include several courses that are foundational for future nursing classes and the Graduate Record Examination.

A. Prerequisite Subjects

Abnormal Psychology

Human Nutrition

Microbiology w/Lab

Anatomy and Physiology

Statistics

Human Growth and Development (across the lifespan)

B. Plan of Study (subject to change)

All courses are offered through Continuing Education and carry three credits.

Semester I (Wintersession)

N404 Professional Nursing I

Semester II (Spring)

N301 Pathophysiology

N332 Pharmacology

N406 Nursing Process (Common Disruptions)

N407 Clinical Practice I (4 credits)

Semester III (Summer)

N416 Nursing Process: Families

N417 Clinical Practice II (4 credits)

N427 Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing

Semester IV (Fall)

N415 Community Focus in Nursing

N420 Introduction to Research in Nursing

N436 Comprehensive Nursing I

N437 Clinical Practice III (4 credits)

N491 Comprehensive Nursing II

Semester V (Spring)

N405 Professional Nursing II

N485 Seminar

N498 Internship (6 credits)

Curriculum for Students with R.N.

For students who are registered nurses, the School offers a one-year accelerated educational mobility program. Before beginning the nursing courses, the General Education requirements, University courses required for the major, and a challenge examination must be completed. The Nursing courses generally are offered sequentially during the summer, and Fall and Spring semesters on one day a week.

A. Prerequisites

Abnormal Psychology

Human Nutrition

Microbiology w/Lab

Anatomy and Physiology

Statistics

Human Growth and Development (across the lifespan)

B. Plan of Study (subject to change)

Semester I (Summer)

N312 Cultural Diversity in Health and Illness

N397C Writing in Nursing

N415 Community Focus in Nursing

Semester II (Fall)

N420 Introduction to Research in Nursing

N440 Comprehensive Nursing (Populations/Groups)

N498S Practicum (Special Populations)

Semester III (Spring)

N405 Professional Nursing II

N490N Nursing Process (Families)

N498R Practicum (Families)

Academic Regulations of the School

Each student should understand and act in accordance with the philosophy of the School of Nursing, the Code of Ethics as promulgated by the American Nurses Association, and the Academic Honesty policy of the University. Failure to do so will constitute cause for dismissal regardless of academic standing.

Students who do not progress satisfactorily through the nursing curriculum in its regular sequence or who take a leave of absence are not guaranteed that the curriculum and courses from which they departed will be in place upon their return. They will be expected to complete the curriculum of their new graduation date.

Nursing courses may be repeated only once. If an unacceptable grade is received in a clinical course, the student is on probation from the School of Nursing. The student must petition in writing to the Undergraduate Academic Matters Committee to be allowed to repeat the clinical course. If the student is denied a repeat of the clinical course, the student is considered dismissed from the School of Nursing. If a repeat is recommended by the committee, enrollment in a clinical course is on a space-available basis.

Career Opportunities

A career in professional nursing provides opportunities to participate in a health profession which makes a major impact on the nation's health through the care of citizens in a wide variety of health care settings. There is a high demand for baccalaureate-prepared nurses to meet the needs of clients and families in a complex health care system. There are extensive opportunities to develop expertise in a particular area of interest in nursing practice. Students who wish to pursue graduate degrees as clinical specialists in nursing, or in the areas of teaching or management of nursing, will find that this curriculum offers excellent preparation for advanced study in nursing.

School of Nursing | Courses | Faculty

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