School of Nursing

School of Nursing | Courses | Faculty

111 Arnold House

Degree: Bachelor of Science

Contact: Joan M. Culley

Office: 223 Arnold

Phone: 545-5096

Dean: Professor Eileen T. Breslin. Professor
Young-Mason; Associate Professors Bright, Chandler, Gilbert, King, McKenry, Ryan, Vanetzian; Assistant Professors Hayes, Jacelon, Stacciarini, Swinney, Zucker; Clinical Associate Professor Culley; Clinical Assistant Professors Asselin, Cunningham, Founds, Henneman, Hogan, Lamoureux, Mathieu, Plotkin, Roche. Part-time Clinical Assistant Professors Armstrong, Borfitz, Bracci, Brunton, Carpenter, Clegg, Curnin, Discoe-Keough, Douglass, Drohan, Eckhoff, Griswold, McAvoy, Morsi, Nair, Patterson, Patulak, Profetto, Rucki, Tesseir, Winnick. Adjunct Faculty Fain, Kenny.

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 the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), a 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 undergraduate program provides the knowledge and skills fundamental to professional nursing. Students emerge from it able to: advocate for the rights of and respect for client, nurse, profession and environment; think autonomously and with an understanding of complex situations; relate in ways that maintain therapeutic and professional alliances with clients; develop collaborative relationships to benefit the health of society; manage competently and collaboratively the health dynamics of clients in the context of culture, resources, environment, and current technologies; assume professional leadership roles.

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.

Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) checks are required by many clinical agencies and will be completed by the School of Nursing on all students once they are admitted to the program. Progression and clinical placements in the Nursing program may be contingent upon a satisfactory CORI investigation. In addition to graduation, the Board of Registration in Nursing requires that graduates sitting for the NCLEX-RN licensure exam meet standards of `good moral character'. For further information, visit the Board's Web site at www.state.ma.us/reg.boards/rn for "Rules and Regulations: Determination of Good Moral Character."

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. Lectures, case studies, group projects, seminars, clinical practice, simulated laboratory, independent study, multimedia instruction, Web-enhanced courses, and self-paced modules are all 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.

In the fall semester of the senior year, all nursing students must take an assessment test to gauge their preparedness for the NCLEX-RN professional licensure exam. Students whose assessment scores fall below an acceptable level, based on data, must enroll in 497A Preparation Strategies for the NCLEX-RN Professional Licensure Exam in the spring semester.

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

BIOCHM 205 Introduction to Biochemistry

PSYCH 100 Elementary Psychology

ENGLWP 112 College Writing

EXCSCI 205 Human Physiology

EXCSCI 304 Human Anatomy

NURSE 100 Perspectives in Nursing

NURSE 210 Human Development Throughout the Life Cycle

MICBIO 255 Introduction to Medical Microbiology

A course in Human Nutrition

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

315 Health and Physical Assessment of In- dividuals and Families

316 Community Health Nursing I:
Health Promotion

326 Community Health Nursing IIA:

Parent-Child Nursing

327 Community Health Nursing IIB:

Mental Health Nursing

331 Pharmacology in Nursing I

397A Writing in Nursing

398E Clinical Practicum I

398F Clinical Practicum IIA:

Parent-Child

398G Clinical Practicum IIB:

Mental Health

420 Introduction to Nursing Research

Senior Year

431 Pharmacology in Nursing II

432 Community Health Nursing IIIB: Restorative Nursing

438 Professional Role

439 Community Health IIIA: Community

489 Clinical Practicum IIIA: Community-Based Care

490P Community Health Nursing IV:
Restorative II

497A Preparation Strategies for the NCLEX-RN Professional Licensure Exam

498C Clinical Practicum IIIB:
Restorative Nursing

498D Clinical Practicum IVA: Community Intervention

498E Clinical Practicum IVB: Internship

Elective

C. Optional Courses

The School of Nursing offers a departmental honors track and elective courses. Independent study and 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 offered. Prerequisites for this program include the Graduate Record Examination and several courses that are foundational for future nursing classes.

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 the Division of Continuing Education.

Semester I (Wintersession)

404 Professional Nursing I

Semester II (Spring)

301 Pathophysiology

315 Health and Physical Assessment of Individuals and Families

332 Pharmacology

406 Nursing Process (Common Disruptions)

407 Clinical Practice I (4 credits)

Semester III (Summer)

416 Nursing Process: Families

417 Clinical Practice II (4 credits)

427 Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing

Semester IV (Fall)

415 Community Focus in Nursing

420 Introduction to Research in Nursing

436 Comprehensive Nursing I

437 Clinical Practice III (4 credits)

491 Comprehensive Nursing II

Semester V (Spring)

405 Professional Nursing II

485 Seminar

498 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. Theory course materials are available on the Web 24 hours a day.

A. Prerequisites

Abnormal Psychology

Human Nutrition

Microbiology w/Lab

Anatomy

Physiology
Statistics

Human Growth and Development (across the lifespan)

B. Plan of Study (subject to change)

All courses are offered through the Division of Continuing Education.

Semester I (Summer)

312 Cultural Diversity in Health and Illness

397A Writing in Nursing

415 Community Focus in Nursing

Semester II (Fall)

420 Introduction to Research in Nursing

440 Comprehensive Nursing (Populations/Groups)

498S Practicum (Special Populations)

Semester III (Spring)

405 Professional Nursing II

490N Nursing Process (Families)

498R 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