Nursing B.S.N.

Learning Goals

Writing in the Discipline

Jane Williams

Dean, School of Nursing

Lynn Blanchette

Associate Dean, School of Nursing

Undergraduate Department Chair: Yolande Lockett

B.S.N. Undergraduate Program Director: Karen Hetzel

R.N. to B.S.N. Program Director: Donna Huntley-Newby

B.S.N. Program Faculty: Professors Byrd, Costello, Williams; Associate Professors Aflague, Blasdell, Gaynor-Charette, Hetzel, Huntley-Newby, Lockett, Molloy, N. Smith; Assistant Professors Blanchette, Boucher, Brennan, Coia, Connelly, Creamer, DeNuccio, Emerson, Galloway, Griffin, Gutierrez, Kutenplon, Lescault, Mendonca, Pittman, Ross, Siskind, K. Smith

Simulation Coordinator/Educator: Penni Sadlon

Application to the School of Nursing

Admission to the School of Nursing is highly competitive. The applicant’s academic performance, indicating potential for success as a nurse, is reviewed and considered carefully in the admission process. The criteria listed below are minimum admission requirements and do not guarantee admission to the nursing program. Students admitted to the college as freshmen are given preference. Transfer and second-degree candidates are welcome to apply for a limited number of spaces.

Admission Requirements for All General Declared Nursing Majors

1. Completion of Enrollment Form signed by the faculty advisor and submitted to the School of Nursing by October 15 or April 15 of the preceding semester. Students may apply to the nursing program no more than three times.
2. Completion of the college mathematics competency and writing requirements.
3. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale.
4. Completion of BIOL 231, CHEM 106, and PSYC 230, with a minimum grade of C; and a minimum overall grade point average of 2.67 (B-) in these courses.

Admission Requirements for R.N. Students (with an associate's degree in nursing or hospital diploma)

1. Admission to Rhode Island College and declaration of nursing as the major.
2. After acceptance to the College, completion of second Enrollment Form signed by the faculty advisor and submitted to the School of Nursing by November 15 or April 15 of the semester prior to NURS 316.
3. Completion of NURS 207 and NURS 225 with a minimum grade of C.
4. Completion of the college mathematics competency and writing requirements.
5. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.50.
6. Current unrestricted Rhode Island R.N. licensure.

Upon admission to the School of Nursing, criminal background investigation verification is required.

Admission Requirements for R.N. students applying to the R.N. to B.S.N. Program as second degree candidates are noted below under “Admission Requirements for Second Degree Candidates." 

Admission Requirements for Lateral Transfer Students

Students within the Rhode Island College community who desire a change of major to nursing must go to the B.S.N. Program director to request the change. The Director then e-mails the change to the Records Office.

Admission Requirements for Transfer Students

Transfer students accepted into the college will need to file an Enrollment Form and will need to meet the same requirements as all general declared nursing majors. Nursing students transferring from other nursing programs are required to forward a letter of recommendation from the head of the previous program.

Admission Requirements for Second Degree Candidates

Second degree candidates admitted to Rhode Island College must apply through the college’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions. A plan of study is then formulated with the B.S.N. program director. Acceptance as a second-degree student does not guarantee admission to the School of Nursing. The student should contact their nursing advisor regarding eligibility to make formal application to the school. Second degree candidates may petition to take the five beginning-level courses (NURS 220, NURS 222, NURS 223, NURS 224, and NURS 225) in one semester on a space-available basis if all cognate courses are completed.

Admission Requirements for R.N. students applying to the to R.N. to B.S.N. Program include submission of the admission application to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions by June 1 for fall semester enrollment or by November 1 for spring semester enrollment. Once the application and all credentials have been received, the admissions office notifies the R.N. to B.S.N. candidate to schedule an appointment with the B.S.N. program director to determine the courses needed to meet the requirements for the second bachelor’s degree. Upon admission to the college, the R.N. to B.S.N. second-degree candidate will meet with an advisor to submit the second Enrollment Form to apply to the R.N. to B.S.N. Program. 

Retention Requirements for All General Declared Nursing Majors

1. Completion of required prerequisite courses (cognate and nursing courses).
2. Completion of cognates before the junior year (intermediate level).
3. A minimum grade of C in each nursing course. Only one nursing course may be repeated. Students who sustain another failure (a grade below a C) in any nursing course will be dismissed from the program.
4. A minimum grade of C in each cognate course. Students with a grade of C- or below in a cognate course will have the option to progress in nursing (probationary status) for one semester while repeating the course in question.
5. Due to the rigors of the program and retention policies, enrollment in required nursing courses is limited to 12 credits per semester.
6. The School of Nursing will notify students who have not met the retention criteria. The faculty of the School of Nursing reserves the right to require withdrawal or dismissal of a student who shows evidence, academically or personally, of an inability to carry out professional responsibilities in nursing. Students are expected to adhere to the School of Nursing code of academic honesty. Students have the right to appeal through the Student Outcomes Committee and the dean of the School of Nursing.

Retention Requirements for RN Students

Please see #3, #5 and #6 of “Retention Requirements for All General Declared Nursing Majors” above.

Health Requirements

Every year students must provide the Office of Health Services with evidence of a negative PPD test or compliance with treatment. Before beginning some clinical nursing courses, students may be expected to meet additional health requirements. All nursing students must provide the following documentation:

1. A physical examination.
2. Two measles immunizations.
3. One rubella (German measles) immunization.
4. One mumps immunization.
5. One dose of tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis (Tdap) if it has been two or more years since last dose of tetanus/diphtheria (Td).
6. Hepatitis B vaccine (a series of three immunizations over a six-month period).
7. Two-step PPD (TB skin testing) within one year of starting clinical rotation.
8. Proof of chicken pox disease or immunization.
9. Influenza vaccine or declination form

Students will not be admitted to the first class meeting of a nursing practicum course without having complied with the health requirements. Proof of immunization may be obtained from your physician, high school, previous college or university, military record, and/or from blood titers.

Nursing majors should follow the guidelines on the college immunization form or call College Health Services at (401) 456-8055 for further information. Once all required information has been entered into a student's Patient Portal (instructions are on the Health Services website), and verified by Health Services, the student is able to print a document of their immunization status.

Clinical Placements

Clinical learning provides students with the opportunity to carry out nursing care for persons of all ages and in all stages of the health-illness spectrum. The School of Nursing retains the right to place and schedule students in appropriate clinical settings. Although every effort will be made to place all students, it is possible that in any given semester sufficient placements may not be available. Students in clinical courses are responsible for their own transportation to the clinical area. Affiliating agencies require students to consent to criminal background checks; therefore, students must have periodic Background Criminal Investigation (BCI) checks.

Licensure

Graduates of the nursing program are eligible to take NCLEX-RN for licensure as a registered nurse in any state. An applicant who has been convicted of a felony may not be awarded a license by the Rhode Island Board of Nurse Registration and Nursing Education. For more information, contact the dean of the School of Nursing.

Nursing Fee

The School of Nursing contracts with educational resource companies to provide students with comprehensive testing and review materials, which enhance the program. Nursing students are billed by the college each semester for these services.

Handbook

The School of Nursing Handbook for Undergraduate Students in Nursing provides detailed and essential information about the undergraduate nursing program. It is available online at www.ric.edu/nursing.

Students must consult with their advisor each semester before registering for courses. ALL students must be certified for CPR each year.

Course Requirements - All General Declared Nursing Majors

Courses

Cognates

Total Credit Hours: 80

Course Requirements - Registered Nurse Students

(Licensed graduates of accredited associate degree or hospital schools of nursing)

Course

Total Credit Hours: 59

Note: R.N. to B.S.N. students must meet the minimum residency requirement of 45 credits and 120 credits for graduation, as well as the General Education requirements.