2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog
School of Nursing
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Location: Founders Hall/Health Innovation Center FH 395M
Telephone: 859-572-5895
Fax: 859-572-6098
Email Address: nursing@nku.edu
Web Address: https://www.nku.edu/academics/chhs/programs/schools/nursing.html
Director-School of Nursing: Kim Dinsey-Read
Other Key Personnel:
Associate Director of Undergraduate Nursing Programs: Erin Robinson
BSN & ABSN Track Director: Lisa Cuntz
RN to BSN Track Director: Marybeth Baribeau
Full-Time Faculty: Elizabeth Beuke, Laura Boesken, Lynn Brown, Lisa Cuntz, Megan DeAtley, Lori Dowell, Gina Fieler, Traci Freeman, Julie Hart, Jillian Boyle, Emily Gerding, Jennifer Hunter, Meryl Hemmerle, Caron Martin, Shawn Nordheim, Karen O’Connell, Marybeth Baribeau, Catherine Pence, Anita Phillips, Audrey Reese Pipkin, Carol Potts, Angela Powell, Tracy Ripberger, Erin Robinson, Lynn Smith, Brittany Sorrell, Beth Hickey, Amber Nattin Thomas, Summyji Groom, Erica Taylor, Nanu Ogunyoku, Tina Sicurella
Thinking about the discipline: Nurses are key members of the healthcare team and focus on patient education, promotion of health, and prevention of illness. Nurses work in hospitals, community agencies, business and industry. Nurses also work as travel nurses, flight nurses, forensic nurses, legal consultants, and much more. Graduates of the program are prepared to function as providers of nursing care, managers of care, and as members of the profession of nursing. The coursework blends scientific and humanistic theories with nursing theories to provide graduates with a foundation for professional nursing practice.
Nursing is a rigorous course of study and only the most dedicated students are successful. NKU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing prepares traditional college students for entry-level practice in this exciting field. The Accelerated BSN (ABSN) track is designed for individuals that wish to become a registered nurse and have previously completed a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field. The RN to BSN track provides career mobility for the registered nurse. The coursework blends scientific and humanistic theories with nursing theories to provide graduates with a foundation for professional nursing practice.
Graduates are awarded the degree of Bachelor of Science in Nursing and, as pre-licensure graduates, are eligible to apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Graduates earning a BSN are eligible to continue their nursing education at the master’s and doctoral levels.
All baccalaureate nursing programs are approved by the Kentucky Board of Nursing, Suite 300, 312 Whittington Parkway, Louisville, KY 40222-5172, 502-429-3300. All baccalaureate programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, P: (202) 463-6930.
Traditional BSN (TBSN) and Accelerated BSN (ABSN) Tracks:
Special opportunities for our students: TBSN and ABSN pre-licensure tracks include planned clinical experiences in the community, local healthcare agencies in Northern Kentucky and the Greater Cincinnati area, and NKU’s state-of-the-art simulation laboratory.
Nursing students have opportunities to become members of the Student Nurses Association, College of Health and Human Services Student Ambassadors, African American student support group, Student Advisory Board, and American Assembly for Men in Nursing. Additionally, students may participate in service-learning opportunities with the Nurse Advocacy Center for the Underserved (NACU) and other community agencies. Interested students also have an opportunity to study nursing abroad in the summers.
Awards given in the pre-licensure BSN tracks include: membership in Sigma Theta Tau Rho Theta Chapter (honor society for nursing) as well as leadership, academic, and caring spirit awards.
Special admission requirements for traditional and accelerated BSN tracks: Nursing is a selective admission program. All applicants must be accepted to NKU as degree-seeking students and must submit a separate application for the nursing tracks when eligible to apply.
To be eligible for the Traditional and Accelerated nursing tracks all prerequisites and co-requisites must be completed with a C or higher; grades of C- are not accepted. All science courses taken as prerequisites for admission to either track must be fewer than five years old as of the first day of the semester in which the program is started. For entry into the TBSN or ABSN track, the student’s GPA must be at least 3.0 on the last 30 credit hours or the cumulative GPA, whichever is higher.
Admission to nursing is provisional based on successful completion of prerequisites, GPA, passage of the criminal background check, and minimum score on the TOEFL, if required. The Kentucky Board of Nursing has regulations regarding previous felony and misdemeanor convictions that must be addressed prior to sitting for the licensure examination.
English proficiency: A certain level of English proficiency is necessary for academic success in nursing as well as for patient and client safety. For this reason, applicants whose native language is other than English must demonstrate an established level of English proficiency by taking the Internet-based TOEFL as part of the application process and must have a minimum cumulative score of 90 with minimum individual scores of 26 in speaking, 22 in listening, 20 in writing, and 22 in reading. Only official scores will be accepted and the testing must be within two years of application to the program. Only the Internet-based TOEFL (iBT) will be accepted for applicants to the traditional and accelerated BSN tracks. Students must register for the iBT using the school code for Northern Kentucky University which is #1574. Students must take the test early enough to ensure that the results are reported to the university by required application deadlines. “Official language” is defined as an individual’s first acquired language and the language of educational instruction. For a complete list of NKU approved countries with English as the “official language,” please contact the International Student & Scholar Services at 859-572-6517 or https://inside.nku.edu/internationalstudents.html. The test of English as a foreign language is offered by the Educational Testing Service and may be taken at various test centers throughout the world.
The TOEFL requirement may be appealed under extenuating circumstances. The appeal should be made in writing to the Admission Progression Committee (APG Committee). The School of Nursing may request an applicant have an interview with the Associate Director of Undergraduate Nursing Studies or designee.
Nursing program considerations:
- Applicants without a bachelor’s degree should review the requirements for the traditional BSN (TBSN) track. Those with a bachelor’s degree, who desire an accelerated pathway, should review the accelerated BSN (ABSN) requirements. Those who hold an unencumbered RN license should review the requirements for the RN-BSN track.
- Nursing majors are not required to have a minor or focus.
- The school reserves the right to change the program of study as needed to fulfill state approval and national certification requirements, including the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and Kentucky Board of Nursing (KBN).
- All pre-licensure BSN students are required to participate in the Evolve® Curriculum Support Program. This is a commercial program that provides additional resources for student learning. See TBSN and ABSN track descriptions for details.
Progression requirements: Students who earn less than a C in a nursing course will be required to repeat the course, along with specified co-requisite courses, if applicable, and prior to progressing to the next semester of nursing courses. The student must re-apply to the program as a re-admission applicant to the nursing program. Students may repeat one semester of courses before being dismissed from the nursing program. If a transfer student has a prior failure in a nursing course, this is counted as one repeat episode. Students dismissed from the BSN nursing program will not be able to reapply for two years following the dismissal. Students must complete the program in 8 semesters from the date in which the student began nursing courses.
Statement regarding when courses are offered in the School of Nursing:
Independent studies:
Remediation:
- NRS 275 Remediation of Intro Nursing Concepts (1 credit) will be required in the last 7 weeks of the 2nd semester for traditional BSN students who score below 900 on the Fundamentals HESI Specialty V1 or V2 exam.
- NRS 400 HESI-RN Exit Test Preparation I (1 credit) will be required in the last 7 weeks of the 5th semester for traditional BSN students who score below 900 on the Medical-Surgical HESI Specialty V1 exam.
- NRS 401 HESI-RN Exit Test Preparation II (1 credit) * will be required in the last 7 weeks of the final nursing semester for traditional and accelerated BSN students who score below 900 on the HESI-RN Exit V1 exam.
*This course can be taken voluntarily by students who achieve over 900 on the HESI RN-Exit exam on a space available basis.
RN to BSN Track
The RN to BSN track allows Registered Nurses to expand their knowledge base to incorporate scientific and humanistic theories with nursing theories and evidence-based practice to provide graduates with a foundation for professional nursing practice. Our online RN to BSN track offers flexibility and affordability, allowing the nurse to take her/his nursing career to the next level.
Northern Kentucky University’s RN to BSN track has a proven history of producing alumni who become successful leaders in their professional endeavors. Through innovative use of technology, our faculty provide an up close and personal educational experience.
Features of the Track: Our online RN to BSN track offers the flexibility that most working RNs desire, helping them to make the most of their associate degree or diploma degree in nursing.
Unique features of this track include:
- No testing to validate previous nursing education
- Easy transfer of prior college course work
- Nursing courses offered online in 7-week sessions
- Non-nursing courses offered online in 7-week sessions
- Curriculum designed to accommodate working nurses
Work and Go to School: Most students work full-time and have family responsibilities. Our fully online RN to BSN provides the needed flexibility to successfully complete one’s degree.
Transfer Friendly: We understand that there are numerous pathways to nursing. At NKU, we pride ourselves on being transfer friendly. In addition to graduates of regionally accredited institutions, we are pleased to welcome students from various colleges through articulation agreements.
Admissions Requirements: Individuals who have completed a diploma or associate degree program in nursing, from an approved institution, who have an unencumbered RN license in, and who meet the admission criteria are eligible to apply for the RN to BSN online track.
Application Deadlines: The RN to BSN track starts a new group of students every seven weeks. Applications are accepted on a continual basis allowing applicants to begin at the beginning of each 7-week session.
RN to BSN curriculum: To begin the RN to BSN curriculum, students must have completed the prerequisites and can have no more than 12 credit hours remaining to complete in the Foundations of Knowledge. The curriculum consists of baccalaureate-level nursing courses in areas such as Role Transformation; Quality Care for Vulnerable Populations; Population-Centered Health in the Community; and Leadership. The RN to BSN track offers a Leadership Practicum designed to provide a culminating practice experience within a clinical setting where students will integrate new practice, knowledge, and skills.
Progression Requirements: Students must maintain a GPA of at least 2.5. All specific required courses must be completed with a C or higher, a C- will not be accepted. Students who earn less than a C in a nursing course will be required to repeat the course prior to progressing to the next 7-week session of nursing courses. Students may repeat one session of courses before being dismissed from the program. Students dismissed from the RN-BSN track will not be able to cannot reapply for one year following the dismissal. Students must begin the nursing courses of the RN to BSN track with NRP 470 and conclude the track with NRP 478 .
Transfer Credits: A complete assessment of previously earned credits will be made by the Office of the Registrar upon application to the program.
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