Department of Nursing

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Location: Albright Health Center 303
Telephone: 859-572-5895
Fax: 859-572-6098
Email Address: nursing@nku.edu
Web Address: http://nursing.nku.edu
Department Chair: Mary C. Kishman
Other Key Personnel:

B.S.N. Program Director: Gannon Tagher
A.B.S.N. Program Director: Erin Robinson
Advisors: Emily LaForge (Director of Advising Center), Diane Coning, Rachel Croley, Dyane Foltz, Heather Moulton
Academic Coordinator: Zach Nothstine
Academic Assistant: Jackie Marsala
Department Secretary: Lauren Wallenfelsz

Full-Time Faculty: Kathy Bergman, Debra Bryant, Deborah Chilcote, Pamela Davis, Adele DiMinno, Gina Fieler, Traci Freeman, Sandra Grinnell, Julie Hart, Teresa Huber, Mary Kishman, Erica Lemberger, Caron Martin, Carrie A. McCoy, Kristen McCoy, Kesha Nelson, Louise Niemer, Shawn Nordheim, Catherine Pence, Kris Pfendt, Angela Riley, Erin Robinson, Lynn Smith, Gannon Tagher, Amber Thomas, Sandra Turkelson

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.

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) program is designed for individuals that wish to become a registered nurse and have previously completed a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field. Knowledge acquired in the nursing program can be applied directly to practice. Graduates of the program are prepared to function as providers of nursing care, managers of care, and as members of the profession of nursing. For information on the RN to BSN program, see the Department of Advanced Nursing Studies.

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.

Special opportunities for our students: The ABSN and BSN programs 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 Professions 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 and other community agencies. Interested students also have an opportunity to study nursing abroad in Mexico and other countries in the summers.

Awards given in the department 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 BSN and ABSN programs: 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 program when eligible to apply.

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 the program must be fewer than eight years old as of the first day of the semester in which the program is started.

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. “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 Office of International Students and Scholars at 859-572-6517. 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. Students must register for and take the Internet-based TOEFL. Only the iBT will be accepted for applicants to the undergraduate nursing programs. Students need to enter a code for Northern Kentucky University when they register for the TOEFL. The school code is # 1574. Students must take the test early enough to ensure that the results are reported to the university by required application deadlines.

The TOEFL requirement may be appealed under extenuating circumstances. The appeal should be made in writing to the Dean of the College of Health Professions. The Department of Nursing may request an applicant have an interview with the Department Chairperson or designee.

Admission to nursing is provisional based on successful completion of prerequisites, GPA, passage of the criminal background check administered through NKU’s police department (via online application), and minimum score on the TOEFL, if required.

• Applicants without a bachelor’s degree should see program requirements for the traditional BSN program. Those with a bachelor’s degree who want the accelerated track should see requirements for the ABSN program.

You should also know: Nursing majors are not required to have a minor or focus.

The Kentucky Board of Nursing has regulations regarding previous felony and misdemeanor convictions that must be addressed prior to sitting for the licensure examination.

The department 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 and Kentucky Board of Nursing.

All B.S.N. and A.B.S.N. students are required to participate in the Evolve® Curriculum Support Program. This is a commercial program that provides additional resources for student learning. See B.S.N. and A.B.S.N. program descriptions for details.

Statement regarding when courses are offered in the Department of Nursing: Independent studies: “NRS 299 Independent Study (1-3 credits) ” and “NRS 499 Independent Study (0-3 credits) ” will be offered, as needed, each semester. “NRS 300 Remediation (1 credit) ” will be offered each semester, as needed, for traditional BSN students who score below 850 on their mid-curricular assessment. “NRS 400 HESI-RN Exit Test Preparation (1 credit) ”* will be offered each semester, as needed, for traditional BSN students who score below 900 on the HESI RN-Exit exam. “NRS 400 HESI-RN Exit Test Preparation (1 credit) ” is offered, as needed in the final semester, for ABSN students who score below 850 on their mid-curricular assessment.

*This course can be taken voluntarily by students who achieve over 900 on the HESI RN-Exit exam on a space available basis.

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, One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530, Washington DC 20036 (202-887-6791).

Programs

• Nursing, Accelerated B.S.N.
• Nursing, Traditional B.S.N.

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