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School of Nursing Mission Statement

The mission of the School of Nursing is to prepare professional nurses to improve quality of life. The nursing educational experience inspires commitment to personal and professional integrity, social equity, collaborative practice, and community service. It is the belief of the faculty that nursing is a discipline of knowledge and a professional service based on caring, the central concept of nursing.

Keeta Wilborn - Associate Dean College of Heath & Science and Director, School of Nursing
Judy Bradberry - Chair, Department of Part-time/Online Studies
Cathy Dyches - Chair, Department of Graduate Studies
Sandra Greniewicki - Chair, Department of Full-time Studies

Click here for Graduate Nursing information.

Undergraduate Nursing

Degrees Offered  The School of Nursing offers the major of nursing in three formats: Nursing (B.S.N.) Full-Time (Day) Program , Nursing (B.S.N.) Part-Time (Evening/Weekend) Program  and Nursing (B.S.N.) R.N. to B.S.N. Program (online) . These programs have Georgia Board of Nursing approval and is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Purpose  The Bachelor of Science in nursing (B.S.N.) program is designed to prepare students to provide care that is sensitive to the unique health needs of individuals, families and communities. Evidence-based practice, theory and professional values and standards combined with real world clinical experiences form the basis for this challenging undergraduate program. Graduates are expected to collaborate with individuals, families, communities and the health care team to promote health and positively impact health care systems. Consistent with the University mission, the School of Nursing B.S.N. program fosters intellectual and professional accomplishment, commitment to service, global understanding and personal integrity.

Goal  The goal of undergraduate nursing education at Brenau University is to prepare nurses who will provide care that is sensitive to the unique health needs of individuals, families and communities and nurses who will collaborate to promote health and positively impact health care systems.

Educational Outcomes  Upon completion of the undergraduate nursing program, the student will be able to:

1. Implement evidence-based strategies for health promotion, risk reduction, disease prevention, restoration of health and preservation of dignity in death.
2. Communicate effectively with individuals, families, aggregates and communities.
3. Collaborate as a member and leader within interdisciplinary teams.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of the global community.
5. Demonstrate an understanding of, sensitivity to and respect for human diversity within individuals, families, aggregates and communities.
6. Utilize professional values, theory and research as a member of the nursing profession to implement the roles of advocate, provider, designer, manager and coordinator of care.
7. Exercise critical thinking to provide safe, competent nursing care according to professional nursing standards.

Admission and Progression Requirements
All applicants should be aware that the state examining board has the right to refuse to grant registered nurse licenses to any individuals regardless of their educational credentials under circumstances of:

• Falsification of application for licensure;
• Conviction of a felony or crime of moral turpitude;
• Other moral and legal violations specified in the Georgia law.

Applicants accepted into the program will be required to complete a background check and drug screen prior to starting the program.

Admission to the Nursing Major
To be considered for admission to the nursing major, prospective students must have been admitted to Brenau University by the admissions deadline. Submission of an Enrollment Intent Form serves as the application for the nursing major. Admission decisions are made by the School of Nursing Admissions and Progression Committee and are based on the following criteria:

Completion of mandatory prerequisites which are courses that must be completed prior to matriculation in courses within the nursing major. Mandatory prerequisites include:

• EH 101 & 102 (Written Communication & Reading and Research Writing)
• MS 101 (College Algebra)
• PY 101 (Introduction to Psychology)
• BY 206 (Microbiology)
• BY 209 & 210 (Anatomy & Physiology I & II)
• CY 103 (Principles of Chemistry)
• PY 202 (Survey of Human Growth and Development)
• MS 205 (Statistics) (Please note: MS 101 is a prerequisite for MS 205.)

Completion of required non nursing courses that include Brenau University liberal education courses that the student must take but that are not prerequisites to admission to the junior year. Nursing majors cannot lack more than two (2) required non nursing courses for full admission to the nursing major. Required non nursing courses include:

• Historical perspective: 3 hours
• Speaking: 3 hours
• Fine Arts: 3 hours
• Modern Language
• 6-9 hours of portal electives.

Minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA on all attempted college course work. [A student who successfully completes a graduate degree with a 3.0 GPA or better will be admitted based on the graduate GPA.]

Minimum Nursing GPA of 2.5 (includes BY 209, BY 210, CY 103, EH 102)

Minimum composite score of 60 on the Kaplan entrance test.

Progression
To progress in the nursing sequence, students must maintain a 2.5 cumulative grade point average and achieve a grade of C or better in all nursing courses. Students who do not achieve a grade of C or better in a nursing course will be dismissed from the program. Students whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.5 will be placed on probation for the following semester. Students who fail to raise the cumulative GPA to a 2.5 or better by the end of the probationary semester are subject to dismissal from the nursing program.

University policy requires that students attain a 2.5 in their academic major to receive a degree in that major. Nursing students who do not achieve/maintain a major GPA of 2.5 will be on probation the following semester. Students who fail to raise their major GPA to 2.5 or better by the end of the probationary semester will be subject to dismissal from the nursing major.

In addition to nursing courses, the courses below are included when calculating the major GPA:

• PY 202 Human Growth & Development
• MS 205 Introduction to Statistics
• BY 209 & BY 210 Anatomy & Physiology (I & II)
• HS 415 Pathophysiology for Health Professions

Full-time students must complete all liberal education courses prior to progressing to the senior level. Part-time students must complete all liberal education courses prior to progressing into the second semester of nursing courses.

The nursing faculty reserves the right to request the withdrawal of students from the nursing major if their performance, conduct or health makes it inadvisable for them to remain in the nursing program.

Readmission After Dismissal
After dismissal from the nursing program, a student may be readmitted one time. Written requests for readmission must be submitted to the Admission and Progression Committee of the nursing department one semester prior to desired readmission date. Documents submitted must include a letter requesting readmission, transcripts and other documents deemed necessary by the department. Students attempting to raise their cumulative GPA to 2.75 for readmission must have the courses approved by the Admission and Progression Committee. Readmission after academic dismissal is probationary for one semester. Readmission after other types of dismissals may be probationary at the discretion of the Admission and Progression Committee.

Students with Nursing or other Professional Licenses
Verification of the current nursing or other professional license is required for any student currently licensed as a health care provider. A copy of the license will be maintained in the student’s file.

Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation Certification
C.P.R. Certification for health care providers must remain current throughout the clinical nursing sequence. Students failing to maintain current C.P.R. Certification will be dismissed from the nursing program.

Student Health Policies
Nursing students must have a current physical examination on file in the School of Nursing. This examination may be performed by a nurse practitioner or physician. Forms for this examination will be mailed to each student upon admission into the nursing program and are also available in the School of Nursing office. In addition to the health form, students must provide documentation of the following immunizations:

• PPD annually
• MMR, rubella titer
• Hepatitis B and titer
• Tetanus within 10 years
• Varicella Zoster or evidence of chicken pox

Additional information may be required by some clinical facilities.

Students will be dismissed from the program if the health information is not on file by the first day of class each semester.

Additional Information About Finances
There are some additional expenses for nursing students that are not covered by tuition or fees previously identified. A summary of these expenses follows:

1. Purchase of uniforms, shoes, lab coat and watch with second hand. These items are available from local uniform shops. Students will be given information about uniform requirements at the beginning of the first semester in the nursing major.
2. Purchase of professional liability insurance (approximately $30 per year). This insurance is provided through the School of Nursing.
3. Textbooks can be rather expensive; however, many of the books are also used in subsequent nursing courses.
4. Laboratory and testing fees are approximately $300 for the first year and $200 per year thereafter.
5. Background checks and drug screens required for clinical.
6. Travel expenses during clinical laboratory experiences vary from semester to semester based on mileage to and from particular agencies and parking fees.

Brenau Association of Nursing Students (BANS) is the professional nursing organization for pre-nursing and nursing majors at Brenau. Students who join BANS are eligible for membership in the state and national nursing student associations.

Sigma Theta Tau is the honor society for nursing. Nu Gamma Chapter at Brenau University inducts members annually. To be eligible for membership, students must be in the last half of their nursing program, have earned a 3.0 cumulative grade point average, be in the top 35% of their graduating class and demonstrate academic integrity. Members of Sigma Theta Tau are recognized at graduation.

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Graduate Nursing

The school of nursing offers the following majors/programs: Advanced Practice Nursing (D.N.P.) , Family Nurse Practitioner (M.S.N.)  with a role specialization in advanced practice, Nursing Education (M.S.N.)  and Nursing Leadership and Management (M.S.N.) . Nurses holding a master’s degree and advanced licensure in an area other than Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) may complete a Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate Program  in preparation for advanced licensure and FNP certification

Purpose  The graduate program of the School of Nursing fulfills the mission of the school and Brenau University by preparing nurses to achieve professional specialization. The graduate program seeks to prepare nurses who will assume influential roles in advanced clinical practice, education or leadership/management and who will have a lasting and positive impact on the health of individuals, families and communities.

Goal  The Graduate Program of the School of Nursing fulfills the mission of the school and and Brenau University by preparing nurses to improve quality of life through achieving professional specialization based on caring. The graduate program seeks to prepare nurses who will assume influential roles in advanced clinical practice, education or leadership.management and who will have a lasting and positive impact on health of individuals, families, communities, and populations.

The Mission of the D.N.P. is to prepare advanced practice nurses to improve the quality of health care by demonstrating a leadership role. The educational experience will inspire extraordinary intellectual accomplishments through scientific inquiry, research, and practice change in healthcare systems.

Educational Outcomes  Upon completion of the MSN in Nursing, the student will be able to:

1. Demonstrate role competency in a chosen specialty.
2. Demonstrate scholarly communication.
3. Apply evidence-based decision making.

Program Expected Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the D.N.P. program students will demonstrate proficiency in the Essentials outlined by the AACN. Specifically students will be able to

1. Utilize scientific inquiry to produce improved practice outcomes.
2. Demonstrate leadership in advanced nursing practice
3. Produce advanced practice nursing scholarship through application of research

Admissions Requirements 

M.S.N.: In addition to the general requirements for admissions stated in the Graduate Admissions section of this Catalog, admission decisions to the graduate nursing program will be based on a composite of the following:

1. Evidence of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from an accredited nursing program.
2. Minimum Cumulative and nursing GPA of 3.0.
3. Submission of GRE scores taken within the last five years.
4. Current Georgia License as a registered nurse.
5. Undergraduate courses in physical assessment and research methods.
6. Two references addressing clinical and academic ability.
7. Minimum of one year of full-time work experience in nursing within the past five years.
8. An interview may be requested by the admissions committee.

Applications are evaluated based on all of the admission requirements. Brenau may consider an applicant who does not meet [all] stated requirements, but who, in the opinion of the appropriate department, may be a good candidate for admission to the University. In such cases an applicant’s credentials will be reviewed by the graduate admissions committee, (based on departmental referral), to determine if the applicant is qualified for admission.

D.N.P.:  The admission requirements for D.N.P. students are the same as those established for all graduate students at Brenau University. In addition, students have the following requirements in order to obtain admission into the D.N.P. program:

1. Hold an M.S.N. from an accredited institution.
2. Demonstrate 3.0 GPA on all attempted college work.
3. Submit GRE scores within the last 5 years.
4. Have 12 months experience as an advanced practice nurse in direct care or in a leadership/management role.
5. Hold advanced practice certification in a specialty area.
6. Submit transcripts for all college level work.
7. Submit 3 references attesting to the academic and clinical performance abilities.
8. Hold a current nursing license in the state of practice.
9. Demonstrate evidence of a course in statistics.
10. Complete an applicant interview.

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