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Nursing, BSN

Program Description

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Prelicensure, Day Program) 

The traditional, day program is a full-time course of study leading to the BSN degree. Students must have earned 35 credits in a prescribed curriculum composed of core and support courses prior to taking nursing major courses in the sophomore level. The 16 nursing courses are taught during the fall and spring sessions. Didactic portions of the courses are taught during the day and clinical experiences are planned for daytime as well as evening hours.

Accreditation

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing/master's degree program in nursing/Doctor of Nursing Practice program and post-graduate APRN certificate program at (La Salle University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).

The undergraduate nursing program is approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing.

Clinical Experiences

The undergraduate nursing program of La Salle University's School of Nursing and Health Sciences has established community partnerships with a number of senior centers, adult day care centers, hospitals and other health-care facilities within Philadelphia and surrounding areas (including Montgomery, Bucks, and Delaware Counties as well as New Jersey). Clinical experiences associated with coursework may be assigned at institutions such as Jefferson Health System, Belmont Center for Comprehensive Care, Bryn Mawr Rehab, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, Cooper Medical Center, Doylestown Hospital, Friends Hospital, Shriner's Hospital for Children, Holy Redeemer Hospital and Medical Center, Main Line Health System, Penn Health System, St. Mary Medical Center, Temple University Hospital, and various public, parochial, and private schools in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties. Students participate in a wide of variety of community clinical rotations.

Students are responsible for their own means of transportation to and from clinical sites.

Requirements to Progress to Graduation

Progression in the Nursing Major

Students in the nursing major must meet specific academic standards for continued progression in the major. Students must maintain a 2.75 semester GPA in nursing major courses in order to progress. Grades of "C+” or better are required in all nursing courses to meet the course requirement. Students must also earn a minimum of a grade of C in NUTR 165 Principles of Nutrition , HSC 217 Statistics for Health Science Profs and PSY 210 Developmental Psychology.

Requirements for Graduation

In order to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing, all students must fulfill requirements for graduation as outlined in the Undergraduate Nursing Program Student Handbook. These requirements include:

  • completion of an approved, formal, face-to-face NCLEX-RN® review course at the end of the curriculum plan; and
  • satisfactory completion of all core and major courses, including NUR 428 Senior Seminar II: Synthesis of Nursing Clinical Concepts - Synthesis of Clinical Concepts. As a major nursing course, NUR 428 Senior Seminar II: Synthesis of Nursing Clinical Concepts has as a course requirement, student attainment of a set benchmark score on a standardized predictor examination. 

GPA Requirement for BSN 

Students will be admitted into the Nursing major in the sophomore year. In order to be formally accepted into the sophomore year and begin nursing major courses, the student must have earned the following:

  • At least 34 required La Salle University credits in the liberal arts and sciences (full-time day program) 
  • A grade of “C” or higher in Developmental Psychology
  • An overall cumulative GPA of 3.0
  • A Science GPA of 3.0, with completion of Chemistry (4cr), Microbiology (4cr), Anatomy & Physiology I (4cr), and Anatomy & Physiology II (4 cr); no individual science course grade may be lower than a “C”; students may only repeat one science one time in order to achieve the required 3.0 GPA or required minimum course grade.

Students should be aware that the grading system and requirements for a passing grade in the undergraduate nursing program as well as most programs within the School of Nursing and Health Scienc­es are different than those of the general University. Specific grad­ing scales are published in the SONHS Undergraduate and Graduate Student Handbooks.

Additional Requirements

Before sophomore year, clearances must be obtained. These include a cleared child abuse check, a cleared criminal record check from the state of Pennsylvania and primary residence state, a cleared FBI nationwide fingerprint check, and a negative urine drug screen. Please review the current BSN Handbook for additional requirements.  

Why Take This Major?

Students earning a Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing degree qualify to complete an application to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN® exam). Once licensed as a Registered Nurse, a program graduate is prepared to provide holistic, professional nursing care to patients in a variety of health care settings including but not limited to acute and long-term care, occupational health, outpatient settings, rehabilitation centers, and a variety of community based agencies. Nursing professionals also seek career options in areas such as correctional facilities, education, pharmaceutical or medical device sales and in areas focused on informatics and technology applications. Nurses work in multidisciplinary teams to improve client outcomes in a diverse, global society ever mindful of cultural and lifespan considerations. Program graduates from La Salle University are prepared to advance the evidence base for nursing practice.