Nursing
Department of Nursing Mission
Faculty in the Department of Nursing actively engages in transforming lives through the promotion of health and in increasing the quality of health care, particularly for underserved and vulnerable populations. We will cultivate a multicultural community of faculty and students to create innovative models of education and practice, foster well-being and a collegial spirit that employs an interdisciplinary approach to nursing education. To accomplish these goals, we embrace the following values:
- Diversity and respect
- Collaboration and excellence within a culture of safety
- Stewardship of personal and environmental resources
Philosophy
The central purpose of the Department of Nursing is to increase the quality of healthcare by graduating nurses who excel in meeting the healthcare needs of individuals and the community in a rapidly changing environment. The department provides an education that is interdisciplinary in nature and designed to meet the ongoing challenges of a changing world. Nursing education at Wilson College is holistic in nature and supports the belief that nursing practice is based on providing those we serve with the tools and information necessary to sustain growth and promote self-care.
Expert nursing care addresses patient and family advocacy, promotion of health and wellness, prevention of illness or injury, and the relationship of physical and emotional well-being to the environment. In collaboration with other disciplines, nurses promote optimal healthcare and the comfort of individuals and the community through the systematic application of knowledge.
Nursing, as a profession, is an art and a science. Implicit in the practice of professional nursing is accountability for professional growth and practice, demonstration of leadership and commitment to the development and application of nursing theory and research. Lifelong learning leads to the optimal development of both the individual practitioner and the discipline of nursing.
Wilson College believes that the education of nurses must support and encourage critical thinking and promote awareness of social and cultural diversity among individuals. The core of the Wilson experience is the strong connection between student and professor that encourages students to take an active role in the learning process. The collaborative, student-focused nature of the academic program creates an individualized education that motivates students to push the boundaries of personal expectations. Professional knowledge and clinical competence occur as a result of engaged student involvement and faculty mentoring.
Requirements for Students Pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing
1. Attendance at all clinical hours is mandatory, including orientation. One clinical make-up day is permitted for illness or family emergency. In order to pass a nursing class with a clinical component, students must be successful in the didactic (classroom) component as well as meet clinical requirements and specified number of clinical hours. Inability to meet clinical requirements and clinical hours means that the course will need to be repeated, even if successful in the class. Students who are successful in the didactic (classroom) portion of the course but fail to meet clinical requirements will repeat the course. In order to progress in the nursing program, students must successfully complete didactic and clinical components of a course; this includes completion of all required clinical hours. Students who do not attend classroom hours are at a severe disadvantage. When determining if any exceptions should be granted, attendance will be a factor in that decision. Students who miss class are less likely to be successful than those who attend.
2. For each Nursing course that includes objective exams as a part of the grade, a student must achieve an average of 75% on objective exams before other components of the grade are calculated into final grade (i.e., papers, projects, etc.) Grades are rounded to whole numbers only once in a course when the final grades are calculated. At the end of the course, grades are rounded to the nearest tenth. Final grades round to a whole number: 0.5 or higher is rounded up to the next whole number; below 0.5 is rounded down to the next whole number. For example, a final course grade of 79.5 is reported as an 80 and a 79.4 is reported as 79.
Students who earn less than a 75% exam average will have the exam average recorded as the final grade.
3. Students must obtain at least a grade of C (2.0 on a 4.0-point scale) in any required nursing major course.
4. A student who earns less than a "C" in one nursing course is eligible to retake the same nursing course one time. A student who earns less than a C in a course the second time it is taken will result in being dismissed from the program.
A withdrawal from a course is considered an attempt of a course. An attempt of a course counts towards the two-attempt maximum for a course required in the Nursing major. If a student has withdrawn from a course for the Nursing major or has failed to earn a “C” or higher in a required course, the student must take the course the next time if it offered or as soon as possible upon return from a leave of absence.
5. Two grades less than C in any required nursing major courses will result in a withdrawal from the nursing program.
6. Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 in order to progress in nursing and to graduate. Final GPAs from the Registrar’s Office are NOT rounded.
7. While Wilson College has no degree time limits, students who take more than 5 calendar years to complete the BSN degree will be subject to current program requirements to comply with any changes in nursing accreditation.
Requirements for Students Pursuing a Master of Science in Nursing
1. Receive at least a “B” in all nursing courses.
2. Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0.
3. A student may only attempt a required nursing course twice. A grade less than “B” in any two nursing courses will result in being dropped from the program. Students who are dropped are not eligible to reapply. Students must earn a minimum of “B” in each nursing course to progress.