Mission Statement

The primary mission of the nursing department is to provide quality, professional undergraduate and graduate nursing education that prepares nursing leaders to influence a changing profession, society, health care system, and global health needs.

Goals

In order to support and accomplish this mission the nursing faculty has identified the following purposes:

Prepare nursing professionals who provide culturally competent, holistic, evidence-based nursing care to individuals, families, aggregates, and communities in a wide variety of settings.
Promote a community of learning that models professional values and lifelong professional development for both faculty and students.
Promote service-learning activities that include collaborative, interdisciplinary initiatives and partnerships between nursing education and the practice arena to meet the future health needs of consumers.
Conduct research and creative scholarship to generate nursing knowledge and disseminate that knowledge though collaboration, publication, and presentations.

Career Opportunities and Marketable Skills

Preparation as a professional nurse leading to a Bachelors of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) degree.
Eligibility to take the National Certification and Licensure (NCLEX) exam to become a registered nurse (R.N.).

Preparation for entry-level positions in a wide range of health care settings.
Upon completion of the RN-MSN program of study, students may be eligible for leadership positions in a wide range of health care settings.

Preparation for graduate study in nursing.

Co-curricular Activities and Organizations

JMU Chapter of the Virginia Nursing Student Association
Pi Mu At-Large Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, International Nursing Honor Society
Nurses Christian Fellowship

Accreditation

The JMU nursing program is fully accredited by the Commission for Credentialing Nursing Education (CCNE) and approved by the Virginia Board of Nursing.

Program Options

The Department of Nursing offers two program options. The generic BSN program is designed to prepare undergraduates, second degree students, licensed practical nurses or diploma nurses to practice at the baccalaureate level of professional nursing. The accelerated RN to BSN program is designed to facilitate baccalaureate degree completion for licensed registered nurses who have previously completed the associates degree in nursing. Upon receipt of the BSN degree, graduates will have completed 6 hours of credit normally required at the master's level thus decreasing the required credit hours necessary to complete the MSN. Progression to the MSN is optional. Acceptance into the MSN program is contingent upon meeting the criteria for admission.

Special Admission and Retention Requirements

Generic BSN Program

Admission to the nursing program is limited and competitive. Following admission to the university, students must declare the nursing major but must complete a program Supplemental Application in order to be considered for admission. Admission is granted through an early guarantee of admission or through general admission. Students can receive an early guarantee of admission to the program following completion of 25 credit hours and selected prerequisite courses. Students can be admitted through general admission at the completion of the fall sophomore semester. Admission criteria are available on the Department of Nursing Web site or from the department’s main office.
Each year students are enrolled in junior-level nursing courses. Admission to the nursing major is contingent upon admission to the university.
Students begin the nursing program in the fall semester only. Students must complete all prerequisite courses with a “C-” or higher and meet all admission requirements as outlined in the catalog. Students must hold a cumulative average of 2.7 at the completion of the spring semester preceding entry, and must maintain this GPA until fall entry into the program.
Students must meet the department’s Technical Standards for nursing practice. Technical standards are basic physical, cognitive, and psychosocial skills and abilities that are required for nursing practice. The technical standards are available on the department of nursing Web site or from the department.
The nursing curriculum is designed as a full time program, but students desiring part-time study can request and negotiate an individualized program with the department head. The nursing program consists of sequences of courses. The department head must approve any deviation from the full time enrollment pattern as outlined in the catalog.
To remain in good standing in the nursing program, the student must earn a grade of “C-” or better in each required nursing course. A grade of “D” or “F” is considered a failure. A student who for the first time receives a grade of less than a “C-” in a nursing course may, with department approval, repeat the course. A student who receives a grade of less than a “C-” in a second nursing course will not be permitted to continue in the program.
Other academic and related policies in effect for students in the nursing program are outlined on the Department of Nursing Web site.

Accelerated RN-BSN Program:
The accelerated RN-BSN program provides registered nurses who have completed an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) with the opportunity to move quickly through a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN). JMU will award nurses 36 academic credits for their RN qualifications. Nurses will complete an additional 30 credits in the RN-BSN program in one full-time calendar year or two part-time years. Upon receipt of the BSN degree, graduates will have completed 6 hours of credit normally required at the master's level thus decreasing the required credit hours necessary to complete the MSN. Progression to the MSN is optional. Following completion of the General Education requirements at JMU or the Virginia Community College System equivalents, nurses can apply for admission to the RN-BSN program. Additional program eligibility criteria include:

Completion of the Associates Degree in Nursing from a nationally accredited program
Current unrestricted RN license to practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia
The equivalent of 12 months of fulltime practice experience within the past three years
Cumulative grade point average of 2.8
Ability to meet the department's Technical Standards for nursing practice (posted on the nursing Web site)

Admission to the program is contingent on admission to the university. A supplemental application to the program is available on the department Web site www.nursing.jmu.edu.

Degree and Major Requirements

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Generic BSN Degree Requirements

Required courses	Credit Hours
General Education courses¹	41
Nursing courses	61
Other supportive courses	14
Electives	5-8

	120

1 The General Enducation program contains a set of requirements each student must fulfill. The number of credit hours necessary to fulfill these requirements may vary.

General Education and Nursing Prerequisite Requirements

The following are course prerequisites required for the Nursing major. Courses must be completed with "C-" or higher.

Core Courses	Credit Hours
CHEM 120. Concepts of Chemistry ^1,2	3
MATH 220. Elementary Statistics ¹	3
BIO 290. Human Anatomy	4
BIO 270. Physiology ¹	4
BIO 280. Allied Health Microbiology	4
NUTR 280. Nutrition for Wellness	3
PSYC 160. Life Span Human Development ³	3

	24

1 Contained in General Education Cluster Three.
2 Must be taken prior to or concurrent with BIO 270
3 Contained in General Education Cluster five

General Education and Nursing Prerequisites

All freshman students who declare nursing as a major are pre-enrolled in either CHEM 120 or MATH 220 during their fall freshman semester. In the spring freshman semester, students are pre-enrolled in two courses: 1) Either CHEM 120 or MATH 220; 2) One of the required biology prerequisites (BIO 270, BIO 280, or BIO 290).
Students who wish to qualify for early guarantee of admission should complete CHEM 120, MATH 220 and one of the biology courses (BIO 270, BIO 280, or BIO 290) by the end of the spring freshman semester.
Students who complete 25 credit hours, hold a 3.0 GPA, have completed CHEM 120, MATH 220, and one of the required biology courses with a "C" or higher can qualify for early guarantee of admission any time prior to general admission that follows the completion of the fall semester preceding junior level entry to the program.
Cluster One normally is completed during the freshman year.
General Education courses in clusters one, two, four, and five can be scheduled flexibly as desired by the student across the freshman and sophomore years.
Most students can complete general education and prerequisite courses in four semesters, but some students find it necessary to enroll in summer school or an additional year to complete the work satisfactorily.

Major Requirements

Additional information regarding the nursing curriculum can be found on the nursing department Web site.

Third Year Fall Semester	Credit Hours
NSG 321. Health Assessment I	3
NSG 331. Pathophysiology/Pharmacology I	2
NSG 341. Nursing Applications I	4
NSG 351. Profession and Professional I	2
NSG 371. Nursing Practicum I	3
NSG 372. Nursing Practicum II	1

	15

Spring Semester	Credit Hours
NSG 322. Health Assessment II	2
NSG 332. Pathophysiology/Pharmacology II	2
NSG 342. Nursing Applications II	4
NSG 352. Profession and Professional II	2
NSG 362. Nursing Skills Lab II	2
NSG 373. Nursing Practicum III	2

	15

Fourth Year Fall Semester	Credit Hours
NSG 423. Nursing Assessment III	1
NSG 433. Pathophysiology/Pharmacology III	2
NSG 443. Nursing Applications III	3
NSG 444. Nursing Applications IV	2
NSG 453. Profession and Professional III	2
NSG 475. Nursing Practicum V	2
Choose one of the following:	3
NSG 476. Nursing Practicum VI Or NSG 477. Nursing Practicum VII	2

	16

Spring Semester	Credit Hours
NSG 424. Health Assessment IV	1
NSG 445. Nursing Applications V	3
NSG 454. Profession and Professional IV	4
NSG 476. Nursing Practicum VI	2
Or NSG 477. Nursing Practicum VII	2
NSG 479. Nursing Practicum IX	2
NSG 481. Nursing Practicum XI	1
Nursing elective¹	2

	15

1 The nursing elective may be taken any semester or summer session when a nursing elective is offered.

Accelerated RN-BSN Degree Requirements

Required Courses	Credit Hours
General Education courses¹	17
Nursing courses	30
Credit given for RN qualifications	36
Credit for Associate Degree	37

	120

General Education (at JMU or as VCCS equivalents) and Nursing Prerequisite Requirements The following are course prerequisites required for the Nursing major. Courses must be completed with "C-" or higher.

Required Courses	Credit Hours
MATH 220. Elementary Statistics	3
BIO 290. Human Anatomy	4
BIO 270. Physiology	4
General Education Cluster 2, Arts and Humanities	9
General Education Cluster 4, The American Experience	4
JMU Elective Credits	1

Major Requirements

Additional information regarding the nursing curriculum can be found on the Nursing Department Web site.

Full-Time Sequence of Classes

First Year Fall Semester	Credit Hours
NSG 321. Health Assessment I	3
NSG 523. Concepts in Aging¹	3
NSG 462. Issues in Contemporary Nursing Practice	3
NSG 463. Professional Role Transition	3

	12

First Year Spring Semester	Credit Hours
NSG 461. Pathophysiology	3
NSG 464. Introduction to Nursing Research	3
NSG 465. Clinical Practicum Elective	3
HTH 559. Healthcare Environment¹	3

	12

First Year Summer Session	Credit Hours
HTH 490. Rural Health Course, Interdisciplinary	4
NSG 466. Community Health Practicum	3

	7

Part-Time Sequence of Classes

First Year Fall Semester	Credit Hours
NSG 321. Health Assessment	3
NSG 523. Concepts in Aging¹	3

	6

First Year Spring Semester	Credit Hours
NSG 461. Pathophysiology	3
NSG 464. Introduction to Nursing Research	3

	6

First Year Summer Session	Credit Hours
HTH 490. Rural Health Course-Interdisciplinary	4
NSG 466. Community Health Practicum	3

	7

Second Year Fall Semester	Credit Hours
NSG 462. Issues in Contemporary Nursing Practice	3
NSG 463. Professional Role Transition	3

	6

Second Year Spring Semester	Credit Hours
NSG 465. Clinical Practicum Elective	3
HTH 559. Healthcare Environment¹	3

	6
1NSG 523 and HTH 559 are graduate level courses that are required but will be held at the M.S.N. level.

Special Expenses

Additional expenses for nursing students include transportation, uniforms, assessment equipment, laboratory fees, organizational membership fees and professional conference attendance expenses.

Department of Nursing

Dr. Merle E. Mast, Head

Mission Statement

Goals

Career Opportunities and Marketable Skills

Co-curricular Activities and Organizations

Accreditation

Program Options

Special Admission and Retention Requirements

Generic BSN Program

Degree and Major Requirements

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Generic BSN Degree Requirements

General Education and Nursing Prerequisite Requirements

General Education and Nursing Prerequisites

Major Requirements

Accelerated RN-BSN Degree Requirements

Major Requirements

Full-Time Sequence of Classes

Part-Time Sequence of Classes

Special Expenses

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