Academic Programs

• 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.

• 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 R.N.-M.S.N. program of study, students may be eligible for leadership positions in a wide range of health care settings.
• Preparation for graduate study in nursing.

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

Each year at least 60 students are enrolled in junior level nursing courses. All students, including transfer and second degree students, must complete the supplemental nursing application following admission to the university.

Admitted students must complete all prerequisite courses with a “C-” or higher and must maintain a GPA of 2.7 prior to enrollment in the nursing 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. The B.S.N. coordinator must approve any deviation from the full time enrollment pattern as outlined in the catalog.

Once in the program, students are not required to maintain a minimum GPA. 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.

Following completion of the General Education requirements at JMU or the Virginia Community College System equivalents, nurses can apply for admission to the R.N.-B.S.N. program. Additional program eligibility criteria include:

• Associate Degree in Nursing from a nationally accredited program.
• Completion of the General Education courses required for the Bachelor of Science.
• Transcripts reflecting a cumulative GPA on all college work attempted of 2.8 or better on a 4-point scale.
• TOEFL scores greater than 550 for international applicants.
• Completion of all prerequisite courses with a grade of “C-“ or better.
• Satisfactory completion of a statistics course. May be taken concurrently with first or second semester courses.
• Current unrestricted R.N. license in any state, Washington, D.C., or a U.S. possession or territory or an equivalent credential in another country.
• The equivalent of 12 months of full-time practice experience within the past three years.
• Graduates of foreign nursing schools, who are licensed outside of the United States, are required to pass the Qualifying Exam of the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) prior to application and include the exam report with their application materials.
• Ability to meet the department’s technical standards for nursing practice (posted on the nursing Web site).

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

• Students can seek admission to the program following completion of 25 credits hours, including CHEM 120, MATH 220 and one of the biology courses (BIO 270, BIO 280, or BIO 290); and students will be considered for admission at the conclusion of each subsequent semester.
• All students must take the sophomore level nursing course NSG 271, Nursing Practicum I, prior to entry into the nursing program.
• Cluster One normally is completed during the first year.
• General Education courses in clusters one, two, four and five can be scheduled flexibly as desired by the student across the first and second 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.

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

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