Chair: Dolores Torti

Professors:  Susan Conrad, Dolores Rojas Torti
Associate Professor:  Stephen Bolio
Assistant Professor:  Sandra Austin
Instructor:  Cecilia T. Sederman

The program, accredited by the National League for Nursing, offers a bachelor of science with a major in Nursing for registered nurses who already have an associate degree or a diploma in Nursing. Students may enroll on a full-time or part-time basis. The curriculum provides a broad educational base in the humanities and in the natural and social sciences. The program encourages self-directed learning, critical thinking, independent action and professional awareness. The goal is preparation of nurses who are able to function as generalists in a variety of health-care settings. The course of study provides a base for graduate work in education, research, clinical specialization or administration.

The curriculum is organized around the concept of prevention as a means of attaining wellness.

The goal of prevention:

1. Primary prevention - to prevent the initiation of illness through the reduction of risk factors and the promotion of wellness.
2. Secondary prevention - to arrest the development of illness through early detection of illness and the promotion of wellness.
3. Tertiary prevention - to minimize the consequences of illness and disability through the promotion of wellness.

1. Utilize nursing theory and research in making decisions on nursing practice in relation to the three levels of preventive health nursing care.
2. Utilize nursing process as a means of decision- making for refining and extending practice.
3. Synthesize the theoretical and empirical knowledge from the natural and behavioral sciences and the humanities with nursing theory in preventive health care.
4. Provide nursing activities of education, motivation, advocacy, and assistance to the person in relation to health.
5. Demonstrate accountability for decision-making related to professional nursing.
6. Evaluate research for applicability of its findings to nursing theory and practice.
7. Demonstrate leadership skills through interaction with others as a professional nurse.
8. Collaborate with colleagues and others on the interdisciplinary health team.
9. Participate in resolving community and societal health needs through nursing activities.

1. Application to the College.
2. Official transcripts from basic nursing programs and all colleges and/or universities attended.
3. Evidence of current Registered Nurse licensure in Massachusetts. (May apply during basic nursing program, but must be licensed prior to taking nursing courses.)
4. Evidence of current professional liability insurance prior to taking nursing courses.

Transfer credit evaluations are made by the Registrar's Office. Registered Nurses can receive credit for non-nursing college courses successfully completed at other institutions of higher learning. Students may also receive credit through the challenge examination process [National League for Nursing and College Level Examination Program (NLN and CLEP)]. The policies for acceptable challenge exams and scores are determined by the department offering the courses. The acceptable NLN challenge exams are: anatomy and physiology, and microbiology. A departmental examination is available for organic chemistry.

All students must satisfy a general education requirement consisting of twelve (12) courses (see page 32 of the College catalog). General Education Goal 7 (Life Science) and the laboratory requirement are covered in courses required of Nursing majors and are therefore considered fulfilled through the major.

NURSING MAJOR

Prerequisites to the Upper Division Nursing Major

To meet the requirements of the Nursing Program, the College will accept in transfer the following courses (subject to College transfer policy):

Two college-level laboratory courses in anatomy and physiology
Two college-level laboratory courses in chemistry
Microbiology (laboratory course)
Introduction to Statistics
General Psychology
Sociology
Human Development

Lower Division Nursing Knowledge

A. By articulation agreement

Five (5) course credits earned by graduating from one of the following ADN programs as of effective date or later:

Atlantic Union College. 5/88
Becker College. 5/88
Berkshire Community College. 5/88
Bristol Community College. 9/85
Bunker Hill Community College. 9/89
Cape Cod Community College. 1/83
Endicott College. 5/92
Greenfield Community College. 5/80
Holyoke Community College. 5/84
Laboure College. 5/80
Mass Bay Community College. 5/91
Massasoit Community College. 5/87
Mt. Wachusett Community College. 5/91
Middlesex Community College. 5/88
North Shore Community College. 5/79
Quincy College. 9/90
Quinsigamond Community College. 5/88
Roxbury Community College. 5/91
Springfield Tech. Community College. 5/91
Diploma: Framingham Union School of Nursing. 5/93

B. By exemption exam

Four (4) course credits earned by passing the National League for Nursing Mobility Profile II examination with a decision score of 100.

One (1) course credit earned by passing the Clinical Competency Exam at 70%.

The National League for Nursing Mobility Profile II exams and the Clinical Competency Exam can be repeated no more than twice.

The upper division Nursing major may be completed in as few as three semesters:

54.320 Professional Nursing
54.330 Primary Prevention in the Community
54.340 Nursing Care of the Family
54.420 Nursing Theory
54.430 Secondary Prevention
54.440 Introduction to Nursing Research
54.460 Nursing Leadership
54.470 Tertiary Prevention
54.480 Advanced Nursing Perspectives

Performance Standards

1. A quality point average (QPA) of 2.0 in nursing courses is required for continuance in the program.
2. A grade of at least C- is required in nursing courses.
3. When a grade of D or of E is received in a nursing course the course may be repeated only once.
4. Failure to meet these standards will result in dismissal from the program.
5. Any student on academic probation cannot be admitted to 54.460 Nursing Leadership; 54.470 Tertiary Prevention; 54.480 Advanced Nursing Perspectives.

Course Descriptions
from the 2001-2002 Undergraduate College Catalog