Framingham State College Nursing Department

Undergraduate BS Nursing Program

The program, accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) and awarded new applicant status by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), offers a Baccalaureate in Science with a major in Nursing for registered nurses who already have an Associate Degree or a Diploma in Nursing.

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 a nurse who is able to function as a generalist in a variety of health-care settings. The course of study provides a base for graduate work in education, research, clinical specialization, or administration.

Organized Around Prevention

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

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.

Characteristics of the Graduate
Program Objectives

1. Utilize nursing theory and research in making evidence-based 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 inter-disciplinary health team.
9. Participate in resolving community and societal health needs through nursing activities.
10. Provide comprehensive and individualized nursing care based on assessment which includes the person's socioeconomic status, life style, gender, culture, and personal values and beliefs.
11. Utilize current electronic technology/computer to enhance nursing practice.