Nursing
Mission Statement
The School of Nursing at Eastern University prepares undergraduate nursing students for thoughtful and productive lives of Christian faith, leadership, and service as generalist nurses and members of the global nursing community.
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program (BSN) is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and is fully approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing.
In addition to the plan of study presented below, nursing students must complete the general education requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences..
Admission to the Nursing Major
For traditional students seeking a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing (BSN), admission to the nursing major is a two-step process. First, Admissions will make an immediate offer to any student who meets the criteria for admission to Pre-Nursing including:
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SAT > 1060 (combined) and/or ACT > 21 (composite)
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High School GPA > 3.0 (cumulative)
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Required High School Courses (B minus or higher):
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Chemistry
-
Biology
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Algebra II
-
Students who do not qualify for an immediate offer to Pre-nursing will be reviewed by the School of Nursing Admissions Committee to determine if an offer or contingent offer will be made to the applicant. The School of Nursing Admissions Committee will request additional documentation including letters of recommendations and an essay. Students will receive a letter informing them of the School of Nursing Admissions Committee decision shortly after a decision has been made.
Progression from Pre-Nursing to Nursing Major
Students are considered pre-nursing majors for their first two years. All students who meet the stated academic criteria will transition into the nursing major after completion of the nursing prerequisites.
Students must achieve an overall cumulative 3.0 GPA and achieve a cumulative 2.75 GPA in prerequisite science courses with no grade below a C+. Courses include:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 118 | Chemistry for Healthcare | 4 |
| BIOL 216 | Introduction to Microbiology | 4 |
| BIOL 233 | Human Physiology & Anatomy I | 4 |
| BIOL 234 | Human Physiology & Anatomy II | 4 |
Additionally, students must earn a minimum of a B- or better in the in MATH 140 College Algebra or prerequisite math course.
Students must achieve no grade below a C+ in the following prerequisite courses:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 220 | Elementary Statistics | 3 |
OR
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC 220 | Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences | 3 |
AND
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC 100 | General Psychology | 3 |
| NURS 220 | Nutrition for Nurses | 3 |
| NURS 250 | Academic Nursing Essentials,Nursing Essentials | 3 |
| NURS 280 | Introduction to Professional Nursing Nursing | 3 |
Students may repeat a maximum of two prerequisites. Only one repeat can be from the Math/Science courses listed above. See BSN Handbook.
Clinical Education Requirements
Mandatory Health Documentation and Legal Credentialing Policies and Procedures
State and local health officials require the following specific information to be maintained on all Eastern University nursing students. This information will be submitted via the Eastern University health history, immunization record and physical form signed by your health care provider.
Furthermore, students will be responsible for obtaining additional immunizations as required by the University, clinical facilities, and/or government regulations.
Additionally, junior and senior nursing students must submit and update the following information and submit proof of recertification whenever expired:
- Driver’s license
- Proof of Social Security number
- Basic Life Support for Health Care Providers certification for adult, infant and child and AED
- Comprehensive criminal background check
- Child abuse clearance
- FBI clearance (one time only)
- Current personal health insurance
- Malpractice insurance in effect throughout clinical courses
- PPD within one year and repeated annually; if positive Quantiferon Gold test will be required.
- Influenza vaccine
- Random drug testing
- Tdap vaccine (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Acellular Pertussis)
- COVID-19 vaccine series
- MMR immunization and proof of immunity through antibody titers
- Varicella vaccine and proof of immunity through antibody titers
- Hepatitis B series and proof of immunity through antibody titers
It is the student’s responsibility to keep all documents in a safe place and know when they need renewal.
The Associate Dean of the School of Nursing will contact students with an unfavorable criminal background check. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the PA State Board of Nursing regarding licensure with an unfavorable result on a criminal background check. Students with an unfavorable criminal background check may not be able to participate in clinical rotations at affiliated health care institutions. If a student cannot participate in clinical rotations, said student will be unable to complete the nursing program.
Please note:
- The University reserves the right to refuse to register any student until he/she complies with all health requirements and provides the University with appropriate documentation.
- The School of Nursing reserves the right to refuse to allow any student to continue in clinical rotations until he/she complies with all health and legal document requirements and provides the School with appropriate documentation.
Progression Policy Within the Nursing Major
Students in the nursing major will not progress in the nursing program if they receive a grade of less than a 77 (C+) in any nursing course. Students must earn a passing grade average on all exams and quizzes of 77% or greater to pass the course regardless of grades earned on other assignments. Students who do not achieve a 77% for the exam quiz average AND a 77% for their final calculated grade will not pass the course. The documented grade will be the lower of the two scores. Grades are not rounded. Students must also maintain competency in mandatory math assessments each semester.
For courses with a clinical component, the clinical practicum is graded either Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. The student must earn a grade of 77% or higher in the theoretical component of the course as well as achieving a satisfactory grade in the clinical practicum. A student who earns an Unsatisfactory clinical grade will be awarded a grade of “F” in the course, and may not progress in the program until he or she retakes the entire course and earns a grade of 77% (C+) or better in the theoretical component and a satisfactory in the clinical practicum.
For courses with a lab component (NURS 340 and NURS 350), the laboratory skills tests must be passed in order to pass the course regardless of the final course grade. Failure on the skills test requires skills test remediation as per the Skills Lab Testing Remediation Policy and the student must successfully pass on the retake, or the student fails the course. Students may only repeat any laboratory skills test once.
Program Dismissal for Academic Reasons
A student may only withdraw from one nursing course throughout the entire nursing program. In addition, a student may repeat any nursing course once and may not register for the same course more than twice. A student may only fail one nursing course within the entire program. A second failure will result in dismissal from the program. Failure is considered any grade below a 77% (C+). A student who fails two different nursing courses or has two failures in the same nursing course will be dismissed from the program.
The School of Nursing and Eastern University reserve the right to dismiss a student from the program for ethical, legal or professional conduct unsuited to the nursing profession.
Graduation Policy
In order to be granted a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree students must successfully complete all the requirements for the nursing program and for Eastern University
The Major for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Required Courses:
For students entering Fall 2020 forward, all others should refer to previous catalogs.
Note: Pre-nursing and Nursing majors have additional program fees and costs.
| First Year | Credit Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 118 | Chemistry for Healthcare | 4 |
| MATH 140 | College Algebra | 3 |
| MATH 220 | Elementary Statistics | 3 |
| INST 150 | Introduction to Faith, Reason, and Justice | 3 |
| ENGL 102 | College Writing | 3 |
| BIBL 100 or BIBL 200 |
Introducing Biblical Literature,Biblical Literature in Contemporary Context or Exploring Biblical Literature |
3 |
| COMM 120 | Public Speaking | 3 |
| PSYC 100 | General Psychology | 3 |
| THEO 210 | Christian Spirituality | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 31 | |
| Sophomore Year | ||
| BIOL 216 | Introduction to Microbiology | 4 |
| BIOL 233 | Human Physiology & Anatomy I | 4 |
| BIOL 234 | Human Physiology & Anatomy II | 4 |
| MATH 220 | Elementary Statistics | 3 |
| NURS 220 | Nutrition for Nurses | 3 |
| NURS 250 | Academic Nursing Essentials,Nursing Essentials | 3 |
| NURS 320 | Introduction to Professional Holistic Nursing | 3 |
| Electives | 9 | |
| Credit Hours | 33 | |
| Junior Year | ||
| NURS 310 | Pathophysiology/Pharmacology | 4 |
| NURS 340 | Fundamentals of Nursing Practice | 5 |
| NURS 350 | Health Promotion & Education & Physical Assessment | 5 |
| NURS 360 | Nursing Care of Adults I | 4 |
| NURS 380 | Nursing Care in Mental Health and Illness | 4 |
| NURS 390 | Maternal-Child Nursing Care | 4 |
| NURS 404 | Nursing Research | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 29 | |
| Senior Year | ||
| NURS 370 | Nursing Care of Adults II | 5 |
| NURS 402 | Leadership in Nursing Practice | 3 |
| NURS 403 | Holistic Family/Community Nursing Practice | 4 |
| NURS 440 | Nursing Care of Adults III | 5 |
| NURS 450 | Pediatric Nursing | 4 |
| NURS 460 | Nursing Care and Chronic Illness | 4 |
| NURS 480 | Nursing Capstone: The Art of Nursing | 3 |
| NURS 485 | Synthesis of Nursing Knowledge | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 31 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 124 | |