College of Nursing

Curriculum

 

Academic Advising Guidelines


Advising and registration procedures are detailed in the Student Services Handbook.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing Curriculum


The curriculum is designed to be completed in eight semesters (Fall, Winter) over four years. At the completion of the degree requirements, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing is conferred. The degree enables the student to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) to become a Registered Nurse (R.N.) upon approval of the State Board of Nursing. Students must complete the clinical courses (semester V through VIII) within five years. A student who has not taken a clinical course for four semesters must repeat the entire clinical sequence.

General Education Requirements


The following courses satisfy the general education requirements of the University as well as those of the College of Nursing. All prerequisites for these courses must be met.

Communication Skills (two requirements)

  • All students are required to complete a Freshman English Composition course with a grade of C- or better (EN 1100 - Freshman Composition at UM-St. Louis).
  • All students must also complete English 3100 - Advanced Expository Writing, or its equivalent, Business Writing (EN 3120), with a grade of C- or above.

Mathematical Skills: Proficiency in the basic mathematical skills area will be demonstrated by obtaining either:

  • A grade of C- or better in a college-credit mathematics course having at least intermediate algebra as a prerequisite, or
  • A satisfactory score on the Universitys Mathematics Proficiency Test. The proficiency test is over mathematics at the level of college algebra. The test should be passed before the student completes 24 hours of course work at UM-St. Louis. The tester may take the test twice. Test dates are given in the Schedule of Classes.

Humanities 9 hours (minimum) 

  • Philosophy course (3 credit hours)
  • Two courses from the following areas: art history or appreciation; philosophy & logic; theater appreciation, theory and history; literature; music history, literature, theory or appreciation. (applied art and music do not apply)

Social Sciences

American History/Government (State requirement) (3 credit hours)
Economics (3 credit hours)
Social Science Elective
Psychology (3 credit hours)
Human Growth & Development (3 credit hours)

Natural Sciences

Anatomy and Physiology I (4 credit hours)
Anatomy and Physiology II (4 credit hours)
Microbiology (3 credit hours)
Health Professions Chemistry (or its equivalency) (4 credit hours)
*General Biology (3 credit hours)

*General Biology is a prerequisite to Anatomy and Physiology I and Microbiology if taken at UM-St. Louis. It may be waived if Advanced Biology was taken in high school with a grade of A or B.

Statistics Course (3 credit hours)
Sociological Statistics 3220 or Nursing Statistics 3799 or its equivalent

Curriculum Schedule (Traditional Track) - effective Fall 2010
BSN Four-Year Curriculum Plan; Students Admitted as Freshmen

Suggested Program of Study

Semester I
Semester III
Semester V 
Semester VII
English Comp. I
College Algebra
Human Biology
Health Prof. Chem
Introduction to Nursing (N2101)
 3
3
3
4
2
 Anat & Phys. II
Human Growth & Dev
Humanities
Microbiology
Communication in the Nursing Profession (N2105)
 4
3
3
3
3

Nursing 3101
Nursing 3111
Nursing 3807
Jr. Level English

 6
3
3
3


 Nursing 3206
Nursing 3215
Nursing 3216
Humanities

 5
4
4
3
Total Hours 15 Total Hours 16 Total Hours 15 Total Hours 16




Semester II Semester IV Semester VI Semester VIII
Anat. & Phys.
Nutrition & Health (N2103)
Economics
General Psychology
American History		 4
3

3
3
3		 Health Assessment (N3106)
Pathophysiology Philosophy
Social Sciences
Statistics

4
3
3
3
3

 Nursing 3205
Nursing 3214
Nursing 3817
Nursing 3804

5
3
4
3		 Nursing 4300
Nursing 3808
Nursing 4310
Nursing Elective		 4
2
6
3
Total Hours 16 Total Hours 16 Total Hours 15 Total Hours 15

Total Credit Hours = 121(124)

Please Note:Effective Spring 2006 clinical courses must be completed within 5 semesters from beginning the clinical sequence. Students who have not taken a clinical course for 4 semesters will be required to repeat all clinical courses previously taken.

Curriculum Schedule (Accelerated Track)
Suggested Program of Study

Summer I
Fall
NS 3101 Nursing and Health
NS 3106 Health Assessment
NS 3110 Pathophysiological Bases of Nursing Practice
NS 3817 Information Management in Nursing		 6
3
3

3		 NS 3111 Pharmacotherapeutics of Nursing Practice
NS 3205 Adult Health I
NS 3807 Nursing Research
NS 3214 Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing		 3

5
3
4
Total Hours 15 Total Hours 15




Spring
Summer II
NS 3206 Adult Health II
NS 3215 Nursing of Women & Childbearing Families
NS 3216 Child & Family Health Nursing
NS 3804 Ethical & Legal Dimensions of Nursing Practice		 5
4

4

3		 NS 4300 Community Health
NS 3808 Management & Leadership
NS 4310 Senior Synthesis

4
3

5
Total Hours 16 Total Hours 12

 

Program Outcomes


The graduate of the Undergraduate Nursing Program will

  1. Integrate into practice theories and evidenced-based concepts from nursing, the arts, sciences and humanities to provide comprehensive nursing care in a variety of settings.
  2. Integrate critical thinking and problem solving in professional practice.
  3. Administer culturally competent, compassionate, holistic care to promote healthy outcomes for diverse clients (individuals, families, communities and populations) during all life phases.
  4. Apply best evidence from nursing research and related professions to enhance care and guide professional practice.
  5. Utilize interpersonal communication to enhance the nurse/client relationship and the nursing rol in an interprofessional health care team.
  6. Integrate principles of client education, management and leadership when organizing, coordinating and directing outcome-based professional practice.
  7. Assume responsibility and accountability for decisions and actions based on intrapersonal values, ethical and legal obligations, standards of practice and economics.
  8. Participate in professional and community organizations to effect societal change.
  9. Exhibit motivation and self-direction in activities that contribute to lifelong personal, professional and intellectual development.
  10. Utilize technology to meet the health needs in a community competent manner within a global society.

09/29/08 Revised & approved by BSN Program Faculty

Elective Course Guidelines

  Elective course options are available within the College of Nursing and from other academic units. Contact the Office of Student Services for courses accepted for elective credit.  

Research Statement

 Any research conducted as part of the student's formal studies at the University must be reviewed and approved by the College of Nursing. Approval by both the College of Nursing's and the University's Institutional Review Board must be obtained prior to initiation of data collection. Specific information may be obtained through the Office of Student Services.

Computer Proficiency Requirement

The College of Nursing requires all students to be computer proficient prior to entering their clinical courses. Students must indicate proficiency in the following skills:

Required Skills

  • Logging on to the Universitys portal (mygateway.umsl.edu)
  • Send, receive, and respond to web-based email on and off campus
  • Attach a document/file to an email message
  • Familiar with using a graphical interface to access programs (use of Icons on the desktop)
  • Start up and switch between multiple programs/windows
  • Copy, move, rename and delete files
  • Create, move, rename and delete folders
  • Able to use a web browser to access the Internet
  • Able to create and organize bookmarks in web browser
  • Be familiar with several different search engines to find information
  • Use the Internet to collect and print information
  • Able to download programs from the Internet to their computer (e.g., readers & plug-ins)
  • Able to save, copy, and incorporate Internet information into a word processing program
  • Create a document using a word processor
  • Able to save, edit, and print a document in a word processing program


Preferred but not required

  • Able to create, edit, enter formulae for calculations, and create graphs using a spreadsheet
  • Able to create PowerPoint presentations (including adding video clips, sounds, and links to other presentations)

The College of Nursing has adopted

  • Windows/PC as its operating system;
  • Microsoft Word as its standard for word processing; and
  • APA, the latest edition, as the standard manuscript style. (The University bookstore has APA disks available for Word and WordPerfect.)

The University has adopted

  • Netscape as its standard browser; and
  • Blackboard as its course management software.

Resources for Computer Literacy Learning

  • Computer course
  • Computer lab training
  • Other