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Jeanette H. Lupinacci, Chair lupinaccij@wcsu.edu White Hall 221A, Midtown campus (203) 837-8570 (203) 837-8550 (fax)
Terri-Ann Rago, Department Secretary ragot@wcsu.edu White Hall 221, Midtown campus (203) 837-8556 (203) 837-8550 (fax)
Faculty
Mission
The Department of Nursing strives to provide a nursing education that is aimed at preparing beginning and advanced practice nurses to meet the ever-changing health care needs of Connecticut and the surrounding region. This is achieved through:
Program Information
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing and master’s degree program in nursing at Western Connecticut State University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791. http://www.ccneaccreditation.org/
Learning Outcomes
Degree Programs
B.S. in Nursing
R.N. to B.S. in Nursing
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.)
Description: The Department of Nursing’s Mission is to provide a nursing education that is aimed at preparing beginning and advanced practice nurses to meet the ever-changing health care needs of Connecticut and the surrounding region.
Degree Requirements All degrees at WCSU require 120 semester hours (SH). This includes major requirements, general education requirements, cognates (where applicable), and free electives. This structure provides room for minors, internships, and study abroad.
Required Courses in the Major: 72 SH.
General Education: All students must complete the General Education curriculum. General Education Requirements include both competency and breadth requirements. In some cases, major courses will satisfy competencies. These are indicated in the parentheses after the course title. For a complete description of the General Education program, follow this link. https://catalogs.wcsu.edu/ugrad2324/academic-programs-degrees/
Cognates: In some programs there are courses outside of the major that are required as pre-requisites or enhancements to the major course work. These courses may satisfy competencies and they will count toward the general education breadth requirement. If cognate courses are required, they are included in the list of courses required in the major.
Electives: All degrees require 120 semester hours. Elective credits are opportunities for minors, internships, study abroad, and just following general interests. We encourage all students to speak with their advisors about great opportunities for their elective courses.
Sample Four Year Plan: BS Nursing Four-year plans are suggestions. Plans change. Consult your advisor to adjust your plan.
*Foundational Science Courses in Nursing require students to place into General Education Math. This will be evaluated either by SAT/ACT scores or High School GPA 2.8 or higher*
**NUR 300 can be taken Spring Sophomore Year of Nursing and or Fall Junior Year**
***NUR 335 & 374 can be taken either Spring Junior Year of Nursing and or Fall Senior Year of Nursing as a pair, Same for NUR 325 & 327***
RN to BS in Nursing
Required Courses for the RN to BS: 30 SH minimum
Sample Post-Transfer Plan: RN to BS Nursing The transfer path depends on completing your general education requirements in as part of two-year degree. Consult your advisor to address any gaps in your earlier program.
**Please note this program can also be completed in one year, if this is an option for you, please see Nicole Kullberg (kullburgn@wcsu.edu) in admissions and or Dr. B Piscopo (piscopob@wcsu.edu) (RN-BS coordinator)**
The examples above do not include additional coursework necessary to meet the 120 SH minimum for a bachelor’s degree. The total number of SH necessary will depend on the total number of transfer credits. Up to 90 credits from Community College/or prior college work may be transferred in.
The Nursing Department offers the nursing courses for the RN-BS degree completion program online. Students earn a BS with a major in Nursing. The RN-BS program is located on the campus of Naugatuck Valley Community College in Waterbury, Ct. The program is only available to students who hold a current RN license.
Registered nurse graduates of associate degree and hospital diploma nursing programs, who hold a current RN license in Connecticut or another state, are encouraged to apply to this program. A current RN license is required from the state in which clinical affiliations are scheduled. RN-BS degree completion students must complete all college and department course requirements satisfactorily to be eligible for the B.S. degree with a major in Nursing. The RN-BS program is a participant in the Connecticut Articulation Model for Nurse Educational Mobility.
For more information about this program, please contact Nicole Kullberg, Transfer Counselor, Associate Director of Admissions at Kullbergn@wcsu.edu or Barbara Piscopo, RN-BS Program Coordinator at Piscopob@wcsu.edu.
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) – Admission, Retention and Graduation Requirements
Admission
Anyone admitted to pre-nursing/nursing major will automatically have a seat in the nursing program provided pre-requisite courses are completed and GPA meets criteria for entry.
Initially, students must be accepted into the University. Once accepted to the University, any pre-nursing/nursing major will be considered for entry to nursing program in December/January. A link will be made available for students through WCSU email and department of nursing website to confirm intent for entry and desire to be evaluated for the nursing program. The link survey must be completed by the first Monday of February. Incomplete or late entries may not be considered by the Department of Nursing (DON). The applicant pool is not limited to pre-nursing students. The decision to admit an applicant to the Nursing major is made by the DON. Qualified students may not be accepted because of a limited number of clinical placements and limited DON resources.
In evaluating students for acceptance into the nursing program, the following criteria are used:
Students must earn at least a C+ in the four science prerequisite courses (BIO 105, BIO 106, CHE 120, and CHE 121) for consideration of acceptance. Sciences may not be more than 5 years old. Consistent with the university admission requirements, preference is given to those candidates who, in the judgment of the DON, have academic and personal qualifications with the greatest potential for program success.
Applicants must have successfully completed or be enrolled in the following courses:
Students newly accepted into the program must adhere to the Health Policies of the DON. The following information must be submitted on or before June 1 prior to starting nursing classes.
Students without documentation of health requirements and/or CPR certification will not be allowed to participate in clinical experiences.
Transfer students coming into the University must first apply to the Admissions Department and must meet the same standards listed above. University students wishing to change their major to Nursing must apply to the DON for admission to the Nursing major and must meet the same requirements as pre-nursing students. Please refer to the above criteria.
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates are eligible to apply to the State Board of Examiners for Nursing in Connecticut, or in any other state of their choice, for examination for Professional Nurse licensure. Each state board may have additional criteria for eligibility according to the laws of the state. In Connecticut, the limitations for eligibility for licensure are delineated in Public Act 86-365. A copy of this act is available for review in the department office.
Because of the nature of the clinical experiences and regulations of various clinical agencies utilized in the nursing program, all Nursing students are required to adhere to departmental policies in addition to the immunizations required of all university students. This information may be obtained directly from the department.
In addition to the above stated health requirements, students may need to meet additional requirements identified by a clinical affiliating agency, including a criminal background check, drug testing, and or finger printing checks. Clinical agencies reserve the right to refuse clinical placement to students who do not pass the background check, drug testing, and or fingerprinting testing.
If a student’s physical or emotional health status is deemed unsafe for clinical laboratory experiences by the Nursing faculty, the student may not attend clinical laboratories. Appropriate clearance may be required prior to the student returning to the clinical laboratory.
Students are required to furnish their own uniforms and to provide their own transportation to clinical facilities. Students may also be required to have health insurance and are responsible for any medical care administered as a result of clinical assignment.
All students must be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) as a healthcare provider prior to entering sophomore year, and must maintain current certification to be eligible to attend the clinical experience. It is recommended that students obtain their CPR certification from the American Heart Association and/or the American Red Cross. In addition to liability protection under the Statutes of Connecticut [Chapter 170, Section 10-235(a)], the university carries professional liability insurance coverage for nursing students.
