2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
    Dec 26, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Nursing (BS.NUR)


Program Description 

Vermont State University’s Bachelor of Science (BS) in Nursing program is one of several pathways to nursing education. This pathway is built upon a broad foundation within the liberal arts. It integrates the core nursing curriculum with knowledge and theories from the arts, humanities, social and physical sciences, enabling the liberal arts curriculum to form the foundation of a strong nursing degree. The focus of faculty efforts is on the personal, professional, and intellectual development of its learners in the art and science of nursing. The nursing program aims to prepare learners with the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors needed to meet the demands and challenges inherent in the delivery of patient care in a rapidly evolving health care system. 

Pre-licensure baccalaureate students are eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) and entry into practice. Nursing graduates are poised for positions of clinical leadership and take on the challenges of programs of advanced study in the discipline of nursing and related fields. Baccalaureate preparation is viewed as the foundation upon which the future of evidence-based, quality nursing care is built, and is the minimum requirement of many healthcare organizations (i.e., Veteran Administration hospitals, U.S. government agencies and Magnet facilities). The BS degree, unlike other entry-level nursing degrees, qualifies the nurse to pursue a career in advanced nursing practice, education, public health, research, informatics, policy, and/or leadership. 

Students are required to have a 2.8 GPA overall, achieve a B- minimum in all nursing courses, and achieve a C+ minimum for all required natural, physical, and social science courses. Transfer students must have completed their natural and physical science courses within 10 years prior to admission.

Program Outcomes 

  1. Integrate and apply knowledge from the arts, humanities, natural and social sciences and nursing to create a foundation for the provision of ethical person-centered, quality, and safe care to diverse populations across the lifespan. 

  1. Utilize critical inquiry and the body of knowledge from nursing scholarship to guide nursing practice and quality improvement practices, and influence health outcomes. 

  1. Function effectively and collaboratively within nursing teams, interdisciplinary teams, and larger healthcare systems, to foster open communication, and provide holistic, just, respectful, compassionate, and individualized care. 

  1. Integrate informatics and healthcare technologies to support decision-making and manage the delivery of safe, high-quality care in accordance with best practices. 

  1. Apply principles of professional nursing standards, identity, accountability, leadership, ethics and values to minimize risk and provide safe, evidence-based care. 

  1. Deliver holistic, ethical, person-centered nursing care and advocate for health promotion, prevention and management strategies at the individual, family, community, population and global levels. 

Program Electives (6 credits)


  • Art and Aesthetics course 3 cr (in addition to the 3 credits required by the VTSU General Education program)

Credits Required for Major: 109


Graduation Requirements


To obtain a degree, students must fulfill the major-specific requirements as well as satisfy all other Degree Requirements  including the Connections General Education Program Requirements .

Accreditation and Approval Bodies


Approval

The nursing programs at Vermont State University have full approval from the Vermont State Board of Nursing, 89 Main Street, 3rd Floor, Montpelier, VT 05620, 802-828-2396.

Accreditation

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing at Vermont State University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).

 

 

Sample Degree Map


Degree Map (Sample) - BSN