Academic Catalog 2017-2018

foundation of competencies attained by the licensed registered nurse with a baccalaureate degree, and expands pedagogical knowledge, leadership skills, and reflective practice to promote positive patient outcomes by delivering patient care in advanced nursing practice, nursing leadership and/or education. Admission Criteria Admission to the MSN program will be competitive and limited to candidates capable of performing at the graduate level. Applicants must possess or provide the following: • A bachelor’s degree in nursing from a regionally accredited institution of higher education; • An unencumbered RN license in a U.S. jurisdiction; • At least 2,000 hours of registered nurse experience (equivalent to one year of full- time clinical experience); • A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in undergraduate study that in- cludes the following undergraduate courses with a course grade of “C” or better with 3 hours minimum: nursing research, health assessment, pathophysiology, microbiol- ogy and statistics; • A Personal Statement of Goals and Objectives—typed (limited to two pages, APA style); • All official undergraduate transcript(s) and current vita/resume to the registrar; • Three satisfactory recommendations (two professional from nursing colleagues and one personal); • Availability for interview; • Completed admission application; • Payment of applicable fees; and • Computer literacy (ability to use Microsoft Word, to navigate the Internet, to retrieve information from websites, and to engage online).   Post-Master’s degree admission to the FNP or L/E certificate programs includes all the above requirements with the addition of a Master’s of Science in Nursing from an ACEN- or a CCNE-accredited program. Holistic admissions are utilized. Transfer Credit   Students applying to the Bluefield College Graduate Program in Nursing who are currently enrolled in another degree-seeking Master of Science in Nursing program will be evaluated on an individual basis. In accepting transfers, the student must meet all Bluefield College Graduate Nursing Program admission criteria. Up to six hours of transfer credit from a regionally accredited institution may be counted as credit toward the Master of Science in Nursing. In order to receive transfer cred- it, the student must submit an official transcript, and if requested, a course syllabus and/ or course description. All transfer credit is subject to approval by the Dean of the School of Nursing. The School of Nursing and Bluefield College reserve the right to evaluate all transfer credit in terms of its institutional standards. A minimum of a B (3.00) is required for all transfer work. Provisional Acceptance   New graduate nurses may begin taking non-clinical courses without being accepted to the FNP program. However, the student must have a minimum of one year of full-time

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