Nursing, Bachelor of Science – RN to BSN

The objectives of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing are to utilize theory and evidence-based practice to provide safe, quality, patient-centered care; to teach care of patients by using clinical judgment, critical thinking, and knowledge of best practices; and to be eligible for licensure. The program creates an environment where competency-based learning can flourish. It prepares graduates for nursing practice and leadership roles.

Nursing practice is both a caring art and a human science developed using nursing knowledge, theory, and research within a holistic, caring framework. Nursing education introduces the science and theory of nursing and assists students with developing an understanding of the distinct perspective of the nursing discipline.

BSN Completion Students receive 72 credits for experiential learning. Up to 63 additional required course credits could be transferred in and applied to the BSN program. To graduate with a BSN, post-licensure students must complete a minimum of 45 credits at Stratford. Required core courses include NSG330 Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning, NSG410 Research and Evidence-Based Nursing Practice (requires having taken statistics), NSG420 Nursing in the Community, NSG470 Leadership, Management, and Contemporary Issues in Nursing, and NSG480 Nursing Capstone Project. Students who transfer in all non-nursing arts and sciences courses need five additional courses which may be selected from a pool of electives.

Functional Expectations

Due to the nature of the work performed in nursing, successful completion of the nursing program requires the ability to perform each of the following functions:

• Employ conventional means of written and spoken English communication
• Apply basic mathematics and statistics used in nursing for nursing practice (ratios, calculations of drug dosages, etc.)
• Read and comprehend graphs and charts
• Use telephones, PDAs, and other common electronic devices
• Distinguish tonal differences in sound, colors of light and shading, tactile sensations (relative temperature, texture, pulses, etc.), and odors
• Move about in populated areas, position patients, and reach and bend with ease
• Safely handle and manipulate standard nursing and medical equipment (syringes, IV stands, electronic monitoring equipment, etc.)
• Conduct CPR on adults and infants and using one and two-person CPR techniques
• Demonstrate sensitivity to social context and circumstance (professional interactions, familial consultations, etc.), as well as consideration of reasonable patient cultural expectations
• Follow chain of command

State Board Examinations

Paperwork related to licensure should be completed six weeks in advance of graduation. Students receive detailed instruction related to licensure application procedures in the Nursing Capstone Project. Students are encouraged to schedule the licensing exam within thirty days of graduation. Transcripts are not sent to the Virginia Board of Nursing prior to graduation.

At the end of the program, students are able to:

• Conduct comprehensive and focused holistic assessments of illness and wellness parameters of individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations using developmentally and culturally appropriate methods.
• Implement evidence-based nursing interventions for delivering and managing acute and chronic care to individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations across the lifespan and across continuum of healthcare environments.
• Monitor client outcomes to evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions.
• Demonstrate clinical reasoning in delivering patient-centered care that reflects adherence to regulatory, legal, and ethical frameworks and standards of the profession.
• Demonstrate effective application of psychomotor skills in delivering safe and compassionate patient care.

This program requires students to purchase a nursing kit from the University. All nursing students are charged an ATI fee upon beginning nursing courses.

This program typically takes 60 months to complete for part-time enrollment and 30 months to complete for students enrolled full-time. The clock hours remain constant for both pre and post-licensure students, but the nature of those hours may be modified for the student holding an active RN license, therefore completion time for RN license holders will vary.