2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog/Handbook 
    
    Mar 19, 2024  
2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog/Handbook [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Nursing


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The Department of Nursing offers a major in nursing. Upon completion of the major and University requirements the student earns the Bachelor of Science in Nursing. The undergraduate baccalaureate nursing program at Westfield State University nursing meets the standards of the Massachusetts Board of Registration (BORN). The University is a member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). This innovative four year program will provide nursing graduates with the knowledge base, the clinical skills and the values that are at the very heart of current, cutting-edge professional nursing. The major integrates the University’s core requirements plus additional courses in the humanities, physical and social sciences to provide students with a strong liberal arts background which serves as the foundation for professional nursing. Nursing skills laboratories will assist in facilitating the transfer of theoretical knowledge to direct nursing interventions, and a wide range of affiliated health care and community agencies wills serve as placements for clinical practice.

The goal of this undergraduate program is to prepare a nursing graduate who is skilled in promoting health, who uses clinical judgment to deliver high quality, compassionate, and evidenced base care to individuals, families and communities and who demonstrates cultural and ethical understanding and leadership abilities.  Upon completion of the approved program, graduates will be eligible to take the National Council Licensing Examination in Nursing for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), a required credential for nursing practice

The College of Graduate and Continuing Education offers an RN-BSN degree-completion program for licensed Registered Nurses (RNs) who hold an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) from a regionally accredited college.  The RN-to-BSN program of study is similar to that completed by BSN undergraduate nursing students, but includes some RN-only components that acknowledge and build upon existing knowledge and skills.  Requirements for admission consideration include completion of an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) from a regionally accredited college and RN licensure.  Admitted students may transfer up top 90 credit hours from all regionally accredited colleges previously attended.  To earn the bachelor’s degree, RN-to-BSN students are required to complete the following:  30 credits of upper-division nursing major courses; outstanding related major courses; either 0 to 6 credits of MassTransfer Block Plus-6 general education core courses (for Massachusetts community college students who qualify for the Nursing Education Transfer Compact or NETC), or all outstanding general education core courses (for non-NETC students); and, any electives that may be needed to reach minimum degree and residency requirements.

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    Nursing

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