School of Nursing

Associate Professor Chris Smith, Director

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program prepares students for beginning practice as a registered nurse in a variety of settings. Students are prepared for graduate studies in nursing. The emphasis of the program is on the use of knowledge and skills to plan and implement nursing care. Students should refer to the Graduate Catalog for additional information about graduate studies.

Eligibility Requirements for Participation in the Nursing Program

Nursing is a practice discipline, with cognitive, sensory, affective, and psychomotor performance requirements. The faculty of the School of Nursing has identified the skills and professional behaviors that are essential to pursue a course of study to be eligible to write the National Council Licensure Examination-R.N. and practice as a professional nurse. In order to progress in the nursing curriculum, a student must possess a functional level of capability to perform the duties required of a professional nurse. The essential eligibility requirements for participation in the nursing program are identified as Core Performance Standards.

These standards are adapted from the Southern Council on Collegiate Education for Nursing and are congruent with the skills presented in the document entitled Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing revised (1998), a publication of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. If these standards cannot be achieved by the student, either unassisted or with dependable use of assistive devices, the faculty reserves the right to exclude the student from clinical areas. Potential students are provided copies of the Core Performance Standards upon request. A copy of the Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice (2008) is available for review in the school’s Office of the Director.

The nursing program includes clinical components, practica and internships. Prior to and during contact with clients in clinical assignments, practicum experiences and internships, students are expected to exhibit good judgment, ethical conduct and appropriate emotional functioning. These are evaluated by the School of Nursing faculty using professional nursing standards.

These standards are listed in the online handbook for undergraduate and Gateway students, and with the Director of School of Nursing and Dean of College of Health, Education and Professional Studies. A student dismissed from the School of Nursing for not meeting these standards has the right to appeal the decision. Information about the process of appeal is available in the UTC Student Handbook and the Undergraduate Catalog.

Checkpoints

Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Nursing through UTC’s School of Nursing must meet requirements at each of the checkpoints.

Included in the checkpoint requirements are successful completion of specified course work and achievement of appropriate grade point averages. Success in meeting checkpoint requirements is a major factor in admission to the Nursing major. Enrollment is limited and the number of qualified applicants often exceeds the number of students who can be admitted. Pre-nursing majors not meeting all of the requirements at checkpoint 1 at the end of their freshman year will be changed to the undecided major to explore other career opportunities. Specific requirements for each checkpoint are listed on the School of Nursing website.

Pre-Nursing

The Pre-Nursing advising process is developed to assist students to meet their academic goals and to ensure a timely graduation. Pre-Nursing majors will be advised by the School of Nursing Professional Advisor during their freshman year.

Students not meeting checkpoint 1 after their freshman year will be moved to an advisor in the Center for Advisement and Student Success to explore other majors and career opportunities. Transfer students will also be advised by the School of Nursing Professional Advisor if they have a GPA of 2.75 and a C in all nursing pre-requisite coursework.

The following students are eligible to apply for admission to the nursing program:

A pre-nursing or transfer student after checkpoints are met and pre-requisite course work is completed.
RN with an Associates Degree in Nursing (Gateway track)

Admission to the Nursing Major (for non-RNs)

Students desiring admission to the nursing major must submit a completed online application through their MocsNet account. Candidates for the nursing major (Nursing 2110-2160) must make formal application by April 1 for the fall class and October 1 for the spring class. Enrollment is limited and the number of qualified applicants often exceeds the number of students who can be admitted. The following are considered when evaluating candidates for admission:

Admission to UTC prior to the School of Nursing application deadline.
Completion of credit hours required for sophomore classification including the following prerequisite courses with no grade lower than a C:

BIOL 2060, BIOL 2080, BIOL 2100

One Chemistry course with a lab

ENGL 1010, ENGL 1020

PSY 1010

NURS 2260

Only two of the pre-requisite courses listed above may be in progress at the time of application.

A minimum grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.0 point scale at UTC.
Minimum Science GPA of 2.50. The nursing major includes a strong biophysical science component; thus the first grade earned in a required science course will be used to compute the student’s science GPA.
Physical and emotional characteristics appropriate for nursing practice.

The faculty in the School of Nursing reserve the right to make exceptions to the admission requirements.

Acceptance of transfer and substitute credits in nursing to meet requirements of the curriculum will be determined by the School of Nursing faculty. Students seeking to transfer into the B.S.N. Nursing program at UTC will not be allowed to transfer into the B.S.N. Nursing program with any nursing course grade lower than a C. Transfer students must meet the same standards as other students in the program.

Candidates will receive written notification of their admission status. Candidates who are accepted for admission must complete and pass a background check and drug screening before being fully admitted. Individuals who are not accepted for a given class, and who desire to be considered for the next class must reapply.

Admission to the Gateway Program for Registered Nurses

The Gateway Program is a flexible curriculum which enables registered nurses to obtain baccalaureate degrees in nursing while maintaining their roles in careers and families. Planned with the mid-career RN in mind, the Gateway Program is individualized and allows maximum college credit for previous educational experiences. The prospective RN student should seek advisement from the Gateway Coordinator and transcript evaluation from the Records Office for this program of study. The following requirements must be met:

Graduation from an accredited diploma or associate degree nursing program.
Show eligibility to return to the last educational institution attended and meet UTC’s continuation standards.
Show a C (2.00) average on all postsecondary courses.
Admission to UTC.
Current licensure as a registered nurse in Tennessee or multistate privilege to practice is required.

Expenses and Transportation

In addition to regular education costs, nursing students must meet the following expenses: uniforms, standardized test fees, yearly liability and health insurance, initial physical examinations, immunizations, CPR certification, respirator fit testing and others as required. Some nursing courses may require miscellaneous fees. Since clinical experiences in nursing are obtained in a variety of health care settings in local and remote areas, students are individually responsible for transportation to these sites.

Insurance and Health Requirements

Students must meet specific physical examination and immunization requirements as specified by state law and by the rules and regulations set forth by the various clinical agencies. All students must have health insurance and must participate in the school’s liability insurance program. Specific information concerning these requirements will be provided to the students at appropriate times by the nursing faculty.

Licensure (for non-RNs)

Upon successful completion of the baccalaureate program in nursing, and upon certification by the director, the student is eligible to write the National Council Licensure Examination-RN. Persons previously convicted of a felony may not be permitted to write the NCLEX exam. Applicants for licensure in Tennessee must obtain an additional background check as specified by the Tennessee Board of Nursing.

Continuation Standards

In view of the nature of nursing and the fact that maintenance and quality of human life may be adversely affected by individuals providing nursing care, the following standards have been adopted and are applied by the nursing faculty.

To progress in nursing, students are required to: a) make a minimum grade of C or S in all nursing and required courses (exclusive of electives); b) maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0; c) maintain active liability and health insurance policies and other clinical requirements for clinical courses; d) maintain current CPR certification, and e) meet School of Nursing health requirements.
Students in the Nursing major may earn a grade of D, F, or NC in only one course with a nursing (NURS) designation. If a student earns a second D, F, or NC, the student will be dismissed from the program, even if the second D, F, or NC is earned in the same semester as the first grade of D, F, or NC.
Students who do not complete a course, or who make a grade of D, F or NC in an undergraduate Nursing course, and who are eligible to repeat a course, are permitted to register for that course on a space-available basis.
If in the judgment of the professor there is reason to question the emotional or physical condition of a student or the safety or quality of nursing care provided, the professor has the right and obligation to exclude the student from the clinical area. The incident or reason underlying such an action shall be brought to the attention of the course faculty on or before the next clinical day. The student will receive written notification of the recommendation of the course faculty. Should the decision be unacceptable to the student, he/she may appeal to the director, and thereafter in accordance with University policy.
Exceptions to the above policies may be made at the discretion of the academic affairs committee or the director of the School of Nursing.