The BSN degree has four enrollment options to accommodate individuals from varying educational experiences. They are as follows:
- The entry-level track (BSN-EL), which provides a four-year baccalaureate degree leading to eligibility for RN licensure
- The accelerated track (BSN-ACC), which provides a baccalaureate degree in nursing leading to eligibility for RN licensure for individuals with a bachelor’s degree in another field
- RN to BSN track (RN-BSN), which provides a baccalaureate degree in nursing for registered nurses
- The Early Decision Option (EDO) is a formal understanding between the high school student and Cox College in which the student may be granted admission to Cox College and the BSN program.
Outcome Criteria
Upon completion of the BSN program of study, the graduate will be able to accomplish the following items:
- Utilize information management skills as a means of competent decision making and critical thinking to enhance nursing practice, client education, and personal life long learning.
- Communicate effectively using verbal, written, and interpersonal skills among colleagues, individuals, families, groups, and communities.
- Implement evidenced-based therapeutic interventions for individuals, families, groups, and communities in structured and unstructured healthcare settings.
- Integrate principles of life span development in the nursing care of diverse groups.
- Utilize methods of discovery to inform practice and improve nursing care.
- Integrate nursing roles to assure competent practice in a changing and diverse healthcare environment.
Requirements for Progression
To successfully progress through the nursing program, students must demonstrate safe, responsible, and professional conduct and meet the following academic standards:
- Students in all nursing programs must achieve an average or 75% on all examinations in all courses before any additional course points can be averaged into the course grade in order to be allowed to progress in the nursing course sequence or, in the case of the last courses in the programs, to be allowed to graduate.
- Any student who achieves an average of 74.99% or less on course examinations will not be allowed to progress to the next course and will have a “D” or “F” recorded as their final grade in the course, and no other course points will be allowed. If eligible, the student will be required to repeat the course.
- Once the 75% average on all course examinations has been achieved, the remaining points for the course will be averaged with the examination grades. This score will constitute the final course grade.
- If the final grade for the course is less than 75% average after the remaining course points are added, the student will not be allowed to progress to the next course and will have a “D” or “F” recorded as the final grade for the course. If eligible, the student will have to repeat the course.
- Successful completion of the theory and laboratory components of nursing courses. If a student is unsuccessful in the theory component but passes the lab component of course, both sections must be repeated. If student is successful in the theory component of class but unsuccessful in the laboratory component of the course, both sections must be repeated.
- Completion of required academic assessments administered by Cox College.
- Validation of Dosage Calculation Competency.
- Maintenance of AHA Healthcare Provider certification or equivalent.
- Maintenance of current immunizations.
Dosage Calculation Competency
Students in nursing courses must demonstrate competency of dosage calculation skills at three points in their program of study to progress. The competency will be assessed by examination using the following procedure:
- BSN Entry/Accelerated Programs: Prior to beginning
NRSI 210, 302, and/or 310
Ninety-five percent accuracy must be achieved on each competency test before the student will be allowed to progress. Two retakes will be allowed for each competency test. If a retake examination is necessary, the original test is not given; another of comparable difficulty will be used. If this standard is not achieved, the student will be required to withdraw from the clinical nursing course requiring proof of competency and must enroll in NURS 197 Dosage Calculation Remediation.
Upon completion of NURS 197
, the student is eligible to retake the appropriate-level competency exam with
one repeat examination allowed. If successful with 95 % accuracy, the student will be allowed to progress. Enrollment in the clinical nursing course is on a space-available basis. If the student successfully completes remediation, yet fails to complete competency testing, the student will be dismissed from the nursing program. Students are allowed to take
NURS 197 Dosage Calculation Remediation only
ONCE during the nursing program.
Exams to determine the dosage calculation are scheduled during the final week of each semester:
- NRSI 202 for Level One Competency
- NRSI 210
for Level Two Competency
- NRSI 302
for Level Three Competency
Prerequisite and Corequisite Requirements
A Prerequisite course is one that is successfully completed before taking the subsequent course. A Corequisite course is required to be taken with another course.
Repeating a Nursing Course
No more than one nursing course in the nursing degree program may be repeated. A student will be dismissed from the College if a grade of “D” or below is received in two (2) courses. If a student does not meet progression requirements in any nursing course, that student can repeat the course only once. Enrollment in the repeated course will be on a space-available basis. The student’s GPA will reflect the grade received when the course is repeated. If a student withdraws prior to the last day to drop without receiving a grade, then that withdrawal is not counted as a repeat of the course.
A student who withdraws or does not achieve progression requirements in any Corequisite course will NOT be allowed to progress to the next nursing course until the Corequisite requirement is successfully completed. If withdrawal of a Corequisite course occurs, withdrawal in the concurrent nursing course will also be required. If progression in the nursing program is interrupted for this or any other reason, enrollment will be resumed only on a space-available basis. Space-available basis is determined by the number of seats remaining in the course after all new and progressing students have been registered. If there are more students repeating than slots available, a ranking process will be used to register those students.
Students who fall out of progression and who do not register the following semester for a nursing clinical course are responsible for scheduling to review and practice clinical skills and other required items prior to enrollment in the next clinical course.
ATI Testing Policy
Revision in the ATI Testing Policy began with the INCOMING classes, Fall 2006 semester. This means that the first classes to be affected by the policy concerning unsuccessful completion of the comprehensive predictor exam will be the Spring 2008 graduating classes. Every graduating class thereafter will be affected by this policy change.
1.
If a student scores < 67% on specific course content exams, the student will be encouraged to:
- Review subject area deficits from ATI report (utilize resources to address deficits – ATI materials, course textbooks, etc.)
- Complete the non-proctored exam until a recommended score of ≥ 90% is obtained. The student will submit a completion certificate to the course coordinator indicating a score of at least 90% on the non-proctored exam prior to beginning the next semester.
2. If a senior student scores < 67% correct on the comprehensive predictor exam,
the following applies:
- Remediation is carried out as noted above in policy statement number one.
- In addition, the student must repeat the proctored exam. A fee of $25 will be charged for the repeat exam. Exam dates will be published for repeat exams and must be attended as scheduled.
- Students will be allowed to participate in commencement exercises but will not receive authorization to sit for the NCLEX-RN® exam until remediation is completed.
- The Chair or designee will coordinate the scheduling and proctoring of repeat exams.
- Students who do not achieve at least a 67% on the repeat exam are required to attend a formal review course prior to receiving authorization to sit for the NCLEX-RN® exam. The review course is at the student’s own expense. A list of approved courses will be provided.
Graduation Requirements
After enrollment in the nursing program, it is recommended that students take at least one nursing course each semester. Degree requirements must be met within five years of entry into the nursing program.
Every candidate for a degree is responsible for meeting all the requirements for graduation. The responsibility for understanding and meeting graduation requirements rests entirely with the student. The degree requires:
- Satisfactory completion (C or better) of all specified courses in the curriculum plan
- Completion of 400-level nursing courses with a minimum of 30 credit hours granted by Cox College for each BSN track
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale on completion of required courses for all the nursing program
- Completion of all nursing courses within 5 years of admission to the nursing program
Deadline for applying for graduation is published on the academic calendar. If a student does not complete the final course requirements, a new degree application must be submitted.
