Mar 28, 2024  
2014-2015 Catalogue 
    
2014-2015 Catalogue [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Nursing


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Dean of Nursing: Maureen O’Reilly

Program Coordinator: Karen S. Grafton; Professors: Margaret A. Carson, Kathleen O. Perrin; Associate Professors: Deborah McCarter-Spaulding, Antonia Nelson, Caryn A. Sheehan; Assistant Professor: Margaret J. Walker, Pamela Preston-Safarz, Joanne Welch; Instructors: Ann L. Fournier; Clinical Nursing Faculty (full-time): Laurie A. Bennett, Destiny Brady, Kathleen Cahill, Danielle Leone, Mary Jane McClure, Kelly Nordstrom, Ellen Sanborn, Lynne Sheppard, Jane K. Sobolov; Nursing Lab Instructor: Stacy Toupin, Clinical Nursing Faculty (part-time): Amber Bechard, Dana Bisson, Brenda Cooper, Lenore Cortez, Lise deLongchamp, Amy Dooley, James Gaynor, Colleen Karen, Mary Ann Kelly, Jane Leonard, Martha Lynch, Kelly White; Lecturer: Grace Trivers.

Philosophy

The Philosophy of the Department of Nursing is consistent with the Philosophy of Saint Anselm College, a Catholic liberal arts institution in the Benedictine tradition. The nursing program builds on the foundation of a liberal arts baccalaureate education and Christian/Catholic values and ethics. The Department of Nursing views nursing as a profession which utilizes both art and science in the provision of patient-centered care that is creative, goal-directed and evidence-based. The primary commitment of the nurse is to the health and well-being of the patient and society.

Mission

In keeping with the mission of Saint Anselm College and the Catholic, Benedictine tradition, the Mission of the Department of Nursing is to educate the Saint Anselm student nurse to become a professional who can:

  • think critically
  • provide safe, high quality care based on the most current evidence
  • utilize information technology
  • practice holistically and collaboratively while caring for diverse individuals, families, communities and populations
  • demonstrate leadership in a variety of settings
  • engage in service to others
  • pursue lifelong learning

General Information regarding the Department of Nursing

The Department of Nursing offers three programs in nursing education: a generic Baccalaureate Program, an RN to BSN Degree Program, and a Continuing Nursing Education Program. The degree program in the Department leads to the Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. Courses taken in the Department of Nursing are not applicable to the Bachelor of Arts degree.

Admission Requirements

A candidate for admission to the nursing program is considered individually by the committee on admissions and must meet all college requirements. The high school transcript must show that the student has completed at least 10 of a total 16 units in the following areas: English, mathematics, language, social, physical and biological sciences. A college preparatory chemistry course is required. The minimum mathematics requirement must include Algebra I & II and Geometry.

The nursing major at Saint Anselm College is a four-year program with a determined number of participating students. Therefore, the College limits the number of students accepted into the nursing program. Candidates interested in the nursing major should indicate this preference at the time of submitting an application. An Open House for senior high school students is conducted as part of the College Open House. Information may be obtained from the College Admissions Office.

Personal Qualifications: Personal qualities, such as maturity, sense of responsibility, emotional stability, integrity, respect for others, and moral character determine to a great degree whether a student will be successful in the field of nursing. Health status must meet all requirements of the nursing program. All students are required to have a criminal background check and drug screen as part of the admission process.

Class Attendance: When enrolled in a nursing course, a student may not be absent without express permission of the program coordinator of the Department of Nursing or the faculty member involved. Absence from class or the clinical area will be excused only in case of illness or other serious cause. Make-up time for clinical absences is required.

Student Representation: Nursing majors serve as members on each standing committee of the department.

Cooperating Health Care Agencies: Numerous area health care agencies.

Student Expenses: Expenses for nursing majors are the same as for other students enrolled in the College with the following additional charges subject to adjustment: 1) Uniforms and equipment approximately $250; 2) Annual Student Liability Insurance Premium of approximately $20.00 commencing sophomore year, and 3) Annual clinical fee of approximately $1,520 for each of the junior and senior years, and $390 for sophomore year, for second semester only; 4) Clinical absence make-up fee.

Transportation: Each student must have use of a car as early as second semester sophomore year due to individual community and clinical assignments.

Health Requirements: Health and immunizations are monitored to meet the basic requirements of clinical affiliations and to assist in the maintenance of physical and emotional health necessary to meet the demands of the curriculum. Required immunizations include: Current TB (Mantoux) test within one year (two step TB is required prior to entering the Junior year); two doses of Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR); Tetanus/Diphteria/Pertussis (Tdap) within 10 years; Hepatitis B series. A Varicella titer and Hepatitis-B titer are required before entering sophomore year. During the sophomore, junior and senior years, students must provide evidence of yearly tuberculosis testing. A Flu Shot is highly recommended for all nursing majors. Preexisting health problems must be brought to the attention of the Dean of Nursing. The problems remain the responsibility of the student and/or parents or guardians and may not interfere with the goals of the program. In the fall, a flu shot or a signed waiver is required for nursing majors. The flu shot can be obtained at the College Health Services for a small fee. Please note: Most clinical sites require that staff/students who do not receive a flu shot must sign a waiver and wear a mask when providing patient care.

Criminal Background Check: All students are required to have a criminal background check and drug screening prior to entrance into the nursing program. Some agencies require annual background checks.

CPR Certification - By August 1st of the Sophomore year, nursing majors must provide evidence of completion of a CPR course for health care providers.

Hospitalization and Health Insurance: Neither Saint Anselm College nor the cooperating agencies provide student hospitalization or health insurance coverage. An insurance plan is available for the convenience of students who are not already enrolled in a family plan. Sophomore, junior and senior nursing majors must provide evidence of current health insurance coverage.

Class Standing and Promotion

Policy:

Candidates for a Bachelor of Science (in Nursing) degree must complete all of the following:

  1. Successfully complete 128 credits..
  2. Achieve a grade of “C-” or higher in Anatomy and Physiology I, Anatomy and Physiology II. Achieve a grade of “C” or higher in each of the nursing courses including Pathopharmacology I and Pathopharmacology II.
  3. Maintain a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 2.5 or higher by the completion of Freshman year and every semester thereafter.
  4. Successfully pass a multi-part comprehensive examination.

Procedures:

  1. Freshmen must (1) achieve a grade of “C” or higher in Introduction to Professional Nursing, and (2) have successfully completed 32 credits with a CGPA of 2.5 or higher to qualify for promotion to sophomore year.
  2. First and second semester sophomores must (1) achieve an average of “C” or higher in the exam portion and the overall grade of the nursing courses. Students receiving a “C-” or less on the exam portion of the grades will receive no more than a “C-” for a final course grade, (2) achieve a grade of “C-” or higher in Anatomy and Physiology I and Anatomy and Physiology II, (3) have a CGPA of 2.5 or higher and successfully completed 64 credits to qualify for promotion to junior year.
  3. First and second semester juniors must (1) achieve an average of “C” or higher in the exam portion and the overall grade of the nursing courses. Students receiving a “C-” or less on the exam portion of the grades will receive no more than a “C-” for a final course grade, (2) have a CGPA of 2.5 or higher and have successfully completed 96 credits to qualify for promotion to senior year.
  4. First and second semester seniors must (1) achieve an average of “C” or higher in the exam portion and the overall grade of the nursing courses. Students receiving a “C-” or less on the exam portion of the grades will receive no more than a “C-” for a final course grade, (2) pass a multipart comprehensive examination, (3) have a CGPA of 2.5 or higher and have successfully completed a total of 128 credits to qualify for graduation.

A “C” in the nursing courses is considered to be the numerical equivalent of 70-73.9.

Failure of any clinical rotation will result in failure of the course. Upon receipt of a clinical failure, the student will receive an “NP” No Pass notation for the entire course. If the student is allowed to repeat the course, the student will receive no more than a grade of “C” for the course. Refer to Clinical Failure Policy.

A student is allowed to repeat only one nursing course.

RN to BSN Program

Director of RN to BSN Program: Susan Kinney

Faculty: Destiny Brady, Kathleen Cahill, Lenore Cortez, Karen Klucky, Jane Leonard, Pamela Preston-Safarz, Maria Ryan, Caryn Sheehan, Lynne Sheppard, Rosemary Theroux, Robert Augros, David Banach, Dan Daly, Ann Norton, Tauna Sisco, Brian Traska.

In the increasingly complex global health care environment, the need for a more highly prepared nursing workforce is essential to insure quality, safe care for all patients. A baccalaureate education in nursing is rapidly becoming the minimum level required for entry into professional nursing practice. According to a report by the Institute of Medicine, health care can be improved by the achievement of higher levels of nursing education. Nursing education should provide a seamless transition from the associate degree to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.

In order to provide this transition, Saint Anselm College Department of Nursing has developed a program for the Associate Degree graduate to earn their BSN through a hybrid model. Hybrid courses combine on campus and online delivery. The combination of these learning methods provides flexibility for adult learners. During an 8 week period, students will attend two on campus meetings combined with six weeks of online classes. The online course content is provided on a weekly basis.

Students will transfer coursework from their Associate Degree program and complete the remaining courses for the BSN degree at Saint Anselm. The program can be completed in as little as 15 months or longer depending on the student’s preference. Courses are offered on a rotating basis. There is no course load requirement so students are able to progress at a pace that is amenable to their lifestyle, taking one or two courses every eight weeks. The program content for the RN-to-BSN Degree has been developed from the suggested framework of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Education (AACN, 2008). Essential competencies for the nurse of the future guide the content of the courses.

Admission Requirements

Students will be admitted to the RN-to-BSN program who have graduated from an accredited associate degree nursing program with a final GPA of 2.75 or above and who hold a current registered nurse license. If the applicant has not worked in the role of a registered nurse within the last 5 years, a competency lab and medication/math exam will be scheduled and must be passed with a score of 90 percent or higher. Students may apply for admission throughout the year and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

To apply for admission students must submit the following:

  • Completed Saint Anslem College RN to BSN application (found on website)
  • Official high school and college transcripts
  • Copy of Registered Nurse License
  • Statement of goals for obtaining a BSN degree
  • Written summary of your experience in nursing
  • Interview with Director of RN-to-BSN program

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