2007-2008 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2007-2008 Undergraduate Catalog [Archived Catalog]

Nursing (NURS)


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Roberta Olson, Dean
College of Nursing
SNF 255
605-688-5178 or 1-888-216-9806
e-mail: roberta.olson@sdstate.edu

Faculty

Professor Olson, Dean; Distinguished Professor Hegge; Professors Bunkers, Lord, Peterson, Sorenson; Professors Emeriti Blazey, Hofland; Associate Professors Carson, Craig, Fahrenwald, Dieter, Foland, Hendrickx, Kropenske, Lammers, Mylant, Smyer, Stenvig, Tschetter, Wey; Assistant Professors Becker, Elverson, Fjelland, Hobbs, Jones, Mann, Shaver, Voss; Assistant Professor Emerita Iken; Instructors J. Bassett, S. Bassett, Birch, Bohn, Boysen, Calhoon, Cissell, Cundy, Delzer, Eversgard, Forbes, Gibbons, Goddard, Hanson, Hesson, Jahn, Kertz, Klawiter, Lane, Maurer, Mennenga, Ness, Pawelek, Peters, Pickard, Rainboth, Randall, Sieverson, Symes, VanderBeek, Wiebe, White, Winterboer; Instructor Emerita Nelson.

Pre-Nursing and Nursing Major
Any student eligible for regular admission to SDSU who plans to enroll in the College of Nursing and Department of Undergraduate Nursing is accepted into pre-nursing and has an adviser from the College of Nursing. During the semester in which students are completing their final pre-nursing required courses, they apply for admission to the nursing major.

The College of Nursing offers three undergraduate program options for students to complete a nursing major.

The Standard Option is designed to meet the educational needs of persons who are not registered nurses. The Standard Option is a fivesemester program that can be completed in two and a half years. The RN Upward Mobility Option is designed as a degree completion for registered nurses who have completed an accredited academic diploma or associate degree nursing programs.

The newest option, the Accelerated Option, is for students who have completed a bachelor’s or a master’s degree in any field or with high academic standing in the baccalaureate program wish to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. The Accelerated Option is an intensive course of study that is delivered in a compressed format over 12 months.

Admission to the Nursing Major
Students in the Standard Option are admitted to the nursing major for both the Fall and Spring semesters on the Brookings and Rapid City campuses. Students in the Accelerated Option are admitted once a year at the beginning of the 12-month cycle at the Sioux Falls campus. Clinical and theory classes are taught in Sioux Falls. Students who want to enter the nursing major are required to submit an application for admission to the major. Prior to applying to the nursing major, however, a student must apply and be accepted for admission to SDSU.

Students may apply to only one program site (campus) at a time. The number of students accepted to enroll in the major may vary depending upon available clinical facilities, qualified faculty and funds. Selection is made from among the best qualified for the study and practice of nursing.

Applications to the major are online at the College of Nursing website:
www3.sdstate.edu/Academics/CollegeOfNursing/AdmissionInformation. To enter for the Spring Semester, the deadline to apply for admission to the Standard Option is September 25. To enter Fall Semester, the deadline is January 25. Deadlines for application to the Accelerated Option is April 1 and the RN Upward Mobility Option is March 1. Students interested in the RN Upward Mobility Option should contact the RN Upward Mobility office on the Brookings campus for individual advising. RN Upward Mobility students may have no more than 7 credits of support courses remaining at the time of application to major; 2.5 GPA and grades of “C” in all courses applied to baccalaureate degree required. Speaking with an adviser is extremely important to be able to progress through the program on a timely basis. Failure to submit a completed application by the deadline may automatically disqualify the applicant from being considered for enrollment in nursing major courses for the coming semester.

To be considered for admission to the Standard Option, students must have a 2.7 GPA or higher and a grade of “C” or higher in all completed required nursing major support courses. All required pre-nursing courses must be completed or in progress at time of application. Additionally, students must have completed MATH 102, ENGL 101, GS 143 or WEL 100, SPCM 101, and 6 credits of Humanities. Fulfillment of course requirements does not ensure admission. Students are selected competitively based on the total applicant pool. Specific information on criteria for selection may be obtained from the Department of Nursing Student Services at the Brookings campus or the Nursing Student Services Coordinator at the Rapid City campus.

Students preparing for or seeking additional education in the field of professional nursing must demonstrate a stable personality and the  ability to meet the demands of the professional nurse role. For admission to and progression in the nursing major courses, the student must meet Technical Standards for the nursing major. These standards are in the areas of general abilities, observational ability, communication, motor ability, intellectual/conceptual ability, and behavioral/social attributes. The Technical Standards are outlined in the Pre-Nursing Student Handbook, which is available through the Department of Nursing Student Services at the Brookings campus and through the Academic Adviser at the Rapid City campus. The Pre-Nursing Student Handbook may also be accessed from the College of Nursing’s web page: www3.sdstate.edu/Academics/CollegeofNursing.

Transfer students who have begun but not completed a nursing program at another college or university must submit a letter to the College of Nursing indicating their reason for transfer. They must also apply for admission to SDSU, as well as to the College of Nursing. Three letters of recommendation must also be submitted to the College of Nursing: one from the dean/director of their former program and two from faculty members.

As the nurse is a professional who deals with human lives, it is mandatory that a higher level of English fluency be met in order to ensure the safety of clients and students. The English as a Second Language requirement for the College of Nursing is higher than it is for other colleges in the University. The College of Nursing requires all students who meet the definition of students with English as a Second Language to attain a score of 560 on the Test of English as a Second Language (TOEFL), with no section score below a score of 56. They must also attain a score of 3.25 on the English Language Teaching Association (ELTA) Oral Interview Exam, with no section score below a 3. These scores are required before the student will be accepted into the major. The student is responsible for all testing fees. Contact Student Affairs, SDSU, Administration Building 312, Box 2201, Brookings, SD 57007. Phone 605-688-4122; e-mail: sdsu.intlstud@sdstate.edu or Fax 605-688-5951.

Requirements for Continuation in the Nursing Major
A GPA of 2.5 or higher is required for continuation in the nursing major.

A grade of “C” or higher is required in all nursing courses.

Students may repeat one failed nursing course with permission. Upon failing a second nursing course, the student is dismissed from the program. A student who needs to retake a failed course is re-enrolled in the course on a space available basis.

A student who fails a course due to unsafe practice in a clinical experience will not be eligible for readmission to the nursing major, unless evidence is submitted that the unsafe behaviors have been corrected.

All undergraduate and graduate nursing students are expected to adhere to the principles of the Code of Ethics for Nurses (American Nurses Association, 1985). The Code of Ethics for Nurses communicates a standard of professional behavior expected throughout the total program and in each individual nursing course. Therefore, in addition to dismissal for academic failure, the faculty and administration of the Departments of Undergraduate Nursing and of Graduate Nursing reserve the right to dismiss any student enrolled in either the undergraduate or graduate program for unethical, dishonest, illegal, or other conduct that is inconsistent with the Code of Ethics for Nurses.

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