Nursing (NURS)

The Standard Option is designed to meet the educational needs of persons who are not registered nurses. The Standard Option is a five semester 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 a National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) accredited academic diploma or associate degree nursing program.

To be considered for admission to the Standard Option, students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.7, a pre-nursing GPA of 2.7, 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 ENGL 101, System Goal #2: Oral Communication, 3 credits of System Goal #4: Humanities, System Goal #5: Mathematics, IGR Goal #1: Land and Natural Resources, and IGR Goal #2: Personal Wellness.  Students who have failed (earned a “D” or “F” in two or more of the pre-nursing science courses (CHEM 106/106L or 112/112L, or 108/108L or 114/114L; MICR 231/231L; BIOL 221/221L, 325/325L), repeated and passed them on the second attempt will not be admitted to the Nursing Major. Students who have failed one pre-nursing course HDFS 210; NFS 321; PSYC 101; one of the following : SOC 100, 150, or 240 repeated and failed the same course a second time will not be admitted to the Nursing Major. If the failure is over five years old, it does not count as a failure. Students who have taken Anatomy or Physiology more than seven years prior to their admission date will be required to update these courses. 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 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 online or 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 (regardless of residency status) to attain a score of 600 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.

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, 2001). 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.