Nursing (NURS)

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

Faculty

Professor Olson, Dean; Distinguished Professor Hegge; Professors Bunkers, Craig, Foland, Hendrickx, Lord, Mylant, Peterson; Professors Emeriti Blazey, Hofland; Associate Professors Carson, Fahrenwald, Foland, Hobbs, Kropenske, Lammers, Stenvig, Tschetter, Voss, Wey; Assistant Professors Bohn, Elverson, Fjelland, Gorder, Jones, Mann, Minton, Randall, Samra, Shaver; Assistant Professors Emeriti Iken, Joffer; Instructors Arends, Atteberry, S. Bassett, Birch, Boysen, Bruner, Calhoon, Cissell, Durfee, Erickson,Forbes, Goddard, Haight-Kennedy, Hansen, Hanson, Hesson, Huber, Johansen, Klawiter, Lochridge, Lubeck, Maurer, Mordhorst, Ness, Pawelek, Pasquariello, Peters, Pickard, Roddy, Sieverson, Vockrodt, 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 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.

The third option, the Accelerated Option, is for students who have completed a bachelor’s or a master’s degree in any field and wish to obtain a Bachelor of Science with a major 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 in both Brookings and Rapid City. Students in the Accelerated Option are admitted once a year at the beginning of the 12-month cycle at the Sioux Falls campus. RN’s in the RN Upward Mobility Option are admitted to the nursing major once a year. Major courses can be completed in one year. Students who want to enter the nursing major are required to submit an application for admission to the major. Prior to applying to any option, all students must apply for admission to SDSU.

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. The admission process includes an interview with the Undergraduate Admission and Scholastic Standards Committee and/or additional undergraduate faculty if needed.

Standard Option
Applications to the Nursing Standard Option major can be obtained online at the College of Nursing website. 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. 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 courses required for graduation. All required prenursing 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 (CHEM 106/106L or 112/112L, 108/108L or 114/114L; MICR 231/231L; BIOL 221/221L, 325/325L; PSYC 101; one of the following: SOC 100, 150, or 240; NFS 315; HDFS 210), 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 site.

Accelerated Option

Deadline for application to the Accelerated Option is February 25. The application can be found on the College of Nursing website. To be considered for admission to the Accelerated Option, students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher, a pre-nursing GPA of 3.0 or higher, and a grade of “C” or higher in all completed nursing major support courses. Students are eligible to apply for the Accelerated Program when they have completed at least 6 of the pre-nursing courses AND have at least 2 of the remaining 4 pre-nursing courses in progress. Applicants with courses in progress at the time of application will be required to provide written documentation of their registration in those courses. The documentation needs to be included with the application form.

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 (CHEM 106/106L or 112/112L, 108/108L or 114/114L; MICR 231/231L; BIOL 221/221L, 325/325L; PSYC 101; one of the following: SOC 100, 150, or 240; NFS 315; HDFS 210), 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.

RN Upward Mobility
RN’s interested in the RN Upward Mobility option are encouraged to contact the RN Upward Mobility office on the Brookings campus for individual advising. RN’s may apply to the nursing major with no more than 2 support courses, maximum of 7 credits, remaining. Eligibility requirements include: 2.5 GPA, “C” grades in all coursework applied to baccalaureate requirements, evidence of personal liability insurance, criminal background check, and evidence of licensure in state of nursing practice. Application materials are provided to all eligible RN’s by staff. Applications are accepted each spring, submission date is March 1. Failure to meet submission requirements may disqualify an applicant for the annual admission cycle. Nursing major courses may be completed in one year.

Additional Requirements

Students preparing for or seeking additional education in the field of professional nursing must demonstrate 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 available on the Nursing website or through the Department of Nursing Student Services at the Brookings campus and through the academic adviser at the Rapid City site.

All students seeking admission into a nursing program in the College of Nursing must submit federal and supplemental criminal background checks. Admission to a program is conditional based on the results of the background check. The required background check is based on requirements for licensure as a registered nurse in South Dakota (South Dakota Nurse Practice Act, SD Codified Law Chapter 36-9-97). If you have been convicted, pled guilty or no contest to, or received a suspended imposition of sentence for a felony or other criminal offense (excluding minor traffic violations), you are advised that it may not be possible for you to be accepted into the major at South Dakota State University. You may also be prevented from taking the required licensure exam for registered nurses, and you may be prevented from gaining employment in the field of nursing. If you have questions about this policy, please contact the Department Head, Nursing Student Services at 605-688-4106.

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 student with English as a Second Language to complete the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL),International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or an accepted substitute. English as a Second Language is defined as a student who was instructed and spoke primarily in a language other than English in the K-12 grades or primary and secondary schooling. The minimum TOEFL score required for admission to the Nursing Major is 600 (paper-based), with no score below 56; 250 (computer-based), with a minimum reading score of 22, writing 23, and listening 22; or 100 (internet-based) (with a minimum reading score of 21, writing 19, listening 22, and speaking 26). The required IELTS band score for admission to the nursing major is 7.0. The TOEFL or IELTS is required for all students for whom English is a second language, regardless of residency status. These scores are required before the student will be accepted into the major. The student is responsible for all testing fees. For more information contact SDSU Nursing Student Services, SWG 363, Box 2275, Brookings, SD 57007. Phone 605-688-4106; Fax 605-688-6073.

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, 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 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.

Diversity Statement
Recognizing the growing diversity of the nation’s population, and in support of a key goal from many national organizations to eliminate health disparities, the College of Nursing faculty and staff seek to admit and graduate students who value, respect and reflect the diversity of the society in which they will learn and practice.