Program Description

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) professional program builds on a foundation of knowledge in science, humanities, and multidisciplines. The BSN degree program in Orlando and Tampa has three options: The traditional pre-licensure; the RN-BSN completion (or Bridge) for students who have earned an associate or diploma in nursing and are licensed as a registered nurse; and Accelerated (students who have already earned a bachelor of arts or science degree in another field). Graduates will be prepared for entry-level positions as a baccalaureate-prepared nurse. Students graduating from this program are eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) in order to obtain Florida RN licensure.

The curriculum is concept-based and moves from simple to complex learning and application to analysis utilizing critical thinking, the nursing process, and evidence-based practice. The curriculum is designed to facilitate complex thinking and deeper understanding of nursing concepts. The curriculum actively engages students and faculty, leading to discovery, reflection, and thoughtful application of nursing knowledge across the life-span and in culturally diverse populations. The conceptual framework for the program is based on Ida Jean Orlando’s Nursing Process Theory and incorporates QSEN guidelines.

The BSNF curriculum framework encompasses The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice, the American Nurses Association (ANA) Standards of Nursing and the National League of Nursing’s (NLN) Core Values  and Educational Competencies and incorporates adult learning theory. Graduates will be primary providers of direct and indirect care in many different settings, including acute care, long-term, and community health. In providing care, nurses will also serve as patient advocates and educators. The focus of care may be an individual, a group, or a specific population. Graduates will also be prepared to assume first-line management positions. Emphasis is placed on the importance of nursing research and evidence-based practice. The program provides an excellent foundation for graduate study in nursing.

Program Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, the student should be able to:

1. Manage quality, safe, evidence-based, skilled, and patient-centered care utilizing the nursing process.
2. Apply research methods to evaluate current knowledge from nursing theory, nursing science, and related disciplines to inform and/or initiate change in educational, clinical, and organizational decision making.
3. Engage in critical thinking necessary for leadership and management, quality improvement, and patient safety, as required, to provide high-quality healthcare.
4. Integrate teaching and learning principles in both formal and incidental teaching situations for health promotion in areas of advanced leadership, community/public health, and global health.
5. Participate in collaborative relationships with individuals, families, groups, communities, populations, and members of the interdisciplinary team to provide and improve care.
6. Review existing or proposed local, state, national, and global policy and legislation, including financial and regulatory, that affect healthcare.
7. Demonstrate leadership roles appropriate for the baccalaureate nurse in designing, managing, and coordination of patient care within the context of competent, ethical, and patient-focused care in a variety of healthcare settings for diverse patient populations.
8. Integrate knowledge, communication skills, and scientific finding from nursing science, computer science, information science, and cognitive science in the professional practice of nursing informatics.
9. Incorporate scholarship, professional behaviors, ethical, and legal principles into baccalaureate nursing performance.
10. Think critically at a conceptual level and by using mathematical analysis as well as the scientific method, write and speak effectively, use basic computer applications, and understand human behavior in the context of the greater society in a culturally diverse world.

Special Admission Requirements

Please refer to the “Undergraduate Nursing Program Requirements ” policy in the Admissions Information section of this catalog for nursing program admission requirements.

Potential Occupational Titles

Potential occupational titles for this program include, but are not limited to, registered nurse.

Program Content

A minimum of 120.00 semester credit hours is required for graduation.

Third Party Testing

Assessment and remediation are critical components of nursing education. Students in the nursing program may be required to take third-party, standardized exams in an electronic format throughout the curriculum. These standardized tests are valid and reliable predictors of success on the NCLEX examination and provide valuable feedback concerning student strengths and weaknesses. Student learning outcome data identifies content areas that require remediation, allowing faculty to personalize student support and intervention. Courses that utilize third-party exams will incorporate the points earned on the test as a percentage of the final grade earned for the course as specified in the course syllabus.