If you are a student that follows a different catalog year, see your department chair or the Office of Academic Records. Dickinson State University • • • Nursing

DEPARTMENT OF NURSING

Faculty: Marsh – Chair, Bock, G. Hofland, Klusmann, Lantz, Nordahl, Sticha, Stull

Mission Statement
The Department of Nursing is an integral component of Dickinson State University and is comprised of both technical and professional nursing programs. Our primary role is to foster and facilitate the development of competent health care practitioners who are prepared to serve in a continually evolving health care environment.

Majors

National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission
The AASPN and BSN programs are fully accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission. The League’s address is: 61 Broadway, 33rd Floor, New York, NY 10006. The League’s phone number is: 1-800-669-1656. Their website can be found at www.nlnac.org.

North Dakota Board of Nursing
The AASPN and BSN programs are approved by the North Dakota Board of Nursing. The Board’s address is: 919 South 7th St., Suite 504, Bismarck, ND 58504-5881. The Board’s phone number is: 701-328-9777. Their website can be found at www.ndbon.org.

Program Goals

AASPN Program
The goal of the AASPN program is to prepare its prospective graduates to perform selected nursing functions for individual and family clients with actual or potential health problems. While nursing care remains under the supervision of the registered nurse, the AASPN graduate is prepared to participate with supervision in each phase of the nursing process in caring for selected clients.

The AASPN two-year program prepares the graduate for the licensing examination for practical nurses. Successful completion of the licensing examination allows the graduate to be licensed as an LPN.

BSN Program
The goal of the BSN program is to prepare its prospective graduates to function collaboratively with other health care professionals to provide nursing care to clients with actual or potential health problems involving individuals, families, groups, and communities. The BSN graduate is prepared to assume a leadership role in acute care and rural/urban community health settings. The BSN graduate has sufficient background to pursue further specialization and graduate education in nursing.

ASPN/AASPN-LPNs, ADN-RNs and Diploma RNs may complete requirements for the bachelor’s degree via the BSN Completion Program. Successful completion of the licensing examination allows non-RN graduates to be licensed as an RN. Graduates who already hold RN licensure are not required to re-write the licensing exam.

Program Outcome Criteria
Program outcome criteria for both the Associate in Applied Science in Practical Nursing Program and the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Completion Program are found in the Department of Nursing Policy Handbook.   This handbook is revised biannually and is provided to all enrolled nursing students. These criteria are available to prospective students upon request made to the Department of Nursing.

Admission, Progression, & Graduation Requirements
Students wishing to apply for admission into the nursing programs must complete a formal application BOTH to Dickinson State University and the Department of Nursing. Admission to Dickinson State University does not automatically ensure admission to the nursing programs. For information contact the Department of Nursing.

Admission requirements for the nursing programs are listed on the following pages. Progression and graduation criteria are found in the Department of Nursing Policy Handbook.  All prospective nursing students receive a copy of the admission, progression, and graduation criteria upon request of program information. Admission, progression, and graduation criteria are subject to annual revision.

All students planning to enter or re-enter a nursing program must meet the admission, progression, and graduation requirements of the program that are in effect at the time students start classes following official admission/re-admission into the respective nursing program.

Criminal Background Check: All nursing students admitted or readmitted to a nursing program are required to complete annual criminal background checks. Participation in the criminal background checks are necessary for obtaining clearance for students’ participation in clinical learning opportunities at various healthcare facilities prior to students’ clinical learning.  Health care facilities are increasingly being required by their insurers to verify employees and participating students do NOT have criminal backgrounds and will likely be safe healthcare providers. Please contact the Department of Nursing if you have any questions.

Required Functional Abilities
All nursing students admitted or re-admitted to a nursing program are required to complete annual required functional abilities assessments.  The nursing profession requires specific physical, sensory, cognitive and emotional functional abilities of its practitioners and these same functional abilities are required of students throughout the nursing education programs.

If you have any questions regarding your own required functional abilities in these areas, please contact the Department of Nursing for further information.  If any of the required necessary functional abilities are in doubt for a student, the Department of Nursing will require him/her to have a medical examination. Official proof that the student has sufficient capacity in each of the required functional abilities areas from a medical physician and other healthcare professionals as appropriate, may be required for the student before continuing in the nursing education program.

Associate in Applied Science in Practical Nursing Program Admission Requirements

General students and those not holding nursing licensure seeking admission to the first year of the AASPN Program must:

  1. Provide official transcripts of high school course work (partial or complete), GED (if appropriate), all colleges attended (if appropriate), and ACT scores (if applicable) to the Office of Academic Records. These official records must show evidence of the following:
  2. Have a minimum 2.25 cumulative high school or college/university GPA,
    OR, minimum ACT score of 20 (if high school GPA is less than 2.25),
    OR, minimum average standard GED score of 50 or 450; and a minimum standard score of 40 or 410 in each subject area. Students are ranked according to GPA in the Selection Process.
  3. Have a minimum grade of “C” (2.00) in high school or college/university algebra or GED math score of 40 or 410 (submit evidence of course in process).
  4. Have a minimum grade of “C” (2.00) in high school or college/university chemistry or GED science score of 40 or 410 (submit evidence of course in process).
  5. Submit a completed North Dakota University System application to Dickinson State University.
  6. Submit a completed AASPN Program application to the Department of Nursing. Application deadline is February 1.  Letters of acceptance/denial are sent by the Department of Nursing no sooner than the middle of March.  Applications received after the deadline will be considered on a space available basis.

Vocational LPN’s seeking admission to the second year of the AASPN Program must meet the admission criteria for the AASPN Program as previously noted, and must also:

  1. Have graduated from a state-approved PN program.
  2. Have a minimum grade of “C” (2.00) in required first year courses of CHEM 115, 115L – Introductory Chemistry and Lab, BIOL 211, 211L – Human Anatomy and Lab, PSYC 111 – Introduction to Psychology, BIOL 212, 212L – Human Physiology and Lab, PSYC 250 – Developmental Psychology, or equivalent courses. Vocational LPN graduates may be admitted to the AASPN Program without meeting all pre-requisites as stated above provided the individual graduated from an approved nursing education program. However, they must provide evidence of satisfactory attainment of all required courses in the major prior to graduation from the AASPN Program.
  3. Have received academic credit for nursing courses from a regionally accredited institution.  (Nursing credits transferred or awarded will be recorded on the Dickinson State University transcript but will not apply   toward degree completion until student has successfully completed nursing courses [NURS prefix] equivalent to approximately one semester of full-time nursing course work.)
    OR
    Successfully completed NLN’s PN FUNDAMENTALS Exam to receive academic credit for NURS 121/198A – Basic Nursing Concepts I and Clinical, NURS 131/198B – Basic Nursing Concepts II and Clinical, and NURS 240 – Fundamentals of Nutrition if necessary.
  4. Submit verifiable evidence of nurse licensure. This includes social security number, state where licensed and licensure number (or evidence of pending licensure).

Bachelor of Science in Nursing Completion Program Admission Requirements

ASPN-LPNs, AASPN-LPNs, ASN-RNs, or ADN-RNs seeking admission to the BSN Program must:

  1. Submit verifiable evidence of nurse licensure. This includes social security number, state where licensed and licensure number (or evidence of pending licensure).
  2. Provide official transcripts of previous vocational/college/university education to the Office of Academic Records.  These official records must show evidence of the following:
  3. Submit a completed North Dakota University System application to Dickinson State University.
  4. Submit a completed BSN Program application to the Department of Nursing.  Application deadline is February 1.  Letters of acceptance/denial are sent by the Department of Nursing no sooner than the middle of March.  Applications received after the deadline will be considered on a space available basis.

The Diploma RN seeking admission must meet admission criteria for the BSN completion program as previously noted and must also:

Have received academic credit for nursing courses from a regionally accredited institution.  (Nursing credits transferred or awarded will be recorded on the Dickinson State University transcript but will not apply toward degree completion until the student has successfully completed nursing courses [NURS prefix] equivalent to approximately one semester of full-time nursing course work.)
OR
Successfully completed the NLN ACE II RN-BSN Exams (3 separate exams) to receive academic credit for NURS 121, 198A – Basic Nursing Concepts I and Clinical, NURS 131, 198B – Basic Nursing Concepts II and Clinical, NURS 240 – Fundamentals of Nutrition, NURS 231, 298A – Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing and Clinical, NURS 241, 298B – Intermediate Nursing Concepts I and Clinical, NURS 251, 298C – Intermediate Nursing Concepts II and Clinical, and NURS 215 – Introduction to Pharmacology.

ASPN/AASPN LPNs, ASN-RNs seeking ALTERNATE ADMISSION OPTION to the BSN Program (Nurses with less than 2.5 cumulative nursing GPA) must:

  1. Submit verifiable evidence of nurse licensure. This includes social security number, state where licensed and licensure number.
  2. Provide official transcripts of previous vocational/college/university education to the Office of Academic Records.  These official records must show evidence of the following:
  3. Have a minimum 2.5 cumulative college/university GPA.  Students are ranked according to GPA in the Selection Process.
  4. Have a minimum 2.33 cumulative nursing GPA.
  5. Have a minimum grade of “C” (2.00) in all pre-requisite courses (or equivalent) of CHEM 115, 115L –Introductory Chemistry and Lab, BIOL 211, 211L – Human Anatomy and Lab, PSYC 111 – Introduction to Psychology, BIOL 212, 212L – Human Physiology and Lab, PSYC 250 – Developmental Psychology, HPER 100 – Concepts of Fitness and Wellness, ENGL 110 – College Composition I, ENGL 120 – College Composition II, SOC 110 – Introduction to Sociology or SOC 115 – Social Problems, BIOL 302, 302L – Survey of Microbiology and Lab.
    ASPN/AASPN-LPN, ASN-RN graduates may be admitted to the BSN Completion Program without meeting all pre-requisites as stated above provided the individual graduated from an approved nursing education program.  However, they must provide evidence of satisfactory attainment of all courses in the major prior to graduation from the BSN Completion Program.
  6. Submit a completed North Dakota University System application to Dickinson State University.
  7. Submit a completed BSN Program application to the Department of Nursing.  Application deadline is February 1.  Letters of acceptance/denial are sent by the Department of Nursing no sooner than the middle of March.  Applications received after the deadline will be considered on a space available basis.
  8. Have a minimum six months interval between licensure as a nurse and completing the NLN ACE I PN-RN Exams (Foundations of Nursing and Nursing Care During Childbearing/Nursing Care of the Child).  Prospective students are encouraged to work as a licensed nurse prior to completing the exams.
  9. Have successfully passed the NLN ACE I PN-RN Exams (Foundations of Nursing and Nursing Care During Childbearing/Nursing Care of the Child) with a minimum score of 70 percent (total decision score) required on the Foundations and 65 percent on the Nursing Care During Childbearing and Nursing Care of the Child exam.  The exams must be completed by August 1.  Costs associated with the exams are incurred by the prospective student, and must be paid prior to the exams being ordered.  The exam(s) may be repeated only once.

Enrollment in Nursing Courses
Students not enrolled in the nursing programs may take specified nursing courses provided they have the permission of the faculty teaching the course.

Alternate Methods to Validate Course Objectives
The Department of Nursing, in accordance with Dickinson State University policy, offers the student the opportunity to validate the achievement of specific course objectives by alternate methods. Situations are reviewed on an individual basis by the nursing faculty. For specific information, contact the chair of the Department of Nursing.

National Validation Exams
National League for Nursing exams utilized are national validation tests designed to evaluate previous learning in order to assist with program placement of nurses who are seeking educational mobility. For further information, contact the chair of the Department of Nursing.