The School of Nursing offers the following curricula in the baccalaureate program: the traditional, the accelerated B.S. and the online R.N.-B.S. completion. Successful completion of curricular requirements results in a Bachelor of Science degree. Note that the applicant is responsible for seeking advice from the School of Nursing on courses taken prior to admission.
Program goals
Students will achieve an advanced beginner level of nursing competence by demonstrating:
I. Effective therapeutic nursing practice
II. Nursing judgment
III. A spirit of inquiry
IV. Professional identity
Student learning outcomes
The graduate is a knowledgeable professional nurse who will demonstrate:
- Integration of theories and concepts from liberal education into nursing practice (III)
- Knowledge, skills and attitudes in leadership, quality improvement and patient safety to provide high quality health care (I, II, IV)
- Professional nursing practice grounded in the translation of current evidence (I, II, III)
- Knowledge of skills in information literacy, management and patient care technology (III)
- Knowledge of health care, financial and regulatory policies that influence the nature and functioning of the health care system (I, II)
- Effective communication and collaboration skills with the interprofessional team to deliver high quality and safe patient care (I, II, IV)
- Health promotion and disease prevention at the individual and population level necessary to improve population health (I, II)
- Professionalism that reflects the inherent values of altruism, autonomy, human dignity, integrity and social justice fundamental to nursing (IV)
- Competence to practice with patients, including individuals, families, groups, communities and populations across the lifespan and across the continuum of health care environments that respects the variations of care, the increased complexity and the use of health care resources inherent in caring for patients (I, II, III, IV)
Other information
Our international and non-native English-speaking students bring different perspectives and new thinking to our nursing programs. To ensure that all incoming student are prepared for the school’s academic rigor, all international applicants and non-native English speaking applicants without a degree from a U.S. high school, college or university must provide additional information with their applications according to the English language proficiency guidelines on the program admission tab.
To be considered for admission to the School of Nursing, applicants must:
- Be eligible for readmission or be in good standing at the last college or university attended
- Submit a completed application with all required materials to the School of Nursing
- Have graduated from a diploma or associate degree program in nursing from a college or university with institutional accreditation
- Have an R.N. license from a U.S. state or territory by the time they start NURS 409 (Students that do not have their R.N. license by this time will not be allowed to progress in the program. Students who do not currently have an R.N. license in the U.S., consult with the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools and the Virginia Board of Nursing for steps needed to obtain a Virginia R.N. license.)
- Provide additional information with the application according to the English language proficiency guidelines for applicants who are international or non-native English speakers without a degree from a U.S. high school, college or university (Additional information can be found on the “Required materials” tab of the VCU International Admissions website.)
- Complete the following general education courses (with minimum grades of C) at an accredited college or university:
a. The following courses or their transfer equivalents (14 credit hours) must be completed prior to enrollment:
b. A minimum of 24 credit hours of the following required 37 credits must be completed prior to enrollment. All general education courses must be completed prior to enrolling in the final nursing course:
If the applicant has a bachelor’s degree in another discipline, the general education requirements for the R.N.-B.S. completion program will be met with the previous baccalaureate degree, with the exception of the following courses that must be completed prior to enrollment in the final nursing course: anatomy, physiology, microbiology, nutrition, statistics and developmental psychology.
In addition to the above criteria, highly qualified applicants to the program who meet the following criteria are eligible for guaranteed admission:
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 on all college courses
- Minimum grade of B in any nursing class
Requirements for co-enrolled students
To be considered for admission to the School of Nursing, applicants must:
- Be eligible for readmission or be in good standing at the last college or university attended
- Submit a completed application with all required materials to the School of Nursing
- Earn a minimum grade of B in all required nursing classes at Reynolds, John Tyler/Brightpoint, Southside Virginia or Rappahannock Community College
- Provide proof of associate degree and an R.N. license from a U.S. state or territory by the time they begin NURS 409 (Students that do not have their associate degree and R.N. license by that time will not be allowed to progress in the program.)
- Complete a minimum of 41 credit hours of the following VCU prerequisite and general education courses (with a minimum grade of C) at an accredited college or university prior to the beginning of the fall semester of the final year at Reynolds, John Tyler/Brightpoint, Southside Virginia or Rappahannock Community College:
Degree requirements for Nursing, Bachelor of Science (B.S.), R.N-B.S. completion program
Course | Title | Hours |
| |
NURS 301 | Nursing Informatics | 3 |
NURS 307 | Foundations of Professional Nursing I | 3 |
NURS 308 | Foundation of Professional Nursing II | 3 |
NURS 309 | Population Health | 3 |
NURS 403 | Evidence-based Practice in Health Care | 3 |
NURS 406 | Interprofessional Collaborative Practice | 2 |
NURS 408 | Ethics, Law and Public Policy: Application to Nursing Practice | 3 |
NURS 409 | Population Health: Application to Nursing Practice | 2 |
NURS 462 | Advanced Pathophysiological Concepts: Application to Patient Care | 3 |
NURS 477 | Leadership and Management in Health Care | 4 |
NURS 488 | Clinical and Management Decision-making | 3 |
| 51 |
| 39 |
Total Hours | 122 |
The minimum number of credit hours required for this degree is 122.
What follows is a sample plan that meets the prescribed requirements within a four-year course of study at VCU. Please contact your adviser before beginning course work toward a degree.
Credits for program admission and program corequisites: 51
|
Semester 1 | Hours |
NURS 301 | Nursing Informatics | 3 |
NURS 307 | Foundations of Professional Nursing I | 3 |
| Term Hours: | 6 |
Semester 2 | |
NURS 308 | Foundation of Professional Nursing II | 3 |
NURS 309 | Population Health | 3 |
| Term Hours: | 6 |
Semester 3 | |
NURS 403 | Evidence-based Practice in Health Care | 3 |
NURS 409 | Population Health: Application to Nursing Practice | 2 |
| Term Hours: | 5 |
Semester 4 | |
NURS 408 | Ethics, Law and Public Policy: Application to Nursing Practice | 3 |
NURS 462 | Advanced Pathophysiological Concepts: Application to Patient Care | 3 |
| Term Hours: | 6 |
Semester 5 | |
NURS 406 | Interprofessional Collaborative Practice | 2 |
NURS 477 | Leadership and Management in Health Care | 4 |
| Term Hours: | 6 |
Semester 6 | |
NURS 488 | Clinical and Management Decision-making | 3 |
| Term Hours: | 3 |
| Total Hours: | 32 |
Upper-division credits to be awarded after successful completion of NURS 308: 39
The minimum number of credit hours required for this degree is 122.