Nursing (BSN)
The Nursing, Traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program provides pre-licensure students with the knowledge and skills to meet contemporary society's nursing needs and prepare students for the nursing licensure exam. In the program, students develop their critical thinking and clinical judgment skills to integrate knowledge regarding the nature of individuals, their environment, and their health state, as well as those of populations and communities. Students nursing competencies are promoted by learning activities that are carried out in the classroom, skills laboratory, low and high-fidelity simulation laboratory, and clinical in various acute and chronic care and community settings. It prepares students to provide nursing care for individuals, families, and groups across the lifespan in various healthcare and community settings.
The traditional BSN program offers courses at the 200, 300, and 400 levels that are a total of 67 semester hours. Students complete a minimum of 62 semester hours of prerequisite, general education, and cognate courses.
The prerequisite general education courses must be completed prior to beginning the clinical nursing sequence because those courses are specifically selected due to their relevance to the nursing major. This foundation contributes to students’ understanding of individuals, their environment and health, and is a basis for students’ personal and professional development.
General Education & Prerequisite Requirements
The nursing curriculum consists of required prerequisite general education courses specifically selected because of their relevance to the nursing major. This foundation contributes to students' understanding of individuals, their environment, and health, and is a basis for students' personal and professional development.
General Education Courses (59 credit hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Must be completed prior to any nursing core courses. | ||
| ACAF 110 | Foundations I: Bona Ventura Cosmic Journey | 4 |
| ACAF 120 | Foundations II: Continuing the Journey | 3 |
| BIOL 124 & BIOL 125 | Principles of Biology I and Principles of Biology I Lab 1 | 4 |
| BIOL 211 | Microbiology | 5 |
| BIOL 221 | Human Anatomy | 4 |
| BIOL 252 | Human Physiology | 4 |
| CHEM 120 | Foundations of Chemistry | 5 |
| ENGL 111 | College Writing I | 3 |
| MATH 105 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |
| PSYC 111 | General Psychology | 3 |
| SOCI 111 | Principles of Sociology | 3 |
| Recommended to be completed prior to the start of the clinical block or during the summer while in the program. | ||
| CMMA 142 | Speech Communication | 3 |
| ENGL 200 | Introduction to Literature | 3 |
| Nature Writing (3) | ||
| Travel Writing (3) | ||
| Introduction to African American Literature (3) | ||
| Know Thyself (3) | ||
| HIST XXX | Approved history course | 3 |
| PHIL 101 | Introduction to Philosophical Thinking | 3 |
| THEO 101 | Introduction to Theology | 3 |
| Nursing Cognate Courses | ||
| HCLD 336 | Ethics in Health Care ((Must be taken prior to or concurrently with NURS 420 Ministry of Nursing.) ) | 3 |
| PSYC 240 | Life-Span Development ((Must be taken prior to or concurrently with NURS 450 Nursing Care of the Family.)) | 3 |
| Total Hours | 62 | |
Major Program (66 credit hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NURS 250 | Concepts of Professional Nursing | 3 |
| NURS 255 | Concepts of Population-Based Nursing | 3 |
| NURS 260 | Human Nutrition | 2 |
| NURS 308 | Health Assessment | 3 |
| NURS 310 | Professional Nursing Practice I | 5-8 |
| NURS 311 | Pathophysiology | 3 |
| NURS 315 | Pharmacology | 4 |
| NURS 330 | Nursing Care of the Adult I | 6 |
| NURS 335 | Nursing Care of the Adult II | 6 |
| NURS 340 | Psychosocial Nursing | 4 |
| NURS 412 | Nursing Research for Evidence-Based Practice | 3 |
| NURS 420 | The Ministry of Nursing | 3 |
| NURS 430 | Nursing Care of the Adult III | 4 |
| NURS 450 | Professional Nursing Practice III | 6-8 |
| NURS 461 | Nursing Leadership and Management | 3 |
| NURS 465 | Community Health Nursing | 2 |
| NURS 468 | Transition to Professional Nursing Practice I | 2 |
| NURS 469 | Transition to Professional Nursing Practice II | 3 |
| Total Hours | 65-70 | |
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Students may choose electives from non-required nursing courses or electives in related fields. Nursing electives include:
Completion of General Education and Prerequisite course work at USF does not automatically guarantee progression into nursing clinical courses. Students are in the Pre-Nursing major until selected by the Nursing Admission and Progression Committee and before any student can progress into clinical nursing courses. Admission into the nursing program is highly selective.
The suggested sequence:
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | |
| ACAF 110 | Foundations I: Bona Ventura Cosmic Journey | 4 |
| BIOL 124 & BIOL 125 | Principles of Biology I and Principles of Biology I Lab | 4 |
| CHEM 120 | Foundations of Chemistry | 5 |
| ENGL 111 | College Writing I | 3 |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| ACAF 120 | Foundations II: Continuing the Journey | 3 |
| BIOL 211 | Microbiology | 5 |
| BIOL 221 | Human Anatomy | 4 |
| CMMA 142 | Speech Communication | 3 |
| PSYC 111 | General Psychology | 3 |
| Hours | 18 | |
| Second Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| BIOL 252 | Human Physiology | 4 |
| ENGL 200 | Introduction to Literature | 3 |
| MATH 105 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |
| NURS 260 | Human Nutrition | 2 |
| PHIL 101 | Introduction to Philosophical Thinking | 3 |
| SOCI 111 | Principles of Sociology | 3 |
| Hours | 18 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| NURS 250 | Concepts of Professional Nursing | 3 |
| NURS 255 | Concepts of Population-Based Nursing | 3 |
| NURS 308 | Health Assessment | 3 |
| NURS 311 | Pathophysiology | 3 |
| THEO 101 | Introduction to Theology | 3 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| NURS 310 | Professional Nursing Practice I | 5-8 |
| NURS 315 | Pharmacology | 4 |
| NURS 420 | The Ministry of Nursing | 3 |
| HCLD 336 | Ethics in Health Care | 3 |
| HIST Gen Ed Course | 3 | |
| Hours | 18-21 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| NURS 330 | Nursing Care of the Adult I | 6 |
| NURS 340 | Psychosocial Nursing | 4 |
| NURS 412 | Nursing Research for Evidence-Based Practice | 3 |
| PSYC 240 | Life-Span Development | 3 |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| NURS 335 | Nursing Care of the Adult II | 6 |
| NURS 450 | Professional Nursing Practice III | 6-8 |
| NURS 465 | Community Health Nursing | 2 |
| Hours | 14-16 | |
| Fifth Year | ||
| Second Semester | ||
| NURS 430 | Nursing Care of the Adult III | 4 |
| NURS 461 | Nursing Leadership and Management | 3 |
| NURS 468 | Transition to Professional Nursing Practice I | 2 |
| NURS 469 | Transition to Professional Nursing Practice II | 3 |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 127-132 | |
Note: PSYC 111 is a prerequisite for PSYC 240 or SWRK 242. SWRK 242 (Spring only) may be substituted for PSYC 240. All students must complete NURS 102, NURS 245, NURS 250, NURS 260, and NURS 308 prior to entering the clinical course sequence. The general education component also consists of courses in Speech, Literature, History, Theology, and Philosophy. It is recommended that all general education courses be completed prior to the start of the clinical block of courses.
Students work with their advisors in selecting additional elective credits to fulfill the 120 credit hours required for graduation.