Bachelor of Science in Nursing

The program is approved by the State Board of Nursing, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Graduates are eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) leading to licensure as a Registered Nurse. The degree of Bachelor of Science in Nursing may be conferred upon a student by recommendation of the faculty and upon the satisfactory completion of a minimum of 122 credit hours with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 overall and in the major. Nursing, as an integral part of the complex health care system, shares responsibility with other disciplines for assuring the availability of comprehensive health services to all consumers. Health is a dynamic state, which embodies physical, psychological, and social dimensions, not merely the absence of illness. The definition of optimal health varies with the client and is determined by personal goals and values and past and present health factors. Nursing is a humanistic profession characterized by the therapeutic use of self in a holistic approach to the care of clients. Nursing supports clients in achieving and maintaining optimal health through health promotion, illness prevention, disease management, health restoration, and rehabilitation. Clients are conceptualized as individuals, families, and communities. The client is an open system engaged in interaction with the environment. Clients perceive and respond to environmental stimuli as integrated wholes. The professional nurse provides leadership in directing and coordinating nursing care and is accountable to clients and the profession through ongoing evaluation of nursing practice. The professional nurse advocates for optimal client health through counseling, teaching, and social, organizational, and political action. Professional nurses are committed to professional growth and the expansion and validation of nursing knowledge.