College of Nursing

Box 70617
e-mail: nursing@etsu.edu

Dean’s Office: (423) 439-7051
Student Services: (423) 439-4578
Toll free: 1-888-37NURSE
Fax: (423) 439-4522 (Student Services)

The mission of the College of Nursing at East Tennessee State University is to facilitate the health of the community through excellence and innovation in nursing education, leadership, research, scholarship, and practice. The college provides undergraduate and graduate programs. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program includes curricula designed for four-year traditional students and second-degree students in an accelerated track. In addition, programs of advanced placement are available to eligible diploma or associate degree-prepared licensed registered nurses and to eligible licensed practical nurses interested in pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. (Information on the master’s and doctoral degree programs is found in the Graduate Catalog.)

The program is approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing and accredited by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE.) The CCNE is an additional resource for information (1 Dupont Circle, Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036, 1-202-887-6791.) The College of Nursing is affiliated with the National Student Nurses’ Association. Membership in the Epsilon Sigma Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, the International Nursing Honor Society, is available to eligible candidates.

Admission Requirements

Admittance to the university as a pre-nursing major does not assure admission to the major. Because limited numbers of students can be admitted to the nursing major, students must make a separate application to the College of Nursing. Applications for admission to the B.S.N. major and other information can be obtained through the College of Nursing Office of Student Services, Room 230, Roy S. Nicks Hall, (423) 439-4578 or 1-888-37NURSE, by e-mail: nursing@etsu.edu or online at: http://www.etsu.edu/nursing/.

The College of Nursing admits students to the four-year B.S.N. major twice a year. Application deadlines are February 1 (fall) and October 1 (spring). The priority deadline for application to the accelerated B.S.N. track for second-degree students, which begins during the summer term, is February 1. The priority deadline for application to the B.S.N. program for R.N. students is June 1. Applications will be considered until each class is filled.

To be considered for admission to the four-year baccalaureate nursing major, the applicant must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.6 GPA, on a 4.0 scale, on all college-level work as computed by East Tennessee State University. The actual GPA for admission may be higher, depending on the applicant pool. Developmental studies/remedial coursework are not included in the calculation of the cumulative grade point average for College of Nursing admission purposes.

The four-year B.S.N. applicant must have completed, or have in progress, all of the following courses, or their equivalents: ENGL 1010 , ENGL 1020 , and Speech; 12 credit hours that will satisfy course requirements under Humanities and Fine Arts and Social and Behavioral Sciences; HSCI 2230 /HSCI 2231 ; HIST 2010 , HIST 2020 ; MATH 1530 ; approved literature course; HSCI 2010 /HSCI 2011 ; and HSCI 2020 /HSCI 2021 . Additionally, the applicant must have earned a minimum grade of C (2.0) in each of the required health science courses. No more than two (2) health science courses may be repeated, and no more than one health science course may be repeated more than once in order to achieve a minimum grade of C (2.0).

Selection Process

After the deadline for application, eligible applicants will be rank-ordered within their respective tracks by cumulative college-level grade point average. Class size is limited. Should there be more eligible applicants than there are spaces available, a position in the class will be offered to the top-ranked students in the applicant pool.

Eligible students who cannot be accommodated will be notified in writing and may reapply during the next application period. No waiting list is maintained for admission. A final verification of eligibility will be made once semester grades become available. Students who, at the end of the semester of acceptance are no longer eligible, will not be permitted to maintain their admission to the nursing major and must reapply.

Maintenance and Progression

Students admitted to the nursing major must earn a minimum grade of C (2.0) in each required theory and/or clinical nursing course. Grades of C-, D+, D, and F indicate that the course content has not been mastered and are considered nursing failures. Students who earn a grade less than C (2.0) in any two required nursing courses (classroom or clinical practicum) will be academically dismissed from the College of Nursing. This policy applies even if one of the failed courses has been repeated previously with a grade of C (2.0) or higher. Students who earn a grade of F in any one clinical course will be academically dismissed from the College of Nursing. Students who earn a grade of less than C (2.0) in a required nursing course and who wish to repeat the course and progress must file an appeal with the College of Nursing Student Affairs Committee. For additional information, contact the college’s Office of Student Services.

If a student drops any of the following courses – NRSE 3030 , NRSE 3070 , NRSE 3080 , NRSE 4040 , NRSE 4050 , NRSE 3090 , or NRSE 4060 – the student must also withdraw from the corresponding clinical course (NRSE 3031 , NRSE 3071 , NRSE 3081 , NRSE 4041 , NRSE 4051 , NRSE 3091 , NRSE 4061 , or NRSE 4062 ).

Fully admitted students who continue to progress successfully in the curriculum on a full-time basis can expect to complete degree requirements in five semesters/terms. Students may complete the program on a part-time basis but are strongly advised to meet with a nursing advisor to develop an individualized plan for part-time study.

Students will obtain a copy of the College of Nursing policies and clinical course requirements, including the substance abuse policy, clinical course requirements, and information on Core Performance Standards from the college’s Office of Student Services. Students must sign forms indicating they have received the College of Nursing policies and agree to abide by them.

In partial fulfillment of the requirements of designated B.S.N. courses, students take three standardized assessment exams designed to prepare them for professional practice and the National Council Licensure Examination for the Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN). Four-year and accelerated second-degree B.S.N. students take an Entrance Assessment, used as a diagnostic tool, two weeks from the time of their letter of acceptance to the major (or prior to the first day of class for late admits). Students with reading comprehension or cumulative cores below 80 percent are required to add NRSE 3300 - Promoting Academic Success in Nursing (1 credit) to their schedule. This course supports and strengthens students’ study and test-taking skills. A Mid-Curricular Exam, the second standardized assessment in the curriculum, is a requirement in a designated nursing course in the second semester of the junior year. In the last semester of their academic program, all four-year and accelerated second-degree B.S.N. undergraduate students must pass a comprehensive Exit Exam as a requirement of a designated nursing course in the second semester of the senior year. The Exit Exam is required to pass the associated nursing course. Each exam will cost approximately $37. Personnel in the Testing Center, as well as designated faculty, assist students in test preparation, interpretation of test results, identification of areas of academic deficiency, selection of learning resources and development of study plans to meet specific learning needs. More information on schedules for each exam, payment procedures, review sessions, and policies for re-examination are provided within the designated courses.

After admission to the major and before beginning any clinical practice courses, students must furnish evidence of having met clinical course requirements, including documentation of good health and freedom from communicable diseases, compliance with substance abuse policy, CPR certification, professional liability insurance coverage, knowledge of universal precautions, HIPAA and other policies in the College of Nursing Student Handbook. Additional information may be required and the College of Nursing may add or choose clinical requirements based on current information. For example, criminal background checks are a requirement at clinical sites. Any student enrolled in a College of Nursing course or program may be asked to present evidence of physical or mental health at any time during the nursing program and program continuance may be contingent upon this evidence.

Many sites are used for nursing courses and students must provide or arrange for their own transportation. Opportunities exist for rural, and interprofessional clinical experiences, as well as international nursing experiences.

Given the rapid change in health care and technology, the faculty maintains the right and responsibility for revising the curriculum to anticipate societal needs for nursing care. Students are strongly advised to contact the college for current requirements.