Nursing BS
Total Units Required: 120
There is great potential for nursing in the rapidly changing health care system. Nursing offers a variety of opportunities for service to society, for personal growth, and for professional development. Nurses deliver health care to people in hospitals, extended care facilities, private homes, public health, schools, and other community settings. National and international data reflect an ongoing shortage of nurses, particularly for nurses prepared at baccalaureate and master's levels.
Graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing are highly marketable in a variety of nursing positions. California State University, Chico graduates are prepared to be the future leaders in nursing and are well regarded in the nursing community.
The BSN programs are approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing. The baccalaureate degree program in nursing and master's degree program in nursing at Chico State are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).
Students in the advanced placement option for RN to BSN receive a detailed advising plan that outlines graduation requirements for this option. Advising is provided by the RN-BSN advisor.
Grading Requirement
All courses taken to fulfill program course requirements must be taken for a letter grade except those courses specified by the department as credit/no credit grading only.
All required courses must be passed with grades of C or higher.
Progression in the professional nursing sequence depends upon maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 in nursing and grades of C or higher in all courses required for the nursing major.
By policy, a student receiving a grade of C- or less in a nursing course may not progress in the Nursing program. The student may petition the School of Nursing Executive Committee to review the application of the policy in their situation, if serious and compelling conditions contributed to a failing grade. Barring exceptional circumstances, students will not be allowed to repeat more than one course in the Nursing program.
Course Requirements for the Major: 84-100 units
Completion of the following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, is required of all candidates for this degree. Courses in this program may complete more than one graduation requirement.
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Nursing Core | ||
| General Education Areas 1 | ||
| Oral Communication (A1) | 3 | |
| Written Communication (A2) | 3 | |
| Critical Thinking (A3) | 3 | |
| Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning (B4) | 3 | |
| Introduction to Statistics | ||
| Science Foundation | ||
| BIOL 103 | Human Anatomy | 4 |
| BIOL 104 | Human Physiology | 4 |
| BIOL 211 | Allied Health Microbiology | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| General Chemistry for Applied Sciences | ||
| Organic Chemistry for Applied Sciences | ||
| General Chemistry I | ||
| Concurrent Core | ||
| The following courses are required but may be taken prior to admission or concurrently with the first semester of the Nursing program. | ||
| CHLD 252 | Child Development | 3 |
| PSYC 101 | Principles of Psychology | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Basic Nutrition | ||
| Human Nutrition | ||
| Transfer students may use as transfer credit any lower-division course of comparable content. Consult the department to determine acceptable courses. | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Human Cultural Diversity | ||
| Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
| Major Option | ||
| Select one of the following options: | 44-60 | |
| Total Units | 84-100 | |
- 1
See General Education for more information (including a course list).
Major Option Course Requirements
Students must select one of the following options for completion of the major course requirements.
General Option: 60 units
This option is for students who are just beginning in the nursing field. The curricular sequence meets all state requirements for initial RN licensure as well as Public Health Nursing certification. Students must be admitted to the General Option for the BSN (see supplemental admission criteria available from the department).
Professional Sequence
All courses must be taken in the sequence outlined.
| Semester I | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| NURS 283 | Nursing Foundations | 4 |
| NURS 284 | Practicum in Nursing Foundations | 4 |
| NURS 285 | Nursing Assessment | 3 |
| NURS 295 | Informatics in Nursing Practice | 1 |
| Units | 12 | |
| Semester II | ||
| NURS 302 | Medical-Surgical Nursing I | 3 |
| NURS 304 | Practicum in Acute Care | 4 |
| NURS 319 | Pharmacology | 2 |
| NURS 342W | Nursing Research (W) | 3 |
| Units | 12 | |
| Semester III | ||
| NURS 313 | Maternal-Child Nursing | 4 |
| NURS 314 | Practicum Maternal-Child Nursing | 3 |
| NURS 343 | Medical-Surgical Nursing II | 3 |
| NURS 344 | Medical-Surgical Nursing II Clinical | 2 |
| Units | 12 | |
| Semester IV | ||
| NURS 400 | Capstone Nursing Simulation Practicum | 2 |
| NURS 403 | Integrative Nursing Theory | 2 |
| NURS 404 | Practicum in Integrative Nursing | 2 |
| NURS 412 | Health Policy | 1 |
| NURS 413 | Nursing Management of Maladaptive Behavior | 3 |
| NURS 414 | Practicum in Management of Maladaptive Behavior | 2 |
| Units | 12 | |
| Semester V | ||
| NURS 422W | Leadership/Management and Professional Issues in Nursing (W) | 3 |
| NURS 424 | Practicum in Patient Care Management | 3 |
| NURS 474 | Practicum in Community Health Nursing | 3 |
| NURS 475 | Public Health Nursing | 3 |
| Units | 12 | |
| Total Units | 60 | |
Advanced Placement Option For RN to BSN: 44 units
This option is for students who have already completed an associate degree RN program. The curricular sequence meets the requirements for Public Health Nursing certification. The RN must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0.
RNs admitted to the Advanced Placement Option for RN to BSN must complete all eight nursing prerequisites, all lower division general education requirements, and have completed 70 transferable college units prior to being considered for admission. Students will receive 20 units of NCLEX credit in the final semester of the program.
Nursing Coursework
The following courses, or their equivalents, must be completed. RNs with sufficient background in a content area may challenge any of these courses, with permission of the school. Courses are delivered in a web-based format requiring a computer and Internet access.
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Courses must be taken in the order listed. | ||
| NURS 300 | RN-BSN Bridge Course | 4 |
| NURS 310 | Academic Writing for Nurses | 2 |
| NURS 316 | Nursing Informatics | 3 |
| NURS 342W | Nursing Research (W) | 3 |
| NURS 420W | Leadership/Management and Professional Issues in Nursing (W) | 4 |
| NURS 427 | Professional Values and Ethics in Nursing | 2 |
| NURS 477 | Public Health Nursing Theory | 3 |
| NURS 478 | Practicum in Community Health Nursing | 3 |
| Total Units | 24 | |
Professional Standards
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing is a degree that signifies readiness for beginning professional nursing practice. The faculty recognizes a responsibility to both the students and potential patients to produce graduates whose attitudes and behavior indicate readiness for carrying out their professional functions. If, in the professional judgment of the Executive Committee of the School of Nursing, a student appears to be potentially unsafe/dangerous to patients or colleagues, the school will refuse to allow the student to practice in the clinical setting and will immediately be removed from the Nursing program.
Honors in the Major
Honors in the Major is a program of independent work in your major. It requires six units of honors coursework completed over two semesters.
The Honors in the Major program allows you to work closely with a faculty mentor in your area of interest on an original performance or research project. This year-long collaboration allows you to work in your field at a professional level and culminates in a public presentation of your work. Students sometimes take their projects beyond the University for submission in professional journals, presentation at conferences, or academic competition. Such experience is valuable for graduate school and professional life. Your honors work will be recognized at your graduation, on your permanent transcripts, and on your diploma. It is often accompanied by letters of commendation from your mentor in the department or the department chair.
Some common features of Honors in the Major program are:
- You must take six units of Honors in the Major coursework. All six units are honors courses (marked by a suffix of H), and at least three of these units are independent study (399H, 499H, 599H) as specified by your department. You must complete each course with a minimum grade of B.
- You must have completed 9 units of upper-division coursework or 21 overall units in your major before you can be admitted to Honors in the Major. Check the requirements for your major carefully, as there may be specific courses that must be included in these units.
- Your cumulative GPA should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
- Your GPA in your major should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
- Most students apply for or are invited to participate in Honors in the Major during the second semester of their junior year. Then they complete the six units of coursework over the two semesters of their senior year.
- Your honors work culminates with a public presentation of your honors project.
Honors in the Major is not part of the Honors Program. Each department administers its own program. Please contact your major department or major advisor to apply.
BSN General Option nursing students are eligible for Honors in the Major during the fourth semester of the program and then complete the six units of coursework over the fourth and fifth semesters of the program. Advanced Placement Option for RN to BSN students become eligible with one year remaining in the program.
See Bachelor's Degree Requirements for complete details on general degree requirements. A minimum of 39 units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.
General Education Requirements: 48 units
See General Education and the Class Schedule for the most current information on General Education Requirements and course offerings.
This major has approved GE modification(s). See below for information on how to apply these modification(s).
- PSYC 101 is an approved major course substitution for Social Sciences (D).
- NURS 342W is an approved major course substitution for Upper-Division Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning (UD-B).
These modifications apply to the General Option only
- NURS 475 is an approved major course substitution for Upper-Division Social Sciences (UD-D).
These modifications apply to the Advanced Placement Option For RN to BSN only
- NURS 477 is an approved major course substitution for Upper-Division Social Sciences (UD-D).
Diversity Course Requirements: 6 units
You must complete a minimum of two courses that focus primarily on cultural diversity. At least one course must be in US Diversity (USD) and at least one in Global Cultures (GC). See Diversity Requirements for a full list of courses. Most courses taken to satisfy these requirements may also apply to General Education.
Upper-Division Writing Requirement
Writing Across the Curriculum (EM 17-009) is a graduation requirement and may be demonstrated through satisfactory completion of four Writing (W) courses, two of which are designated by the major department. See Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning and Writing Requirements for more details on the four courses. The first of the major designated Writing (W) courses is listed below.
- Any upper-division Writing (W) course.
The second major-designated Writing course is the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GW) (EO 665). Students must earn a C- or higher to receive GW credit. The GE Written Communication (A2) requirement must be completed before a student is permitted to register for a GW course.
Notice to Prospective Applicants
Only 40 students are admitted to the BSN program each semester. In recent years there has been high student demand for this major. Students interested in this program should apply to the University during the initial filing period of the admissions cycle (October 1–November 30 for any fall semester; August 1–31 for any spring semester). A supplemental nursing application must be submitted by March 1 for the fall semester and by October 1 for the spring semester. Information on any current enrollment restrictions is available from the Admissions Office and from the School of Nursing.
Advanced Placement Admissions for LVNs
Applicants who hold LVN licenses may qualify for advanced placement upon admission to our on-campus BS program. LVNs may also choose an LVN 30-unit option, which meets the requirements for taking the RN licensing examination in California but does not lead to a BSN degree. LVN applicants must meet the application deadlines noted above.
RN-BSN Admissions
An RN-BSN track is available for those who have already completed an associate degree RN program. All theory courses for this track are available online, typically requiring only one meeting on campus each semester. The public health practicum course (NURS 478) may be available in the RN's local community. The working RN can complete this program in 15 months. See the RN-BSN advisor and the website for details.
Prerequisites for Admission to the Nursing Major
- The cumulative grade point average for all college-level work must be a minimum of 3.0.
- The cumulative grade point average for the two science courses and the two Area A courses used to earn points on the supplemental nursing application must be a minimum of 3.0.
- The cumulative grade point average for all eight nursing prerequisites, once completed, must be a minimum of 3.0.
- All nursing prerequisites must be completed with grades of C or higher.
- At the time of application, at least two courses from Area A and at least two pre-requisite science courses must be completed, with the remaining courses in progress.
Pre-Nursing Course Requirements: 40 units
The following pre-nursing vore courses, or their equivalents, must be completed before admission to the General Option for the BSN or the Advanced Placement Option for RN to BSN. The following concurrent core courses may be taken prior to admission or concurrently with the first semester of the Nursing program.
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Nursing Core | ||
| General Education Areas 1 | ||
| Oral Communication (A1) | 3 | |
| Written Communication (A2) | 3 | |
| Critical Thinking (A3) | 3 | |
| Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning (B4) | 3 | |
| Introduction to Statistics | ||
| Science Foundation | ||
| BIOL 103 | Human Anatomy | 4 |
| BIOL 104 | Human Physiology | 4 |
| BIOL 211 | Allied Health Microbiology | 4 |
| Select one from the following: | 4 | |
| General Chemistry for Applied Sciences | ||
| Organic Chemistry for Applied Sciences | ||
| General Chemistry I | ||
| Concurrent Core | ||
| 12 units that may be taken prior to admission or concurrently with the first semester of the Nursing program. 2 | 12 | |
| Total Units | 40 | |
- 1
See General Education for more information (including a course list).
- 2
See Concurrent Core.