Nursing (BSN)
Dominican University of California offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree for students wishing to enter the field of professional nursing. Prerequisite courses must be completed before being admitted into the Nursing program. For a detailed description of the criteria for admission into the Nursing program, see additional nursing requirements criteria in this section. Information about progression during clinical nursing coursework will be found in the Undergraduate Nursing Student Handbook. These policies include: 1) needing a minimum grade of 77% for each course; 2) successful completion of both theory and lab/clinical; and 3) successful completion of passing grade on calculations exams each semester. Students will enter clinical nursing coursework in either Fall or Spring Semester. Clinical experiences in the Sophomore, Junior, and Senior years take place at a variety of affiliated agencies. Throughout the program, theory classes are held on the Dominican campus.
Upon satisfactory completion of the nursing curriculum, students are granted the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN Examination for licensure as a registered nurse (RN), and eligible to obtain a California Public Health Nursing Certificate.
Advanced placement is available for transfer students from other nursing programs and registered nurses who wish to obtain a baccalaureate in nursing. A 30-unit non-degree option is also available for licensed vocational nurses seeking registered nurse licensure only. Students are admitted on a space available basis.
The Nursing program is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing and is accredited by the Commission for Collegiate Nursing Education.
Please refer to Nursing Student Handbook and Nursing Department website for most current requirements.
Philosophy and Mission Statement
In accordance with the core philosophy and values of Dominican University of California, we, the faculty of the Department of Nursing, believe that every human being is unique, and has innate dignity and worth. We view the person as a developing bio-psychosocial and spiritual being whose functioning is highly integrated throughout the life cycle. Human beings are linked to their internal and external environments and live in and are influenced by a society whose values they shape and reflect. Cultural values, biological and psychological factors, and the individual's unique patterns of responding to internal and external stimuli influence behavior in health and illness.
Health exists on a continuum. It is not necessarily the absence of disease, but a balance of physical, psychosocial functioning and spiritual well being. Each person has a particular set of health needs. When an individual is unable or unwilling to take steps to meet those needs, care by others may be required. A society which values care of self and care of others will also value nursing as a profession dedicated to helping people maximize their health.
Nursing is a dynamic, interpersonal process based on the premise of individual worth and human dignity. The goal of nursing is to help individuals, families, and groups. The nursing faculty embrace the American Nurses’ Association (ANA) definition of nursing which is, “Nursing is the diagnosis and treatment of human responses to health and illness.” Nurses value caring, community, excellence, lifelong learning, contemplation, service, social justice, and integrity.
Professional nurses accept responsibility and are accountable for the choice and outcomes of nursing interventions and for their ethical and legal implications. They collaborate as colleagues with other health team members and serve clients in the roles of advocate, teacher, manager, and provider of care. Professional nurses utilize the nursing process as the scientific basis for designing systems of nursing care, and for providing and delegating aspects of that care. They incorporate knowledge from the humanities and the sciences in adapting care to the individual client's cultural orientation, developmental level, and health care needs. Understanding of the research process and utilization of research findings in the investigation and solution of problems are characteristic of professional nursing practice. The professional nurse is committed to continued excellence in practice and lifelong learning, and contributes to the development of nursing as a profession and scientific discipline.
Education for professional nursing takes place within institutions of higher education, preparing graduates to practice as generalists in a variety of institutional and community settings. We educate baccalaureate nurses to practice as generalists and graduate nurses to practice as specialists. Professional nursing education is based upon and integrates study of the humanities and the sciences with clinical practice. We believe that education for professional nurses should take place in a baccalaureate or higher program.
Learning is the assimilation of knowledge leading to a change in behavior. Learning is fostered in an environment where there is reinforcement, as well as opportunity to apply theoretical concepts, humanistic values, and scientific principles. Learners come to the educational environment with diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, learning styles and rates, motives and aspirations. Learning, therefore, is promoted in an atmosphere that acknowledges the learner's unique needs and capabilities and provides a system of student support. We believe that mutual inquiry and respect facilitate the teaching-learning process. Recognizing that motivation and self-direction are essential to learning, the teacher serves as facilitator, role model, and resource person rather than solely as a transmitter of knowledge and skills.
Consistent with the mission of Dominican University of California, the Department of Nursing educates baccalaureate and master's level nurses who are prepared to provide professionally competent, culturally sensitive, and ethically grounded nursing care, who respect the innate dignity of human life, demonstrate leadership through multidisciplinary collaborations, and model good citizenship within a global community.
Baccalaureate Nursing Program Goals
The goals of the baccalaureate Nursing program are:
- To develop beginning professional nurses as generalists, capable of providing health care to meet the needs of individuals, families, and groups in diverse settings.
- To provide an environment that will foster the student's personal, intellectual, and professional development toward excellence in nursing practice.
- To promote caring, integrity, and awareness of social justice in the development of the student.
- To provide the community with practitioners of professional nursing who are capable of meeting the health care needs of culturally diverse clients across the lifespan.
- To provide educational opportunities for advancement within the nursing profession for registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, and health care workers.
- To provide an educational foundation for graduate study in nursing and promote lifelong learning.
Program Learning Outcomes
Based on the Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accreditation mandate, the following represent the program learning outcomes voted in by the nursing faculty in the Spring of 2009. Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:
- Integrate knowledge from the arts and sciences as a basis for nursing practice.
- Utilize the nursing process in a variety of settings to promote patient well-being.
- Apply principles of patient-centered care to maintain therapeutic relationships.
- Assess learning needs of patients and implement interventions based on knowledge of teaching-learning principles.
- Collaborate with inter-professional and intra-professional colleagues to deliver high quality and safe patient care.
- Apply knowledge and skill in leadership, quality improvement, and safety while providing nursing care.
- Apply the principles of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention to promote optimal health for patients across the lifespan.
- Utlize principles and models of evidence based practice as a basis for the delivery of high quality patient care.
- Apply knowledge of health care policy, finance, and regulatory environments to advocate for vulnerable populations.
- Demonstrate proficiency in the application of information management and patient-centered technology.
- Demonstrate professional conduct according to the ANA Code of Ethics and the AACN Hallmarks of the Professional Nursing Practice Environment.
Nursing (BSN) General Requirements
To be eligible for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree the student must have completed 124 units of which 60 units must be in Nursing. At least 48 units must be in upper division courses. A student must have a minimum grade of ‘C+’ (2.3) in nursing coursework. Minimum passing grade in nursing prerequisite and corequisite courses is ‘C’ (2.0) with the exception of Human Anatomy and Human Physiology where the minimum pass grade is a ‘B’ (3.0). Students must earn at least a 3.25 GPA in the 8 prerequisite courses and overall. Students cannot repeat previously passed prerequisite courses in order to raise their GPA (this parallels University policy). Prerequisites in chemistry, anatomy, physiology, and microbiology must be taken within the past five years. Students who do not pass more than one class required for the nursing major (i.e., prerequisite, corequisite, or nursing) are disqualified from the nursing program. For transfer students, failed courses that were taken more than five years prior to DUC matriculation are disregarded. However, failed courses taken within five years of matriculation apply to the progression policies of the nursing department. During the Senior year, nursing students are required to complete a project that is based on research and that addresses a current issue or health problem related to professional nursing practice. 30 of the last 36 units counted toward the degree must be taken at Dominican. Honors and transfer students follow a somewhat different General Education.
Nursing Major BS Requirements
Additional courses may be needed in Math, English and Chemistry as determined by placement testing.
Lower Division:
Upper Division:
| BIO 3600 | Microbiology for Health Sciences | 3.00 units |
| BIO 3605 | Microbiology for Health Sciences Lab | 1.00 unit |
| ENGL 3200 | Advanced Writing and Research | 3.00 units |
| NURS 3030 | Pharmacology II | 1.00 unit |
| NURS 3100 | Maternal-Newborn & Womens Health Nursing | 5.00 units |
| NURL 3100 | Maternal-Newborn & Womens Hlth Nrsng Lab | 0.00 units |
| NURS 3101 | Pediatric Nursing | 5.00 units |
| NURL 3101 | Pediatric Nursing Lab | 0.00 units |
| NURS 3103 | Nursing Research | 3.00 units |
| NURS 3105 | Medical Surgical Nursing II | 5.00 units |
| NURL 3105 | Medical Surgical Nursing II Lab | 0.00 units |
| NURS 3106 | Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing | 5.00 units |
| NURL 3106 | Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing Lab | 0.00 units |
| NURS 4030 | Pharmacology III | 1.00 unit |
| NURS 4100 | Medical Surgical Nursing III | 5.00 units |
| NURL 4100 | Medical Surgical Nursing III Lab | 0.00 units |
| NURS 4119 | Nursing Senior Synthesis | 1.00 unit |
| NURS 4150 | Community Health & Nursing | 5.00 units |
| NURL 4150 | Community Health & Nursing Lab | 0.00 units |
| NURS 4200 | Leadership & Nursing Care Management | 6.00 units |
| NURL 4200 | Leadership & Nursing Care Management Lab | 0.00 units |
| NURS 4993 | Senior Thesis | 2.00 units |
| NURS 4998 | HO: Directed Research II | 1.00 unit |
Moral Philosophy/Ethics
| Any course which meets the GE requirement | 3.00 units |
| PSY 3122 | Lifespan Development | 3.00 units |
| PSY 3187 | Statistics for Health/Behavior Sciences | 4.00 units |
| Total Credit Hours: | 61-62 |
Total Credit Hours: 106-107
Additional Nursing BSN Requirements
LVN 30 Unit Option
In compliance with the regulations of the California Board of Registered Nursing, Dominican University of California offers an LVN to RN option plan for LVN’s who are currently licensed in California and who wish to prepare only for licensure as a registered nurse in California. Upon successful completion of the required courses, the student is eligible to take the NCLEX-RN Examination for licensure. This program does not lead to a BSN and licensure may not be recognized in all states.
The LVN to RN option is 30 units. Admission is based on space availability. In order to enter clinical nursing courses, students must have a 3.25 cumulative GPA and have completed Microbiology and Human Physiology (with a grade of ‘B’ or better).
LVN’s who are interested in the full BSN program must enter at the beginning of the nursing program and complete all BSN requirements.
Courses required for the LVN to RN option:
Transferred Courses
| Human Physiology and Microbiology (no less than 7 units combined) | 7.00 units |
| NURS 2014 | Health Assessment | 2.00 units |
| NURL 2014 | Health Assessment Lab | 0.00 units |
| NURS 2150 | Geriatric Foundations | 5.00 units |
| NURL 2150 | Geriatric Foundations Lab | 0.00 units |
| NURS 3106 | Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing | 5.00 units |
| NURL 3106 | Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing Lab | 0.00 units |
| NURS 4100 | Medical Surgical Nursing III | 5.00 units |
| NURL 4100 | Medical Surgical Nursing III Lab | 0.00 units |
| NURS 4200 | Leadership & Nursing Care Management | 6.00 units |
| NURL 4200 | Leadership & Nursing Care Management Lab | 0.00 units |
Total Credit Hours: 30
Prerequisite Criteria
To be eligible for progression into the Nursing Program, students must fulfill the criteria listed below.
Completion of the following prerequisite courses:
A minimum GPA of 3.25 is required in the above listed prerequisite courses and overall for admission into the program. Nursing students must attain a minimum grade of ‘C’ (2.0) in all prerequisite and corequisite courses, with the exception of Human Anatomy and Human Physiology when the minimum grade is a ‘B’ (3.0).
Science Preparation
The following high school classes are considered minimum preparation for the college-level science classes required for Nursing majors:
- 2 years of college preparatory mathematics: algebra, geometry, etc.
- 1 year of biology
- 1 year of chemistry
Academic Advising
All Nursing majors are assigned an academic advisor. Students are responsible for monitoring their progress toward meeting degree requirements and for consultation with their advisors at least once every semester.
Essential Qualifications of Candidates for the BSN Program
A Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Dominican University of California signifies that the holder of the BSN degree has been educated to competently practice nursing in all healthcare settings and to apply for the RN licensure in the state of California. All students in the Department of Nursing are expected to meeting specific qualifications and successfully complete course requirements. The Department of Nursing will endeavor to make reasonable modifications and otherwise reasonably accommodate students with disabilities. Students with disabilities should consider their ability to meet the qualifications with reasonable accommodations. A more complete description of these qualifications below is found in the Student Nurses Handbook.
Mental and Physical Qualifications for Professional Nursing
The following are MINIMUM mental and physical qualifications for admissions to the professional Nursing program:
- Frequently work in a standing position and do frequent walking.
- Lift and transfer patients up to 6 inches from a stooped position, then push or pull weight up to 3 feet.
- Lift and transfer patients from a stooped to an upright position to accomplish a variety of transfers.
- Physically apply up to 10 lbs. of pressure to bleeding sites or in performing CPR.
- Respond and react immediately to auditory instructions/requests/monitor equipment and perform auditory auscultation without auditory impediments.
- Physically perform up to 12 hours clinical laboratory experience in a day.
- Perform close and distance visual activities involving objects, persons and paperwork as well as discriminate depth and color perception.
- Discriminate between sharp/dull and hot/cold when using hands.
- Perform mathematical calculation for medication preparation and administration.
- Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing using appropriate grammar, vocabulary and word usage.
- Make appropriate and timely decisions under stressful situations.
All students in the Department of Nursing are expected to meet these qualifications and successfully complete course requirements. The Department of Nursing will endeavor to make reasonable modifications and otherwise reasonably accommodate students with disabilities. Students with disabilities should consider their ability to meet the above qualifications with reasonable accommodations. The nursing faculty will evaluate any request for accommodations with representation from outside the Department of Nursing as appropriate.
Clinical Record Clearance Policy
Before beginning clinical classes all nursing students are required to submit results of a physical examination, a health history, two-step TB screening, and required immunizations done within six months prior to registration. Forms may be obtained from the Nursing Department office on the Dominican campus. Students are also required to submit documentation of current Health Care Provider CPR certification and will be required to have background checks and drug clearance done by a provider designated by the nursing program. Annual TB screening and current CPR certification are required before beginning each semester of the clinical nursing major as well. Nursing students are responsible for the costs of the physical examination, screening, immunizations, and CPR certification. Students’ pre-clinical and annual physical examinations will be reviewed and the University reserves the right to require additional diagnostic information and treatment, if necessary. Nursing applicants who are concerned about health problems that might interfere with their fulfillment of clinical course objectives should seek medical consultation well in advance of their pre-clinical physical examination. Clinical instructors will be provided with Clinical Record Clearance before the beginning each clinical experience. Background checks are now required by the clinical sites. This process takes place via http://www.Certifiedbackground.com. Drug testing clearance is also required by clinical sites. Clinical Nursing students should expect to be tested yearly.
Insurance
Students are covered by the University for liability insurance. It is required that students carry individual health insurance.
Program Progression
A student who earns less than ‘C+’ (2.3) in a nursing course must repeat that course before enrolling in the next course in the nursing sequence. If a student withdraws from a nursing course after the academic mid-term in the semester and the student is failing the course at that time, the ‘W’ (for withdrawal) is considered a failure in terms of the Nursing Department's progression policy. Students who do not pass any two classes required for the Nursing major (i.e., prerequisite, corequisite, or NURS/NURL) are disqualified from the Nursing program. Placement into any repeated nursing course will be on a space-available basis. In addition, if a student withdraws from a course before the mid-term when they have failed the clinical component of that course, the “W” (for withdrawal) will also be considered a failure. Students may repeat non-nursing courses off campus with department approval. Information about approved equivalents may be obtained from the Nursing Department office at Dominican.
Students must demonstrate competence in both theory and clinical in order to earn a course grade of ‘C+’ (2.3) or higher and to be eligible to progress in the Nursing program. Thus, in nursing courses with a clinical component, students must meet all clinical performance objectives satisfactorily in order to earn a grade of ‘C+’ (2.3) or higher for the course. A student who fails to complete any of the clinical performance objectives at a satisfactory level cannot receive a course grade higher than a ‘D’ (1.0) regardless of the grades earned in the theory component of this course. Students required to repeat a clinical course must repeat both the clinical and theory components.
Clinical evaluations are important, especially those given at mid-rotation. At this time the student and instructor meet to assess the student’s progress in achieving class and clinical objectives. Students whose mid-term grade is below ‘C+’ may be asked to meet with the Faculty of Record to plan strategies for improving performance.
Students must achieve a 77% (absolute) or better on all coursework in order to earn a course grade of ‘C+’ (2.3) or higher. Grades are not rounded up.
Advanced Standing in Nursing
Registered nurses with previous education or experience in nursing may apply for admission to the Nursing Major with advanced standing. Transfer students enrolled and in good standing at an accredited RN Nursing school or who have been enrolled and in good standing within the past five years, may apply for advanced standing in the major. All missing prerequisite courses must be completed within one semester of matriculation to Dominican University of California. Transfer students must complete 30 units at Dominican and half of the upper division major courses (21.5 units) including NURS 4100, NURS 4200, NURS 4119 and NURS 4993, and at least one other upper division clinical course. Part-time and full-time programs of study are available.
Academic advising is an integral part of the advanced placement program. Each student’s educational preparation and nursing experience are evaluated individually. In consultation with a nursing advisor, the student plans a program of study which is appropriate to his/her background, abilities, knowledge, and career aspirations. Credit for prior learning for all nursing courses may be obtained by transfer of earned college credits.
Advanced placement candidates should apply for admission to the University as early in the academic year as possible. Placement in clinical classes is contingent on the availability of spaces and these may be limited.