Second Degree Accelerated Program
Second Degree Accelerated BSN Program
The Second Degree Accelerated BSN Program will enable a student with a completed bachelor’s degree to become a BSN registered nurse (BSN, RN) in 15 months. Qualified applicants are admitted into the Second Degree Accelerated BSN Program in the Davis & Henley College of Nursing after successful completion of all pre-requisite courses, including science and math courses. Prerequisite courses must be taken within the previous 5 years with a completion grade of B- or better. At the conclusion of 15 months program, students are eligible to take the National Certification Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) in the United States.
The course progression is outlined in the Plan of Study. To receive the BSN degree from the program, the student must complete 55 required nursing course credits, 3 credit foundational SHU CIT course, 34 transfer prerequisite courses credits, and 28 transfer elective courses credits to successfully complete the 120 required credit hours. Students must maintain the overall GPA and course grade requirements and demonstrate safe and competent practice in all nursing clinical and laboratory settings while adhering to the published professional standards of conduct (see Nursing Student Guide online at Nursing Student Guides- Sacred Heart University). All Second Degree Accelerated BSN Program students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher and a grade of C+ or higher in nursing courses.
Admission to Second Degree Accelerated BSN Degree Program
- Students are accepted directly into the Second Degree Accelerated BSN Program.
- Incoming applicants to Sacred Heart University who meet admission criteria established by the Davis & Henley College of Nursing will be notified of their acceptance by Undergraduate Admissions.
- Acceptance into Second Degree Accelerated BSN Program is competitive and predominately based on scholarly achievement during their baccalaureate education. Written statements and personal and professional attributes are also considered in the application review.
- Successful completion of the baccalaureate degree
- A 3.0 or better undergraduate cumulative GPA
- Successful completion of all prerequisite courses. Grades of B- or better for all science and math prerequisite courses
- All pre-requisite science and math courses must be taken within 5 years
- Students with an adverse criminal background check may be deemed ineligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN and/or obtain a professional license to practice nursing. It is the student’s sole responsibility to discuss this issue directly with the State Board of Nursing where he/she intends to take the NCLEX-RN.
Differential Tuition
Sacred Heart University has implemented a differential tuition for the Second Degree Accelerated BSN Program. The cost of nursing education is increased relative to other majors due to intensive clinical laboratory courses and clinical supervision required to maintain the professional standards of nursing education. This charge will be reflected as a program fee in addition to undergraduate tuition and fees.
Lab Fees
Clinical laboratory fees are attached to courses that involve laboratory activities, simulation, or practical exams. These fees are used to offset expenses associated with these learning activities.
Nursing Assessment Fee
A one-time assessment fee is levied for individualized testing and evaluation that occurs throughout the nursing major courses. Students receive supplemental and remedial study materials in addition to individual feedback on assessments and recommendations for improvement. Questions about these fees and activities should be directed to the Director of the Second Degree Accelerated BSN Program or the Dean of the Davis & Henley College of Nursing.
Nursing Verification/Health Requirements Documentation Fee
The Second Degree Accelerated BSN Program requires the successful completion of clinical experiences. These experiences are offered through facilities and settings off-campus.
All clinical educational sites require the Davis & Henley College of Nursing (DHCON) to verify that each student placed in a clinical setting has met the necessary health, background check, and drug screening requirements as designated by the clinical site. The DHCON uses an outside vendor to collect and verify this information.Any fee associated with this process will be paid directly by the student to the assigned vendor.
All incoming students in the Second Degree Accelerated BSN Program must submit completed and approved health documentation to the vendor for verification on the date specified by the program prior to the start of clinical. A listing of these requirements is available through the vendor or the Contract Coordinator. All health documents must be renewed and updated as required during the entire time students are enrolled in the Nursing program. Please keep copies of all health documents for your files. Students may not attend clinical or classroom activities without health clearance. Students who miss clinical activities due to non-compliance are at risk for not meeting clinical objectives which may result in course failure, probation, and/or recommendation for dismissal from the program. Clinical site affiliation agreements and patient safety needs require strict compliance with health screening requirements.
Special Clinical Site Requests/Criminal Background Checks/Drug Screenings
All students must satisfactorily complete an initial criminal background check 30 days prior to the starting of clinical. Clinical sites vary with time requirements, from one month to twelve months prior to the start of the clinical rotation. Updated background checks are necessary 30 days prior to the start of the First Semester-Ahead term II (first day of class) annually until the completion of the program. Additional checks may be required in order to be compliant with certain clinical sites and students are expected to repeat as necessary.
Please note, the DHCON is required to disclose results of the background check to our clinical sites partners for placement. If a result precludes the student from being placed with our clinical sites, the student will be unable to progress in the clinical course and ultimately the program.
The majority of the clinical sites require students to undergo drug screening prior to participating in clinical rotations. To be in compliance with the requirements as outlined in the affiliation agreements with these clinical agencies, nursing students are required to complete a drug screen. The Drug Screening procedure is outlined in the Nursing Student Guide on the Davis & Henley College of Nursing website.
Student Learning Outcomes
Liberal Education- Liberal Education for Baccalaureate Generalist Nursing Practice
Integrates knowledge from the biological, behavioral, social, and nursing sciences when providing care to patients with complex alterations in health.
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Integrates knowledge of pathophysiology, pharmacology, and nutrition when providing care to patients, families, communities, and populations.
Basic Organizational and Systems Leadership for Quality Care and Patient Safety (Essential II)
Evaluate and provide safe, high quality health care based on an understanding of organizational and systems leadership models.
- Apply leadership concepts, skills, and decision making when coordinating the healthcare team in a variety of settings.
- Participate in quality and patient safety initiatives that impact patient care and system issues.
- Participate in quality and patient safety initiatives, recognizing that these are complex system issues that involve individuals, families, groups, communities, populations, and other members of the healthcare team.
- Apply quality improvement processes and safety enhancing technology to effectively implement patient safety initiatives and monitor performance measures, including nurse-sensitive indicators in the microsystem of care.
Evidence Based Practice- Scholarship for Evidence-Based Practice (Essential III)
Provide professional nursing care that is grounded in current practice.
- Discriminate between valid and invalid reasons for modifying clinical practice based on clinical expertise or patient/family preferences.
- Evaluate and propose changes based on evidence based practice to structure the work environment to facilitate integration of new evidence into practice.
- Value the concept of evidence-based practice as integral to determining best clinical practice.
Informatics - InformationManagement and Application of Patient Care Technology (Essential IV)
Use computer information management systems and patient care technology to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of patient care.
- Use computer information systems to monitor and coordinate the care of patients with complex alterations in health.
- Integrate the use of technology and information systems to adapt patient care based on an analysis of expected and actual patient outcomes.
Health Care Policy-Healthcare Policy, Finance, and Regulatory Environments (Essential V)
Integrate knowledge of healthcare policy, finance, and regulatory factors that influence health care delivery and nursing practice.
- Finance:Analyze the costs and availability of healthcare options for individuals, communities, and select populations.
- Healthcare policy:Analyze healthcare policies that impact the delivery of healthcare, and make recommendations for change based on that analysis.
- Regulatory:Examine the state’s nurse practice act in relation to the scope of practice of registered nurses in that state.
Inter-professional Collaboration/Communication- Interprofessional Communication and Collaboration for Improving Patient Health Outcomes (Essential VI)
Provide effective patient-centered care as a member of the inter-professional health care team by fostering open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision-making.
- Participate in the development, implementation, and evaluation of intra/inter professional community projects.
- Acknowledge own potential to contribute to effective team functioning.
Health Promotion Disease/Injury Prevention- Clinical Prevention and Population Health (Essential VII)
Support culturally competent health promotion and disease/injury prevention activities across the lifespan at the individual and population level to improve population health.
- Perform population-based screenings to identify potential health related risks and intervene as appropriate to minimize the risk of disease.
- Collaborate with others to develop a plan of care that takes into account determinants, available resources, and the range of activities that contribute to health and the prevention of illness, injury, disability, and premature death.
- Advocate for social justice including a commitment to the health of vulnerable populations and the elimination of health disparities.
Professionalism- Professionalism and Professional Values (Essential VIII)
Demonstrate the core values of professionalism that support achievement of optimal health and wellness outcomes in patients, families, communities, and populations.
- Articulate the value of pursuing practice excellence, lifelong learning, and professional engagement to foster professional growth and development.
- Act to prevent, recognize, and intervene when unsafe, illegal, or unethical care practices are being carried out by members of the health care team.
- Promote the image of nursing by modeling the values and articulating the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the nursing profession.
Baccalaureate Generalist Nursing Practice (Essential IX)
Evaluate the effectiveness of patient-centered care as a member of the inter-professional health care team.
- Develop and evaluate care that reflects spiritual, cultural, ethnic and social preferences, values, and needs of patients, families, communities, and populations.
- Respect the centrality of the patient/family as core members of any healthcare team.(QSEN teamwork and collaboration attitudes)
- Make individualized patient-care related clinical judgments that are based on knowledge and evidence and developed through the process of clinical reasoning.
- Use evidence and clinical reasoning to support the management of care based on an ongoing evaluation of patient outcomes.
Additional Required Courses for the BS in Nursing
Summer I Ahead Term I
Summer II Ahead Term II
Fall Ahead Term I
| NU 310 | Pathophysiology | 3 |
| NU 330 | Care of the Childbearing Family | 4 |
Fall Ahead Term II
| CIT 201/202 | The Human Journey Seminars: Great Books in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition | 3 CR each |
| NU 340 | Introduction to Adult Nursing | 5 |
Winter B
| NU 365 | Evidence-Based Nursing Practice | 3 |
Spring Ahead Term I
| NU 300 | Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing | 4 |
| NU 374 | Concepts in Child Health Nursing | 4 |
Spring Ahead Term II
May Intensive Term
Summer Ahead Term I
Please note that NU390: Senior Synthesis Seminar, is a continuous class from Summer Ahead I through Summer Ahead II.
| NU 381 | Public Health Nursing | 5 |
| NU 390 | Senior Synthesis Seminar | 3 |
Summer Ahead Term II
Please note that NU390: Senior Synthesis Seminar, is a continuous class from Summer Ahead I through Summer Ahead II.
| NU 390 | Senior Synthesis Seminar | 3 |
| NU 395 | Transitions into Professional Nursing Practice | 4 |