Nursing, B.S.N.

B.S.N. Program for Students Who Are Not Registered Nurses

Admission to the B.S.N. Program

To be admitted to the B.S.N. program as freshman nursing majors, students must meet general admission criteria/regulations for Georgian Court University as well as specific grade, SAT/ACT score, high school course, and English/mathematics placement requirements as well as a nursing pre-entrance examination, which may be waived at the discretion of the nursing admission committee. They must also have appropriate psychomotor, cognitive, and sensory capabilities to function in the professional nursing role. They must be able to tolerate physically demanding and stressful situations.

Transfer students must have a minimum 3.20 GPA and have earned a grade of C+ or better in all sciences (e.g., Anatomy and Physiology, Chemistry, Microbiology), and required mathematics taken. A grade of C+ or better must be earned in ANY science or math class taken during the first enrollment in the course. For example, if a student is enrolled in any nursing required science or math courses and earns less than a C+, the student is not eligible to apply for admittance into the Hackensack Meridian Health School of Nursing and Wellness at Georgian Court even if the student retakes the course and earns the required C+.

Course Progression

The nursing curriculum is designed to progress logically from simple to more complex material and builds continuously on knowledge and skills from previous courses. All nursing courses must, therefore, be taken in sequence so that students achieve increasing levels of professional competency. For all students regardless of matriculation date, a minimum grade of C+ is required in all of the natural sciences and mathematics courses (BI213 Human Anatomy & Physiology I, BI214 Human Anatomy & Physiology II, BI219 Microbiology, CH151 Chemistry for the Health Sciences, MA103 Introduction to Statistical Thinking) for progression to the next courses in the sequence. A minimum grade of B- is required in all nursing courses (NU prefix) for progression to the next courses in the sequence. Students may earn less than a B- in or withdraw from only one nursing (NU prefix) course one time to remain in the program. The prerequisite requirements listed for each nursing course must be successfully completed prior to enrollment in the nursing course. Students must maintain a 3.0 overall GPA to remain in the B.S.N. program. To graduate from Georgian Court University with a B.S.N. commencing with May 2024, students must meet the following requirement: the overall GPA must be 3.0 or higher with no nursing course below the grade of B-. Prior to May 2024, students must meet the following requirement: the overall GPA must be 3.0 or higher with no nursing courses below a C+.

Other Requirements

Prior to entering the first clinical nursing courses, students must pass a Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers course, pass a health examination, meet all the health requirements of the program, procure professional liability protection insurance in the amounts specified by the clinical placement site, and undergo a criminal background investigation.

Upon successful completion of the program of studies for Nursing, the student will receive a B.S.N. in Nursing and will have given evidence of the following outcomes and goals:

1. Demonstrate competent evidence-based nursing care, centered on enhancing the clinical judgment and decision-making ability to promote health & wellness across the lifespan. 
2. Apply critical thinking and clinical synthesis based on Watson's Theory of Caring to integrate knowledge from the humanities, liberal arts, social and natural sciences and the discipline of nursing to inform humanistic, holistic and equitable care to individuals, families, groups and communities.
3. Utilize interprofessional communication and collaboration to foster a positive team dynamic in the delivery of person-centered care while recognizing the needs, preferences and value systems of the patients, resulting in mutually beneficial partnerships with the healthcare team.
4. Integrate scholarly inquiry, evidence-based practice guidelines, professional standards and emerging fields of study for the delivery of high quality, safe patient care. 
5. Utilize data information, innovative emerging technologies, and effective communication to provide and evaluate patient care across the continuum. 
6. Analyze economic, legal and political factors in conjunction with local, national, and global trends in health policy to influence care delivery and the deployment of resources within the dynamics of the health-care system. 
7. Engage with compassion in health promotion, disease prevention and population-focused interventions while respecting the inherent dignity of all persons. 
8. Assume a leadership role within one's scope of professional nursing practice and apply leadership concepts, skills and decision-making in both delivering and evaluating patient care while incorporating the Mercy Core Values.
9. Promote the image of nursing by modeling professional behavior, practicing self-renewal, and engaging in lifelong learning. Establish a supportive professional network and interprofessional partnerships to foster an environment of mutual learning, respect, integrity, and service. 
10. Demonstrate moral and ethical behavior within a context of rendering compassionate and inclusive care to diverse populations. Strive to eliminate health inequities and improve health outcomes while advancing equity across the health care continuum. 

To earn this degree, students must successfully complete at least 120 credits, including General Education requirements and the major requirements below.

Major Sequence

Students must complete at least 68 nursing credits, plus courses in related areas, including:

¹

General Education

²

Major