Statement of Purpose
The philosophy of the nursing program is articulated as follows:
“The Stevenson University nursing program, as an integral part of its parent institution, is dedicated to the pursuit of higher learning grounded in the arts, sciences, and humanities. The philosophy and curricular focus of the nursing program emphasizes the ethic of caring, critical thinking, and a spirit of inquiry in education, practice, service, and research. The nursing faculty believes nursing is a professional discipline with academic and practice dimensions. The nursing faculty values scholarship and academic integrity and seeks to foster professional involvement and life-long learning in students and graduates. The essence of nursing is grounded in the philosophy of caring. The nursing faculty believes that caring exists in authentic relationships through which all persons are respected and nurtured. Within these co-created relationships, caring opens the possibility of transformation, inviting growth, healing, and wholeness of persons, families, and communities. In the reflective practice of nursing and nursing education, a caring environment affirms diversity in ways of being and ways of knowing.”
Description
This option was designed to give registered nurses who do not yet have a baccalaureate degree in nursing the knowledge and skills necessary to earn a baccalaureate degree. They then proceed directly into the master's program to pursue a concentration in either leadership/management, education, or population-based care coordination.
Although the most important aspect of applying to the RN to MS option at Stevenson may be the student's stated intention of wishing to make a difference in the nursing field, there are several other advantages for students, including:
- The need to submit only one application for both the undergraduate and graduate programs.
- The familiarity with Stevenson's educational culture, its policies and procedures, the technology environment, fellow students, and faculty and staff that make for an easier transition from the undergraduate to the graduate program.
- The ability to take a graduate course to meet a requirement for the bachelor's degree.
- The first graduate course is billed at the undergraduate tuition rate.
RN to MS Admissions Criteria
- To be considered for the RN to MS option, applicants must have an active RN license and a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 or above on a four-point scale from previous academic work, and they must submit two letters of recommendation.
- Students meeting these criteria may be accepted to the RN to MS option. To be admitted to the MS program after earning the BS, students must have a GPA of 3.00 or above in the RN to BS courses, have completed all non-nursing courses, and continue to hold an active RN license.
Stevenson University Online Articulated College Transfer (SUO ACT) *
Through Stevenson University Online’s Articulated College Transfer (SUO ACT), nursing students who have earned an Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Associate of Science (A.S.) in nursing have satisfied all general education requirements for Stevenson University Online’s ATB, RN to BS, and RN to MS options. Students must complete program requirements, 30 institutional credits and 120 credits to earn the Bachelor of Science in nursing.
Stevenson University will accept a maximum of 70 transfer credits from a regionally accredited community college and 90 credits from a regionally accredited four-year institution. Please contact an enrollment counselor for further details.
Outcomes
Based upon the concepts of person, health, environment, nursing and facilitation of learning as identified in the philosophy of the Stevenson University nursing program, the faculty subscribes to an organizing framework in which caring is firmly established in the practice of professional nursing. Graduates will be prepared to practice professional nursing.
Upon completion of the Stevenson University baccalaureate nursing program, graduates will be able to:
- Integrate the concepts of caring in nursing practice in diverse health care settings across the health-illness continuum.
- Engage in holistic reflective nursing practice informed by the arts, sciences, and humanities.
- Exhibit competencies in critical thinking, communication, evidence-based decision making, scholarly inquiry and technical skills in the practice of nursing.
- Integrate professional competencies in the nursing roles of provider, designer, manager, and coordinator of care and participate as an active member of the profession.
- Assume ethical and legal responsibility and accountability in nursing practice, exemplifying the values of altruism, autonomy, human dignity, integrity, and social justice.
- Apply leadership concepts, skills, and decision-making in creating caring environments to promote health and healing in individuals, families, communities, and global populations.
Policies
Students must achieve a grade of "C" or better in all required Stevenson nursing courses. If a student receives a "D" or "F" in any nursing course, the course must be repeated and a "C" or better must be achieved. A maximum of one nursing course may be repeated once throughout the nursing program. Students who earn a second grade of "D" or "F" in a nursing course will be automatically dismissed from the RN to MS option.
Requirements
Major Requirements
The Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing requires a minimum of 120 credit hours. The following are the major courses required for students in the RN/MS option.
| GEN 200 | Writing and Research for the Adult Learner | 3 credits |
| NURS 312 | Physical Assessment and Pathophysiology | 3 credits |
| NURS 313 | Concepts of Professional Nursing Practice | 4 credits |
| NURS 315 | Information Technology in Nursing and Health Care | 3 credits |
| NURS 414 | Nursing Leadership For RNs | 3 credits |
| NURS 415 | Professional Seminar II | 3 credits |
| NURS 418 | Nursing Research in Professional Practice | 4 credits |
| NURS 424 | Health in the Community | 5 credits |
| NURS 434 | Concepts of Professional Nursing Practice III | 3 credits |
| NURS 515 | Theoretical Foundations | 3 credits |
Other Program Requirements
The following program requirements may be completed at another college or university and transferred to Stevenson. Students must submit official transcripts upon the completion of the course for credit to be awarded.
- Freshman Composition
- Anatomy and Physiology I and II
- Microbiology
- Introduction to Psychology
- Introduction to Sociology
- Human Growth and Development
- Communication course
- Chemistry
- Nutrition
- Statistics
- Ethics