Sandra R. Berman School of Nursing and Health Professions
Department Chair: Mary R. Mallow, D.N.P.
Description
The Stevenson University nursing program is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and approved by the Maryland Board of Nursing. The nursing program prepares graduates with the education to creatively meet the challenges and demands of nursing in the twenty-first century. The goal of the program is to educate nurses who, as members of the health care team, address the varied health concerns of individuals, families, groups and communities. Nurses practice in a wide variety of settings—clinics, schools, hospitals, businesses, long-term care facilities, community agencies, and urgent care centers. In addition to the very real satisfaction a person gains from helping others in need, the reasons to consider nursing as a profession include intellectual stimulation, continued educational development, and the opportunity to work closely with other allied health professionals. Registered nurses are concerned with the health of the whole person. They care for the sick and injured as well as help people maintain and improve their health. Hospital nurses are an integral part of the interdisciplinary health care team; they collaborate by means of nursing and medical diagnoses and deliver expert, compassionate, and complex holistic care.
A combination of liberal arts and science courses develops the foundation for studying the discipline of nursing. An important feature of this program is the strong clinical experience. Students in this program receive a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in nursing and are prepared to take the licensure examination for registered nurses (National Council Licensure Examination—NCLEX-RN). The nursing program provides an educational foundation for graduate study in nursing as well as the knowledge and experience necessary for advancement within the nursing profession.
The first two years of the nursing curriculum focus mainly on the Stevenson Educational Experience (S.E.E.) and other requirements that provide the foundation for 3rd and 4th year nursing courses. The nursing program introduces students to the diversity of nursing roles from wellness advocate to bedside caregiver, with the clinical application of these roles in actual health care settings. Courses enable the student to assess clients in a variety of settings and to plan nursing care strategies that meet their needs. Students are given opportunities to provide nursing care to individuals and families from birth to advanced age. The last year of the nursing curriculum is designed to move the focus of nursing from individuals and families to groups within a larger socio-cultural context. Students have the opportunity to practice nursing in complex and diverse settings. As students progress through the program, theory and clinical expectations increase as students move toward their desired goal of becoming competent, knowledgeable and caring practitioners. More detail on clinical requirements is included in the Sandra R. Berman School of Nursing and Health Professions, Nursing Student Policy Manual.
Successful completion of at least three years of college preparatory math and science courses provides the best foundation for students who are entering directly from high school. A SAT evidence-based reading and writing score of 550 or above and a math score of 530 or above and a high school unweighted grade point average of 3.4 and above have been strongly correlated with student success in the Stevenson nursing program.
Admission to the Nursing program is reserved for applicants who have demonstrated the ability to meet the demands of Stevenson University's bachelor's level nursing curriculum. Please see the University web site for current admissions requirements.
Nursing Resource Center
The Nursing Resource Center provides nursing students with the opportunity to practice newly learned skills and apply nursing knowledge in a simulated hospital environment located on campus. The nursing skills laboratories are each furnished with multiple hospital beds, along with wheelchairs, stretchers, and many other items of up-to-date hospital equipment. Both high- and low-fidelity simulation mannequins provide the opportunity for students to practice skills in a realistic and safe manner.
Nursing Department 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.”
Outcomes
The nursing program is dedicated to the pursuit of higher learning grounded in the arts, sciences, and humanities. Program outcomes reflect the philosophy and curricular focus, emphasizing the ethic of care, critical thinking, and a spirit of inquiry in education, practice, service and research. Based upon these and other concepts, students are encouraged in the practice of caring through interactions and forming of relationships between their patient/clients, peers and faculty. The program has six overall outcomes that are delineated into distinct levels which determine course content and progression to more complex learning within the nursing program. These outcomes provide the framework for theory and clinical learning experiences throughout the curriculum.
Upon completion of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, 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
Nursing Program Policies for Continuance and Progression in the Major
The continuance and progression policies are set forth in the University Catalog and reinforced herein. At the start of each semester, students will sign the Student Acknowledgement of Nursing Continuance and Progression Policies by the established deadline as a condition of remaining a nursing major and enrolling in nursing courses. Students who do not sign and submit this form will have an administrative hold on their account preventing them from registering for courses. Students in their last semester of study who do not sign and submit this form will have an administrative hold on their account which may prevent them from graduating.
For the purposes of this policy, the following definitions apply:
- Science Courses. Science Courses as defined by the Nursing Department are those that carry the designation BIO or CHEM and are requirements for the nursing major.
- Science GPA. The Science GPA to determine progression is calculated using only Science courses that are requirements for the nursing major that were taken at Stevenson University.Science courses that are not required for the nursing major and science courses that were not taken at Stevenson are not included in the Nursing Department’s calculation of Science GPA.
- Nursing Courses.Nursing Courses as defined by the Nursing Department are those that carry the designation NURS and are requirements for the nursing major.
- Nursing GPA. The Nursing GPA to determine progression is calculated using only 300-level and 400-level NURS courses. NURS 110, NURS 240, NURS355, and NURS 455 are not included in the Nursing Department’s calculation of Nursing GPA.
Per School of Nursing and Health Professions Policy, after a student matriculates to Stevenson University, all science and nursing courses must be taken at Stevenson. For progression purposes, required science courses taken at another college or university by transfer or dual-enrollment applicants before a student matriculates to Stevenson University are not calculated in the science or cumulative GPA by the Nursing Department.
Laboratory science courses are offered by Stevenson in one of two ways:
- Combined: The lecture and laboratory are offered together in a single course (“combined” lecture and lab).In this case, the student registers for one section of the course.
- If a student repeats the course, then it counts as one repeat.
- For example, BIO 222 is offered as a combined course.If a student repeats BIO 222, then this counts as one course repeat.
- Separate: The lecture and laboratory are offered as separate courses (“separate” lecture and lab).In this case, the student registers for a lecture section of the course and also registers for a laboratory section of the same course.
- If a student repeats both the lecture and the laboratory for the same course, then it is counted as one course repeat.
- For example, BIO 113 is offered as separate lecture and lab courses.If a student repeats both BIO 113 (lecture) and BIO 113L (lab), then this counts as one course repeat.
- If a student repeats the lecture or the laboratory of two different courses, then it is counted as two course repeats.
- For example, BIO 113 and BIO 203 are offered as separate lecture and lab courses.If a student repeats BIO 113 (lecture) and BIO 203L (lab), then this counts as two course repeats.
Per University policies, the most recent grade earned in a course is used for calculating the science, nursing, and cumulative GPAs.
Grades of D or F in Science or Nursing Courses
The minimum acceptable grade is a “C” in all courses required for the nursing major. Students will not be allowed to enroll in a course unless they have earned a “C” or better in all pre-requisites.
If a student earns a “D” or “F” in a science or nursing course, they are placed on probation in the nursing major and will receive written notification regarding their probation. Students who do not earn a “C” or better in any 300-level NURS course must enroll in and pass NURS 355 before progressing to 400-level NURS courses. Students who do not earn a “C” or better in any 400-level NURS course must enroll in and pass NURS 455 in order to graduate.
Students are allowed up to two repeats of science courses and one repeat of a nursing course for any reason. If a student is repeating a course from which they have withdrawn, then repeating that course counts towards the allowable number of repeats. All repeated science and nursing courses must be taken at Stevenson University.
Progression to 300-Level Nursing Courses
The minimum acceptable grade is a “C” in all courses required for the nursing major. In order to progress to 300-level NURS courses, students must have both a cumulative and a science GPA of 3.000 or higher and a grade of “C” or higher in all courses required for the nursing major. As noted above, the science GPA is calculated using only the BIO and CHEM courses that are required in the nursing major, and both the cumulative and science GPA are calculated using only courses taken at Stevenson University.
Progression to 400-Level Nursing Courses
The minimum acceptable grade is a “C” in all courses required for the nursing major. In order to progress to 400-level NURS courses students must have a NURS GPA of 2.750 or higher and a grade of “C” or higher in all courses required for the nursing major. As noted above, the NURS GPA is calculated using only 300-level and 400-level nursing courses that are required for the major.
Grades are reviewed each semester and students are notified of their status as appropriate:
Warning: Students who are not meeting progression standards will receive a written warning notification based on their level of study as described below.
- Students Enrolled 100- and 200-Level Courses: Students who earn a cumulative and/or science GPA less than 3.000 and/or earned a “D” or an “F” in a Science or NURS course will be notified in writing at the end of the semester that they are not currently meeting the criteria for progression into nursing clinical courses. Students not meeting criteria will be required to meet with their Student Success Coach/Academic Advisor to discuss academic planning and strategies to support their success.
- Students Enrolled in 300-Level Nursing Courses: Students who earn a NURS GPA of less than 2.75 after completing the first semester of 300-level nursing courses will be notified in writing at the end of that semester that they are not currently meeting the criteria for progression into 400-level courses.They will be required to take NURS 355 in the spring semester and will be required to meet with their Advisor to discuss strategies to support their success.
- Students Enrolled in 400-Level Nursing Courses: Students who earn a NURS GPA less than 2.750 at the end of the first semester of 400-level nursing courses will be notified in writing at the end of that semester that their performance is not meeting established standards.They will be required to take NURS 455 in the spring semester and will be required to meet with their Advisor to discuss strategies to support their success.
Non-Progression: Students in the semester immediately before 300- and 400-level clinical courses who are not meeting progression standards will receive a written notification based on their level of study as described below.
- Non-Progression to 300-Level Nursing Courses: Students in the semester immediately before the 300-level clinical nursing courses who earn a cumulative and/or science GPA of less than 3.000 and/or a grade lower than a “C” in any course required for the nursing major will be notified in writing at the end of the semester that they cannot progress to the 300-level clinical nursing courses. These students will be required to meet with their Academic Advisor and/or the Coordinator for Nursing Advising & Retention to discuss academic planning.
- Non-Progression to 400-Level Nursing Courses: Students in the semester immediately before entering 400-level nursing courses who have earned a 300-level NURS GPA less than 2.750 and/or a grade lower than a “C” in any course required for the nursing major will be notified in writing at the end of the semester that they cannot progress to the 400-level nursing courses.These students will be required to meet with their Academic Advisor and/or the Coordinator for Nursing Advising & Retention to discuss academic planning.
Probation: Students who earn a “D” or “F” in a science or nursing course will be notified in writing that they are on probation in the nursing major. Students on probation may not progress to 300- or 400-level nursing courses.
Dismissal: Students in one or more of the following categories will be notified in writing that they are dismissed from the nursing major:
- Students who earn a third final course grade of “W”, “WF”, “D”. “F”, or “FX” in a science course or a second “D”, “F”, “WF”, or “FX” in a NURS course, and/or
- Students who have completed two repeats of required science courses and for whom it is mathematically not possible to achieve a 3.000 science GPA for progression to 300-level NURS courses and/or
- Students who have one repeat of a nursing course and have not earned a NURS GPA of 2.750 or higher.
When a student is dismissed from the nursing major at Stevenson University, they cannot apply for readmission. They are encouraged to meet with an advisor to discuss selecting a new major at Stevenson University and have their earned credits count toward completion of a different degree program.
Clinical Requirements
Placement into the third- and fourth-year clinical experiences at hospitals and other sites requires the completion and documentation of several medical and placement-specific requirements. Some requirements must be fulfilled prior to the start of the third-year clinical experiences while others must be fulfilled annually prior to the start of classes in the third and fourth years of the nursing program. A summary of these requirements is below. Detailed descriptions of all requirements and the accepted documentation are included in the School of Nursing and Health Professions Student Policy Manual on the SU portal. NOTE: Medical and clinical requirements are subject to change and students should refer to the portal page for the School of Nursing and Health Professions for the most up to date requirements.
One-time Requirements:
- Physical Examination (within one year of starting third-year clinical courses)
- Required Vaccinations – Tdap, Varicella, Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR), Hepatitis B (HepB), COVID
- Fingerprinting (prior to enrollment in NURS 410)
Annual Requirements:
- Proof of Health Insurance
- CPR Certification – certification must be in the American Heart Association Basic Life Support for Health Care Providers course and must be current for the entire academic year
- Tuberculosis Screen Test
- Seasonal Influenza (Flu) Vaccine
- Background Check and Drug Screen
- Dosage Exam – Score of 100% required in fall and spring of each year in clinical courses
- Clinical Site-Specific Documentation
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all medical and clinical requirements are met as described using the procedures and deadlines published in the School of Nursing and Health Professions Student Policy Manual. Failure to provide acceptable documentation of medical requirements and/or clinical site-specific documentation by the established deadlines may result in a student being ineligible to begin any clinical experience.
Requirements
The courses listed below are required for completion of the bachelor's degree in nursing for students following the full-time curriculum plan beginning fall, 2018. Students must also complete the requirements for the Stevenson Educational Experience (SEE). Specific pre- and co-requisites for each course are listed in the course descriptions.
In general, students take lower-level (100- and 200-level) courses in freshman or sophomore years and upper-level (300- and 400-level) courses in junior or senior years. Courses in the nursing program are carefully sequenced to provide students with a growing theory base to promote success in subsequent courses. It is critical that nursing students on this plan consult their academic advisor when planning their course schedule.
Major Requirements:
| FYS 100 | First Year Seminar | 1 credit |
| BIO 112 | Principles of General Biology | 3 credits |
| or | |
| BIO 113 | General Biology I: Cell Biology and Genetics | 3 credits |
| BIO 113L | General Biology I Laboratory: Cell Biology and Genetics | 1 credit |
| BIO 203 | Microbiology | 3 credits |
| BIO 203L | Microbiology-Laboratory | 1 credit |
| BIO 222 | Human Anatomy | 4 credits |
| BIO 322 | Human Physiology | 3 credits |
| BIO 322L | Human Physiology-Laboratory | 1 credit |
| CHEM 110 | Foundations of General, Organic and Biochemistry | 3 credits |
| CHEM 110L | Foundations of General, Organic and Biochemistry Laboratory | 1 credit |
| MATH 128 | Foundational Mathematical Reasoning | 4 credits |
| OR | |
| MATH 135 | Introduction to Mathematical Reasoning | 3 credits |
| NURS 110 | Computer Technology in Nursing | 3 credits |
| NURS 240 | Nutrition | 3 credits |
| NURS 310 | Introduction to Clinical Nursing | 6 credits |
| NURS 310SE | Nursing Simulation Experience | 0 credits |
| NURS 311/MLS 311 | Communication and Cultural Competence in Health Care | 3 credits |
| NURS 317 | Pathophysiology and Pharmacology I | 3 credits |
| NURS 318 | Pathophysiology and Pharmacology II | 3 credits |
| NURS 330 | Health Assessment | 3 credits |
| NURS 337 | Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing | 4 credits |
| NURS 337SE | Nursing Simulation Experience | 0 credits |
| NURS 338 | Care of the Childbearing Family | 4 credits |
| NURS 338SE | Nursing Simulation Experience | 0 credits |
| NURS 360 | Medical/Surgical Nursing I | 4 credits |
| NURS 409 | Care of Children and Families | 4 credits |
| NURS 409SE | Nursing Simulation Experience | 0 credits |
| NURS 410 | Care of Vulnerable Populations in the Community | 4 credits |
| NURS 420 | Evidence-Based Practice and Nursing Scholarship | 3 credits |
| NURS 435 | Professionalism in Nursing | 2 credits |
| NURS 440 | Leadership Practicum in Contemporary Nursing Practice | 4 credits |
| NURS 460 | Medical/Surgical Nursing II | 4 credits |
| NURS 470 | Medical/Surgical Nursing III | 6 credits |
| PHIL 215 | Ethics | 3 credits |
| PSY 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 credits |
| PSY 108 | Human Growth and Development | 3 credits |
| CMH 210 | Introduction to Community Health | 3 credits |
| OR | |
| SOC 101 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 credits |
Suggested Course Sequence
2025-26 SCS Nursing
Minor in Nursing
A minor in nursing is not available.
Course Descriptions
See Nursing Course Descriptions