Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.)

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at Georgia College is fully approved by the Georgia Board of Nursing (237 Coliseum Drive, Macon, GA 31217-3858; 478-207-2440) and is designed to satisfy the current educational requirements prescribed by the Board of Nursing for professional licensure. Upon successful completion of this program, the unlicensed graduate is eligible to apply for licensure as a registered professional nurse by examination (NCLEX-RN). Approval for admission to the licensing examination and subsequent licensure of qualified applicants is granted by the Georgia Board of Nursing. Criminal background checks are required by O.C.G.A. § 43-26-7. Any history of arrest may affect the applicant’s ability to complete the program or obtain licensure.

The BSN program at Georgia College is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3343 Peachtree Road, NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, Georgia, 30326. For more information, please contact Dr. Sharon Tanner at [phone].

Nursing Admission Requirements

Admission to the nursing program is highly competitive and may be limited based on availability of qualified faculty and maintaining student to faculty:ratios required by standards of the Georgia Board of Nursing. All students who apply to the major may not be admitted.

Many agencies where clinical and practical experiences take place require students to undergo a criminal background check, to complete urine drug screens, and to meet the CDC standards for immunizations for health care professionals. Students desiring to enter the School of Nursing should consider these requirements. Agencies may refuse any student based on failure to meet these guidelines or other agency guidelines. Refusal of an agency to accept a student may delay or prevent a student from completing the program. Professional licensing boards may also refuse to license individuals who have committed certain criminal acts or other acts of moral turpitude.

Pre-nursing - An applicant who meets Georgia College requirements may be admitted to the University for any academic term and be classified as a pre-nursing student. This enables the student to take Core Curriculum courses. Acceptance as a pre-nursing student does not guarantee acceptance into the upper division nursing major.

Nursing Major - Enrollment in the nursing major is limited to the most qualified students as determined by the Admission, Progression, and Recognition Committee of the Nursing Faculty Organization.

Minimum criteria for admission to the upper division nursing major:

1. Completion of all Core Curriculum requirements for health science majors
2. Attainment of cumulative and pre-nursing GPAs of at least 2.75
3. Attainment of a grade of C or better in each of the following courses: Introductory Sciences (Survey Chemistry (1151 & 1152 or Biology 1100 & 1120), Human Anatomy and Physiology I (BIOL 2160), Human Anatomy and Physiology II (BIOL 2170), Microbiology (BIOL 3180), English Composition (ENGL 1101), and Probability and Statistics (MATH 2600)
4. Successful completion of legislative requirements
5. Submission of official SAT or ACT scores to the Admissions Office
6. Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) score

Students who have met these minimum criteria must apply to the School of Nursing for acceptance into the upper division nursing major. Students who satisfy the basic requirements for admission as described above are evaluated by an admission's formula and ranked. Applicants placed on a waitlist and not admitted will be required to reapply as new applicants. Applications for Fall admission into the nursing major should be submitted by the second Friday in February. Applications for Spring admission into the nursing major should be submitted by the second Friday in July. Enrollment for the RN-BSN program is open, provided that admission criteria have been met and the student has been admitted to the University. All potential students are encouraged to communicate with their advisors as admission dates and admission criteria are subject to change.

Technical Standards for Admission to and Retention in the Undergraduate Program

Nurses have an obligation not only to themselves and the profession but also to the public to provide safe, competent and responsible care. Nursing students shall be in reasonably good health, and any disability should not hinder the student in administering safe nursing care. The following is a list of examples of essential functions that a student must be capable of performing while in the nursing program at Georgia College. The examples are not intended to be exhaustive.

Core performance standards for admission and progression as recommended by the Southern Regional Educational Board (SREB)

Requirements	Standards	Examples
Critical thinking	Critical thinking ability for effective clinical reasoning and clinical judgement consistent with level of educational preparation	Identification of cause/effect relationships in clinical situations Use of the scientific method in the development of patient care plans Evaluation of the effectiveness of nursing interventions
Professional Relationships	Interpersonal skills sufficient for professional interactions with a diverse population of individuals, families and groups	Establishment of rapport with patients' clients and colleagues Capacity to engage in successful conflict resolution Peer accountability
Communication	Communication adeptness sufficient for verbal and written professional interactions	Explanation of treatment procedures, initiation of health teaching Documentation and interpretation of nursing actions and patient/client responses
Mobility	Physical abilities sufficient for movement from room to room and in small spaces.	Movement about patient's room, work spaces and treatment areas Administration of rescue procedures-cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Motor skills	Gross and fine motor abilities sufficient for providing safe, effective nursing care	Calibration and use of equipment Therapeutic positioning of patients
Hearing	Auditory ability sufficient for monitoring and assessing health needs	Ability to hear monitoring device alarm and other emergency signals Ability to discern auscultatory sounds and cries for help
Visual	Visual ability sufficient for observation and assessment necessary in nursing care	Ability to observe patient's condition and responses to treatments
Tactile	Tactile ability sufficient for physical assessment	Ability to palpitate in physical examinations and various therapeutic interventions

Additional Requirements

Students who are accepted into the BSN program must submit evidence of health status, health insurance, immunizations, TB screening, professional liability insurance, RN or other professional license if applicable, current American Heart Association Health Care Provider certification (CPR), ability to meet technical standards, documents as specified by clinical agencies and other laboratory tests specified by the agency.

Any student who is licensed by the State of Georgia must submit evidence of current licensure annually including those who are Registered Nurses.

Additional Fees for Nursing Students

Nursing students should expect the following additional fees: HESI testing (may be included in some course fees), uniforms, watch with sweep-second hand, physical assessment equipment, official GC picture identification, malpractice insurance, health insurance , criminal background screens, clinical travel expenses and laboratory fees (for additional health screening such as urine drug screens, titers, etc. as well as academic laboratory and testing fees). Estimated costs of additional fees for the BSN program are approximately $1,000.00 excluding health insurance premiums. In addition, nursing textbooks tend to be more costly than books for core courses, but are often used in several courses. Other fees related to licensure may include passport size pictures, NCLEX RN testing fee and fingerprinting.

The large number of health care agencies in the region makes it possible for the College of Health Sciences to offer a variety of clinical learning opportunities; however, students can anticipate driving up to 100 miles for clinical learning on occasion. Travel expenses are the responsibility of the student.

Online Course Fees

All programs that provide at least 95% of a program through On-Line delivery methods will charge a $50 per credit hour course fee. Click here for information about special fees.