The traditional baccalaureate curriculum Program of Study is designed for recent high school graduates and requires eight (8) semesters of full-time study at either the Omaha or Hastings campus. The College of Nursing (CON) has variations of the traditional 4-year Program of Study to accommodate students with various interests, including those related to Reserve Officers Training Corp (ROTC) and study abroad.
During the freshman year, students in the Traditional Curriculum are enrolled in the Ratio Studiorum Program (RSP) course, an introduction to professional nursing course, and the foundational level courses of the Magis Common Core Curriculum. During the sophomore year, students are offered nursing courses in health assessment, pathophysiology, lifespan development, nutrition, statistics, and an introductory course in safety and quality in care management. Additionally, students complete courses at the explorations level of the Magis Common Core Curriculum. Nursing courses at the junior and senior level build upon the Magis Common Core Curriculum and nursing support courses offered at the freshman and sophomore level. During their junior and senior years, traditional students are enrolled in nursing courses, including practicum experiences, focusing on outcomes-oriented, evidence-based nursing practice to enhance quality and safety of care delivery. The College of Nursing provides instruction for the practicum experiences in collaboration with cooperating agencies in both hospital and community-based agencies to enrich the learning opportunities. Emphasis is placed on using the care management model as a framework for achieving optimal clinical, quality, and cost-effective outcomes through health promotion, protection, maintenance, and restoration of altered health states. Population-based concepts are threaded throughout all care management practicum learning experiences. The senior year culminates in a capstone practicum designed to provide a concentrated experience in complex, collaborative nursing care management under the supervision of a nurse preceptor as well as clinical reasoning activities using simulation and problem-based learning activities. .
Admission
High School graduates who are first time freshmen wishing to pursue the Traditional nursing curriculum leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) apply to Creighton University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions. General admission requirements for freshman and transfer students are listed in this Catalog under "Admissions."
The College of Nursing recommends that these students pursue a strong college preparation course of study in high school, which would include courses in science and math. High school chemistry, or its equivalent, is required for admission into the College of Nursing. An ACT composite score of at least 22 or SAT Verbal score of 500 is recommended.
Transfer students from non-nursing and nursing majors may be admitted on a space available basis. If transferring from another program of nursing, a letter of recommendation from the dean or chair of the program of nursing in which the student was previously enrolled must be submitted. Course descriptions or course syllabi of any previous nursing courses must be submitted for evaluation at the request of the College of Nursing's Undergraduate Admissions and Promotions Committee and/or Assistant Dean for Student Affairs.
Admission to the College of Nursing is a two-tiered process. Acceptance is conditional until both separate steps are successfully completed.
- Academic acceptance is based on academic credentials and application materials.
- Validation of applicants' ability to meet the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor requirements of the challenging nursing curriculum, with or without reasonable accommodations, consistent with the American Disabilities Act is required. Applicants must complete the "Safety and Technical Standards" form attesting to their ability to meet these requirements.
Other Requirements for Enrollment
Certain conditions of enrollment must be met insuring access to placement in clinical settings.
- Completion of immunizations required of all Creighton University Health Sciences students.
- Background investigations of all current and fully accepted students.
- Drug testing consistent with clinical agency contracts.
- Completion of physical examination to provide evidence that the student is free from contagious disease and not a health hazard to patients in various settings.
- Current certification in Basic Life Support (BLS). Either Red Cross-"Basic Life Support for Professional Rescuer" or American Heart Association "Health Care Provider" are accepted. Courses should be labeled "professional level" and include instruction of the Automated External Defibrillator (AED).
Advanced Placement, Transfer and Other Credit
The policies of the College of Arts and Sciences governing the granting of Advanced Placement (AP), transfer or other credit apply to students in the College of Nursing except when for selected nursing courses.
Requirements for Graduation
A candidate for a BSN degree must have earned a minimum of 128 semester hours of credit with a grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 or above. A grade of "C" must be earned in all required nursing courses and pre-requisite/nursing support courses.
Academic Standing
The College of Nursing (CON) applies the Creighton University's policy on academic standing in that a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.00 is required for graduation. The average shall be computed only on the basis of all work attempted at Creighton.
The College of Nursing's Academic Probation and Dismissal policies are as follows:
- Any nursing student whose GPA is below 2.20 at the end of any semester will be placed on Academic Probation.
- Whenever a student's GPA falls below 2.20, the student may be advised not to carry a full schedule of studies and extracurricular activities.
- Any freshman whose GPA is not at least 1.75 at the end of the freshman year may be dismissed for poor scholarship. In some cases if a freshman student's GPA is exceptionally low at the end of the first term of the first year, the student may be dismissed for poor scholarship at that time.
- Freshman students who do not attain a 2.20 GPA at midterm in the fall semester and were not enrolled in EDGE 120 Strategies for Academic Success are required to register for EDGE 130 Strategies for Student Success during the spring semester. If the fall semester final GPA is 2.20 or higher, the scheduled EDGE 130 may be dropped. The student is still encouraged to seek academic assistance from the College Of Nursing's Academic Success Coordinator, Counseling Center, or Student Support Services.
- Freshman students who took EDGE 120 and did not attain a 2.20 GPA during the fall semester are required to register for the Success Seminar through the EDGE Office during the spring semester.
- Any student whose GPA is not at least 2.00 at the end of the sophomore year or at the end of any subsequent semester may be dismissed from the University for poor scholarship.
- Any student who has been dismissed for poor scholarship may not apply for readmission to the University until a full year has elapsed. If readmitted, the student is placed on final academic probation.
Traditional Baccalaureate Curriculum Plan - Omaha and Hastings Campuses
The Creighton University Magis Common Core Curriculum requirements are a minimum of 35 semester hours. The total number of Magis Common Core Curriculum hours that students enrolled in the College of Nursing Traditional Curriculum will take is 38 hours. This difference is attributed to the following:
- The Magis Common Core Curriculum requirement of Explorations:Understanding Natural Sciences is 2 credit hours. The College of Nursing requires students to take CHM 111 Fundamentals of General Chemistry (4 credits) to meet the outcomes of this Core component, and provide the foundation for subsequent courses.
- The Magis Common Core Curriculum requirement of Integrations is 3 credit hours. The College of Nursing requires students to take two NUR courses that are 2 credits (total of 4 credit hours) each to meet the outcomes of this Core component.
Transfer students may enter the traditional curriculum at various points, based on individual evaluations of past academic history. Descriptions of past courses will be compared to Creighton University courses for equivalency and granting of transfer credit. Transfer students on the Hastings campus follow the traditional baccalaureate curriculum for transfer students.
Traditional Nursing Curriculum (128 credits)
Magis Common Core Courses (minimum of 35 hours)
Foundations Level
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Contemporary Composition - ENG 15x | 3 | |
| Critical Issues in Human Inquiry - Dept 17x | 3 | |
| Oral Communication - COM 101 | 1 | |
| Mathematical Reasoning - MTH 205 | 2 | |
| Philosophical Ideas - PHL 11x | 3 | |
| The Christian Tradition - THL 11x | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 15 | |
Explorations Level
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Ethics - THL 270/PHL 270 | 3 | |
| Global Perspectives in History - HIS 1xx | 3 | |
| Literature - ENG 220 or ENG 221 | 3 | |
| The Biblical Tradition - THL 2xx | 3 | |
| Understanding Natural Science - CHM 111 | 4 | |
| Understanding Social Science - PSY 201 | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 19 | |
NOTE: All Foundations and Explorations Magis Common Core courses must be completed prior to Junior level nursing courses.
Integrations Level
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Intersections | ||
| NUR courses to be determined | 4 | |
| Total Credits | 4 | |
Designated Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Designated Ethics | ||
| NUR 474 | Applied Nursing Ethics | 3 |
| Designated Oral Communications | ||
| NUR 372 | Care Management and Outcomes Improvement Practicum II | 5 |
| Designated Statistical Reasoning | ||
| NUR 200 | Statistical Reasoning | 3 |
| Designated Technology | ||
| NUR course to be determined | ||
| Designated Written Communications | ||
| NUR 471 | Care Management and Outcomes Improvement III | 5 |
Nursing Pre-Requisite/Support Courses (in addition to Core)1
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BMS 111 | Basic Human Anatomy | 4 |
| BMS 303 | Physiology | 4 |
| CHM 111 | Fundamentals of General Chemistry 2 | 3 |
| CHM 112 | Fundamentals Of Biological Chemistry 3 | 3 |
| CHM 113 | Fundamentals Of Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| MIC 141 | Microbiology | 4 |
| PSY 201 | Introductory Psychology | 3 |
| RSP 102 | An Introduction to the Culture of College Life | 1 |
| SOC 101 | Introduction to Sociology: Self and Society | 3 |
| or ANT 111 | Introduction to Anthropology: Human and Cultural Diversity | |
| IPE Elective | 2-3 | |
| Total Credits | 28-29 | |
| 1 | BMS 111 Basic Human Anatomy, BMS 303 Physiology, CHM 112 Fundamentals Of Biological Chemistry, CHM 113 Fundamentals Of Chemistry Laboratory, MIC 141 Microbiology, PSY 201 Introductory Psychology, SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology: Self and Society or ANT 111 Introduction to Anthropology: Human and Cultural Diversity, and MTH 205 Mathematics for the Modern World are pre-requisite to nursing courses. Students must receive a "C" or better in each of these courses. |
| 2 | Pre-Med Nursing Option: CHM 203 General Chemistry I, CHM 204 General Chemistry I Laboratory, CHM 205 General Chemistry II, and CHM 206 General Chemistry II Laboratory, with grades of "C" or better. |
| 3 | Pre-Med Nursing Option: CHM 321 Organic Chemistry I, CHM 322 Organic Chemistry I Laboratory,CHM 323 Organic Chemistry II, and CHM 324 Organic Chemistry II Laboratory, with grades of "C" or better. |
Nursing Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NUR 116 | Introduction to Professional Nursing | 1 |
| NUR 200 | Statistical Reasoning | 3 |
| NUR 223 | Nutrition | 2 |
| NUR 228 | Lifespan Development | 3 |
| NUR 224 | Health Assessment Across the Lifespan | 2 |
| NUR 226 | Health Assessment Practicum | 1 |
| NUR 252 | Human Pathophysiology | 3 |
| NUR 255 | Safety/Quality in Care Management Lab I | 1 |
| NUR 341 | Nursing Management of Pharmacotherapy | 3 |
| NUR 351 | Care Management and Outcomes Improvement I | 5 |
| NUR 352 | Care Management and Outcomes Practicum I | 4 |
| NUR 353 | Principles of Population-Based Health Care | 3 |
| NUR 355 | Safety/Quality in Care Management Lab II | 1 |
| NUR 371 | Care Management and Outcomes Improvement II | 5 |
| NUR 372 | Care Management and Outcomes Improvement Practicum II | 5 |
| NUR 375 | Safety/Quality in Care Management Lab III | 1 |
| NUR 377 | Research and Evidence-Based Nursing Practice | 3 |
| NUR 471 | Care Management and Outcomes Improvement III | 5 |
| NUR 472 | Care Management and Outcomes Improvement Practicum III | 5 |
| NUR 473 | Leadership for Care Management | 2 |
| NUR 474 | Applied Nursing Ethics | 3 |
| NUR 481 | Transition to Professional Nursing | 2 |
| NUR 482 | Care Management and Outcomes Improvement Capstone Practicum | 10 |
| NUR 485 | Policy and Advocacy in Health Care | 2 |
| Total Credits | 75 | |
Minors
Students in the College of Nursing may pursue a minor in other Colleges within the University. The minor is in addition to the BSN degree. Requirements of the minor are listed in each department’s entry in the Catalog and websites. To apply for a minor, the student should contact the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs in the College of Nursing for appropriate consultation and referral.
