School of Nursing

BS in Nursing | RN to BSN | LVN to BSN | Course Descriptions

Chair: Anne Stiles   (936) 294-2369

Faculty: Rebecca Aulbach, Lilibeth Al-Kofahy, Deborah Duncan, Susan Holland, Terry Hale, Charmin Horton, Linda James, Caterina LoGalbo, Marianne Moore, Forstine Morris, Denise Neill, Celeste Roberts, Judy Tollenaere, Melissa Vander Stucken, Shirley Wallace, Elizabeth Wilhite, Kelly Zinn

Website: http://www.shsu.edu/academics/nursing

Vision Statement

The Nursing Program will provide a professional educational program that will stimulate learners to promote, maintain, and restore the health of individuals, diverse communities, and the environment now and in the future through evidence-based practice and the use of technology.

Mission

Our mission is to provide a quality education to a diverse body of accountable, competent, critical thinking students who are prepared upon graduation to function independently and collaboratively in professional nursing roles in the changing world of the future. The program provides a nursing foundation which promotes holistic, evidence-based health care in a professional community. The faculty promote the concept of lifelong learning based on scholarly teaching, research, practice, and service in order to maintain competence and achieve new competencies as the profession evolves.

Outcomes for Graduates

1. Integrate knowledge from liberal studies and nursing science to practice professional nursing, in a holistic caring manner,
2. Development, implement and evaluate safe, quality patient care through collaboration with patients and members of the professional health care delivery team in various health care settings,
3. Demonstrate ethical accountability and legal responsibilities using cultural parameters and professional nursing standards of practice and care in order to provide care to individuals, families, groups, and populations,
4. Use therapeutic communication in formal and informal interaction with patients, families, groups, colleagues, and other members of the healthcare team in the delivery of nursing care,
5. Demonstrate professional leadership and management skills while implementing safety principles in the delivery of nursing care,
6. Base safe patient care upon evidence and clinical reasoning,
7. Act as an advocate for both sick and healthy clients across the lifespan and for the nursing profession, reflecting current and changing health care systems, health policies, and global health care factors,
8. Demonstrate accountability for lifelong learning and professional growth,
9. Demonstrate competency with technology and information management in the delivery of safe care, while maintaining confidentiality and protecting patient rights,
10. Collaborate with other professionals of the health care team to promote health and wellness and to prevent disease and injury across the lifespan for individuals, families, groups and populations.

Texas Board of Nursing Differentiated Essential Competencies

Academic Programs

• BS in Nursing
• RN to BSN
• LVN to BSN

Highlights

The School of Nursing offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.  Since beginning in January 2011, the upper division program has become fully approved by the Texas Board of Nursing and accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). The NCLEX first-time pass rate has exceeded that of the state and nation at 88%, and 97% of students were working as a nurse within six months of graduation.  Over 38% of the diverse faculty have a PhD in Nursing and three faculty members are nurse practitioners.

Student Organizations

Student Nursing Association: Students enrolled in the Nursing School and pre-nursing courses are eligible to participate as members of the SHSU chapter of the Texas Nursing Students’ Association (TNSA). The TNSA is the student component of the American Nurses’ Association, a national professional nursing organization with state and local constituencies, and a subsidiary of the National Student Nurses’ Association (NSNA). Participation locally affords membership in the largest independent health organization in the nation and the only one for nursing students. TNSA offers numerous benefits to those students who join this organization. Among these are issues of IMPRINT magazine, a publication by and for nursing students. Affordable professional liability insurance coverage can be purchased through the association. TNSA offers assistance with career planning, opportunity to participate in state and national student conventions, and involvement in activities to actualize your potential as a developing professional nurse. More information on meetings and activities can be obtained from the School of Nursing website.

Scholarships

SHSU offers scholarships to students in the School of Nursing. They are competitive scholarships and are based on how well the student performs in nursing coursework. Assistance is also available through Financial Aid, including scholarships, loans, and grants outside of SHSU. Information on University scholarships may be obtained from the Office of Academic Scholarships website at http://www.shsu.edu/~fao_www/scholarships/ or email: nursing@shsu.edu. You must complete the current year FAFSA by February 1 to be considered for nursing scholarships.

1. ALVIN AND ANGELINE JASIN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND: $1,500 per year. Recipients must be a full-time undergraduate student in good standingin Pre-Nursing or enrolled in the School of Nursing. An overall GPA of 3.0 is required.
2. MARY ELLEN RAGSDALE NURSING SCHOLARSHIP: $5,000 per year. Recipient must be an incoming freshman student in good standing and majoring in nursing; be a graduate of Humble High School. If there are no qualified applicants from Humble High School, preference will be given to graduates from any high school in the Humble Independent School District. If there are no qualified applicants from the Humble Independent School District, then the scholarship award will be open to any qualified student. Financial need will be a consideration but not a determining factor. GPA of 3.00 is required. 
3. RYLIE ELISE RINGER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP: $1,000 per year. Recipient must be a full-time junior or senior student (at the time they receive the funding) in good standing in the School of Nursing and be able to demonstrate financial need. An overall GPA of 2.50/3.00 is required. 
4. ST. LUKE'S THE WOODLANDS HOSPITAL NURSING SCHOLARSHIP: $2,000 per year. Recipient must be a full-time undergraduate student in good standing in the School of Nursing. Preference will be given to current employees of St. Luke's The Woodlands Hospital, St. Luke's The Woodlands Hospital employee's spouse, legal dependent, child or grandchild. A GPA of 3.20 is required. Application deadline is February 1.

The number and/or amount of each award are determined by the amount of income earned on the respective scholarship endowment.

Fellowships

Huntsville Memorial Hospital (HMH) offers a Fellowship Program for highly motivated second-semester senior BSN students at Sam Houston State University. The expectation of HMH’s Fellowship Program is to produce the next generation of nursing leaders equipped with the skills to establish and provide excellent nursing care. Applicants with a proven history of dedication to their work and a leader mentality are selected to work in a specialty area under close supervision and mentoring. They will take classes at HMH during their last semester at SHSU, in addition to their regular required classes. Following graduation, the applicants will continue their education and mentoring with an experienced RN on a specialty unit such as the operating room, post anesthesia unit, labor and delivery, or intensive care unit.

Progam Specific Requirements

Two-Step Process for Nursing Program Admission:

1. Apply to Sam Houston State University (SHSU) as an undergraduate. After successful admission to SHSU, ensure that you meet the admission criteria for the School of Nursing as follows:

• Virtual or distance-learning course offerings for BIOL 2401, BIOL 2402, BIOL 2420 (or BIOL 3470), and CHEM 1406 (or CHEM 1411) will not be accepted.

•Students must complete 46 credit hours with a 3.0 GPA, prior to making application to the School of Nursing. The 46 credit hours must include BIOL 2401, BIOL 2402, BIOL 2420, CHEM 1406 or CHEM 1411, MATH 1314 and MATH 1369 of the pre-nursing curriculum.

• All natural science and math courses must be completed within 5 years of application to the School of Nursing.

• Admission consideration to the School of Nursing requires an overall GPA of 3.0 for the 59 hours of the pre-nursing curriculum and a 3.00 GPA in the School of Nursing prerequisites. All grades must be a 'C' or better.

• Students must score a minimum of 64 on the TEAS V for admission consideration.

2. Apply for admission to the SHSU School of Nursing through the online application found on the nursing website (samweb.shsu.edu/hea101wp/

• Send an official copy of your Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS-y) results to: Office of Medical & Allied Health Programs, Sam Houston State University, ATTN: Nursing Application, Box 2209, Huntsville, TX 77341.

If you meet the preliminary requirements for acceptance into the School of Nursing (as indicated in #1 above), you will receive instructions for completing a criminal background check and fingerprint scanning with the agency specified by the Texas Board of Nursing

Students who pass the criminal background check and fingerprint screeing will be considered for selection if they have:

• Met the minimum 3.0 overall GPA,
• Submitted an official copy of an acceptable(64) TEAS-V test score at BSN level,
• Complete the Nursing application by the specified deadline.

Students meeting admission criteria will then be evaluated based on their application and their application and TEAS V test.

Students are conditionally accepted pending satisfactory completion of drug screening and criminal background checks.

Excerpts from Texas Board of Nursing website and Petition for Declaratory Order Form

• Applicants seeking licensure in Texas by Endorsement or Examination are required to submit a complete and legible set of scanned fingerprints on a form prescribed by the board for the purpose of obtaining a criminal history from the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. (Section 301.252 (b) and Section 301.252 (e) of the Texas Occupations Code).
• Applicants with outstanding eligibility issues (a positive criminal background screen) that could prevent them from taking the NCLEX examination upon completion of a nursing program are urged to complete a Declaratory Order application. If you have a positive criminal background screen, you will NOT be admitted into SHSU's Nursing program without a Declaratory Order from the Board of Nursing for the State of Texas stating that you have been granted permission to write the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). The Declaratory Order process permits the Board to make decisions regarding an applicant's eligibility for licensure prior to entering or completing a nursing program.

• Further information:
          http://www.shsu.edu/~nursing/pre_admission.html
          http://www.bne.state.tx.us/

Health

Students must provide evidence of being in good physical health, free of disease, and of having received all required immunizations. Prior to beginning classes students must pass a criminal background and drug check.

Curriculum

Bachelor of Science, Major in Nursing (BSN)

3 Digit to 4 Digit Crosswalk

RN to BSN (available Fall 2014)

The RN to BSN program courses are hybrid classes with 80% online to accommodate a working nurse’s schedule. Attendance on campus is required 3 days per semester on Wednesday. Full and part-time options are available to provide flexibility for the working registered nurse. Faculty are available at SHSU The Woodlands Center for questions and advising.

The RN-BSN Online Track is designed for the student who has passed the NCLEX-RN; holds a current, unencumbered license as a registered nurse; and wishes to obtain the baccalaureate degree. Earning a baccalaureate degree will open more doors in an RNs nursing career, allowing for positions of leadership and possibly further academic degrees.

Admission to SHSU’s RN-BSN program at The Woodland Campus requires:

• Unencumbered Texas RN License 
• Cumulative GPA of 2.5 (out of 4.0) overall GPA and Prerequisite GPA
• Compliance with clinical readiness requirements (Immunizations , CPR, liability and health insurance, physical exam, background check, and drug screen) 
• Completion of all prerequisite course work prior to the end of application period

3 Digit to 4 Digit Crosswalk

* Prerequisite courses from the Texas Core

Texas Board of Nursing Differentiated Essential Competencies and the SHSU Nursing Curriculum

For more information on the pre-requisite and core, contact:

• Brandy Colvin, 936.294.2396, bcolvin@shsu.edu
• RN-BSN: Dr. Denise Neill, PhD, RN, 936.292.5101, denise.neill@shsu.edu

LVN to BSN (available Fall 2014)

3 Digit to 4 Digit Crosswalk

Undergraduate Catalog 2014-2016

• Academic Calendar
• Academic Policies & Procedures
• Colleges & Academic Departments
• Degrees Offered
• Core Curriculum
• Course Descriptions
• Transfer of Credit
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• Texas Common Course Numbers
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• The Woodlands Center

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