Applicants must be able to meet the core performance standards found on WCU website www.wmcarey.edu. The following courses are required for admission to the School of Nursing:
Upon completion of the program of study in William Carey University School of Nursing, the professional nurse graduate is expected to be able to perform the following competencies:
The School of Nursing graduate outcomes reflect the expectations of the nursing profession and the community of interest as stated in The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice (AACN, 2008).
Applicants to the School of Nursing must be students in good standing at William Carey University and must have completed designated pre-requisite courses with a grade of at least “C” in each course. Applicants must also have completed all but 9 hours of designated core courses with a “C” average. All applicants seeking the B.S.N. degree must submit an application to the campus they plan to attend. An application will be considered on one campus only per admission period. No incomplete applications will be considered. Although applications for the School of Nursing are available all year, they are accepted only twice a year for consideration for admission. Once admitted to nursing on one campus, all nursing courses must be taken on that campus.
The following rule pertains to BIO 234, BIO 235, BIO 260, CHE 101, and HEA 240. Any student with two or more Ds or Fs in the same course or a combination of Ds or Fs in two courses are not eligible for admission to the nursing program.
In addition to completion of the designated courses, each applicant must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 or higher on pre-nursing coursework (including those repeated), and meet the benchmarks on the pre-entrance examination. Hours taken at William Carey University are also considered in the application process. Admission to the School of Nursing is competitive, and these requirements are minimum. Students being admitted to the university or meeting these minimum requirements are not guaranteed admission to the School of Nursing. Students having recently made two Ds or Fs in nursing clinical courses are ineligible. Students having recently made two Ds or Fs in the same nonclinical course are ineligible. If the Ds or Fs were made three or more years previously, a written appeal to reapply may be presented to the nursing leadership team committee.
Students who are in good standing and withdraw from the program may readmit to the program within one year of the exit date. Students who withdraw and do not readmit within one year of their exit date are not eligible to progress and must apply for readmission to the program. Readmission will be based on current admission requirements.
Students wishing to transfer to the School of Nursing from another institution must provide a letter of good standing from the school of nursing at that institution and must meet admission requirements equivalent to the Joseph and Nancy Fail School of Nursing. A transfer credit request form, with relevant syllabus must be completed (by the student) before transfer credit will be considered.
Only transferable courses (courses that are equivalent to the Joseph and Nancy Fail School of Nursing courses) will count in the nursing GPA. If a student is unsuccessful in a transferable nursing course, that course will count as one nursing failure for admission and progression.
Criminal background check. All students enrolled in nursing must receive a clear criminal background check. This is a mandatory requirement as part of the Mississippi state law, Section 43-13-11 of Mississippi Code of 1972, and in accordance with R.S. 37:921, LAC64:XLVII.3403 and to LAC 46:XLVII.3330 J-K of the Louisiana State Board of Nursing.
The School of Nursing will offer fingerprinting services for students to acquire a criminal background check as part of the admissions process. All fees associated with the criminal background check and fingerprinting process are the responsibility of the student and must be paid through the William Carey University Business Office. Criminal background check fees are nonrefundable.
After initial enrollment, any subsequent disciplinary action, arrest, charge, addiction, or impairment shall also be reported immediately to the undergraduate
academic director. Failure to report any and all subsequent disciplinary actions, arrests, or impairment will constitute falsification of records and may result in denial of licensure as a registered nurse.
Drug testing. All students enrolled must provide evidence of a negative drug screen prior to participating in nursing clinical courses. Failure to provide a sufficient sample or refusal to submit to testing will result in denial of admission for new students and immediate dismissal from the School of Nursing for continuing students. Random drug screening may be done for students enrolled in clinical courses.
Any admitting student who tests positive for illegal drugs must withdraw from clinical nursing courses. The student may reapply for admission in six months and will be admitted based on admission criteria as any new student making application.
Any continuing student who tests positive for illegal drugs must meet with the undergraduate academic director to determine the course of action. If the action taken is for the student to withdraw from the program, the student may make a written appeal for re-admission in six months to the nursing leadership team.
All costs associated with drug testing and criminal background checks are the responsibility of the student and are nonrefundable.
All students in nursing courses must have malpractice insurance before entering the clinical setting. This fee is assessed during course registration.
Refer to School of Nursing Undergraduate Student Handbook and individual course syllabi.
All students must submit documentation of receiving the hepatitis B immunization series, or positive titer; two varicella immunizations, or positive titer; a DTaP immunization; the results of appropriate screening for TB; and evidence of influenza vaccination annually. [1]
All students must complete (re)certification of CPR for the Health Care Providers course. Only certification by American Heart Association will be accepted. This will be done at an institution of the student’s choice. Students are responsible for the cost of certification. Students are responsible for submitting evidence of current certification to the nursing office for their file. Failure to do so will result in the inability to attend the clinical portion of a course and failure of the course.
Refer to School of Undergraduate Nursing Student Handbook for health status requirements for the School of Nursing. All health status requirements must be submitted to the medical compliance tracking system for approval. The fee for this service is assessed as a program fee.
Students must complete all nursing courses with a grade of C or better. In the event two grades of D or F are earned in clinical nursing courses, the student is ineligible to continue in nursing. Should the student fail any one required nonclinical nursing course two times, the student is ineligible to continue in nursing. Should the student fail NUR 100, NUR 102, NUR 104, or NUR 105 two times, the student is ineligible to continue in nursing.
Students must meet the prerequisite requirements for each course. No student may progress through clinical courses without successfully completing with a grade of C or better the clinical course(s) previously attempted.
Progression through the courses in the nursing major is in three levels. Level I courses must be completed before progressing to Level II. No student may progress to clinical courses in Level III without successfully completing, with a grade of C or better, all required courses in Level II. If a student does not progress on schedule and becomes a part of a subsequent class, the student must adhere to the policies governing the current (new) class.
Students are required to participate in the Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI) comprehensive assessment and remediation (CARP) program throughout the nursing program. Students are required to take an ATI standardized comprehensive examination at the beginning of the final term of the nursing program. Further information is provided in the School of Nursing Undergraduate Handbook and the course syllabi.
The LPN advanced placement option is an educational career advancement opportunity for LPNs to complete the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. The admission criteria and health status requirements for this option are the same as those for the pre-licensure BSN program.
The program of study for students who enter the LPN advanced placement option will follow the same curriculum and trajectory for completion as the traditional pre-licensure students. The only course change in the curriculum is that LPN advanced placement option students will take LPN-BSN Nursing Transition instead of NUR 102 - Introduction to the Art and Science of Nursing.
Students who enter the LPN advanced placement option will be allowed to take comprehensive exams to demonstrate knowledge in the following areas: nursing pharmacology, dosage/calculations, fundamentals of nursing, women’s health nursing, children’s health nursing, and mental health nursing. Nursing Pharmacology and Dosage Calculations are basic level courses that are taught at the pre-nursing level. Subject-specific proctored exams will be used to test students for knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to the specific course material. Students who meet established benchmarks will be awarded advanced standing with credit on the basis of course-specific proctored exams.
To be eligible for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Nursing, the student must have fulfilled all requirements of the university for graduation, completed all nursing courses with at least a “C” and be recommended by the dean and faculty. Graduates are eligible to apply to write the registered nurse licensure examination (NCLEX-RN) following successful completion of the curriculum. Graduation does not ensure eligibility for licensure.
The faculty reserves the right to make curricular changes to maintain standards consistent with the changing needs of society and of the profession.