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2012-2013 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog

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Bachelor of Science in Nursing - Traditional

Undergraduate Nursing Admission

Freshman Nursing Majors (Direct Admit)

A limited number of new freshman students are eligible for direct admission to the nursing major. Admission is based on exceptional performance in a number of academic and leadership areas.

Eligibility for direct admit status to the undergraduate nursing program includes:

  • New freshman student
  • Cumulative high school grade point average of 3.6 or higher
  • ACT composite score of 30 or higher
  • All of the application for admission documents, including ACT score, must be submitted to the GVSU Admissions Office by December 31 of the senior year of high school
  • Declaration of a nursing major by the end of the first week of classes during the first semester of enrollment at GVSU

Maintenance of direct admit status requires students to:

  • Meet with their academic advisor in the Office of Student Services in the Kirkhof College of Nursing during their freshman year to identify the anticipated semester of entry into the initial clinical course
  • Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.5, including transfer credits
  • Attain a non-factored 3.5 grade point average in the admission prerequisite courses
  • Admissions prerequisites or other required courses may not be repeated more than once
  • Be aware that a change of major will result in loss of direct admit status

Progression into the clinical portion of the undergraduate nursing program requires students with direct admit status to:

  • Complete the necessary admission prerequisites and other required courses prior to beginning the initial clinical course in the undergraduate nursing program
  • Apply for admissions by the specified date (August 31 for winter entry; March 1 for fall entry)

Evidence of the following items are required before the student begins NUR 266:

  • Health and immunization reports
  • Certification in an American Heart Association course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for health professionals
  • Transportation for clinical experiences
  • Criminal background check and drug screen
  • Documentation of HIPPA training

Freshman with Admission Status

Students who are admitted to the university but do not immediately qualify for direct admission to the nursing major enroll as nursing majors and must complete a secondary application. They are assigned an advisor who can guide them through the requirements.

  • Students must have successfully completed (with a grade of C or better) all prerequisite coursework by the beginning of the term in which they are applying and none of the admission prerequisite or other required courses may be repeated more than once.
  • After ensuring they have declared nursing as a major, students should apply for admission by August 31. Winter entry; March 1 for fall entry to verify that they will have completed their preclinical coursework and meet the minimum requirements.
  • Admission to the program is highly competitive. Students who only meet minimum requirements, such as a 3.0 admission GPA or average grades in the prerequisite courses, may not be competitive.

Procedures for admission to the nursing major are available on our Web site at www.gvsu.edu/kcon/. Select Application Process.
Multiple selection criteria are used to determine admission to the nursing major. These include but are not limited to:

  • Prerequisite GPA
  • Interviews
  • Laker score based on the number of credits taken through GVSU

Evidence of the following is required before the student begins NUR 266:

  • Health and immunization reports
  • Certification in an American Heart Association course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for health professionals
  • Transportation for clinical experiences
  • Criminal background check and drug screen
  • Documentation of HIPPA training

The corequisite courses are designed for students to take at a time that complements the nursing clinical courses. All courses listed below must be completed with a minimum of C (2.0). Continued progression through the nursing major requires a minimum of C (2.0) in corequisite courses.

Admission Prerequisite courses:

Other Required courses:

These required courses should not be taken as credit/no credit and should be completed before the start of nursing (NUR) courses.

Corequisite Courses in the Nursing Program

Corequisite courses should not be taken as credit/no credit.

Transfer Students

Students planning to transfer to Grand Valley from a community college should work closely with their local academic advisor. All transfer students should carefully review their degree analysis which will be sent to them upon admission to the university. Students must be admitted to Grand Valley and must also be admitted to the nursing major. Admission is selective and highly competitive. Additionally, no course may be repeated more than once, regardless of where the course is taken.

To be considered for the program, students must be admitted to Grand Valley and nursing must be declared as a major prior to application.

  • Students must have successfully completed (with a grade of C or better) all prerequisite coursework prior to the term in which they are applying and none of the admission prerequisites or other required courses may be repeated more than once.
  • After ensuring they have declared nursing as their major, students should apply for admission by August 31 for winter or March 1 for fall entry to verify that they will have completed their preclinical coursework and meet the minimum requirements.
  • Admission to the program is highly competitive. Students who only meet minimum requirements, such as a 3.0 admission GPA or average grades in the prerequisite courses, may not be competitive.

Evidence of the following is required before the student begins NUR 266:

  • Health and immunization reports
  • Certification in and American Heart Association course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for health professionals
  • Transportation for clinical experiences
  • Criminal background check and drug screen
  • Documentation of HIPPA training

Suggested Order of Coursework for a Major in Nursing

First Semester Credits: 14

Second Semester Credits: 15

Third Semester Credits: 17

Fourth Semester Credits: 17

Fifth Semester Credits: 16

Sixth Semester Credits: 16

Seventh Semester Credits: 15

Eighth Semester Credits: 16

Total Credits: 126

Footnotes

In order to progress in the nursing program a minimum grade of C (2.0) is required in the prerequisite, required, corequisite, and all nursing courses.

A grade less than a C (2.0) is considered a failure in all required nursing courses (designated by NUR). Students who fail more than one nursing course will not be allowed to remain in the program. Withdrawal from a course in failing status will be considered a course failure regardless of when the withdrawal occurs.


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