2022-2023 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog
Bachelor of Science in Nursing - Traditional
Grand Valley's traditional Bachelor of Science in nursing (B.S.N.) degree program focuses on evidence-based nursing practice. Students are prepared to provide nursing interventions for individuals, families, groups, and communities at a beginning, generalist level and will complete five semesters of clinical coursework.
Admission
- Earn a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (including transfer credits).
- Demonstrate successful completion with a grade of C (2.0) or better of all prerequisite coursework.
- Adhere to the KCON course repeat policy which states that a student may repeat three admission prerequisite courses and two of those courses can be BMS, CHM, or BIO. No required course may be repeated more than once.
KCON admits two cohorts into the traditional B.S.N. program on an annual basis: one cohort in the fall semester and one cohort in the winter semester. Admission to the program is highly competitive and a student may not be admitted if only meeting the minimum requirements. Additional information about the admissions process, including application deadlines, can be found on the KCON website at gvsu.edu/kcon.
Prior to beginning KCON clinical courses, students must complete comprehensive health compliance requirements including, but not limited to, a criminal background check, fingerprinting, and drug screening. Clinical sites can refuse to accept students who have not successfully completed all GVSU health requirements. It is the responsibility of the student to establish and maintain all compliance requirements. Please note: If there is illegal activity in the background check/fingerprinting or if there is evidence of one or more prohibited substance(s) in the drug test, the clinical sites have the right to refuse a student's placement which may negatively impact a student's ability to progress in the B.S.N. program and subsequently graduate.
In addition, all State Boards of Nursing review records of all graduates who have completed a nursing program to determine eligibility to take the National Council Licensure Examination-RN (NCLEX-RN). All State Boards of Nursing retain the right to deny a B.S.N. graduate permission to take the NCLEX-RN licensure examination if convicted of a crime.
All courses listed as follows must be completed with a minimum grade of C (2.0). Continued progression through the nursing major requires a minimum grade of C (2.0) in corequisite and nursing courses. All required courses for the nursing major must be taken for graded credit with the exception of some clinical nursing courses that are designated as credit/no-credit.
Admission Prerequisite Courses
- BIO 120 - General Biology I (4 credits)
- BMS 250 - Anatomy and Physiology I (4 credits)
- CHM 109 - Introductory Chemistry (4 credits)
- CHM 230 - Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry (4 credits)
- PSY 101 - Introductory Psychology (3 credits)
- WRT 150 - Strategies in Writing (4 credits) OR BOTH WRT 120 - Strategies in Writing - Stretch I (3 credits)
AND WRT 130 - Strategies in Writing - Stretch II (3 credits) - One general education course (3+ credits)
Additional Required Courses
The following required courses must be completed with a grade of C (2.0) or better before the start of the nursing program.
- BMS 212 - Introductory Microbiology (3 credits)
- BMS 213 - Laboratory in Microbiology (1 credit)
- BMS 251 - Anatomy and Physiology II (4 credits)
- PSY 364 - Life Span Developmental Psychology (3 credits)
- STA 215 - Introductory Applied Statistics (3 credits)
Corequisite Courses
The following corequisite courses are designed for the student to take at a time that complements the nursing clinical courses but may be completed in advance.
- BIO 355 - Human Genetics (3 credits)
- BMS 305 - Clinical Nutrition (3 credits)
- BMS 310 - Basic Pathophysiology (3 credits)
Transfer Students
A student planning to transfer to GVSU from another college or university should work closely with their local academic advisor. As a transfer student, be sure to carefully review your GVSU transcript evaluation upon admission to the university.
To be considered for the B.S.N. program, a student must first be admitted to GVSU and declare nursing as a major prior to application.
Eligible applicants must
- earn a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (including transfer credits);
- demonstrate successful completion with a grade of C (2.0) or better on all prerequisite coursework; and
- adhere to the KCON course repeat policy which states that a student may repeat three prerequisite courses and two of those courses can be BMS, CHM, or BIO. No required course may be repeated more than once.
KCON admits two cohorts into the traditional B.S.N. program on an annual basis: one cohort in the fall semester and one cohort in the winter semester. Admission to the program is highly competitive and a student may not be admitted if only meeting the minimum requirements. Additional information about the admissions process, including application deadlines, can be found on the KCON website at gvsu.edu/kcon.
Prior to beginning KCON clinical courses, students must complete comprehensive health compliance requirements including, but not limited to, a criminal background check, fingerprinting, and drug screening. Clinical sites can refuse to accept students who have not successfully completed all GVSU health requirements. It is the responsibility of the student to establish and maintain all compliance requirements. Please note: If there is illegal activity in the background check/fingerprinting or if there is evidence of one or more prohibited substance(s) in the drug test, the clinical sites have the right to refuse a student's placement, which may negatively impact a student's ability to progress in the B.S.N. program and subsequently graduate.
In addition, all State Boards of Nursing review records of all graduates who have completed a nursing program to determine eligibility to take the National Council Licensure Examination-RN (NCLEX-RN). All State Boards of Nursing retain the right to deny a B.S.N. graduate permission to take the NCLEX-RN licensure examination if convicted of a crime.
All courses listed as follows must be completed with a minimum grade of C (2.0). Continued progression through the nursing major requires a minimum grade of C (2.0) in corequisite and nursing courses. All required courses for the nursing major must be taken for graded credit with the exception of some clinical nursing courses that are designated as credit/no-credit.
Traditional B.S.N. Program: Suggested Order of Coursework for a Major in Nursing
Semester One
There are 14 credits required, including:
- BIO 120 - General Biology I (4 credits)
- CHM 109 - Introductory Chemistry (4 credits)
- PSY 101 - Introductory Psychology (3 credits)
- General education (3 credits)
Semester Two
There are 15 credits required, including:
- CHM 230 - Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry (4 credits)
- WRT 150 - Strategies in Writing (4 credits)
- BMS 250 - Anatomy and Physiology I (4 credits)
- General education course (3 credits)
Semester Three
There are 17 credits required, including:
- BMS 212 - Introductory Microbiology (3 credits)
- BMS 213 - Laboratory in Microbiology (1 credit)
- BMS 251 - Anatomy and Physiology II (4 credits)
- STA 215 - Introductory Applied Statistics (3 credits)
- PSY 364 - Life Span Developmental Psychology (3 credits)
- General education course (3 credits)
Semester Four
There are 14 credits required, including:
- NUR 266 - Professional Nursing I (4 credits)
- NUR 267 - Clinical Nursing I (4 credits)
- BMS 305 - Clinical Nutrition (3 credits)
- BMS 310 - Basic Pathophysiology (3 credits)
Semester Five
There are 16 credits required, including:
- NUR 265 - Introduction to Nursing Research and Evidence-based Practice (3 credits)
- NUR 316 - Professional Nursing II (4 credits)
- NUR 317 - Clinical Nursing II (6 credits)
- NUR 328 - Clinical Pharmacology for Nursing (3 credits)
Semester Six
There are 16 credits required, including:
- BIO 355 - Human Genetics (3 credits)
- NUR 366 - Professional Nursing III (4 credits)
- NUR 367 - Clinical Nursing III (6 credits)
- General education course (3 credits)
Semester Seven
There are 15 credits required, including:
- IPE 407 - Integrated Team Health Care (2 credits)
- NUR 416 - Professional Nursing IV (4 credits)
- NUR 417 - Clinical Nursing IV (6 credits)
- General education course (3 credits)
Semester Eight
There are 13 credits required, including:
- NUR 467 - Professional Nursing V (10 credits)
- General education course (3 credits)
Total Credits: 120
To progress in the B.S.N. 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 B.S.N. courses. Students who fail more than one required course will not be allowed to remain in the program. Withdrawal from a course when "not in good standing" will be considered a course failure regardless of when the withdrawal occurs.
Total number of program credits may vary and could exceed 120 (based on general education course selections).