Admissions Criteria

Upon admission, students may complete the program on a full-time or part-time basis. Students may select to take all their course work at the university or transfer into the nursing program after having completed all their general education and prerequisites. The traditional program track, leads to a terminal degree of BSN and eligibility to sit for the NCLEX to become a registered nurse (RN). The program is designed for student’s ready access and flexibility.

Nursing (Pre-licensure BSN in School of Professional Studies)

I. School of Professional Studies Core Curriculum (40 Credits)

General Education Requirements (34 credits):

Skills for Life and Work - 15 credits
- Writing (3), Communication (6), Numeracy (3), and
- Information and Computer Literacy (3)
Understanding the Self, Society, and Nature - 16 credits
- Appreciation of Arts and Humanities (6),
- Personal, Civic and Global Awareness (6), and
- Understanding the Scientific Method (4)
Ethics and Moral Reasoning - 3 credits
- Religious Studies and Ethics (3)

II. PRE-NURSING COURSES (24 credits)

BIOL 121 Human Anatomy and Physiology I
BIOL 122 Human Anatomy and Physiology II
BIOL 130 Microbiology for the Health Professions
HPNU 110 Professional and Career Success in the Health Professions
HPNU 200 Nutrition, Diet Therapy, and Health Promotion
HPNU 210 Pathophysiology

III. NURSING-SPECIFIC DIDACTIC AND CLINICAL COURSES (33 credits)

NURS 360 Professional Nursing Practice (PNP): Young through Older Adults I
NURS 361 Professional Nursing Practice (PNP): Young through Older Adults II
NURS 462 Professional Nursing Practice (PNP): Newborns & Childbearing Women
NURS 461 Professional Nursing Practice (PNP): Pediatric & Adolescent Client
NURS 350 Professional Nursing Practice: Psychiatric and Mental Health
NURS 460 Professional Nursing Practice (PNP): Young through Older Adult III
NURS 420 Professional Nursing Practice (PNP): Community and Public Health

IV. ADDITIONAL NURSING SKILLS-RELATED COURSES (25 credits)

HPNU 110 Professional and Career Success in the Health Professions
NURS 117 Foundations and Skills for Professional Nursing Practice
NURS 217
NURS 230 Nursing Health Assessment
NURS 320 Policy and Politics in Nursing
NURS 330 Nursing Theory and Research
NURS 410 Leadership and Management of Health Care
NURS 417 Nursing Skills Competencies II/Lab
NURS 491 NCLEX Preparation
NURS 499 Special Topics in Nursing

V. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA BOARD OF NURSING - REQUIRED UPPER-LEVEL GENERAL EDUCATION ELECTIVES (6 credits)

Program Policies

I. Acceptance into the SPS Pre-Licensure BSN Nursing Program

A. Acceptance Criteria:

Formal acceptance requires:

1. Successful completion of ALL SPS Core Curriculum and Pre-Nursing courses with a grade of "C" or higher.

2. Overall GPA of at least 2.5

3. Satisfactory score on the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) test

Pre-licensure BSN students should direct any questions about the process for formal acceptance into the Nursing Program to their undergraduate advisor in the School of Professional Studies.

B. Application Process for Acceptance:

1. Students may apply for acceptance into the pre-licensure BSN program upon completion of all required CAS General Education Requirement or SPS Core Curriculum and Pre-Nursing Courses. Students should apply early in the semester PRIOR to the semester of their projected acceptance date.

2. Students should take the TEAS test during the same semester that they make acceptance for application. Students may take the TEAS test up to three times.

3. Students will be notified by the Nursing Program Director of the results of their application when all criteria for considering the application have been received and evaluated.

Questions regarding the application process, acceptance criteria, or TEAS test should be directed to the Nursing Program Office (202.885.9670) or to the student's undergraduate advisor in the School of Professional Studies.

II. Health Requirements*

Current physical examination
Current immunizations
- DPT (every 10 years)
- MMR
- Varicella
- Hepatitis (3 doses)
- PPD (annual)
- Tetanus
- Influenza (annual recommended)
- Current major medical health insurance

NOTE: No student will be allowed to participate in clinical experiences unless and until these health requirements have been satisfied.

III. Other Requirements

Proof of professional liability/malpractice insurance
Satisfactor result of a criminal background check – including all aliases and nationwide sexual offenders index with a set of fingerprints
CPR certification as a Health Care Provider
Proof of OSHA training

NOTE: No student will be allowed to participate in clinical experiences unless and until these other requirements have been satisfied.

IV. Transfer Policy

Students transferring to Trinity in or after Fall 2002 from another appropriately accredited institution of higher learning for a bachelor’s degree must earn a minimum of 45 of their final 60 credits through course work at Trinity, excluding credits for experiential learning. Therefore, students may transfer up to 83 credits to fulfill the pre-licensure BSN degree requirements of 128 credits.

V. Grades in Major Courses

Students are required to earn a grade of "C" (2.0) or better in all courses counted to fulfill requirements for the major: for a list of these courses, please consult the Director of the Nursing Program.

VI. Pass/No Pass

The pass/no pass grading option is not accepted in courses to be applied for the major.

VII. Transportation

Students are required to provide their own transportation to and from clinical sites. Trinity’s free shuttle service connects the Main campus with the Brookland metro station.

RN to BSN Program

In addition to the University undergraduate admission requirements, students must have:

Two year associate degree or diploma in nursing from a NLN accredited program
Cumulative GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for all undergraduate course work. Students who do not meet this requirement may apply for admission and take up to 6 credits in accordance with university policy.
Current licensure as a Registered Nurse
Current immunizations
Criminal Background Check, which is a federal requirement for all persons working with vulnerable populations
CPR certification as a Health Care Provider
Profession liability/malpractice insurance
Personal health insurance coverage
Transportation to and from clinical experiences. The University’s free shuttle service connects the Main campus with the Metro station.

Once enrolled in the nursing program all students must maintain a “C” grade (78 or higher) to continue in the program. This includes lecture, lab, and clinical components.

Prerequisite Requirements for RN to BSN Program: (34 credits): (May meet the General Education requirements)
Anatomy & Physiology (lab) (8 credits)
Microbiology (lab) (4 credits)
Chemistry (lab) (4 credits)
Psychology (3 credits)
Statistics (3 credits)
Ethics (3 credits)
Public Speaking (3 credits)
Sociology (3 credits)
Genetics (3 credits)

General Education Requirements (34 credits):

Skills for Life and Work - 15 credits
- Writing (3), Communication (6), Numeracy (3), and
- Information and Computer Literacy (3)
Understanding the Self, Society, and Nature - 16 credits
- Appreciation of Arts and Humanities (6),
- Personal, Civic and Global Awareness (6), and
- Understanding the Scientific Method (4)
Ethics and Moral Reasoning - 3 credits
- Religious Studies and Ethics (3)