General Information
The changing healthcare environment necessitates various levels of nursing educational preparation. This RN–BSN online completion program prepares highly competent practitioners of nursing for professional careers in a dynamic healthcare environment. It provides educational mobility for associate degree and diploma prepared nurses and the foundation for graduate education in nursing. This flexible program makes possible the opportunity for registered nurses to receive credit for previous nursing education and experience.
Professional nursing education integrates liberal and nursing education to foster critical thinking skills required for professional nursing. Professional nursing education prepares nurses to practice effectively in a healthcare environment in diverse settings. Nursing education at the baccalaureate level is an active learning process.
Accreditation
The RN-BSN Program in the Carolyn McKelvey Moore School of Nursing is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (
NLNAC). The NLNAC may be contacted at 61 Broadway - 33rd Floor, New York, NY, 10006, telephone 212-363-5555.
The Carolyn McKelvey Moore School of Nursing also has approval from the
Arkansas State Board of Nursing.
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Mission
The mission of the UA Fort Smith Carolyn McKelvey Moore School of Nursing is consistent with the mission of UA Fort Smith by its design and program outcomes. The nursing education programs challenge students to think critically in an environment that facilitates educational mobility, personal growth, and a pattern of life-long learning. The mission of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) online completion program is to prepare the registered nurse (RN) to integrate knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes essential for professional nursing practice.
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Philosophy
The faculty of the Carolyn McKelvey Moore School of Nursing hold certain values about nursing and the educational process. These values form the framework in which learning activities move in a logical progression thoughout the curriculum and are based on the following concepts:
A human being is a unique holistic individual with worth, rights, and responsibilities. All human beings have needs. Fulfillment of these needs occurs within the context of their culture and responses to life experiences.
Health is a dynamic state that encompasses the holistic human being. Health results from the human being’s response to change in his/her internal and external environments. Health occurs along the wellness/illness continuum and is influenced by personal and cultural values.
Environment is the conditions or influences within which the human being exists. Stimuli within the internal and external environment are constantly interacting and affect the individual, family and community’s position on the wellness/illness continuum.
Nursing, as an art and science, is a dynamic profession with an evolving body of knowledge that is supported by research within the profession as well as from principles and theories from other disciplines. Nursing focuses on assisting human beings to meet needs along the wellness/illness continuum. Nurses use the nursing process in the promotion, maintenance, and restoration of health in culturally diverse clients throughout the lifespan. Changes in the current healthcare environment reflect an increased complexity in client needs and in delivery systems and, thus, necessitate various levels of nursing educational preparation.
Nursing education is the means by which students learn to practice nursing and is best provided in an institution of higher learning. Learning is a lifelong activity that is purposeful and motivated by individual need. The various levels of nursing education include, but are not limited to, practical nursing, associate degree nursing and baccalaureate degree nursing. Each type of nursing educational program provides a unique and valuable contribution to health care.
Baccalaureate nursing education in a completion program builds on a foundation in registered nursing. It expands upon the liberal arts, sciences, and basic nursing education to provide the basis for the practice of professional nursing. Baccalaureate nursing education occurs in a facilitated learner-centered environment which considers the unique needs of the student. The baccalaureate curriculum emphasizes community health, health promotion, leadership and management, research, communication and information technology, and provides the student with a foundation for graduate study.
Baccalaureate nursing utilizes evidence-based practice to provide care to culturally diverse individuals, families, populations, and communities across a variety of settings. Baccalaureate nursing practice integrates knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes essential for performing the interrelated roles of provider of care, designer, manager, and coordinator of care, and member of a profession. The baccalaureate prepared nurse possesses the professional values, core competencies and core knowledge identified by the Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 1998).
American Association of Colleges of Nursing (1998). Essential of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice. Washington, DC: AACN.
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Organizing Framework
The RN-BSN Online Completion Program builds upon previously acquired knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes of the RN. The focus of the organizing framework is to provide an opportunity for the RN to acquire new knowledge in the three roles of the baccalaureate nurse as provider of care, designer, manager and coordinator of care, and member of the profession of nursing. Graduates are prepared to assume leadership roles in healthcare and to serve as educators, client advocates, and health policy participants across a variety of settings with diverse populations. The organizing framework is based on the Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice (AACN, 1998) and has six major strands: critical thinking, research, communication, leadership and management, health promotion, and professional role development.
Critical thinking serves as the basis for implementing the nursing process and is used to evaluate nursing care outcomes. The BSN nurse utilizes critical thinking skills to synthesize knowledge, to use clinical judgment in evidenced-based practice, and to engage in self-reflection. Creative thinking, a component of critical thinking, is also used in problem solving and decision making.
Research is the scholarly inquiry into nursing problems which culminates in evidence based-practice. The baccalaureate prepared nurse is a knowledgeable consumer of research who can critique research and use existing standards to determine the merit of using research to improve practice.
Communication skills, required for the successful establishment and management of interpersonal relationships, is utilized by the baccalaureate nurse to explore, define, and clarify health needs of individuals, families, populations, and communities. Communication skills include use of 21st-century technology and how that technology impacts heathcare and health care systems.
Leadership and management skills are used to provide cost effective quality healthcare, to implement and support change and to serve as a client advocate in a variety of settings. The baccalaureate prepared nurse uses knowledge of the political and legal system to communicate with members of the healthcare team and consumers to improve healthcare.
Health promotion is focused on activities that promote an optimal level of wellness and/or activities focused on disease prevention. The baccalaureate prepared nurse develops, coordinates, implements, and evaluates teaching strategies for health promotion across the life span and addresses social issues that affect culturally diverse individuals, families, populations, and communities in a variety of settings.
Professional role development requires assuming responsibility and accountability for providing care based on established American Nurses Association (ANA) Standards of Clinical Nursing Practice (1991) and the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements (2001). Professional role responsibilities include: (a) exploration of one’s own personal values, identification of professional values, and modeling these values in practice to promote excellence in nursing, (b) involvement in community service; and (c) a commitment to professional nursing practice and lifelong learning.
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Program Outcomes
At the completion of this program, the graduate will be prepared to
- Use critical thinking in developing, implementing, and evaluating strategies which promote, maintain, and restore the health of culturally and ethnically diverse individuals, families, populations, and communities throughout the lifespan.
- Engage in evaluation and application of research findings to support evidenced-based practice.
- Communicate effectively using interpersonal, written and technological strategies.
- Apply leadership and management skills to provide cost-effective quality healthcare, collaborate with members of the healthcare team, implement and support change, and serve as a client advocate in a variety of settings.
- Employ health promotion strategies with individuals, families, populations, and communities in a variety of settings.
- Demonstrate professional development through modeling of nursing behaviors consistent with professional standards.
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Admission Criteria
Admission to the UA Fort Smith RN-BSN Online Completion Program is selective. In order to be considered for admission to the program, students must
- Complete the admission requirements to enter UA Fort Smith.
- Submit unofficial transcripts from any college(s) previously attended to the College of Health Sciences.
- Submit an official transcript showing successful completion of an NLNAC accredited associate degree or diploma nursing program to the UA Fort Smith Records Office. (Students graduating from a nursing program that is not NLNAC accredited will be evaluated on an individual basis).
- Have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 with a grade of “C” or better in all college courses that apply toward the baccalaureate degree.
- Have a current, unencumbered license as a registered nurse. (A valid unencumbered license must be maintained throughout the completion of the BSN program.)
- Have evidence of work experience or satisfactory completion of an RN refresher course according to the following guidelines:
- 0-12 months after graduation - no work experience required.
- >12 months after graduation - at least 1000 hours of nursing employment during the last 12-24 months or successful completion of an RN refresher course approved by the UA Fort Smith Director of the Nursing Program
- Complete a BSN program application for admission and the Verification of Clinical Practice Form(as required - see number 6. above)
RNs who have met these guidelines are eligible to receive credit for core nursing courses (30 credits) by validation (without testing).
- Completion of all non-nursing degree courses and nursing support courses is recommended prior to acceptance into the nursing program.
- Admission into the UA - Fort Smith RN-BSN online completion program or approval by the Dean of the College of Health Sciences is required prior to enrollment in the nursing sequence.
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Application Packet
RN-BSN Online Completion Program Application and Information Packet
Student Health Statement/Medical Release Form
Verification of Clinical Practice Form
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Prior to Registering for Classes
BSN students will be required to submit the following:
- Professional liability insurance with minimum limits of $1,000,000/incident and $3,000,000 aggregate.
- Current CPR certification for Health Care Providers.
- Current license as a registered nurse.
- A completed Student Health Statement/Medical Release Form
- Official transcripts must be submitted to the UA Fort Smith Records Office.
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Selection
Students are admitted into the BSN program in the fall and spring semesters. Those who meet the minimum criteria are eligible to submit an application for admission to the BSN program. The application and unofficial transcripts must be submitted to the College of Health Sciences by
November 15 for spring classes and
July 1 for fall classes.
*Due to limited class size, students are selected based on GPA.
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Degree Requirements
View the degree requirements for the
Degree Plans
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Student Health Statement/Medical Release Form
View and complete the student health requirements for the Nursing Program
Student Health Statement/Medical Release Form
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Progression and Graduation
Progression
Students progress through the program by earning a grade of “C” or better in all nursing courses. In combined
theory and clinical courses, a passing grade of “C” in the theory component and a satisfactory in the clinical
component is required to pass the course. Students will be subject to all policies established by UA Fort Smith and,
in the case of unethical, illegal or unprofessional behavior, the nursing faculty will investigate, impose any
sanctions, and determine retention in the program.
Graduation is dependent on completing all hours required by the University, and a grade point average of 2.0 or
better for graduation.
The grading system is consistent with the College of Health Sciences policies and follows a scale of: A (93-100),
B (84-92), C (75-83), F (below 75), W, IP, and AU. Course graded materials and activities include, but are not
limited to, scholarly papers, presentations, teaching projects, exams, course participation, clinical performance,
and portfolio presentation.
Grievance procedures for academic appeals follow UA - Fort Smith RN-BSN Online Completion Program Student Handbook and the UA Fort Smith guidelines outlined in the course catalog.
Graduation
Upon successful completion of the program with a grade point average of 2.0 or better, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree is awarded. The student must meet with their academic advisor to complete the graduation application. The student is responsible for providing the Records Office with evidence that the
criteria for graduation have been met one month prior to graduation.
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Residency Requirements
Thirty (30) of the last thirty-six (36) credit hours of the BSN program must be completed at UA Fort Smith.
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Clinical Education
Students will complete clinical experiences in three of the BSN courses. These experiences will be in diverse settings and facilitated by a preceptor to meet the learning needs of the individual student.
Expenses
Tuition And Fees
| Tuition |
|---|
| In State | $93 |
| Out-of State | $256 |
| Additional Expenses |
|---|
| Books | $550 |
| Total Estimated Cost of Attendance |
|---|
| In State | $11,230 |
| Out-of-State | $25,675 |
Estimated cost for the 2005-2006 school year - costs may change without notice and additional costs may be incurred throughout the program's entirety.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the RN–BSN online completion program at UA - Fort Smith?
The RN to BSN online completion program at UA - Fort Smith is designed for
RNs with an associate degree or diploma in nursing that wish to obtain a baccalaureate degree in nursing.
- What does it mean that the nursing courses in this program are web facilitated?
The theory in each nursing course is delivered online. Contact with the faculty and group work will be conducted synchronously and asynchronously via the use of discussion groups, e-mail, and chat rooms. Clinical times are arranged by the student in an area of personal interest.
- Can any RN take the courses offered?
Admission into the BSN program at UA Fort - Smith or approval by the Dean of the College of Health Sciences is required before nursing courses can be taken.
- What is required for admission to the program?
- A current, unencumbered RN license
- Transcript showing successful completion of an NLNAC accredited associate degree or diploma program (graduates of non-accredited programs will be evaluated on an individual basis).
- An overall GPA of 2.5 with a grade of “C” or better in all nursing course work and in all general education courses
- Proof of current employment or completion of an ASBN approved RN refresher course.
- Submit a Student Health Statement/Medical Release Form
- Can I “CLEP” (College Level Examination) any of these courses?
UA Fort Smith allows 30 credit hours of a degree to be obtained by “non-traditional” means (e.g. Advanced Placement [AP]). UA - Fort Smith also offers many opportunities for credit by examination. Please refer to the UA - Fort Smith Course Catalog for further details.
- What other courses besides nursing courses will I need to take?
All students must complete 44 credit hours of general education core courses as well as 18 credit hours of nursing support courses.
- What are the total credit hours needed to graduate?
| General Education courses | 44 credit hours |
| Nursing Support courses | 18 credit hours |
| Previous nursing credits awarded | 30 credit hours |
| Upper-Division Nursing courses | 35 credit hours |
| Total: | 127 credit hours |
- How long will it take me finish the program?
It depends on you! Upper-division nursing courses can be finished in 18 – 24 months on a part-time basis.
- Will I need to retake my sciences if they are over five years old?
There is no time limit on biology, microbiology, or college chemistry courses taken previously.
- What makes UA - Fort Smith’s program unique? This program
- was developed in response to community needs
- provides quality instruction and affordability
- is committed to increasing the educational level of registered nurses in this community
- is flexible – theory online and individualized clinical experiences
- What’s in it for me? The UA - Fort Smith RN-BSN online completion program provides:
- opportunities for career mobility
- increased professional autonomy
- increased level of competence and confidence
- a foundation for graduate education
- a gateway to advanced practice
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Contact Information
- Lori Jones
- Coordinator of Academic Support Services
- Office: Pendergraft Health Sciences Center 108
- Phone: 479-788-7841
- Fax: 479-788-7869
- Email: lojones@uafortsmith.edu
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About Us
5210 Grand Ave. • P.O. Box 3649