Bachelor's Degree in Nursing

The pre-licensure BSN program is a traditional four-year undergraduate major program that consists of 56 required nursing credits along with a 1-credit First Year-First Experience course; 34 credits in supporting courses such as biology, chemistry, psychology, anatomy, physiology and more; as well as 40 credits in liberal studies courses.

Through the coursework, you will develop knowledge and skills in assessment and diagnostics to develop, implement and evaluate plans of care and nursing interventions to care for the whole-person. You'll learn how to make clinical judgments based on the principles and practices of evidence-based nursing practice. And you'll learn to provide socially just nursing grounded in diversity, equity and inclusion to advance the common good.

The BSN program follows a relatively rigorous curriculum plan. Nursing faculty and academic counselors will work closely with you to advise you on the courses needed to complete the nursing curriculum. You will take some pre-requisite courses during the fall of your first year before applying to the BSN program in the spring semester of your first year.

Students who complete the program will receive a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).

1. Integrates liberal education for the provision of professional nursing care for the whole person and whole community.
2. Develops person-centered plans of care through therapeutic relationship, respect, holistic assessment, prioritization, intervention, and evaluation to achieve dignified health outcomes.
3. Promotes the common good through ethical, moral and socially just nursing care for people and populations through health promotion, disease prevention, and emancipatory praxis.
4. Demonstrates clinical decision-making, scholarship, and evidence-based nursing practice in the provision of care within complex systems.
5. Uses ingenuity, innovation, and multiple ways of knowing to proactively and continuously improve quality and safety in nursing practice and health care systems.
6. Demonstrates interprofessional teamwork that values similarities and differences to enhance and strengthen health outcomes.
7. Uses information and communication technologies and informatics processes to provide quality nursing care.
8. Demonstrates advocacy, professionalism and leadership skills, including leading self to lead others, self-care, lifelong learning, and clinical excellence.

The BSN requires a secondary application after admission and enrollment at St. Thomas. Interested students will apply in the spring semester while completing prerequisite courses.

The School of Nursing utilizes a holistic admissions process (see description below) in its review of applications. Application requirements include a review of the applicant's academic record, experiences, personal statement, multiple mini-interviews, and a simulated activity.

Holistic Review

Holistic review assesses an applicant's unique experiences in addition to traditional measures of academic achievement such as grades. This review facilitates consideration of a broad range of factors reflecting the applicant's academic readiness and contribution to the incoming nursing class. Since the School of Nursing's vision includes advancing health equity and social justice, St. Thomas nursing students should possess the background, qualities, and skills to provide culturally responsive care to meet the needs of a rapidly diversifying patient population.

The University of St. Thomas offers a variety of options and opportunities for financial aid and scholarships. Explore our resources for undergraduate students.

• Observe and assess a patient accurately, through visual, auditory and tactile abilities
• Ability to monitor and assess health needs
  • Examples (not all inclusive):
    • Interpret and respond to monitors, alarms, emergency signals and cries for help
    • Interpret and differentiate heart, lung and bowel sounds
• Observation and assessment necessary in nursing care, both at a distance and close at hand.
  • Examples (not all inclusive):
    • Observe patient responses
    • Observe small calibration markings and numbers (e.g., on syringes)
    • Assess color change in skin and fluids

• Possess psychomotor skills necessary to provide holistic and safe nursing care and perform or assist with procedures, treatments, and medication administration
• Operate equipment typically found in the health care environment (IV pumps, cardiac monitor, and electric blood pressure equipment, safe patient handling equipment, etc.)
• Practice in a safe manner and appropriately provide care in emergencies and life support procedures and perform universal precautions against contamination
  • Examples (not all inclusive):
    
    • Maintain sterile technique
    • Transfer and position patients
    • Position and re-position self around patients in their room or other workspaces
    • Perform assessment and therapeutic procedures such as inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation, and other diagnostic maneuvers and procedures

• Communicate effectively and sensitively with patients and families
• Communicate effectively with faculty, preceptors, and all members of the healthcare team during practicum and other learning experiences
• Accurately elicit information including a medical history and other information to adequately and effectively evaluate a client or patient’s condition
  • Examples (not all inclusive):
    • Concisely and accurately explains treatments and procedures as well as other health education
    • Documents clearly and concisely, within legal guidelines

• Use and apply information acquired from various sources, including written documents and computer systems (e.g., lectures, demonstrations, written documents, literature searches and data retrieval)
• Identify and interpret information presented in images from paper, slides, videos, and screens that are presented in various formats
• Recognize and assess client changes in mood, activity, cognition, verbal, and non-verbal communication
• Use and interpret information from assessment techniques/maneuvers
• Measure, calculate, reason, analyze, and synthesize data related to patient diagnosis and treatment of patients
• Exercise proper judgment and complete nursing responsibilities in a timely and accurate manner.
  Synthesize information, problem solve, and think critically to judge the most appropriate theory or assessment strategy
• Ask for help when needed and make proper judgments of when a nursing task can or cannot be carried out alone
• Exhibit a level of consciousness and attentiveness that guarantees patient safety
• Expeditiously incorporate data from multiple patient sources (e.g., physical assessment, vital signs, lab values, interdisciplinary documentation) in providing appropriate, safe patient care
  • Examples (not all inclusive):
    • Identify cause-effect relationships in clinical situations
    • Recognize and respond rapidly and safely to changes in patient status based on a variety of sources such as physical assessment and pertinent laboratory findings
    • Revise care to promote appropriate patient outcomes
    • Access electronic health records using health agency-approved device
    • Safely monitor and respond to alarms, emergency signals, cries for help, heart, lung, and bowel sounds
    • Assess respiratory and cardiac function, blood pressure, blood sugar, neurological status, etc.

• Behave professionally and maintain mature, sensitive, effective relationships with clients/patients, families, students, faculty, staff, preceptors and other professionals under all circumstances
• Exercise skills of diplomacy to advocate for patients in need
• Able to function under stress and adapt to classroom and practice setting environments
• Must be able to meet University of St. Thomas School of Nursing attendance requirements, including timeliness
  • Examples (not all inclusive):
    • Arrives on time, prepared to fully participate
    • Manages work to meet deadlines
    • Student must be able and willing to examine their behavior when it interferes with productive individual or team relationships

• Concern for others, integrity, accountability, interest, and motivation are necessary personal qualities
• Demonstrate intent and desire to follow the ANA Standards of Care and Nursing Code of Ethics
  
  • Examples (not all inclusive):
    • Is honest in all communications with others
    • Has a positive attitude to ensure teamwork
    • Maintains confidentiality