Nursing, B.S.N.

The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) has received and accepted the application for the initial accreditation of the baccalaureate program in nursing at Fontbonne University.

Admission Requirements

The selection process for admission to the Department of Nursing in the College of Education and Allied Health Professions at Fontbonne University is based upon a review of applicants’ personal and academic records. Undergraduate applications are reviewed as they are received, and admission decisions are made as each review is completed. Early application is recommended since admissions are closed when each class is filled. Applicants who are not eligible for direct admission to the program are encouraged to pursue appropriate preparatory classes, including College Algebra (MTH 105), Statistics (MTH 115 ), Anatomy and Physiology I & II (BIO 220 and BIO 222 ), Microbiology/Lab for Health Professions (BIO 240 and BIO 245 ), Developmental Psychology (PSY 200 ), Chemistry (CHM 106 or CHM 128 ) and Professional Nursing Practice (NUR 210 ). Students interested in the caring professions may also want to consider pursuing psychology, One Health, exercise science, social work, dietetics, speech-language pathology, and other majors.

Fontbonne University maintains a strong commitment to diversity to increase the number of faculty, staff and students from all backgrounds and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law in employment or in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, educational programs, scholarship and loan programs, or athletic and other programs and activities. Therefore, Fontbonne University strives to:

Create a learning environment that promotes, nurtures and supports the understanding, recognition and appreciation of contributions to society made by diverse individuals and groups.
Increase recruitment and retention of diverse students, faculty and staff.
Promote and foster effective communication and interaction among diverse populations.

Fontbonne University adheres to the principles of a holistic admission process in which selection criteria are broad-based and linked to our mission and philosophy. While we do recognize academic metrics, we also consider applicant experiences, attributes, potential for success, and how applicants may contribute to the university’s learning environment and to the nursing profession.

Licensure Disclosure

The curriculum for this program meets the educational requirements for licensure as a Registered Nurse in the State of Missouri. The Missouri Board of Nursing may impose additional requirements on candidates prior to granting a registered license; students are highly encouraged to investigate these requirements. Fontbonne University has not determined whether the curriculum for this program meets the educational requirements for nursing licensure in any other state or territory. It is strongly recommended that students investigate the requirements in each state or territory prior to accepting an offer of admission.

Freshman

All qualified applicants are directly admitted to the program through the Office of Admissions.
Students interested in pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Fontbonne University must fulfill the following requirements for consideration:
- High school GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
- High school or college entry-level chemistry and biology courses with a grade of C or better.
- An official high school transcript must be submitted. Students must earn a high school diploma from an accredited school or have an acceptable score on the General Education Development Test (GED) prior to starting classes. Extracurricular activities are considered in the admission decision.

External Transfer Students

Entry into the traditional nursing program for external transfer students is extremely limited and is wholly dependent upon space availability within the program, which in some years results in no external transfer students being admitted. In years where space is available, there may be more applicants than spots available, so entry is not guaranteed.
All undergraduate students who have earned at least 30 credits may be eligible to apply and must fulfill the following requirements for consideration:
- Transfer GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
- Successful completion of Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 and 2, Microbiology, College Algebra, Statistics, Lifespan Human Growth and Development, General Chemistry, and Professional Nursing Practice with a grade of a C or better; transferring courses must have been taken within the last 5 years with only one repeat total of all transferring courses allowed. If extenuating circumstances cause the student to repeat more than one course, the student may request a waiver of this requirement by submitting a letter of explanation with his/her application.
- Extracurricular activities are considered in admission decisions.
- Students who fail to meet the admission requirements stated above will be reviewed using a holistic admission process in which selection criteria are broad-based and linked to our mission and philosophy. In this holistic review, extenuating circumstances can be considered, along with the applicant experiences, attributes, potential for success, and how applicants may contribute to the university’s learning environment and to the nursing profession.

Current Students & Internal Transfer Students

Students who enroll as new freshmen at Fontbonne University in a department other than nursing and wish to change their major to nursing will be the second group considered for admission after the students who enrolled as new freshmen in the Department of Nursing in the College of Education and Allied Health Professions at Fontbonne University and must fulfill the following requirements for consideration:
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA on core science prerequisite courses (Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 and 2, Microbiology, College Algebra, Statistics, and Lifespan Human Growth and Development, General Chemistry and Introduction to Professional Nursing Practice)
- Ability to demonstrate successful completion of math and science courses, preferably at Fontbonne University within the last 5 years with only one repeat total of all math and science courses allowed. If extenuating circumstances caused the student to repeat more than one course, the student may request a waiver of this requirement by submitting a letter of explanation with his/her application.
- Students who fail to meet the admission requirements stated above will be reviewed using a holistic admission process in which selection criteria are broad-based and linked to our mission and philosophy. In this holistic review, extenuating circumstances can be considered, along with the applicant experiences, attributes, potential for success, and how applicants may contribute to the university’s learning environment and to the nursing profession.

Program Learning Outcomes

PLO-1: Incorporate and synthesize theoretical and empirical knowledge, skills, and attitudes from the liberal arts and sciences into professional nursing education and practice.
PLO-2: Apply knowledge and skills of organizational and systems leadership, quality improvement, and patient safety in promoting safe, high-quality care for diverse patients across healthcare systems and environments.
PLO-3: Use current research findings, evidence-based practices, critical thinking skills, health literacy and teaching, and the nursing process to ensure optimum health and wellness.
PLO-4: Incorporate knowledge and skills in using information systems and a range of patient-care technologies to promote and facilitate delivery of safe and effective patient care.
PLO-5: Act as a patient advocate in promoting health, minimizing risk, and preventing adverse patient outcomes by delegating nursing care to members of the health care team based upon their scope of practice and ability and in identifying and influencing factors that affect health care delivery.
PLO-6: Advocate for financial and regulatory healthcare policies, processes, and environments that improve the nature and functioning of the healthcare delivery system and professional nursing practice.
PLO-7: Collaborate and communicate effectively with patients, families, interdisciplinary healthcare teams, and healthcare professionals to promote positive working relationships, improve patient health outcomes, and deliver appropriate patient care.
PLO-8: Use the nursing process to promote individual and population health by assessing factors that influence health and by applying principles and culturally appropriate health promotion and disease-prevention strategies. 
PLO-9: Demonstrate consistent application of the core values of the discipline of nursing and the professional standards of moral, ethical, and legal conduct.
PLO-10: Integrate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes expected of baccalaureate-prepared nurses by providing competent, entry-level, professional nursing care to diverse patients and populations across the lifespan, healthcare settings, and multicultural environments.

Program Requirements

General Education Requirements

The 42 credit hours of general education requirements are presented in the undergraduate academic information section of the catalog. A course that meets a general education requirement may also meet a course requirement in the major or a course requirement in another discipline. The following specific general education courses must be chosen to meet the requirements of this major.