Concept-Based Curriculum

The bachelor of science degree in nursing (BSN) curriculum is guided by nine student centered program outcomes that reflect professional standards and the relevant knowledge, skill, abilities, and attitudes necessary for success as a professional nurse in today's complex healthcare environment.

• Knowledge User: Practices theory-guided, evidence-based nursing care representative of the various ways of knowing.
• Critical Thinker: Demonstrates outcome-directed clinical reasoning in the delivery and management of safe client-centered nursing care.
• Spiritual Carer: Promotes the spiritual dimension of health directed toward issues of meaning, hope, and faith.
• Culturally Competent Provider: Provides respectful and holistic care within a diverse and changing society.
• Steward: Uses physical, fiscal, and human resources to achieve quality, safe, and effective outcomes.
• Effective Communicator: Communicates appropriately and effectively with clients, healthcare team members, stakeholders, policy-makers, and the public.
• Healthcare Leader: Provides leadership in the design, delivery, management, and evaluation of healthcare.
• Healthcare Advocate: Advocates for clients, society, and the nursing profession by applying principles of ethics, legal frameworks, and social justice in the provision of healthcare.
• Professional Nurse: Incorporates the values and standards of the nursing profession in practice.

Upon completion of the program students will have met the School of Nursing & Health Innovations program outcomes and the AACN BSN Essentials, and are prepared to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensure exam.

Our cutting-edge curriculum is built on an active and hands-on approach to learning in classrooms, robust and high-quality simulation experiences, and a range of clinical settings that maximize simulation science, neuroscience, and concept-based teaching and learning. The School of Nursing & Health Innovations faculty wholeheartedly believe the concept-based curriculum prepares the best possible nursing workforce for the future.

Each nursing course is designed to examine specific concepts, which build on each other throughout the curriculum. Nursing concepts are taught in the "classroom" (didactic) courses. Students complete on-campus clinical hours (e.g. lab, simulation) and off-campus clinical hours (e.g. hospital, community, and ambulatory care settings, focused learning activities) in the "professional practice" courses. 

Course descriptions are available here.

Program Outcomes

The bachelor of science degree in nursing (BSN) program provides students with a liberal arts and science foundation along with concentrated study in the professional nursing major. Students develop competency in the assessment of health needs and in health promotion, maintenance, and restoration using a holistic framework. A rich variety of settings that reflect an array of actual and potential health problems experiences by individuals, families, and communities throughout the life cycle are used to support the development of clinical judgment, clinical reasoning, critical thinking, and the role of a professional nurse.

The BSN program of study prepares graduates to:

• Provide safe, high-quality nursing care to individuals.
• Develop holistic nursing care to populations across a health care continuum.
• Contribute to the nursing profession.
• Improve health care delivery across the continuum of care.
• Create and support healthy work environments.

Upon completion of the program, students will have met the School of Nursing & Health Innovations BSN program outcomes and the AACN Essentials, and are prepared to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensure exam.