The candidate for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree must complete all the general education degree requirements of the College.
Additional School of Nursing information may be found in the current Benedictine College School of Nursing Student Handbook. Contact the School of Nursing to request more information.
Accreditation
The baccalaureate degree program in Nursing at Benedictine College is accredited by the: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
655 K Street NW, Suite 750
Washington, DC 20001
202-887-6791
Approval
The Pre-Licensure Baccalaureate of the Nursing Program is approved by the: Kansas State Board of Nursing (KSBN)
Landon State Office Building
900 SW Jackson Street, Suite 1051
Topeka, KS 66612-1230
785-296-4929
Student Enrollment Information
Admission Information
The School of Nursing is committed to nondiscrimination and equal opportunity in its admission process.
Student must be 18 years of age or older on the first day of enrollment in the Nursing Program.
Upon attainment of sophomore status (or the academic year prior to entering the Nursing Program), application by the student is to be submitted no later than January 15 prior to the anticipated start of the Nursing Program. Applications submitted after this date will be considered on a space available basis.
Notification of acceptance of admission to the Nursing Program will be sent to students from the School of Nursing.
Benedictine College Education Requirement for Nursing Applicants
Minimum overall grade point average of 3.0 at the time of application.
Minimum completion of 64 hours at the start of Nursing Program.
Completion of all the general education Core requirements prior to starting the Nursing Program.
Nine (9) or fewer hours remaining for the Foundations and/or Skills and Perspectives requirements when starting the Nursing Program with an academic plan to complete these requirements before completing the Nursing Program.
Nursing Prerequisite Courses and Requirements for Nursing Applicants
Minimum grade point average of 3.0 in all nursing prerequisite courses with no grade lower than a C in these courses.
All nursing prerequisite courses must by completed prior to starting the Nursing Program.
Up to two (2) different nursing prerequisite courses may be repeated one (1) time each.
All nursing prerequisite courses must have been completed within ten (10) years at the time of application.
Nursing Program Application
Complete the Benedictine College School of Nursing admission application.
The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of all applicants to the School of Nursing whose first language is not English. The minimum TOEFL scores for admission consideration are listed below. The test must be completed within one year of application to the School of Nursing.
Paper-Based: 577
Computer-Based: 233
Internet-Based: 90
Writing: 20
Speaking: 25
Reading: 20
Listening: 25
Additional Consideration
The School of Nursing will consider the following factors for admissions:
Overall GPA and GPA on nursing prerequisite courses;
Number of full-time semesters completed at Benedictine College;
Short personal essay or video;
Academic history with patterns and trends indicating potential for academic success (e.g., successful completion of a full-time semester);
Pre-admission test may be considered;
Eligibility for licensure. Refer to the Nurse Practice Act in the state in which you anticipate licensure. In Kansas refer to KSA 65–1120 of the Nurse Practice Act at www.ksbn.org. Graduation does not ensure licensure eligibility;
Admission preference is given to current Benedictine College students;
Transfer students will be considered on a space-available basis;
Transfer students who are accepted into the Nursing Program must complete a minimum of 60% of the required nursing courses at Benedictine College.
Core General Education Requirements
Students are required to have the following Core general education requirements completed before starting the Nursing Program.
Students do not need to take EXSC-1115 Wellness for Life (NURS-3200 Foundations of Nursing will fulfill this requirement)
Students transferring into Benedictine College with 60 or more hours of approved credit and/or an Associates of Arts, or an Associates in Science may have different general education requirements. Review the College Catalog for further information.
When students are accepted into the Nursing Program, they are assigned to the College Catalog for the following year with the latest Nursing Program requirements. Students may elect to keep the general education requirements of the Catalog they started with when they matriculated to Benedictine College. If they wish to keep their original general education requirements, they must let the Registrar’s Office know as soon as possible so their degree audit will be corrected in Self Service > My Progress.
General Biology Policy
Students are strongly encouraged to take BIOL-1121 General Biology I at Benedictine College. The School of Nursing MAY allow general biology (with a laboratory and genetics component) from another accredited college in place of Benedictine College’s BIOL-1121 General Biology I.
A College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Biology exam with a score of 3, 4, or 5 WILL be accepted in place of BIOL-1121 General Biology Ifor nursing students. For non-nursing majors, AP Biology is NOT equivalent to BIOL-1121 General Biology.
Benedictine College's BIOL-1107 Principles of Biology WILL NOT be accepted for this requirement.
General Biology taken through a high school-college partnership Dual Enrollment or Dual Credit course WILL NOT be accepted for this requirement.
Technical Standards of Nursing Student
To enter and complete the Nursing Program, student nurses must be able to meet specific cognitive learning skills, psychomotor skills, communication, and affective social, and behavioral processes.
I. Cognitive Learning Skills
The students must be able to demonstrate the ability to:
i. Apply clinical judgement.
ii. Take a complete patient history.
iii. Plan, implement, and evaluate a nursing plan of care.
iv. Incorporate new information into previous learning as necessary.
v. Engage in mathematical skills necessary to accurately calculate dosages, IV flow rates, and other measures related to patient care.
II. Psychomotor Skills
The student must be able to demonstrate the following skills:
i. Perform gross and fine motor movements necessary for assessing patients and performing various nursing skills.
ii. Perform a thorough physical assessment.
iii. Manipulate various types of medical equipment.
iv. Sit, stand, move, and engage in physical exertion to satisfactorily and safely perform nursing care responsibilities in the clinical, simulation laboratory, skills laboratory, and classroom settings, including performing CPR.
v. Engage in physical exertion for up to 12 hours at a time.
vi. Safely lift, transfer, move, and/or ambulate a patient who has mobility limitations.
III. Communication
The student must be able to demonstrate the following skills:
i. Effectively communicate verbally and non-verbally.
ii. Read, write, comprehend, and speak the English language to facilitate clear communication with patients, other members of the healthcare team, other students, and faculty.
IV. Affective, Social, and Behavioral Processes
The student must be able to:
i. Demonstrate appropriate affective behavior and mental attitudes to support the emotional, mental, and behavioral safety of patients.
ii. Demonstrate compassion, integrity, empathy, and effective interpersonal skills.
iii. Respect all individuals encountered in the Nursing Program.
iv. Maintain adequate concentration and attention in patient care settings.
v. Maintain behavioral decorum in stressful situations and not engage in inappropriate behavior.
vi. Adapt to, and function effectively, in stressful situations.
Clinical Requirements
The successful completion of the Nursing Program includes the completion of clinical activities at established Clinical Partner sites. Failure to complete clinical activities results in not meeting course and end-of-program outcomes and therefore renders the student unable to complete the program, graduate, and be eligible for NCLEX-RN testing.
Nursing students must meet requirements established by the Clinical Partner to attend clinical. The student must remain compliant with all requirements throughout the duration of the Nursing Program. These are the requirements that are subject to change:
Annual Tuberculosis (TB) Screening
Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) Immunizations
Varicella (Chicken Pox) Vaccine or blood work showing immunity to Varicella
Positive Hepatitis B Titer (blood work) or Completed Hepatitis B Vaccine Waiver Form
Health Insurance
Acceptable clinical background check
Acceptable drug screen
Current Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers
Nursing Program Mission
The mission of the Nursing Program is to provide an evidence-based curriculum to prepare future nurse leaders and lifelong learners. We educate students to become professional nurses who will deliver person-centered, ethical, holistic, compassionate, safe, and effective care.
Student Learning Outcomes
A graduate of the Nursing Program will be able to do the following:
Formulate well-reasoned clinical judgements based on current evidence in the care of diverse clients across the lifespan.
Provide person-centered healthcare across the continuum of care.
Implement safe, quality, and cost-effective patient care in the healthcare system.
Integrate legal and ethical standards into professional nursing practice.
Model effective communication among patients, families, and interprofessional team members.
Demonstrate leadership and professional identity in nursing practice.
Apply informatics and healthcare technologies to the care of patients, families, communities, and populations.
Academic Policies
Academic Misconduct
Refer to the Benedictine College policies on academic misconduct. Nursing students may not submit items that were submitted in another course or in another assignment unless directed by School of Nursing instructor. See current School of Nursing Artificial Intelligence Policy.
Didactic Course Grading
1. For all didactic nursing courses:
a. If a standardized examination is administered in a course, it will count for 5% of the overall course grade.
b. There will be no rounding of grades for individual assignments, examinations, or the overall examination average.
c. The overall course grade will be rounded to a whole number from one decimal place, if mathematically applicable. (For example, 83.5 would be rounded to 84 and 83.4 would be rounded to 83).
d. Students must earn a minimum of AN OVERALL COURSE GRADE of a "B-" in each nursing course to progress in the Nursing Program. See the School of Nursing Progression Policy.
2. For the following didactic nursing courses:
NURS-3140, Pathophysiology
NURS-3200, Foundations of Nursing Practice
NURS-3350, Pharmacology
NURS-3400, Nursing Care of Adults I
NURS-3520, Pediatric Care
NURS-3530 Maternal/Newborn Care
NURS-3800, Mental Health Care
NURS-4100, Nursing Care of Adults II
NURS-4800, Nursing Care of Adults III
Students must obtain A MINIMUM EXAMINATION AVERAGE of 78% to progress in the program. See the School of Nursing Progression Policy.
Each examination (including the final examination) will be weighed equally in the examination average.
A 75% of the overall course grade will be calculated from examinations.
Dismissal from Program
Should ONE of four items occur, the following criteria will be used to dismiss a student from the School of Nursing:
1. If the student has earned less than the required grades in two (2) required courses as defined in the School of Nursing Progression Policy.
2. If the student has less than a 2.70 grade point average for any two (2) semesters in the Nursing Program.
3. If the student engages in egregious behavior as identified in the Benedictine College School of Nursing Honor Code Policy.
4. If the studentfails to meet expectations outlined in the Academic Coaching Contract or StudentIncident and Misconduct Report. See the School of Nursing Academic Coaching Policy.
Dismissal Appeal
1. A student who is dismissed from the School of Nursing may submit a dismissal appeal petition in writing to the Chair of the School of Nursing. The student is expected to identify unique, unusual, or uncontrollable circumstances that led to the appeal request. In addition, the student must formulate and articulate a plan, in writing, to successfully resolve any future issues.
2. The petition is to be submitted within ten (10) days of receiving notification of dismissal.
3. The student may petition the Nursing Faculty Committee only once for a specific situation. 4. The Nursing Faculty Committee will review the student’s petition and make a recommendation regarding the appeal to the Director of the School of Nursing. 5. The Director of the School of Nursing will review the recommendation and will decide if the dismissal appeal is granted. 6. The Director of the School of Nursing will notify the student in writing of this decision. 7. The student may appeal a decision to the Academic Dean. 8. The student’s final recourse within the college is a written petition to the President of the College.
Formal Complaint
Formal complaints against the School of Nursing are defined as grievances other than grade appeals. Students and other constituents who think they have been unfairly treated by those in the School of Nursing can file a formal complaint.
1. Formal complaints must be submitted in writing to the Director of the School of Nursing. The document must state that the individual is filing a formal complaint and must identify the person filing the complaint and the date.
2. The Director of the School of Nursing will recommend that the person filing the complaint discuss the matter directly with the parties involved and seek a resolution to the problem. A copy of the formal complaint will be provided to named individuals if not provided by the person filing the complaint.
3. If the matter remains unresolved, the Director of the School of Nursing will work with the person filing the complaint to continue the process of seeking a resolution to the problem. If the complaint is against the Director of the School of Nursing, the Academic Dean will serve in this role.
4. If the matter remains unresolved, the person filing the complaint will be referred to the appropriate grievance procedures for Benedictine College.
5. Documentation of action/resolution in response to the complaint will be kept in a secure file by the Director of the School of Nursing.
6. A request to withdraw the formal complaint must be submitted in writing.
7. Should a consideration be made to file a formal complaint about the Nursing Program to an accrediting or approving body, the student must follow the criteria and process established by that agency.
1. A student who is maintaining a grade of at least a "B-" in all nursing courses and has a minimum grade point average of 2.70 at the time of the leave may be granted a leave of absence from the Nursing Program for personal health or family health-related reasons as approved by the School of Nursing Director. This leave is not to exceed one (1) calendar year.
2. If granted a leave of absence, the student will need to reapply to the School of Nursing. See the School of NursingReadmission Policy.
3. Students may request a leave of absence one (1) time.
Probation Policy
1. Students admitted to the School of Nursing who do not maintain a minimum Nursing GPA of 3.0 (cumulative or semester) will be placed on probation. The student will remain on probation until the cumulative nursing GPA is 3.0 or higher. Only courses required in the Nursing Curriculum (including THEO-3940, Christian Bioethics) will be included in the GPA calculation.
2. The Director of the School of Nursing will check all nursing student GPAs at the end of each semester.
3. Students may also be placed on clinical probation for one (1) semester due to performance in a clinical course.
a. A Clinical Instructor may recommend a student be placed on probation for clinical concerns.
b. The request will be reviewed and approved by the Clinical Course Coordinator and Director of the School of Nursing.
c. The student will be notified of the referral or request and given an opportunity to express any concerns at that time.
d. A plan outlining the improvements needed will be developed with the student and this will be shared with the Clinical Course Coordinator of the next clinical course the student will be taking.
e. If improvement is not made, the student may fail the next clinical course and will be dismissed from School of Nursing.
4. Although unlikely, it is possible that nursing faculty members may recommend a student be placed on probation for other concerns besides academic and clinical performance. This request will be reviewed and approved by the Director of the School of Nursing and the student will be notified of the referral.
5. Any student on probation is required to actively participate in Academic Coaching. See the School of Nursing Academic Coaching Policy.
Progression
1. Students will progress in the Nursing Program if they meet ALL the following requirements:
a. Meet a MINIMUM EXAMINATION AVERAGE of 78% in courses identified in the School of Nursing Didactic Course Grading Policy.
b. Earn a minimum AN OVERALL COURSE GRADE of a "B-"in each nursing course.
c. Complete externally prepared standardized examinations and remedial activities as assigned.
d. Maintain necessary clinical requirements and documentation as identified in the School of Nursing Clinical Partner Compliance Policy.
2. If a student does not successfully complete one (1) nursing course, he or she may repeat the course. See the School of Nursing Repeating a Course Policy for further information.
Readmission
1. A student who is withdrawn from the School of Nursing may apply for readmission to the School of Nursing by the date specified by the Director of the School of Nursing. 2. The student seeking readmission must meet the criteria for admission and graduation that are in effect at the time of readmission to the Nursing Program. 3. A student who has been absent from Benedictine College for more than one (1) semester must apply to the Admission Office for readmission (refer to section in the Benedictine College Course Catalog on “Readmission”). The Nursing faculty must approve the readmission and space must be available in the Nursing Program.
4. All nursing prerequisite courses must have been completed within ten (10) years of the readmission application. 5. A student who has been denied readmission may not apply to the program again for five (5) years at which time, if accepted to the program, all nursing coursework must be repeated. 6. Subsequent failure to progress in any nursing course will result in dismissal from the School of Nursing without consideration for readmission.
7. Students who are readmitted will be required to complete a new criminal background check and drug screen. 8. If changes in the curriculum have occurred, students must complete the curriculum effective at the time of readmission.
Repeating a Course
The School of Nursing has the following limitations and policies for repeating courses in the Nursing Program:
1. Up to two (2) different nursing prerequisite courses may be repeated one (1) time each if an unsatisfactory grade is received.
2. Only one (1) Nursing course may be repeated one (1) time if an unsatisfactory grade is received.
3. Permission to repeat a course must be obtained from the Director of the School of Nursing. The deadline is noon (12:00 pm) of the close of “Last Day to Enroll” as published in the Benedictine College Academic calendar. Permission to repeat will not be given after this deadline.
4. If a student nurse should fail a nursing course, the course must be repeated through Benedictine College when the course is offered again, on a space available basis.
5. If the failed nursing course has a co-requisite and the student failed only one portion, both courses must be repeated. The course that the student passed must be audited along with the repeated course.
Time Limit of Degree Completion
Requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree must be completed within four (4) years of the date of the first enrollment in nursing courses.
Withdrawal from Course
See withdrawal process in the Benedictine College Course Catalog.
Program Requirements
Additional School of Nursing requirements may be found in the current Benedictine College School of Nursing Student Handbook. Contact the School of Nursing to request more information.
Criteria for Completion of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree
Completion of at least 128 semester hours of academic work with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.7;
Completion of required assessments; and
Completion of the following nursing courses, in addition to the nursing prerequisite courses previously listed, and the Benedictine College general education requirements:
Licensure applicants must have completed the basic professional curriculum from an approved program of nursing.
Graduation does not ensure licensure eligibility. Certain criminal activity, functional abilities, and other applicant information may render a graduate ineligible for licensure.
Individual State Licensure
The State Board of Nursing in the state in which licensure is sought will make the decision whether or not to allow the individual to take the licensure examination.
For additional information, refer to Sections KSA 65-1120 of the State of Kansas Nurse Practice Act or the Nurse Practice Act of the state in which the graduate anticipates licensure.
Travel Policy for Clinical Sites
The School of Nursing will arrange all clinical placements. Students are required to arrange their own transportation. Faculty members are not allowed to transport students to activities or clinical experiences. Most clinical sites are within a 50-mile radius from Benedictine College. Students may travel once, up to 120 miles from Benedictine College, for an intensive clinical experience. Benedictine College will arrange lodging for cohort clinical experiences if students attend clinical for two or more consecutive dates and the clinical partner is greater than 60 miles from Benedictine College.
Costs
Course fees will be charged for each semester of the Nursing Program. Nursing is a professional discipline, and students enrolled in the School of Nursing must anticipate additional fees that are directly related to the Nursing Program. These fees include: uniforms, laboratory equipment and supplies, textbooks, standardized tests, criminal background check, malpractice insurance, examination software, drug screening, Basic Life Support (BLS) Provider Course, health requirements, and any other necessary equipment, or clinical requirements.
Suggested Sequence of Courses for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree
Below is outlined a sample curriculum for the Benedictine College Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.