School of Nursing

MCPHS University–Boston School of Nursing

Tammy Gravel, EdD, MS, RN, Dean of the School of Nursing and Chief Nurse Administrator and Associate Professor

Deborah McManus, PhD, MSN, RN, Associate Professor and Associate Dean

Lorraine MacDonald, MSN, RN, PMHNP-BC, Assistant Professor and Assistant Dean of BSN Clinical Education & Experiential Learning

Carolyn Parker, MS, RN, Assistant Professor and Interim Director of Simulation and Laboratory

Sylvia Abbeyquaye, PhD, MPA, RN, Assistant Professor

Caliope Archon, BSN, Faculty Associate, NCLEX Success Coach

Amy Cowan, Clinical Placement Coordinator-BSN

Lisa Cross, PhDc, MSN, RN, CNE, CRRN, CHPN, Assistant Professor

Stephanie Desroches, DNP, MSN, RN, CCRN, Assistant Professor

Jeremy Eichhorn, MSN, RN, Assistant Professor

Ali Galindo, PhD, MSN, RN, ARNP, Associate Professor

Bertha Lee, PhD, RN, Associate Professor

Fatma Zohra Mataoui, PhD, MD, RN, Assistant Professor

Nicloe Myatt, MSN, RN, TNCC, Assistant Professor

Marion Santos, MSN, RN, Lab Manager, Assistant Professor

Jeffery Smith, Administrative Assistant

Kristen Watson, MEd, BA, Online School of Nursing Student Services Specialist

Degree Programs

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Accelerated) Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Postbaccalaureate) Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences / BSN (Postbaccalaureate) Dual Degree

School of Nursing Academic Policies

Academic Progression

A minimum grade of C+ (2.3) is required in selected prerequisite non-Nursing courses (Anatomy and Physiology, Basic Chemistry, Chemistry of Nutrition, Microbiology, Math for Nurses, Statistics, and Human Growth and Development) and all professional Nursing courses. Successful completion of both the theory and the clinical laboratory / practicum in a clinical Nursing course is required to pass the course. A minimum professional grade point average (GPA) of 2.7 is required.

All Boston BSN students must achieve a minimum passing grade of 78 (C+) in each professional nursing (NUR) course and in order to progress. A professional GPA of 2.7 is then required at the end of each semester in order to progress in the nursing major and to fulfill University requirements for graduation.

Students who do not achieve the required professional GPA needed to fulfill School of Nursing graduation requirements must complete a select remediation course(s) to reach the required professional GPA. Official University graduation and approval to write for the NCLEX will not occur until professional GPA and all graduation requirements have been met.

Any Nursing course that is graded below a C+ may be repeated only once. A second grade below C+ in the repeated course will result in dismissal from the Nursing program. Throughout the Nursing program, a student may repeat no more than two separate Nursing courses. Three grades below C+ in any combination of Nursing courses will result in dismissal from the Nursing program.

All courses must be taken sequentially. Professional courses (designated NUR) may not be taken pass/fail.

Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS)

• Students admitted or transferring to the BSN program must successfully complete the ATI TEAS test prior to the transition into the professional nursing curriculum. • The ATI TEAS test must be taken before the end of the Summer Semester for students entering the Professional BSN Curriculum in the Spring Semester. ATI TEAS test results must be reported to the School of Nursing and will be documented in the student’s program of study. • Students must achieve a score of 65.3 or better within three attempts. • Students who do not meet the benchmark score of 65.3 or better within three attempts will be dismissed from the BSN program.

Progression and Retention Policies Students must complete the requirements for the BSN degree within five (5) years (32-month track) or three (3) years (16-month track). If this time limit from the date of admission into the major has elapsed and the student has not completed degree requirements, the student must request an extension in writing and meet with the School Dean, who may approve or deny the extension request. The School Dean’s decision is final and not subject to further appeal.

CPR Certification

All students must complete CPR training prior to beginning clinical experiences in NUR 204: Health and Wellness I. Students must be certified in Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) at the Healthcare Provider Level by the American Heart Association (AHA). Students must provide a copy of the AHA Healthcare Provider Level card indicating active certification. (AHA requires recertification every two years.) It is recommended that the student verify the course in advance to ensure that the course is appropriate.

Transportation

Reliable transportation to, from, and during all clinical and field experiences is the responsibility of the student. A number of clinical rotations in the required curriculum may be scheduled at some distance from the campus. This is necessary to provide a range of diverse learning experiences and to ensure availability and quality of clinical rotation sites. The University will make every effort to accommodate requests regarding assignments to experiential education sites, but students generally can expect to be assigned to clinical sites some distance from the campus for at least a portion of their required clinical rotations. In such instances, students are responsible for transportation and other related travel expenses.

Licensure

Students who successfully complete the program will be eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).

Employment

Due to the rigorous nature of the Nursing program, the demands placed on students are extremely high, particularly with respect to their clinical schedule and course requirements. It is for this reason that students are strongly discouraged from engaging in outside, non-program-related employment throughout the program of study.

School of Nursing Professional and Technical Standards

A prelicensure candidate for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree must have abilities and skills in four areas: communication, observation, motor function and endurance, and behavioral maturity. Reasonable accommodations may be made for some disabilities. However, prelicensure BSN students must be able to perform in a reasonably independent manner, with or without accommodations.

Communication

• Must be able to communicate effectively with patients, families, and members of the healthcare team through oral, written, and interpersonal means; • Must be able to obtain information, describe patient situations, and perceive both oral and nonverbal communication (including ability to understand normal speech without seeing the speaker’s face); • Must be able to speak, comprehend, read, and write in English at a level that meets the need for accurate, clear, and effective communication. Examples include but are not limited to giving clear oral reports, reading watches or clocks with second hands, reading graphs, reading and understanding documents printed in English, writing legibly in English, and discriminating subtle differences in medical terminology.

Observation

• Must be able to observe a patient accurately. Examples include but are not limited to listening to heart and breath sounds; visualizing the appearance of a surgical wound; detecting bleeding, unresponsiveness, or other changes in patient status; detecting the presence of a foul odor; and palpating an abdomen; • Must be able to detect and respond to emergency situations, including audible alarms (e.g., monitors, call bells, fire alarms)

Motor Function and Endurance

• Must have sufficient strength and mobility to work effectively and safely with patients and carry out nursing care activities. Examples include but are not limited to lifting and positioning patients (lifting up to 50 pounds, carrying up to 25 pounds), transferring patients in and out of bed, performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (AHA

Healthcare Provider Level certification), preparing and administering medications (oral, injection, and intravenous, including hanging IV bags at shoulder height), reading and emptying body fluid collection devices below bed level, applying pressure to stop bleeding, clearing/opening an obstructed airway, and providing daily hygiene care; • Must be able to complete assigned periods of clinical practice, including up to 12-hour shifts, including days, evenings, nights, and weekends; • Must be able to respond at a speed and in a manner sufficient to carry out patient assignments within the allotted time

Behavior

• Must possess mental and emotional health required for total utilization of intellectual abilities; • Must be able to tolerate physically taxing workloads; • Must be able to respond and function effectively during stressful situations; • Must be capable of adapting to rapidly changing environments and of responding with flexibility in uncertain situations; • Must be able to interact appropriately with others (i.e., patients, families, members of healthcare team) in various healthcare contexts; • Must meet the ethical standards of the profession

Policy for Content Validation after Non-progression or Leave of Absence

A student who fails or withdraws from an undergraduate Nursing professional course, or who withdraws from a Nursing program via leave of absence, must validate previous knowledge and skills held prior to program exit before they may reenroll in Nursing clinical professional courses. Reenrollment is subject to clinical placement availability. (NOTE: Students returning from a leave of absence must confirm their intent to return as specified in the Return from Leave of Absence section. There is no guarantee that space will be available at the student’s desired return date. It may take up to two years for reentry due to lack of clinical placement availability.)

The validation will occur via the student’s demonstration of knowledge and skills—that is, meeting established program clinical competencies—in a selected clinical facility or simulation laboratory. The student must notify the Dean of the desired date of return a minimum of 30 days prior to the anticipated return date to make arrangements for preparing for and performing validation testing. Program faculty will provide guidance as to what content and skills (competencies) the