School of Nursing

Mission and Vision Statements

The Mission, Goals, and End of Program Learning Outcomes of the School of Nursing are congruent with those of the University, as well as consistent with professional nursing standards and guidelines for preparing nursing professionals. The School of Nursing utilizes the following standards to underpin the program’s mission.

• Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN)
• Accrediting Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
• Florida Board of Nursing Rules and Regulations
• American Nurses Association Code of Ethics.
• Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals

Mission/Vision:

The mission/vision of the School of Nursing is to advance the profession of nursing by graduating safe, competent, and visionary professional nurse leaders who promote human flourishing through innovative, culturally sensitive health care practices for individuals and families, in local and global communities. 

Philosophy:

The School of Nursing endeavors to develop professional nurse leaders to serve, educate and empower all citizens toward optimal personal wellness, while engaging with local and global communities.  The professional nurse leader advocates for opportunities for all citizens to improve their quality of life through innovative nursing practice with the primary goal of eliminating health disparities within our immediate and global communities.  This faith-based program prepares a nurse generalist for professional practice using knowledge derived from the liberal arts, behavioral sciences, biological sciences, physical sciences, and nursing.  Individuals will be prepared to practice in a variety of settings and encouraged to continue personal and professional growth.  The program emphasizes excellent teaching with a commitment to student-faculty interaction.     

Program Overview

History:

The inception of the School of Nursing began early in the hopes and dreams of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune.  Her desire to build a school of nursing came from her experiences with her students and the racial disparities that existed in those times. When a Black student was turned away from a hospital in Daytona Beach, Dr. Bethune opened a hospital to serve the black community.  This hospital later led to the evolution of the School of Nursing that exists today.

In 1976, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program was established and housed in the Division of Science and Mathematics

In the spring of 1997, the Board of Trustees approved divisional status and the Area of Nursing became the sixth academic Division within the college.  In 2001, the School of Nursing was reaccredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.  Since the initial accreditation in 1996, Bethune-Cookman University School of Nursing has remained in full approval and good standing with the State of Florida.  In 2005, the Division of Nursing became the School of Nursing.

In 2008, the L. Gale Lemerand School of Nursing opened. This building is approximately 33, 628 square feet in size.  It serves to facilitate learning environments for the students and faculty of the School of Nursing.  This building also houses the Odessa Chambliss Center for Health Equity.  This center serves as a hub for health literacy and community outreach for the B-CU faculty, staff and students as well as the surrounding community. In addition, it serves as a clinical site for School of Nursing students.

The School of Nursing defines public service as community service, clinical practice and political activism from a nursing perspective.  Within this framework, community service is aimed at fostering collaboration and sharing of nursing faculty and student expertise within the health care professionals, formal and informal groups that exist in the community.  This service includes membership or offices held on community boards, sharing professional knowledge and skills to help others solve actual or potential problems, and presentations at local, state or national professional meetings. Clinical practice focuses on providing education and nursing care to a diverse population by providing students with experience to meet the need of the local and global communities.

Throughout the history of the School of Nursing, the mission of Bethune-Cookman University has permeated all efforts to improve the nursing program towards the goal of “Enter to Learn and Depart to Serve”.  The mission of teaching, learning, departing and serving excellently places the student at the center of its planning.  Historically, Dr. Bethune’s mission was to provide education to minority students who would not be afforded the opportunity of education.  As such, the cornerstone of this institution has been to provide the delivery of a high quality, relevant baccalaureate nursing program that remains accessible, affordable to qualified students and taught by a qualified faculty.

Accreditations:

Florida Board of Nursing:

On February 23, 2018, the program was placed on approved probationary status by the Florida Board of Nursing.  On January 22, 2019, the probation was extended for one year.

Accrediting Commission for Education in Nursing:

The program is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).

Affiliations:

The School of Nursing has clinical affiliation agreements with 19 health care facilities throughout Volusia County.  This includes hospitals, clinics, long term care facilities, psychiatric facilities, and schools.

Bethune-Cookman University assures equal opportunity for all qualified persons without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or veteran’s status. This policy is in accordance with the following:

Title VII, Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended Executive Order 11246, as amended Revised Order Number 4

The Vietnam Era Veteran’s Rehabilitation Act of 1974

Title VII and VIII of the Public Health Service Act -Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972’-Age Discrimination of Employment Act of 1975

American’s with Disabilities Act of 1990

All individuals will be afforded equal opportunity for admission and progression in the Nursing Program. For individuals with disabilities, reasonable accommodations will be made to policies, practices, or procedures as necessary to achieve course objectives, when there is no risk to client safety.  If reasonable accommodations are requested and not received, the student has the right to file a grievance with the Dean and the University if said student believes that he/she has been treated in a discriminatory manner.  The student reserves the right to refuse any offered accommodations.

A candidate for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program must possess abilities and skills in the following categories: observation, communication, motor, and behavioral modes.  The examples cited below do not constitute an exhaustive list.

Observation: A candidate must be able to observe a patient/client accurately.  Examples of observation may include listening to heart and breath sounds, visualizing the appearance of a surgical wound, detecting the presence of a foul odor, and palpating an abdomen.

1. Hearing
2. Vision
3. Tactile
4. Smell

Communication: A candidate must be able to communicate effectively with patients/clients and other members of the health care team.  The student must be able to interact with clients/patients and other members of the health care team in order to obtain information, describe the patient status and perceive verbal and non-verbal communication.

1. Interpersonal abilities
2. Communication abilities

Motor: A candidate must have adequate gross and fine motor function sufficient to effectively work with nursing problems and issues, and carry out related nursing care.  Physical abilities should be such that an individual may enter, leave and move about a room without difficulty; and maneuver in small spaces.

Examples of nursing care include ambulating and positioning patients; the performance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation; the administration of intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous and oral medications; the application of pressure to stop bleeding; the opening of an obstructed airway; and the provision of client daily hygiene care.

1. Physical abilities
2. Gross motor abilities
3. Fine motor abilities

Behavioral: A candidate must possess the emotional health required for total utilization of his/her intellectual abilities.  Candidates must be able to tolerate physically taxing workloads and to function effectively in stressful situations. They must be capable of adapting to ever-changing environments, displaying flexibility in appropriately interacting with others, and learning to function in uncertain situations that are inherent in clinical situations involving clients.  The ability to critically think is essential.

Admission Requirements

Students will be admitted to the Nursing Program in the fall semester.  Students seeking admission must submit an application by the published deadline.

Eligibility:

1. Be unconditionally admitted to Bethune Cookman University.
2. Submitted a completed application to the Nursing Program by the deadline date.
3. Declared pre-nursing as a designation.
4. Completed all required pre-requisite courses with a grade of “C” or above.
5. Have an overall grade point average of 2.8 or above.
6. Achieve a score of 65 or higher on the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS); with the minimum  following scores on the individual content areas tested:

                  Reading:                                  65%

                  Math:                                       65%

                  Science:                                   60%

                  English/Language Usage:       60%

Achieving the prescribed TEAS Scores (overall and individual content areas) does not guarantee your acceptance into the B-CU School of Nursing Program. Scores over 3 years old will not be used.

Provide current contact information.

Applicants committing a misdemeanor in the past 5 years; or having a felony conviction (ever) will not be admitted to the nursing program.

Students having a positive drug screen will not be admitted to the nursing program

Persons having felony convictions (ever) in any state or pleas of nolo contender (no contest) related to:  health care fraud or abuse; unlawful possession or distribution of illegal substances or firearms; or aggravated assault are not eligible to apply to the nursing program.

Persons having misdemeanors in the past five years in any state or pleas of nolo contender (no contest) related to:  health care fraud or abuse, possession or distribution of illegal substances or firearms, or aggravated assault are not eligible to apply to the nursing program.

Persons listed on the National Sexual Offender & Predator Registry are not eligible to apply to the nursing program.

Persons who have untreated mental impairments will not be admitted to the nursing program. According to the ADA mental impairment means “any psychological disorder, such as … emotional or mental illness”.  Emotional or mental illness that is untreated includes “major depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia and personality disorders.”  This also includes drug or alcohol addiction or any medication that may impact the ability to perform safely in the clinical setting.

Criteria for Selection:

If the number of eligible students making application to the program exceeds the number of available positions, students with the highest TEAS composite scores, content area scores, and overall GPAs will be selected.   When all factors are equal, preference will be extended to applicants having more credit hours on Bethune-Cookman University’s campus.

1. Students previously enrolled in a nursing program at another school, college, or university and were not successful, or in good standing are not eligible to apply to Bethune Cookman University’s nursing program for two (2) years after the last enrollment in the program.
2. Students who were dismissed for academic reasons from Bethune Cookman University’s nursing program are not eligible to re-apply for 4 regular semesters (spring/fall) after the last semester of enrollment in the nursing program.
3. Persons applying to the nursing program who have held licensure in any other discipline, and were subjected to disciplinary action, will be required to submit appropriate documentation.  This may prevent admission to the nursing program.

Transfer Students:

In accordance with University policy, students who have been enrolled at another institution must report official transcripts from each college or university previously attended.  The Registrar of Bethune-Cookman University will evaluate all previous work done by the student at other institutions.  Transfer credit may be given for those courses taken at accredited institutions provided that the courses fall within the scope of approved curricula.

Transfer students requesting admission into the nursing program:

1. Must meet all University requirements for acceptance prior to submitting an application for admission to the nursing program.
2. Transfer credit will not be awarded for any previously completed nursing courses.  However, special circumstances will be considered with students demonstrating content mastery through standardized testing.  The School of Nursing will determine the testing procedure, the tests to be used, and establishing benchmarks.  The standardized exams must be taken at Bethune-Cookman University, under the supervision of nursing faculty.  Students will be responsible for the cost of all subject area standardized exams.  Transfer credit may only be awarded for the following courses:  NU 281:  Fundamentals of Nursing; NU 282:  Health Assessment; and NU 279:  Nutrition for Nurses. Students must have earned a grade of “C” or better in these courses (or equivalent) to be eligible to exercise this option. 
3. Students who have been placed on probation or dismissed for academic or professional reasons from another institution are not eligible for admission to the nursing program until after two (2) years from the last enrollment in the former nursing program.
4. Students have an earned AA, AS, BA, or BS degrees will be deemed to have met all university general education requirements. Students will be required, however, to meet the general education requirements specific to nursing.

Other Expectations:

Students admitted to the nursing program will be expected to:

1.  Have Access to a reliable vehicle for transportation to and from the clinical site.
2. Assume the cost of travel to and from the clinical site
3. Assume any liability associated with travel to and from the clinical site.

Educational Outcomes

Program Objectives

The success of the program is based on a number of criteria, including the achievement of course objectives, end of program student learning outcomes, and role-specific graduate competencies.  This will be demonstrated by:

1. Performance on the NCLEX-RN
2. The Florida Board of Nursing requires that pass rates for the first time take be within 10 percentage points of the National Average for graduates of baccalaureate programs.
3. The Accrediting Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) requires that pass rates for first-time takers be at 80%.
4. The Florida Board of Nursing and ACEN require that the three years mean for licensure pass rates be at or above the National Mean.
5. Program Completion:  Expected level of achievement is 65%.
6. Job Placement:  Expected level of achievement is 80% within 6 months of licensure.

Student Learning Outcomes

End of Program Student Learning Outcomes. The End of Program Student Learning Outcomes are congruent with the core values, mission, and Institutional Learning Outcomes of Bethune-Cookman University.  They are aligned with professional standards as described by the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) competencies.

1. Clinical Decision and Safety:  Apply the nursing process in clinical decision making for individuals, families, groups, and communities utilizing holistic care in a safe environment.
2. Client Centered Care:  Provide holistic care that empowers clients to achieve optimal personal wellness while respecting their sociocultural, geopolitical, and economic status.
3. Informatics:  Utilize health care technology and communication tools that support optimal client outcomes, drive quality improvement, and support health care policies that deliver safe and cost-effective care.
4. Teamwork:  Collaborate with individuals, families, communities, populations and interdisciplinary team members to coordinate the delivery of safe quality care.
5. Inquiry:  Utilize health care technology and communication tools that support optimal client outcomes, drive quality improvement, and support health care policies that deliver safe and cost-effective care.
6. Quality Improvement:  Utilize data to monitor outcomes of healthcare interventions for individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations with complex needs.

Degree/Graduation Requirements

1. Students must meet all University and School of Nursing requirements for graduation.
2. Students are required are required to complete the NCLEX-RN Licensure Application during the first semester of the senior year.
3. Students must submit a certified check or money order for the full cost of taking the exam.  It must be submitted to the School of Nursing during the second semester of the senior year.  Payment is not refundable unless the students fail a senior level course or are otherwise not eligible to graduate.