Nursing - BA, BS

The College for Women's baccalaureate nursing curriculum builds on the liberal arts background of the student and the values of a humanistic approach to the practice of professional nursing. Clinical experiences are provided using healthcare centers, community agencies and other facilities. Graduates are prepared to be safe, effective, professional general practitioners, to function as responsible members of the nursing profession and to continue formal education through advanced study.

Admission to the Major in the College for Women

All nursing candidates students must submit the nursing major application materials by a specified deadline in order to be considered for admission. Candidates should contact the Nursing Department at 651-690-6585 to receive application information.

Students apply for admission to the nursing major in the fall semester. The deadline for submission of the application will be October 15 with notification of the decision the second week of January. Students will be considered for admission to the nursing major in two groups.

1. Students who begin at St. Kate's as first-year students are guaranteed admission into the nursing major provided they have a 3.25¹ or higher prerequisite and cumulative GPA, have a TEAS test result that is proficient or higher, and have completed 32 semester credits prior to NURS 2900. Students who exceed these minimum requirements are more likely to ensure their success as a nursing student in this highly challenging program. First-year students must also complete requirements 2-10 under the Application Eligibility Criteria below.
2. Students who transfer to St. Kate's will be offered admission into the nursing major contingent upon the number of positions available.² Transfer students must meet the minimum 3.0 prerequisite and cumulative GPA requirement and have a TEAS test result that is proficient or higher. Transfer students must also complete requirements 2-10 under the Application Eligibility Criteria below. Applications will be rank ordered by prerequisite GPA and TEAS results in the event that there are more students who are qualified than there are spots available.

Application eligibility criteria:

1. Prerequisite and cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
2. TEAS result of "proficient" or higher
3. Successful completion (C or above) of six prerequisite courses including IPE 1030 and IPE 1040
4. Successful completion of 32 semesters credits prior to taking NURS 2900 Introduction to Professional Nursing Practice
5. Successful completion (C or above) of NURS 2900 and prerequisite courses taken fall semester
6. Students may have only one withdrawal (W) in a prerequisite course. A minimum grade of C must be achieved in the repeated or substituted course. If the student receives two or more prerequisite course grades of W or C- or lower, the student is ineligible for the nursing major.
7. No prerequisite course may be taken "Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory."
8. Current certification as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) in the State of Minnesota.
9. Certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Must complete the Basic Life Support (BLS) Health Care Provider level class that is valid for two years. (Certification will need to be renewed and maintained for the duration of the program.)
10. Current immunizations in accordance with St. Catherine University requirements.

Prerequisite and Supporting Coursework

The nursing program has a competitive, progressive and challenging curriculum. The admission criteria are designed to reflect the basic criteria for entrance into the program. To be successful in nursing, however, students should approach the prerequisite and required supporting coursework as important opportunities to demonstrate the best academic performance possible. The knowledge and skills gained are important foundational preparation for one's nursing career as an effective healthcare provider. To that end, applicants should pursue the highest level of academic performance and preparation possible.

The prerequisite course GPA will be calculated on all prerequisite courses completed through fall semester. A minimum of six prerequisite courses must be completed prior to NURS 2900. Remaining prerequisite courses must be completed with a C or higher to continue in the program and prior to beginning NURS 3281. Students who exceed the minimum requirements are more likely to ensure their success as a nursing student in this highly challenging program. 

Maintaining eligibility

1. Successful completion of 48 semester credits by the end of fall semester sophomore year, including completion of three lab science prerequisites. Prerequisite GPA of 3.00 or higher, cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher. Successful completion of prerequisite courses (see application criteria for details).
2. Successful completion of 64 semester credits to begin junior year of major. Prerequisite GPA of 3.00 or higher, cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher. Successful completion of required supporting courses (see application criteria for details).

1	First-year students who entered St. Catherine University before Fall 2018 are guaranteed admission based on the minimum prerequisite and cumulative GPA requirement of 3.0.
2	First-year students who entered St. Catherine University Fall 2018 or later, who have a prerequisite and cumulative GPA of 3.00-3.24, will be offered admission into the nursing major contingent upon the number of positions available.

Curriculum

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Nursing Courses
NURS 2900	Introduction to Professional Nursing Practice 1	4
NURS 2910	Nursing Care of Individuals and Families	4
NURS 3281	Pathophysiology	4
NURS 3282	Applied Pathophysiology	4
NURS 3291	Nursing Interventions I	4
NURS 3292	Nursing Interventions II	4
NURS 3800	Appl of Theory Nursing Prac I	4
NURS 3810	Application of Theory in Nursing Practice II	4
NURS 4010	Nursing Care of Complex Patients	6
NURS 4020	Complex Patient Care across the Continuum	4
NURS 4200	Leadership in Professional Nursing Practice	8
Total Credits		50

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Prerequisite Courses (minimum grade of C required)
BIOL 2200	Introduction to Microbiology with Lab	4
BIOL 2610 & BIOL 2620	Human Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab and Human Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab	8
Select one of the following:		4-8
CHEM 1010	General Chemistry for Health Sciences with Lab
CHEM 1110 & CHEM 1120	General Chemistry I with Lab and General Chemistry II with Lab
FSNU 2300	Nutrition Foundations	4
IPE 1030	Healthcare Teams Foundations and Medical Terminology	2
IPE 1040	Healthcare Teams and Quality Outcomes	2
IPE 2800	Healthcare Teams: Opportunities and Challenges in Aging	4
Select one of the following:		4
ECON 1090	Statistical Analysis for Decision Making
PSYC 1090	Statistical Methods in Psychology
STAT 1090	Statistical Analysis
PSYC 1001	General Psychology with Lab	4
Select one of the following:		4
SOCI 1000	Principles and Concepts of Sociology
SOCI 2300	Sociology of Health and Medicine
SOCI 3250	Cultural Anthropology
ECON 1120	Economics of Social Issues
Total Credits		40

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Required Supporting Courses (minimum grade of C required)
INDI 3150	Pharmacology for the Healthcare Professional	4
IPE 4200W	Healthcare Teams - Evidence-Based Practice	4
PHIL 3400	Biomedical Ethics	4
or THEO 2200	Christian Ethics
PSYC 3010	Understanding Psychological Disorders	4
Total Credits		16

1	NURS 2900 is a nursing course taken prior to admission to the nursing program. This course is not computed in the prerequisite GPA but must be completed with a grade of C or better.

Nursing majors satisfy the Writing Requirement for Majors in IPE 4200W Healthcare Teams - Evidence-Based Practice. They complete the Liberal Arts and Science Core Writing Requirement with three other writing-intensive courses (CORE 1000W The Reflective Woman or CORE 2000W The Reflective Woman, CORE 3990W Global Search for Justice and any other writing-intensive course in another department).