Nursing - BSN

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Information

This section of the nursing baccalaureate degree program in the College for Adults is designed to embrace multicultural and social justice perspectives on health and healing. The BSN is approved by the Minnesota Board of Nursing, accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), and endorsed in holistic nursing by the American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation (AHNCC). A holistic approach and compassionate attitude supports students as they matriculate at St. Catherine University. The purpose of the program is to advance the study, understanding, and professional practice of the discipline of nursing. Holistic nursing embraces multicultural healing perspectives alongside Western medicine to advance health and healing for all. 

Holistic nursing practice builds on a foundation of liberal arts and sciences to focus on the person, family and community. The overall goal of the curriculum is to prepare nurses whose practice nurtures the wholeness of persons through caring in a variety of nursing situations and settings.

St. Catherine University has a vast array of respected clinical partners who provide opportunities for students to learn to be excellent holistic nurses and leaders in health care settings. The nursing major portion of this baccalaureate degree will consist of 50 nursing credits over 21-23 months, depending on the start date, in a hybrid format. This program will prepare the graduate to take the NCLEX-RN licensure exam and practice as a registered nurse.

Admission to the Major in the College for Adults

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 Admissions Office at 651-690-7801 or cfabsninfo@stkate.edu to receive application information. Students apply for admission to the nursing major in either the spring or fall semester.

Requirements for admission:

  1. Unconditional admission to St. Catherine University.
  2. Prerequisite GPA of 3.0 or higher.
  3. TEAS result of proficient or higher. TEAS test exam results must be within three years of the application to the major submission date.
  4. No prerequisite or corequisite course may be taken "Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory." 
  5. Students who received more than two prerequisite course grades of a W or C- or lower within the last 5 years are ineligible for the nursing major.
  6. If a prerequisite course grade is a C- or lower, this course (or an alternative course approved by the baccalaureate nursing program director) must be successfully completed with a grade of C or above.
  7. Certification as a nursing assistant (CNA). Must be on the Minnesota CNA registry at the time of application for admission to the program.
  8. Basic Life Support Certification (CPR/BLS). BLS through the American Heart Association or American Red Cross is required. Fully online courses will not be accepted, however a hybrid format (online + classroom) will fulfill the requirement. This certification must be maintained throughout the program.
  9. Documented completion of all required immunizations and a clear criminal background check.

  10. Students who have been unsuccessful in a previous nursing program at St. Catherine University or any other institution in the last five years are ineligible for this nursing program.
     

The  application submission deadline for Early Admission will be February 1st for a fall start or August 1st for a spring start, with notification of the decision February 15th (fall start) or August 15th (spring start). Requirements for Early Admission:

  1. ​Successful completion (C or above) of at least six of 9 prerequisite courses prior to admission, including 2 lab science courses.
  2. Students must maintain a C or better grade in all remaining prerequisites, have a 3.0 prerequisite GPA, and maintain their GPA prior to the start of the nursing program. 
  3. Successfully complete (C or above) all nine prerequisite courses by the final admission deadline.

The  application submission deadline for Final Admission will be June 1st for a fall start or December 15th for a spring start with notification of the decision June 15th (fall start) or January 6th (spring start). Requirements for Final Admission:

  1. Successful completion (C or above) of all nine prerequisite courses
  2. All math and science prerequisites need to have been completed within five years prior to the first term of enrollment at the University.
  3. Prerequisite GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Important Technical Standards

For successful admission and continuance in St. Catherine University's pre-licensure nursing programs, a specific set of essential cognitive, sensory, communication, psychomotor, and behavioral/emotional/spiritual health abilities are required to be performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

Read the full requirements

Curriculum

NURS 3106Foundations of Nursing and Holistic Care6
NURS 3303Human Caring - Professional Roles and Culture3
NURS 3403Holistic Care of Older Adults3
NURS 3502Holistic Health Assessment2
NURS 3705Holistic Nursing Care of Children and Childbearing Families5
NURS 3804Holistic Population Health II4
NURS 3902Pharmacology and Holistic Nursing Practice2
NURS 4106Holistic Care of Adults6
NURS 4203Holistic Nursing Approaches to Mental Health3
NURS 4303Holistic Nursing Advances: Leading and Influencing3
NURS 4603Holistic Nursing: Reflection in Action3
NURS 4702Holistic Population Health I2
NURS 4704Unification of Nursing Concepts and Contexts in Holistic Complex Care4
NURS 4804Holistic Nursing Practice in Complex Dynamic Situations4
Total Credits50
Prerequisite Courses (minimum grade of C required)
BIOL 2200Introduction to Microbiology with Lab 14
BIOL 2400
BIOL 2410
General Anatomy and Physiology with Lab
and Advanced Anatomy and Physiology with Lab
8
CHEM 1010General Chemistry for Health Sciences with Lab 14-8
or CHEM 1110
CHEM 1120
General Chemistry I with Lab
and General Chemistry II with Lab
FSNU 2300Nutrition Foundations4
IPE 1020Medical Terminology1
NURS 2994Topics (Nursing Med Math Topics) 14
or STAT 1090 Statistical Analysis
or PSYC 1090 Statistical Methods in Psychology
PSYC 1000General Psychology4
or PSYC 2025 Lifespan Developmental Psychology
Select one of the following:4
Economics of Social Issues
Culture, Health and Healing
Principles and Concepts of Sociology
Sociology of Health and Medicine
Cultural Anthropology
Total Credits33-37
Required Supporting Courses
IPE 4200WHealthcare Teams - Evidence-Based Practice 24
Total Credits4
1

Must have been completed within the 5 years prior to first term of enrollment at the University.

2

May be taken concurrent with nursing courses. All other required courses must be completed before beginning the nursing course sequence.

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 WomanCORE 3990W Global Search for Justice and any other writing-intensive course in another department).

The LPN to BSN section is meant to support a multicultural, diverse student body who wants to attend classes while working part-time and supporting families and communities.

Admission requirements are identical to the BSN section for non-LPNs, with the exception that students applying for the LPN to BSN must have a current unencumbered LPN license and recent practice experience. Students admitted to the LPN to BSN will receive four nursing credits of advanced standing.

Curriculum

NURS 3102Holistic Nursing Care - Transition to Professional Practice2
NURS 3303Human Caring - Professional Roles and Culture3
NURS 3403Holistic Care of Older Adults3
NURS 3502Holistic Health Assessment2
NURS 3705Holistic Nursing Care of Children and Childbearing Families5
NURS 3804Holistic Population Health II4
NURS 3902Pharmacology and Holistic Nursing Practice2
NURS 4106Holistic Care of Adults6
NURS 4203Holistic Nursing Approaches to Mental Health3
NURS 4303Holistic Nursing Advances: Leading and Influencing3
NURS 4603Holistic Nursing: Reflection in Action3
NURS 4702Holistic Population Health I2
NURS 4704Unification of Nursing Concepts and Contexts in Holistic Complex Care4
NURS 4804Holistic Nursing Practice in Complex Dynamic Situations4
Total Credits46
Prerequisite Courses (minimum grade of C required)
BIOL 2200Introduction to Microbiology with Lab 14
BIOL 2400
BIOL 2410
General Anatomy and Physiology with Lab
and Advanced Anatomy and Physiology with Lab
8
CHEM 1010General Chemistry for Health Sciences with Lab4
or CHEM 1110
CHEM 1120
General Chemistry I with Lab
and General Chemistry II with Lab
FSNU 2300Nutrition Foundations4
IPE 1020Medical Terminology1
NURS 2994Topics4
or STAT 1090 Statistical Analysis
or PSYC 1090 Statistical Methods in Psychology
PSYC 1000General Psychology4
or PSYC 2025 Lifespan Developmental Psychology
Select one of the following:4
Economics of Social Issues
Culture, Health and Healing
Principles and Concepts of Sociology
Sociology of Health and Medicine
Cultural Anthropology
Total Credits33
Required Supporting Courses
IPE 4200WHealthcare Teams - Evidence-Based Practice 24
Total Credits4
1

Must have been completed within seven years to be considered for transfer

2

May be taken concurrent with nursing courses. All other required courses must be completed before beginning the nursing course sequence.

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 WomanCORE 3990W Global Search for Justice and any other writing-intensive course in another department).