Nursing

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree programs are fully approved by the Missouri State Board of Nursing (MSBN). The baccalaureate degree in nursing practice at Central Methodist University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The goal of the Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing program is to provide opportunities for qualified students to acquire the knowledge necessary to provide nursing care, which promotes adaptation of the person, family, and community. This knowledge is acquired within a liberal arts experience, which emphasizes honesty, integrity, civility, and a strong sense of personal responsibility. Professional preparation as a nurse includes promotion of lifelong learning, social responsibility, and service. Professional nurses must be able to utilize evidence-based practice to promote patient, family, and community safety that best meets perceived needs and assists with the achievement of best possible outcomes.

The faculty believes persons are unique, holistic, and developing beings with the process and capacity for thinking, feeling, reflecting and choosing. Persons respond to and act upon the constantly changing environment, which is everything that is within and around them. To adapt to this changing environment, people use coping processes, which are both innate and learned. Adaptation occurs as adaptive responses promote integrity and wholeness.

Health is a state and a process of being and becoming an integrated and whole person. Health is a continuum ranging from peak wellness to death. The adaptation level is that point where the person is able to respond positively. A whole person is one with the highest possible fulfillment of human potential.

Nursing assists persons, families, and communities to examine life and environmental patterns, attach personal meaning to these patterns and choose adaptation. Nursing acts to enhance interaction with the environment by promoting meaningful life experiences, growth, and adaptation. The profession of nursing is an integrated part of a system for health care delivery and shares responsibility for working collaboratively with other health care practitioners.

Nursing education is a process, which enables the learner to synthesize a body of knowledge obtained through courses in nursing, liberal arts, humanities, and the sciences. Because nursing is dynamic, the education is foundational for professional growth through nursing research and continuing education.

The faculty believes that the learner is best able to reach individual potential in an environment that is nurturing and promotes inquiry, dialogue, curiosity, creativity, the ethical ideal, and assertiveness. The learner brings an attitude of commitment and motivation for achievement. The role of the learner is to share in the responsibility of the teaching-learning process.

The teacher interacts with students as persons of worth, dignity, intelligence, and high scholarly standards. The teacher's role is to provide the climate, structure, and dialogue that promote discovery of patterns and paradigms for practice. The teacher raises questions that require reading, observation, analysis, and reflection upon patient care. The teacher nurtures the learner, is available for dialogue, and promotes the use of research and critical thinking in the delivery of nursing care.

CMU has a BSN-completion program for individuals who have their Associate Degree in Nursing and wish to complete their Bachelors in Nursing. CMU also offers an Accelerated BSN program for individuals who have completed the pre-requisite courses for Nursing education, and a Masters in Nursing in Clinical Nurse Leadership. See the CMU website for more information.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing Outcomes

The Bachelor of Science Nursing graduate will be able to:

Demonstrate professional nursing leadership evidenced by the monitoring and improvement of healthcare systems, including management of physical, fiscal, and human resources.
Formulate research questions, critically analyze evidence, and apply evidence to practice.
Demonstrate the ability to effectively use technology to analyze, manage, and communicate data information.
Provide nursing care based on current knowledge, theory, and evidence to promote safety, holism, adaptation, and quality care as evidenced by the ability to:
1. Design and implement care based on the nursing process
2. Collaborate as a member of the interdisciplinary health care team.
3. Incorporate the principles of communication, client education, and client advocacy into practice.
Display behaviors as a member of the profession of nursing based on standards of practice and professional codes of ethics.

Non-Discriminatory Policy

The Nursing Department does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sexual preference, religion, sex, national origin, age, or federally defined disability in its recruitment and admission of students.

Admission Criteria for Selection of Students

The BSN program follows the Minimum Standards for Approved Programs of Professional Nursing (2013) under the guidance of the Missouri State Board of Nursing. Graduates of this program will be eligible for application to take the National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Successful completion does not guarantee eligibility to take licensure examination. (Reference: Nurse Practice Act RS MO 355.066)

Students who desire a degree in Nursing but who have an ACT of less than 19 are required to be categorized initially as "undeclared." Students who are admitted to CMU via the Academic Standards and Admissions Committee are required to be categorized initially as "undeclared." Any student who is academically successful in meeting the admission requirements to Nursing (at the completion of the pre-requisite coursework for Nursing) will be eligible for application to Nursing. Students unsuccessful in achieving or maintaining the academic level required to participate in the BSN-G program should work with their adviser to determine an alternative course of study.

To be admitted to Central Methodist University, applicants submit:

application for admission;
ACT scores;
official transcripts: High School (Must have completed high school or equivalent), Practical Nursing Program, College or Hospital-based nursing program; and
official transcripts from any other institutions of higher learning attended.

Nursing Admission Requirements: Students who are interesting in applying to the Nursing Program should be fully admitted to Central Methodist University. A Nursing Program Application must be submitted to be considered for admission to the Nursing Program. All students applying to the nursing program must pay for and have a criminal background check completed as part of the application process. Information regarding how to complete this is available from the Nursing Office.

Students will be considered for admission to the nursing program in their Junior year if the following criteria are met:

applicants must meet the admission requirements of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences;
applicants must have an earned grade of "C" or better in Biology, Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology, and Chemistry with a maximum of two (2) attempts (see Scholastic Standards) and a science sub-cumulative GPA of at least 2.5. The Biology and/or Biology lab requirement may be waived if the student has completed all other science pre-requisite course requirements. Students must have completed AH316 Data Analysis for Health Care or a Statistics course with a minimum grade of C.
It is strongly recommended that students complete Pathophysiology prior to admission to the program; however, students may be provisionally admitted to the program and take Pathophysiology concurrently with their first set of nursing (NU) courses with the prior approval of the Program Coordinator. Students must earn a minimum grade of B in Pathophysiology to progress beyond the first set of nursing courses.
applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale on a minimum of 53 hours of college course work;
students have the right to petition for consideration of alternative circumstances. Contact the Nursing Department Office for instructions regarding petitioning;
the applicant completes a nursing entrance examination and achieves the minimum required score in no more than two (2) attempts per admission period. The Nursing Department identifies the specific required entrance examination and the required minimum passing grade and confirms these each year;
applicants must complete a written questionnaire;
a criminal background check is negative for felonies; and
urine drug testing, at the expense of the student, is negative and must be completed prior to starting the program. If a urine drug screen comes back with a positive result, clinical placement is not possible and that student will not be allowed to start the program. Urine drug testing may be required prior to the start of any new clinical experience, depending on the policies of the health provider institution.
While Central Methodist University does not currently require students to be vaccinated for COVID-19, area health care providers who provide clinical experience opportunities for health professions students DO require the vaccination in order for the students to be on their premises and to come into contact with patients in their facilities. Therefore, all pre-licensure nursing students must be vaccinated for COVID-19. Unvaccinated students will not be able to participate in required clinical experiences. Due to this clinical restriction, unvaccinated applicants will not be accepted into the BSN program.
A Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) may challenge NU 307 by taking both a written and a practical examination. Students who pass this examination will take NU 360, a special problems course for one credit hour for additional clinical experience. Nursing courses from other schools will be evaluated for transfer applicability on an individual basis.
Students wishing to transfer into the BSN program at Central Methodist University from another program are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Admission Selection Process: The Nursing Admissions Committee meets following the end of each semester to select the next cohort. Specific dates are available from the Nursing Department office. The following are the procedures for all applicants:

Applicant names are removed from the questionnaire before responses are evaluated by three faculty members using a common rubric, and the results are averaged.
Each completed applicant’s file includes
1. academic record;
2. entrance examination results; and
3. the written questionnaire.
Applicant files are divided into 5 tiers based on entrance examination scores.
Applicant files in each tier are divided into two groups: "current, active CMU applicants" and "transfer applicants." Applicant files for current, active CMU applicants are considered first for admission in each tier.
A maximum of thirty five (35) applicants are accepted for each cohort, two cohorts accepted each year (Fall and Spring).
Applicants may be accepted either "fully" or "pending successful completion of pre-requisite requirements," or "provisionally" if the applicant is taking Pathophysiology concurrently with their first set of nursing courses.
Qualified applicants not accepted for the next cohort may be accepted to a wait list. Applicants on this wait list are used to fill program seats that may become available prior to the start of classes.
All applicants accepted or on the wait list are notified of their status and are provided information regarding their responsibilities in completing mandatory requirements, including urine drug screens, and other mandatory items of applicant responsibility.
An applicant forfeits her or his reserved seat in the program if she or he:
1. has not completed the mandatory requirements (other than coursework) prior to the start of the semester;
2. does not meet the minimum requirements encompassed by the criminal background check and urine drug screen; or
3. drops out of any required pre-requisite coursework (accepted pending).
Forfeited seats will be awarded to the next applicant from the wait list who has completed the mandatory requirements.
Applications are considered only in the year in which they are submitted. Applicants not previously accepted should speak with Nursing Department representatives concerning which part of their application packet should be re-submitted.
The program coordinator and faculty members shall review all applications to the Nursing program. The faculty will determine whether an applicant may be admitted unconditionally, admitted with provisions, or not admitted, based on established criteria.

After Acceptance:

Each selected applicant is required to purchase a CastleBranch account. Specific information is provided to each admitted applicant.

Students are required to upload the following to their CastleBranch account prior to the start of the Nursing program (specific due date issued each semester):

Physical examination
Rubella titer and/or immunization
Varicella titer and/or immunization
Current diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus—DPT
Hepatitis B injection series
COVID-19 vaccination (required by clinical partners for students to complete clinical experiences)
Drug screening
Urine drug screen by a department approved vendor

NOTE: Information for obtaining a CastleBranch account, the drug screen, immunization tracking, and CPR currency will be mailed to the student from the Nursing Department following acceptance into the program.

Students are required to show proof of the following, yearly:

Montaux/PPD--within one year
Current CPR certification (good for 2 years)
Personal health insurance
Flu vaccination (available on campus yearly)

Requirements for Licensure:

Graduation from an approved nursing program.
An arrest or conviction may disqualify a candidate for licensure examination. The State Board of Nursing has the authority to deny the opportunity to take the NCLEX or to refuse the issue of a license (Reference: Nursing Practice Act RSMO 355.066)

Fees: Fees are charged to students enrolled in nursing courses in lieu of a laboratory charge. Fees are based on vendor quotes and are subject to change. Specific information regarding fees is available from the nursing office. These fees include purchase of:

Malpractice insurance,
Laboratory supplies including: stethoscope, bandage scissors, name tag, gloves, dressing change and foley catheter kits,
One pair of scrubs,
Course materials including syllabus, care plans, and policies,
Cost of eLearning resources and,
Student Nurses’ Association membership.

A full list of student expenses can be viewed on the CLAS Health Profession Program Fee page.

Nursing Program Technical Requirements

PC Operating System: Windows 7 or higher, "full" version, not "RT" or "Mobile"

2+ GHz CPU, 4+ Gb RAM, ample Hard Drive storage space, Ethernet &/or WiFi connectivity

Mac Operating System: Mac OS X 10.7 or higher(Lion, Mountain Lion, Mavericks, Yosemite, El Capitan - 10.9.5 "Mavericks" or higher recommended)

1.6 GHz or higher "Intel-Based" CPU, at least 4+ Gb RAM (8+ recommended), ample Hard Drive storage, Ethernet &/or WiFi connectivity

Software: IE 11 or higher, Firefox 38 or higher, or Safari 7 or higher (Firefox Highly Recommended)

Adobe Reader, newest version (free download)

Adobe Flash Plugin, newest version (free download)

Java browser, newest version (free download)

Microsoft Office 2013 or 2016 for Windows (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)

Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 or 2016 (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)

Microsoft Office 365 "Cloud" Internet version (Windows or Mac)

*** NOTE *** All written assignments must be turned in with .doc, .docx, or .rtf format to allow faculty to grade them, unless specific alternative instructions are provided.

Internet: Students must have regular access to reliable, high-speed, internet access.(DSL, U-Verse, Cable Modem, Fiber link, etc.)

Satellite-based or Cell phone "Hot Spot" based connections are typically unsuitable. (Contact Technology Services for more information if this is your only option.)

*** NOTE *** "Mobile" computing devices; Smartphones, iPads, Tablets etc are NOT fully supported with all features of required electronic resources. There may be some features or assignments that CANNOT be done with a mobile device, and will require a "full" Desktop/Laptop computing system. If your mobile device is your primary computing device, make sure you have readily available access to a full computer system if needed.

Before classes begin, please check with your instructors for any other special technical requirements they may have.

However, nursing students are required to have a portable device to take into the clinical setting. Please understand that a laptop will server both situations.

Students can access desktop computer systems in the library, residence hall computer labs, and the nursing computer lab - on a limited basis.

UpToDate -

UpToDate is a comprehensive collection of clinical reference material. Material includes updates to medical literature, drug interactions, calculators for various metrics, and references for updating clinical practice.

Other General Information

Syllabi, hand-outs, calendar and assignments are accessed through CANVAS, the Learning Management System used by CMU. Students must have a CMU email account. Transportation to all clinical experiences is the student’s responsibility.

CMU has a chapter of the Student Nurses’ Association (SNA), a constituent of the Missouri/National Student Nurses’ Association (MOSNA/NSNA) (advisor: Prof. Lauren Strand). Through SNA, students from each pre-Nursing and Nursing cohort elect a student representative to participate in department meetings and represent the student body in decision-making situations. Any pre-Nursing or Nursing student who wishes to attend department meetings may do so. However, all students will be dismissed from meetings prior to any discussion that is part of a private or privileged nature in order to protect confidential information.

Lecture courses are allotted credit based on 3 hours of classroom contact per week for each credit hour. Credit assigned to clinical components of courses is based on a minimum of 3 contact hours per credit hour. Clinical hours may include, simulations, community-based clinical experiences, and health-care provider organization-based clinical experiences.

The CMU Nursing Department does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or federally defined disability in its recruitment and admission of students.

Nursing Courses

*The following rule applies to NU307 Adaptation Nursing Applications, NU322 Maternal/Child Nursing, NU309 Psychosocial Integrity, NU321 Public Health and Community Nursing Concepts, NU334 Evidence-based Adaptation Nursing I, and NU336 Evidence-based Adaptation Nursing II:

The Nursing Department reserves the right to modify student schedules to result in even distribution of students among sections for clinical courses. This adjustment is done to enhance the opportunities for quality clinical experiences and to ease the burden on CMU's clinical partners. Students who have pertinent reasons for being in a particular course section must communicate this information in writing to the Division Chair or Administrative Assistant prior to the end of the previous semester. All efforts will be made to accommodate these requests, but the Department does not guarantee the ability to do so in all instances.

Scholastic Standard
Retenton, and Progression

Students must earn a grade of "B" in all Nursing (NU) courses. Grades are not "rounded":a grade of 79.8% is not rounded to 80% and is posted as a "C". Should a student receive a grade of less than B for any one NU course s/he must repeat the course in the next available offering. Should the student receive any second grade of less than B for any NU course, the second grade of less than B will result in the student's dismissal from the nursing education program.

Students are required to follow the Nursing Curriculum sequence for the BSN-G and the ABSN. Courses are only offered in specific semesters/terms. If a student is required to repeat a course, the student must wait until the next time the course is offered, on a space-available basis. Students who must repeat a NU course are allowed to complete all NU courses for the current semester/term; students are not allowed to progress to the next semester/term course sequence until they have passed all courses in the current semester.

To successfully complete any clinical Nursing course, the student must have earned a course grade of B and a P (pass) for the clinical or lab portion of the course. Failure to pass the lab or clinical portion of a NU course results in the grade of "C" being the highest grade possible for the course, regardless of the grade for the didactic portion of the course.

Students are required to take a predictive exit examination prior to graduation as part of NU452. Comprehensive individual remediation materials are available to each student through the electronic programming utalized in the program.

Withdrawal from any NU courses other than for medical reasons is considered the same as being academically unsuccessful in the course for purposes of progression through the nursing education program.

Resumption of the program following an approved medical withdrawal from the program requires a letter from the health provider stating the there are no restrictions affecting the student's ability to resume the course of study and complete clinical coursework. Please review the Student Technical/Ability Standards available in the Nursing Student Handbook.

Any student not actively participating in the BSN-G program for more than one regular semester is dropped from the program and must reapply for consideration for acceptance into the program. Any ABSN student who must repeat a NU course must do so in the next scheduled cohort or reapply for acceptance into the ABSN program. Students unsuccessful with a course in the ABSN also have the option of applying for acceptance into the BSNG for finishing the program.