Overview

The BSN Program incorporates general education and nursing coursework in a program of studies that provides knowledge and skills necessary for a lifetime of personal and professional growth. The goal of the general education component of the curriculum is to provide the student with a liberal educational foundation. This is accomplished through academic experiences that provide skills needed for advanced studies and lifelong learning. The freshman year emphasizes general education and prepares the student for the nursing major.

The nursing curriculum provides the opportunity for the student to acquire and demonstrate the professional nursing knowledge and skills necessary to assist clients to an optimal level of health. This is accomplished through an integration of theoretical nursing knowledge with essential clinical skills. The curriculum integrates moral, ethical, and legal principles with critical thinking, decision-making, leadership, and management techniques. An introductory course in nursing is offered in the second semester of the freshman year, and clinical practice experiences begin in the sophomore year.

The majority of nursing coursework occurs in the junior and senior years. Significant clinical practice hours are planned throughout the program to promote the proficiency in skills necessary for competent nursing practice. Students practice in a changing health care environment in acute and long-term care facilities as well as in community settings.

The emphasis on clinical experience, supported by theory from nursing and related disciplines, is the hallmark of the BSN curriculum at Chamberlain. Theoretical and clinical nursing courses, nursing research, and issue courses provide the professional education base for the BSN degree. The BSN degree consists of a total of 132 credit hours: 69 credit hours in general education and 63 credit hours in the nursing major.

The RN with an associate degree or diploma may complete the BSN degree either on-site or online. The online option allows the registered nurse students to complete the BSN degree with an educational format designed for adult learners. Advantages include the convenience of scheduling, focus on core content readily applicable to professional settings, and interaction with peers who share many similar professional experiences and values. Students identify preceptors in their region of residence to facilitate their clinical learning experiences.

Program Outcomes

The outcomes for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program are as follows:

1. Provides individualized comprehensive care, based on theories and principles of nursing and related disciplines, to individuals, families, aggregates, and communities from entry to the health care system through long-term planning.
2. Demonstrates leadership and collaboration with consumers and other health care providers in providing care and/or delegating responsibilities for health promotion, illness prevention, health reestoration and maintenance, and rehabilitative activities.
3. Communicates effectively with client populations and other health care providers in managing the collaborative health care of individuals, families, aggregates, and communities.
4. Integrates clinical judgement in professional decision-making and implementation of the nursing process.
5. Demonstrates responsibility for continued personal and professional development through enrollment in graduate education, continuing education programs, professional reading, participation in professional organizations, and servce to the community.
6. Implements professional nursing standards by practicing within the legal definitions of nursing practice acts and in accordance with the nursing code of ethics and ANA standards of practice.
7. Practices in established professional roles to provide cost-effective, quality health care to consumers in structures and unstructured settings.
8. Incorporates evidence - based practice in the provision of Professional nursing care to individuals, families,  aggregates, and communities.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing Curriculum Grid  St. Louis, MO Campus  (207k)

Bachelor of Science in Nursing Curriculum Grid  Columbus, OH Campus  (207k)

Bachelor of Science in Nursing Curriculum Grid  Phoenix, AZ Campus  (50kb)

Bachelor of Science in Nursing Curriculum Grid  Addison, IL Campus  (473kb)