Nursing, B.S.N.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

1. Integrate concepts from the arts and sciences in promoting health and managing complex nursing care situations.
2. Apply leadership concepts, skills, and decision making in the provision, and oversight of nursing practice in a variety of settings.
3. Translate principles of patient safety and quality improvement into the delivery of high quality of care.
4. Appraise, critically summarize and translate current evidence into nursing practice.
5. Integrate knowledge, processes, and skills from nursing science; information and patient care technologies; and communication tools to facilitate clinical decision-making, and the delivery of safe and effective nursing care.
6. Describe the effects of health policy, economic, legal, political, and socio-cultural factors on the delivery of and advocacy for equitable health care.
7. Demonstrate effective professional communication and collaboration to optimize health outcomes.
8. Deliver and advocate for health promotion and disease prevention strategies at the individual, family, community and population levels.
9. Demonstrate value-based, professional behaviors that integrate altruism, autonomy, integrity, social justice and respect for diversity and human dignity.
10. Demonstrate critical thinking, clinical decision making, and psychomotor skills necessary for the delivery of competent, evidence-based, holistic, and compassionate care to patients across the life span.

Contact Information

Kimberly Baxter
Associate Director of Undergraduate Programs
(775) 682 7145
kimbaxter@unr.edu

Transfer to the University of Nevada, Reno

Use the transfer agreement  and the degree planner (available by clicking  at the top right of this page) to build your plan for graduation with your advisor. Course substitutions not identified on the transfer agreement require UNR advisor approval.

If a major-to-major transfer agreement is not available for your transfer institution, please check the General Core agreement  if available. If neither is available, access Transferology to assist in your planning.

Admission Requirements

The Orvis School of Nursing has a competitive application process and accepts 64 applicants twice a year, in the Fall and Spring semesters. The application is open in January and September, the semester preceding anticipated enrollment.

1. The applicant must be officially admitted to the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) as a declared degree-seeking student. Community Health Sciences, Public Health  major recommended. Applicant must possess an NSHE ID number. Students who are not currently active or enrolled at the University of Nevada, Reno will need to reapply. UNR application fee may apply.
2. In order for all official transcripts to be evaluated and to ensure applicants have met program prerequisites; new or transfer students must apply to the University of Nevada, Reno and have all official transcripts sent the semester prior to applying for the nursing major.
3. The applicant must have submitted and finalized all transfer credits which appear on the student’s unofficial transcript report in My Nevada. All pre-requisite courses and in-progress courses must appear on the report. If you have taken or are taking courses from another school(s) you must have official transcripts sent to UNR Office of Admissions and Records. This will provide documentation and list the courses as in-progress. Once the courses are completed, you must submit an updated official transcript with grade/credits earned.
4. The applicant must have no more than 13 pre-requisite credits in-progress at the time of application (including CO13). All prerequisite grades must be no lower than a “C”. Of the 13 credits in-progress, no more than 4 credits may be science credits (includes CHEM and BIOL lecture and lab courses not NUTR 223).
5. Applicant must have at least a 3.0 GPA on the selected pre-nursing coursework.
6. If English is not the applicant’s Native language, they will need to take the TSE or SPEAK test. A minimum score of 55 must be obtained for admission to the major. Scores must be submitted. Please contact the Intensive English Language Center at UNR to schedule your speak test.
7. All applicants to the Orvis School of Nursing are required to take the Health Education Systems Incorporated Admission Assessment (HESI A2) exam. This exam is an assessment tool used to evaluate prospective students’ potential for success in a rigorous nursing program. Please see the OSN website for information and further instructions.
8. Selection to the nursing major is accomplished by a rank order list of qualified applicants based on a point matrix. This matrix includes points for GPA for selected prerequisite courses, HESI Admission Assessment Exam scores, and OSN admission preferences, (see OSN website for additional information regarding admission selection criteria).
9. After completion of selection to the nursing major, 64 students will be sent a letter of provisional acceptance. All selected students must attend a mandatory orientation and accept provisional admission to the nursing major. Admission is confirmed when all criteria have been verified (background check/drug screening, fit for duty documentation, immunizations, BLS certification, liability insurance coverage, and successful completion of all in-progress prerequisite work).
10. Letters of non-acceptance will also be sent. Students may re-apply during future application periods.

Note: Applicants must complete or have met all UNR Silver Core General Education Curriculum requirements in addition to the nursing prerequisites before entering the nursing major. No grade below “C” in any course will be accepted as applicable to the nursing degree. Following admission to the nursing major and successful completion of the nursing major coursework students will receive a B.S.N.

• Pre-Nursing Program  
• Community Health Sciences (Public Health Specialization), B.S.  

Graduation Requirements

• Total Units | 120
• Cumulative GPA | 2.0
• University GPA | 2.0
• Major GPA | 2.0
• University Residency Requirement | 30 Upper-Division Units at UNR
• Major Residency Requirement | 15 Units of Major Requirements at UNR
• Upper-Division Requirement | 60 Upper-Division Units
• Half Program Units/4 Year Institution | 60 Units

I. Core General Education Requirements (25-28 units)

NOTE: Refer to the Core Curriculum chapter of this catalog for information regarding the “Core English and Math Completion Policy  .”

Students in this major must meet all Core Objectives (CO1 through CO14). Courses satisfying Core Objectives are designated (e.g., CO9) in General Catalog curricula and course descriptions.

II. Additional Core Requirements (6 units maximum)

Students must take courses that satisfy the following Core Objectives. Some or all of these Core Objectives may be satisfied in the Major Requirements (Section IV).  Refer to the Core Curriculum   chapter in this catalog.

III. Additional College Requirements (30-31 units)

IV. Major Requirements (56 units)

• NURS 301 - Health Assessment of the Individual (3 units) AND
• NURS 301L - Health Assessment of the Individual: Laboratory (1 unit)
• NURS 317 - Nursing Care of the Individual I: Theory (3 units) CO12
• NURS 318 - Nursing Care of the Individual I: Practicum (4 units)
• NURS 331 - Pathophysiology and Pharmacology I (3 units)
• NURS 332 - Pathophysiology and Pharmacology II (3 units)
• NURS 343 - Nursing Care of the Individual: Theory (3 units)
• NURS 346 - Nursing Care of the Individual II: Practicum (4 units)
• NURS 347 - Nursing Care of Childbearing Women, Children & Families: Practicum (1 unit)
• NURS 353 - Nursing Care of Childbearing Women, Children & Families: Theory (3 units)
• NURS 420 - Evidence Based Practice and Research in Nursing (2 units)
• NURS 433 - Nursing Care - Population Health and Mental Health: Theory (4 units)
• NURS 434 - Nursing Care - Population Health & Mental Health: Practicum (4 units) CO10
• NURS 439 - Nurs Care-Complex Chronically Ill Adult-Older Adult: Theory (3 units)
• NURS 441 - Leadership/Management (2 units)
• NURS 453 - Nursing Care of the Individual III: Theory (4 units) CO9
• NURS 454 - Nursing Care Clinical Immersion: Practicum (4 units) CO14
• NURS 469 - Nursing Informatics and Health Policy (2 units)
• NURS 485 - Trends and Ethical Issues in Nursing (3 units)

V. Minor Requirements (0 units)

VI. Electives (0-3 units)

To meet University upper division or credits from a 4-year institution requirement.

VII. Recommended Schedule

Nursing students are admitted to the major both fall and spring semesters and are enrolled during fall, spring, and summer terms. Many of the courses below have prerequisites that are not listed below.  Prerequisites courses may count toward General Electives.

Additional Information

Please refer to Orvis School of Nursing website at http://www.unr.edu/nursing for detailed information and requirements.