Nursing, B.S.N.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

• apply quality improvement principles, standards, methods, and strategies to identify health and systems problems and support evidence-based change in practice settings.
• implement a safe, systematic process across settings using evidence-based strategies and standards to promote a just culture of safety and prevent or minimize risk to self, patients, and the environment. 
• demonstrate communication strategies, leadership, and teamwork to intentionally collaborate with interprofessional teams, individuals, groups, and populations across a range of sociocultural settings and to advocate for diverse, equitable, and inclusive care in professional environments. (C)
• use a systematic approach to clinical reasoning based on best evidence, research, and knowledge from nursing and other disciplines to make decisions that optimize the health of populations, the delivery of care across a range of sociocultural settings, and the advancement of the nursing profession. (CT)
• deliver person and population-centered care that is respectful of differing sociocultural needs based on best evidence, clinical judgment, and sound legal/ethical principles to promote plans of care and maximize health for diverse individuals, groups, and populations.
• model a professional identity through personal and professional advocacy that promotes the needs of self, individuals, groups, populations, and the nursing profession while improving the healthcare system.
• use health care technology, data, and information literacy while considering risks and ethical requirements to plan, implement, and evaluate person and population-centered care and assist in system-wide best practice decisions in various settings. (QR)

Practice Ready Program Outcomes

BSN Graduates will be able to:

Category 1: Quality

Apply quality improvement principles, standards, methods, and strategies to identify health and systems problems and support evidence-based change in practice settings.

Category 2: Safety

Implement a safe, systematic process across settings using evidenced-based strategies and standards, to promote a just culture of safety, and to prevent or minimize risk to self, patients, and environment. 

Category 3: IPE and communication 

Demonstrate communication strategies, leadership, and teamwork to intentionally collaborate with interprofessional teams, individuals, groups, and populations across a range of sociocultural settings and to advocate for diverse, equitable, and inclusive care in professional environments.

Category 4: Clinical Reasoning

Use a systematic approach to clinical reasoning based on best evidence, research, and knowledge from nursing and other disciplines to make decisions which optimize the health of populations, the delivery of care across a range of sociocultural settings, and the advancement of the nursing profession.

Category 5: Person and Population Centered Care 

Deliver person and population-centered care that is respectful of differing sociocultural needs based on best evidence, clinical judgment, and sound legal/ethical principles to promote plans of care and maximize health for diverse individuals, groups and populations.

Category 6: The Nurse’s Role 

Model a professional identity through personal and professional advocacy that promotes the needs of self, individuals, groups and populations and the nursing profession while improving the healthcare system.​​​​​​​

Category 7: Health Care and Informatics 

Use health care technology, data, and information literacy, while considering risks and ethical requirements, to plan, implement, and evaluate person and population-centered care and assist in system-wide best practice decisions in a variety of settings

Contact Information

Please Contact OSN Advising for more information.
OSNadvising@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 96 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. 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 16 pre-requisite credits in-progress at the time of application (including CO13). All prerequisite grades must be no lower than a “C”. Of the 16 credits in-progress, no more than 4 credits may be science credits (includes CHEM and BIOL lecture and lab courses not NUTR 223 or NURS 407).
5. Applicant must have at least a 3.0 GPA on the selected pre-nursing coursework.
6. All applicants to the Orvis School of Nursing are required to take the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) 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.
7. 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, TEAS Exam scores, and OSN admission preferences, (see OSN website for additional information regarding admission selection criteria).
8. 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).
9. 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  
• Public Health, 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

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 (27-28 units)

IV. Major Requirements (62 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 Fundamentals and Population Health: Practicum (3 units)
• NURS 331 - Pathophysiology and Pharmacology I (3 units)
• NURS 332 - Pathophysiology and Pharmacology II (3 units)
• NURS 343 - Nursing Care of the Individual I: Theory (3 units)
• NURS 346 - Nursing Care of the Individual I: Practicum (3 units)
• NURS 346L - Nursing Care of the Individual I: Laboratory (1 unit)
• NURS 347 - Nurs Care of Families, Children and Childbearing Ind: Pract (2 units)
• NURS 353 - Nursing Care of Childbearing Women, Children & Fam: Theory (4 units)
• NURS 402 - Communication & Mental Health Theory (2 units)
• NURS 413 - Communication & Mental Health Nursing: Practicum (1 unit)
• NURS 434 - Nursing Care of the Individual II: Practicum (2 units)
• NURS 434L - Nursing Care of the Individual II: Laboratory (1 unit)
• NURS 439 - Nursing Care of the Individual II: Theory (3 units)
• NURS 441 - Nursing Leadership and Management (3 units)
• NURS 453 - Nursing Care of the Individual III: Theory (4 units) CO9
• NURS 454 - Nursing Care of the Individual III: Practicum (4 units)
• NURS 454L - Nursing Care of the Individual III: Laboratory (1 units)
• NURS 466 - Nursing Research (3 units)
• NURS 467 - Informatics, Technology, & Health Policy (3 units) CO9
• NURS 475 - Population Health Theory (3 units) CO10
• NURS 485 - Transitioning to the Professional Nursing Role (3 units) CO14

V. Minor Requirements (0 units)

VI. Electives (0-6 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.