School of Nursing - University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2024)

Purpose and Focus

Upon completion of the program, students are anticipated to showcase skills aligned with critical thinking, clinical judgment, cultural competence, adept communication, and professionalism. They will be equipped to excel in the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN), a prerequisite for obtaining licensure as a Registered Nurse across all states. Our mission is to advance the science of health and healthcare by preparing nurse clinicians, educators, leaders, and researchers to optimize health equity and wellness of individuals, families, communities, and populations. The School of Nursing promotes, improves, and innovates nursing through interdisciplinary and transformational education, scholarship, practice, and community engagement. Our vision statement is advancing nurse leaders to transform healthcare.

Program Outcomes

At the conclusion of the program of study, graduates will:

1. Use emerging patient care technologies and information systems to support safe and effective nursing practice.
2. Integrate leadership concepts, skills, and decision making in the provision of high-quality nursing care delivery in a variety of settings.
3. Apply knowledge of health care policy, finance and regulatory environments, including local, state, national and global health care trends in nursing practice.
4. Integrate professional values, attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors into nursing practice.
5. Demonstrate sound clinical judgment in the planning, provision, and evaluation of evidence-based nursing care at the individual, group, and community levels.
6. Apply principles that enhance safety for patients and health care providers through both individual performance and system effectiveness.
7. Demonstrate effective inter- and intra-professional communication and collaboration for improving patient outcomes.
8. Use clinical prevention strategies to promote health and prevent disease across the life span at the individual and population levels.

Accreditation

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Nevada State Board of Nursing

Undergraduate Majors

Nursing

Licensure Programs

Graduates of the BSin Nursing Program must successfully complete the NCLEX-RN examination to obtain licensure.

Admission to the Major

Minimum GPA: 3.00

Admission Guidelines

Students are admitted three times per year for the BSN program. Once admitted to the nursing program, students are expected to maintain continuous full-time enrollment, thus allowing completion of the nursing course work in 16 months for the BSN program. Students may apply up to four times and be accepted only twice into the nursing program. Once a student has begun the nursing program, they may not reapply as a new student if they are unsuccessful in, or withdraw from, their nursing courses. UNLV offers no part-time undergraduate B.S. in Nursing degree.

B.S. in Nursing

GPA Requirements

Students must first be admitted into Pre-Nursing. Current UNLV students who change into the Pre-Nursing major must have a GPA of 2.5 or higher. Students with a GPA between 2.00 and 2.50 may be switched into Pre-Nursing as probationary students. Students must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher to be admitted to the B.S. in Nursing.

Prerequisites

Students are eligible for admission to the nursing major (NUR-4YR) when a UNLV GPA of 3.00 is established, and the student has earned a minimum of a B (3.00) in the following prerequisites:

MATH 124 College Algebraor higher (except MATH 132)

KIN 223 Human Anatomy and Physiology I

KIN 224 Human Anatomy and Physiology II

BIOL 251A General Microbiology Lecture

BIOL 251L General Microbiology Laboratory

NURS 299 Nutrition and Development Across the Lifespan

The student has also earned a minimum of a C (2.00) in all other general education and prerequisite courses.

English Language Proficiency Requirements

To be admitted into the School of Nursing, an applicant who is a non-native English speaker must provide proof of English language proficiency. A non-native speaker is an individual whose primary language in the home was a language other than English (or a non-English language) or who received a K-12 (or equivalent) education in schools where English was not the medium of instruction. Admission will only be considered if the student scores 100 points or above on the TOEFL iBT (internet) language proficiency exam, a 68 or above on the Pearson Test of English (PTE Academic), or a 120 or above on the Duolingo English Test These are the only proficiency exams the SON will accept.

Application Information

Students may formally apply three times a year to the BSN program. Eligibility for the BSN program is verified by a PRN advisor in the Division of Health Sciences Advising Center during a mandatory in-person BSN signing appointment. Students applying to the BSN program are ranked based on the GPA of their required science, math and NURS 299 courses. Admission will be offered to those students achieving the highest rank scores first until all openings are filled. The admission ranking worksheet for the BSN program is available at the Division of Health Sciences Advising Center. Students not accepted must reapply for admission in subsequent semesters.

Transfer Policies

Transfer students may gain admission eligibility into PRN via several routes. If the transfer GPA is 3.00 or above and the prerequisite course work has been completed with the required grades, the student will be admitted into the B.S. in Nursing Program based on rank scoring as noted above. If the transfer GPA is 2.50-2.99, nine credits of UNLV core requirements or prerequisite coursework at UNLV must be completed with a GPA of 3.00. If the transfer GPA is 2.00-2.49, students must complete a probationary contract in which 15 UNLV core requirements or prerequisite coursework must be completed with a 3.00 GPA to remove the probationary status. Transferring into the program from another nursing program is considered on a case-by-case basis. Transfer students must have a letter of “good academic standing” from their prior School of Nursing Dean sent directly to the School of Nursing Associate Dean for Entry and Prelicensure Education.

BSN Student Nurses Handbook

Students accepted into the B.S. in Nursing Program should obtain a copy of the BSN Student Nurses Handbook from the UNLV Academics website https://www.unlv.edu/degree/bs-nursing for identification of additional guidelines and procedures. Students are accountable for observing the guidelines in the handbook. Prior to beginning nursing courses, students will be asked to:

1. Sign a waiver releasing the School of Nursing and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, from responsibility for injury or illness resulting from exposure to disease, medicines, or treatments while in the clinical setting.
2. Evidence of IGRA blood testing (QuantiFERON-TB Gold in tube (QFT)); or evidence of chest x-ray and medical follow-up for those with past history of positive reactivity.
3. Provide evidenceof measles, mumps, rubella, varicella diphtheria and tetanus immunizations according to the most recent CDC guidelines. While attending the program, the vaccinations must be within the 10-year time frame.
4. Provide evidence of completion of the hepatitis B vaccine series, a titer indicating presumptive immunity, or a statement from a health care provider indicating that the vaccination is contraindicated for health reasons.
5. Provide evidence of the flu vaccination or declination every fall.
6. Provide evidence of COVID-19 vaccination or declination.
7. Provide documentation of physical examination demonstrating the student’s ability to perform the essential functions of the registered nurse, with or without reasonable accommodations.
8. Provide evidence of a negative drug screen from the School of Nursing’s specified vendor.
9. Provide certification of completion of BLS health care provider skills offered by the American Heart Association.
10. Complete a criminal background check from the School of Nursing’s specified vendor.
11. Provide evidence of current health insurance. The student is responsible to determine that health insurance coverage includes provisions of a needle stick or other high-risk exposure in the clinical setting, as well as the cost of anti-HIV drugs if warranted. Proof of health insurance coverage is required each semester.
12. Proof of completion of required health care trainings.

Progression

To progress in the B.S. in Nursing Program, students must achieve a minimum of a C (2.00) in each of the required nursing courses. Ifa student receives less than a C (2.00) in a nursing class and it is the first occurrence, the student will be allowed to repeat the nursing course. The student must renegotiate the nursing program contract and will be placed in the needed course at the next opportunity that class space is available. If a student is unsuccessful in an additional course with the NURS prefix (in the same semester or later semesters), the student will be dismissed from the program. Unsuccessful is defined as:

Withdrawing from a class in which the student has an average below C at the date of withdrawal from the course.

Completion of the course with a grade average below C (2.00).

Obtaining an F grade.

Having an average below C (2.00) at the time of complete withdrawal from the university.

Failing the clinical/lab componentof a clinical course.

Petitions for reinstatement may be made to the Academic Standards Committee. The student should contact the BSN Program Director and Student Services Director for guidance on this process.

If reinstatement is recommended, the recommendation may include stipulations.Reinstatement is not automatic and is dependent upon the student’s total record of performance. The privilege of reinstatement is granted only once.

If the failed course in which the student was unsuccessful is a prerequisite or co-requisite (requiring concurrent enrollment) to other nursing courses, as identified in the current catalog, the student will not be allowed to progress. All prerequisite or co-requisites must be successfully completed prior to progression to any course scheduled in subsequent semesters

Guidelines Specific to B.S. in Nursing Incoming Student
Orientation

Incoming students are required to attend a student orientation. At the orientation session, information concerning the program will be provided. and student data will be collected.

Medication Calculation

Students must demonstrate continuing and growing competence in medication calculation specific to various clinical areas. The student must demonstrate on a designated exam a grade of 100% in each course that has a clinical component. If a 100% score is not obtained in three attempts, the student will not progress to the following semester.

Standardized Competency Exams

Undergraduate students participate in a standardized testing program throughout the nursing program. Selected tests are required each semester and are calculated as part of the student’s final grade.

Fees

Students will be assessed course fees each semester.

Advisem*nt

After admission to the nursing program, all students will be assigned a nursing advisor from the nursing faculty. Students are encouraged to meet with their advisor on an ongoing basis.

Nursing Program Contracts

All B.S. in Nursing applicants are required to negotiate program contracts. For the BSN program, pre-nursing students meet with the pre-nursing Advisor. The pre-nursing program contract provides a semester-by-semester schedule identifying prerequisite classes needed to establish eligibility for admission to the nursing program. Once admitted, nursing majors will sign the nursing program contract.