School of Nursing

[1] Purposes

The School of Nursing is committed to educating students at the baccalaureate and graduate level to address evolving health care needs and to advance the practice of nursing in an ever-changing society. Graduates of the baccalaureate program have the foundation for graduate study.

[2] Pre-Licensure Baccalaureate Degree (BSN) Program

Upon successful completion of the program, the student is awarded a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree and is eligible to apply to take the Registered Nurse (RN) licensing examination (NCLEX-RN). The professional program requires a minimum of sixty credit hours during the last two years of the student’s degree studies. These hours include classroom, clinical, simulated learning, and a variety of experiences in health care agencies, institutions, and communities in Central Arkansas.

Graduating from a nursing program does not assure Arkansas State Board of Nursing approval to take the RN licensure examination. Per state law, persons convicted of certain crimes will not be eligible to take the RN licensure examination. For more information on licensing restrictions based on criminal records see A.C.A § 17-3-102. For a list of crimes that would prevent graduate from taking the NCLEX-RN licensure examination, see the Arkansas Nurse Practice Act, Sub Chapter 3, Excerpt: Criminal Background Checks A.C.A. § 17-87-312. In addition, applicants for licensure must have a valid United States Social Security number.

[2.1] Admission to the Pre-Licensure BSN Track

Admission is selective and competitive. Preference is given to University of Central Arkansas students with 30 hours completed in residence by the end of the Spring semester of application. Applications to the pre-licensure BSN program are due by March 15th for the following nursing cohort beginning Summer II. One class is admitted each year. Applications are available each February 15th and may be obtained at uca.edu/nursing. Qualified applicants who are not admitted into the UCA pre-licensure BSN track are eligible to apply for the Bridge2BSN track. See section 3 below.

Mathematics Pathway: First-time, first-year students majoring in Nursing enter the Mathematical Reasoning for Health Sciences Mathematics Pathway and must enroll in MATH 1365 during their first year of study, unless they have been awarded credit that completes their 1000-level math requirements.

Admission criteria include the following:

• Admission to UCA
• Cumulative GPA of 2.75 or above. Prerequisite Science GPA of 2.5 or above.
• Completion of:
  WRTG 1310* and WRTG 1320*
  MATH 1365* or MATH 1390*
  CHEM 1402* or CHEM 1450*
  BIOL 1410* and BIOL 2410* or equivalent courses* (BIOL 2410 must be successfully completed by the end of the spring term of application)
  (Parts I and II must be completed at the same institution)
  PSYC 1300*
  BIOL 2411*
  NUTR 1300*
  FACS 2341* or PSYC 3321*
  MATH 2311* or PSCI 2312* or PSYC 2330* or CISA 2330* or SOC 2321*
  BIOL 4311*

Courses listed above must be complete with a minimum grade of a “C”.

• Lower Division Core:
  Lower Division Core: Creative Works and World Cultures
  Lower Division Core: Fine Art/Humanities option
  Lower Division Core: History/Government option
  Effective Communication: Oral Communication
  Electives – 5 credit hours*

Courses marked with an asterisk (*) and all lower division core courses are required to apply for Pre-licensure BSN track and must be completed before starting the nursing courses.

• Applicants not born in the United States or in a country where English is the official language must document their English proficiency. An official score of 83 or higher on the iBT TOEFL exam is required. The exam must have been taken within the last two (2) calendar years. Only iBT TOEFL scores received directly from ETS or the UCA Testing Center will be accepted as valid.
• Submission of a complete application and other required documents within published deadlines

A more detailed list of criteria and information regarding the application review process should be obtained from the School of Nursing.

[2.2] Program of Study for the Pre-Licensure BSN

The baccalaureate program consists of 60 hours of pre-nursing/prerequisite courses and sixty hours of nursing credit hours. Courses in the professional major are sequentially planned. Each nursing course is usually offered only once each academic year.

[2.2.1] UCA Lower-Division Core and Related Major Requirements (60 hours)

[2.2.2.] Nursing Major and Upper-Division UCA Core Requirements (60 hours)

[2.3] BSN Post-Acceptance Requirements

Upon acceptance to the RN to BSN program candidates must:

1. Complete a criminal background check, as directed by the School of Nursing, with favorable results.
2. Complete a drug screen, as directed by the School of Nursing, with negative results.
3. Submit a verification of specified health requirements (see School of Nursing Undergraduate Handbook for list of immunizations and other requirements).
4. Provide proof of health insurance coverage.

[3] Bridge2BSN

The Bridge2BSN track is offered as an alternative for UCA pre-BSN students who are qualified, but do not rank high enough to be admitted into the UCA BSN track. This dual enrollment track allows these students to apply for admission and begin the Associate of Applied Sciences (AAS) in nursing program at Baptist Health College Little Rock School of Nursing (BHCLR). Once admitted into BHCLR SON, the student will be accepted into the Bridge2BSN track and will concurrently take the UCA online RN to BSN courses. Once the AAS is awarded and the student successfully passes the NCLEX-RN exam and becomes a licensed RN, they will complete the UCA Bridge2BSN clinical courses and finish the BSN at UCA. If the Bridge2BSN student completes all Bridge2BSN requirements, they will graduate at the same time as they would have if admitted to UCA’s BSN track.

[3.1] Admission to the Bridge2BSN track

Students must apply to the UCA BSN track and be qualified and ranked. Once students have been notified they were qualified but not admitted into the UCA BSN track, they must accept placement on the Bridge2BSN list. Applications to the pre-licensure BSN program are due by March 15th. Applications are available each February 15th and may be obtained at uca.edu/nursing. Students wanting admission to the Bridge2BSN track must apply for and be admitted into the BHCLR July admission cohort.

Mathematics Pathway: First-time, first-year students majoring in Nursing enter the Mathematical Reasoning for Health Sciences Mathematics Pathway and must enroll in MATH 1365 during their first year of study, unless they have been awarded credit that completes their 1000-level math requirements.

Admission criteria include the following:

• • Admission to UCA
  • Cumulative GPA of 2.75 or above. Prerequisite GPA (45 hours) of 2.75 or above. Prerequisite Science GPA of 2.75 or above.
  • Completion of:

WRTG 1310* and WRTG 1320*
MATH 1365* or MATH 1390*
CHEM 1402* or CHEM 1450*
BIOL 1410* and BIOL 2410* or equivalent courses* (BIOL 2410 must be successfully completed by the end of the spring term of application). (Parts I and II must be completed at the same institution)
PSYC 1300*
BIOL 2411*
NUTR 1300*
FACS 2341* or PSYC 3321*
MATH 2311* or PSCI 2312* or PSYC 2330* or CISA 2330* or SOC 2321*
BIOL 4311*
Courses listed above must be completed with a minimum grade of a “C”

• • Lower Division Core:

Lower Division Core: Creative Works and World Cultures option
Lower Division Core: Fine Art / Humanities option
Lower Division Core: History / Government option
Effective Communication: Oral Communication
Electives – 5 credit hours*

Course marked with an asterisk (*) and all lower division core courses are required to apply for Bridge2BSN track.

• • Applicants not born in the United States or in a country where English is the official language must document their English proficiency. An official score of 83 or higher on the iBT TOEFL exam is required. The exam must have been taken within the last two (2) calendar years. Only iBT TOEFL scores received directly from ETS or the UCA Testing Center will be accepted as valid.
  • Submission of a complete application and other required documents within published deadlines.

A more detailed list of criteria and information regarding the application review process should be obtained from the School of Nursing.

[3.2] Program of Study for the Bridge2BSN

The online Bridge2BSN track consists of 60 hours of pre-nursing / prerequisite courses and 65 hours of nursing credit hours. Courses in the professional major are sequentially planned. Each nursing course is usually offered only once each academic year.

[3.2.1] UCA Lower-Division Core and Related Major Requirements (60 hours)

[3.2.2] UCA Upper-Division Core and Related Bridge2BSN Requirements

Once admitted to the Bridge2BSN track, students will need to complete 41 credit hours at Baptist Health College Little Rock School of Nursing (listed NURB courses below) and 24 credit hours of online courses in the UCA School of Nursing RN-to-BSN track.

To be awarded the BSN degree from UCA, the Bridge2BSN student must complete the following required nursing courses:

*Once the Bridge2BSN students graduate with the AAS in nursing from BHCLR they must take and pass the NCLEX-RN and be licensed as Registered Nurses. This must be completed before beginning the practicum requirements for NURS 4511 Community and Population Health Nursing and NURS 4516 Nursing Leadership and Management.

Capstone (Z) requirement of the Upper Division (UD) Core is assumed as met by prior learning assessment (PLA) and the students’ clinical work experience during the BHCLR clinical nursing courses.

[4] RN to BSN

The RN-to-BSN track is for the Registered Nurse (RN) who is a graduate of any nationally accredited associate degree or hospital diploma program and seeks a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. The UCA School of Nursing complies with the Arkansas Nursing Education Progression Model. Visit uca.edu/nursing or contact the School of Nursing for additional information about the RN-to-BSN track.

Students who have graduated with an associate degree in nursing from one of the Arkansas Community College Partners should refer to the transfer agreement for that college when determining the courses needed to be eligible for admission into the UCA Nursing program. (See uca.edu/2plus2/agreements/.)

[4.1] Admission to the RN-to-BSN Track

Admission is selective and competitive. Students applying to this track are admitted spring, summer, and fall. Requirements for admission to the RN-to-BSN track are the following:

1. Current unencumbered Arkansas RN license.
2. An associate degree or hospital diploma earned from a nationally accredited nursing program leading to RN licensure. (Graduates of non-accredited schools will be considered on an individual basis.)
3. Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5.
4. Completion of the following non-nursing prerequisite courses (34 credit hours) with a minimum of “C”. If applicable, UCA courses below are accompanied by their Arkansas Course Transfer System (ACTS) equivalent in brackets. Visit the ACTS website to determine course equivalents at other Arkansas institutions.
   • BIOL 1410 Human Anatomy & Physiology I [ACTS: BIOL2404]
   • BIOL 2410 Human Anatomy & Physiology II [ACTS: BIOL2414]
   • BIOL 2411 Microbiology in Human Affairs [ACTS: BIOL2004]
   • CHEM 1402 General Chemistry for Health Sciences [ACTS: CHEM1214] or CHEM 2450 Introduction to Organic & Biochemistry [ACTS: CHEM1224] or CHEM 1450 College Chemistry I [ACTS: CHEM1414] or CHEM 1451 College Chemistry II [CHEM1424] This course can be considered as a non-nursing prerequisite or a co-requisite course.
   • MATH 1390 College Algebra [ACTS: MATH1103] or MATH 1365 Mathematical Reasoning for Health Sciences or math course required by the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Associate of Applied Science in nursing (AAS) program.
   • MATH 2311 Elementary Statistics [ACTS: MATH2103] or UCA equivalent (PSYC 2330, CISA 2330, SOC 2321, or PSCI 2312). This course can be considered as a non-nursing prerequisite or a co-requisite course.
   • PSYC 1300 Introduction to Psychology [ACTS: PSYC1103]
   • PSYC 3321 Development Psychology [ACTS: PSYC2103] or FACS 2341 Lifespan Development. This course can be considered as a non-nursing prerequisite or a co-requisite course.
   • WRTG 1310 Introduction to College Writing [ACTS: ENGL1013] or HONC 1310 Honors Core I
   • WRTG 1320 Academic Writing & Research [ACTS: ENGL1023] or ENGL 1320 Interdisciplinary Writing & Research [ACTS: ENGL1023] or HONC 1320 Honors Core II
5. Completion of any remaining state minimum core requirements or UCA Lower Division Core with a minimum of a “D”.
   • 6 credit hours of Fine Arts and/or Humanities courses (see the current lower-division UCA Core check sheet for qualifying courses and ACTS equivalents: check sheet link)
   • 3-credit-hour Social Science course besides PSYC 1300 Introduction to Psychology (see the current lower-division UCA Core check sheet for qualifying courses and ACTS equivalents: check sheet link)
   • HIST 2301 The Making of America [ACTS: HIST2113] or HIST 2302 America in the Modern Era [ACTS: HIST2123] or PSCI 1330 US Government & Politics [ACTS: PLSC2003]
   • COMM 1300 Principles of Communication [ACTS: SPCH1003] or UCA equivalent (MGMT 2301 or MKTG 2376)
6. At least 1000 hours of nursing employment during the past 12 months if the associate degree or hospital diploma was earned from a nationally accredited program more than twelve months prior to admission. No work experience is required if the associate degree or hospital diploma was earned from a nationally accredited program in the past 12 months. Graduates of non-accredited programs are handled on an individual basis.
7. Admission to UCA

[4.2] RN-to-BSN Requirements

Qualified RNs receive 41 hours of BSN nursing credit based on their prior educational program. Credit will be placed on the student’s transcript for the following courses after all other RN-BSN requirements have been met (see below). Students do not enroll in or pay tuition for these courses.

Once admitted, students will need to complete 12 months of online courses (30 credit hours). The RN-to-BSN track is offered totally online. To be awarded the BSN degree from UCA, the RN-to-BSN student must complete the following required nursing courses.

Capstone (Z) requirement of the Upper Division (UD) Core is assumed as met by prior learning assessment (PLA) and the students’ clinical work experience as registered nurses.

NURS 4511 and NURS 4516 clinical practicum experiences can be done in or near the student’s home community.

[4.3] RN to BSN Post-Acceptance Requirements

Upon acceptance to the RN to BSN program candidates must:

1. Complete a criminal background check, as directed by the School of Nursing, with favorable results.
2. Complete a drug screen, as directed by the School of Nursing, with negative results.
3. Submit a verification of specified health requirements (see School of Nursing Undergraduate Handbook for list of immunizations and other requirements).
4. Provide proof of health insurance coverage.

[5] Honors in Nursing

Students who major in Nursing and who demonstrate exceptional ability may be invited to enter the Honors in the Major Program. For details, see Honors in the Major Program.

[6] Master’s and Doctoral Degrees

See Graduate Bulletin.

[7] Accreditation Status

The baccalaureate program is approved by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing. The baccalaureate, master’s, post-master’s certificate, and DNP programs in nursing at UCA are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, (202) 887-6791.

[8] School of Nursing Policies

The current editions of the UCA Student Handbook and the Nursing Student Handbook: Baccalaureate Program specify the rules, regulations, and policies that apply to all UCA undergraduate nursing students. It is the responsibility of the student to know and follow the most recent policies and procedures.

[9] Courses in Nursing (NURS)

Follow this link for NURS course descriptions: course link.