SWAG��Ƶ

The mission of the School of Nursing and Population Health is to facilitate the education of future professional nurses to be effective clinicians and leaders. As clinicians, graduates are prepared to promote the ability of all persons, families, and communities in attaining their highest level of wellness. As leaders, graduates are prepared to use research for evaluating and improving health care approaches and for continued study in nursing.

Philosophy

Nursing, a caring art, and science encompass the diagnosis and treatment of human responses to health and illness. Nurses use a variety of models to guide people of many cultures toward identifying their own health care and healing needs. Nurses model self-care while supporting people in their own pursuit of health. People are born with healing capacities with or without perception of these capacities although a cure is not always certain. The nurse as a health care resource is available to assist people to move toward and maintain health in their human experiences. The society in which the nurse functions are rapidly changing and is technologically oriented. Nurses use knowledge gained from client preferences and values, clinical expertise and best research evidence as well as the integral process to guide their practice. The practice of nursing must be in accordance with established standards of clinical practice and the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics (ANA, 2001) and the Maine Nurse Core Competencies (MPNEP, 2012).

Health, a personally perceived state of wellbeing, is an ever-changing holistic interplay among the physiological, spiritual, psychological, social, cultural, cognitive and emotional dimensions of people. Faculty believes that reflective practice is a continuous one wherein the student develops a unique holistic awareness of self and how one’s self affects others. As people grow and develop, they strive to meet the needs of these interconnected dimensions to achieve a sense of harmony and balance between self and environment. Clients, as partners in their care, may be individuals, families, groups or communities. Faculty value the uniqueness, worth, dignity and integrity of all people and believe that each human being is a dynamic holistic system. 

The essence of professional nursing education lies in the integration of academic and clinical experience. Faculty are committed to a foundation of study grounded in arts, sciences, and humanities that leads to Interprofessional and nursing education. The acquisition of competency-based knowledge, skills, and attitudes prepare future nurses to meet the healthcare needs of a diverse population. Faculty believe that student-centeredness is the cornerstone to optimal learning and are committed to a supportive, caring and interactive environment that takes into account the diversity of culture and experience that students bring to the learning situation. Learning is a collaborative process whereby students and faculty learn from each other, clients, peers, mentors, preceptors as well as other health care professionals.

The RN to B.S.N. Completion Program is designed for registered nurses who embrace the opportunity to broaden and enhance current knowledge and skills, acquire knowledge in evidence-based nursing, further their career opportunities and provide the credentials necessary for graduate education. Delivered through both didactic (hybrid) and experiential components, the curriculum includes advanced courses leading to competencies in the areas of theoretical nursing, evidence-based practice, health assessment, critical thinking, clinical theory and practice, health care of populations, leadership, management, teaching, and learning. Nursing course work is offered as a hybrid including online and face-to-face. This allows the student to continue practicing as a registered nurse and encourages individuals to apply concepts presented in the classroom to actual clinical practice. The RN to B.S.N. completion curriculum exposes students to different ways of knowing through interprofessional opportunities, exploration of social sciences, natural sciences, and the humanities. Upon completion of the program, the student is awarded the Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) degree. Graduates of the program are prepared to participate in the health care delivery system in the role of direct care provider to populations, researcher, manager and leader, health teacher to aggregates, change agent, and interprofessional collaborator or coordinator.

*C=Clep; CC= Competency Challenge; T=Transfer

**Courses require experiential learning component

Credit by Examination Policy for Selected Nursing Courses (CLEP)

The Department of Nursing acknowledges and validates student’s prior education and practice. The Department of Nursing provides credit by examination for admitted and enrolled Registered Nurse (RN) to BSN students only. The Department of Nursing contracts with a standardized testing vendor (Kaplan) to provide all students the opportunity to acquire credit by examination. The following courses are available for credit by examination:

• NSG 360 (Health Assessment)
• NSG 370 (Pharmacology)

Students requesting credit by examination must contact the program coordinator to register at least 3 weeks prior to the start date of the course being challenged. Instructions and a blueprint for the examination will be made available to students at the time of registration. The examination will be graded within five working days and the student will be notified of the grade. A successful grade will be recorded and appear on the student’s transcript. The student who is successful using the credit-by-examination process may not continue as a regular student in the course for the purpose of increasing the passing grade to a higher level. If the student is not successful using the credit-by-examination process, he/she will be eligible to continue in the course as a regular student. Credit by examination does not calculate into the final Grade Point Average (GPA). 

DEPARTMENT POLICIES

Academic Integrity Policy

The SWAG��Ƶ values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the university community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the dean of the appropriate College and, if upheld, will result at minimum in a failing grade on the assignment and a maximum of dismissal from the SWAG��Ƶ. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

• Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
• Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
• Actions that destroy or alter the work of another student.
• Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without the permission of each instructor.
• Plagiarism: the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one’s own.

HIPAA Compliance

Prior to attending any clinical/experiential offering, it is mandatory that each nursing student document yearly completion of the SWAG��Ƶ training program explaining their legal responsibilities under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Under this regulation, nursing students are permitted to have access to Protected Health Information (PHI) only when observing and performing direct client/patient care as part of their training and must follow approved HIPAA policies on usage of PHI. Additionally, students will complete a department-specific HIPAA training that highlights specific examples/scenarios that might be seen in the clinical setting. More detailed information is available in the SWAG��Ƶ Department of Nursing Student Handbook, and will also be provided by the SWAG��Ƶ HIPAA training program. Students requiring further clarification are referred to SWAG��Ƶ HIPAA compliance office. Students must also comply with requirements and expectations for appropriate storage and transmittal of client information. No PHI can leave a covered entity site unless it is de-identified. All HIPAA violations will be reported to the SWAG��Ƶ HIPAA compliance officer and the appropriate clinical partner individual who oversees HIPAA compliance.

Office for Students with Disabilities

The SWAG��Ƶ will make reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Students need to register with Disability Services and inform their instructors of any academic accommodations. Timely accommodations are dependent on early registration with Disability Services. This office is located in Stella Maris 131 on the Biddeford Campus (207) 602-2815 and on the Lower Level of Ginn Hall on the Portland Campus (207) 221-4418.

WCHP Course and Instructor Evaluation Policy

Course and instructor evaluations are one of the most important tools that we have for evaluating the quality of your education, and for providing meaningful feedback to course instructors on their teaching. In order to assure that the feedback is both comprehensive and precise, we need to receive it from everyone, so course evaluations are a required element of every course. Students who complete all their evaluations on time will have access to their grades as soon as they are available. For those students who do not complete their evaluations, grades will be masked for approximately two weeks.

DEPARTMENT OF NURSING ACADEMIC AND PROGRESSION STANDARDS

Students admitted to the RN to B.S.N. completion program enter at the level of junior.

300, 400 level Nursing Degree Completion (12-month)

• Students must maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.50
• Students must comply with requirements for attendance and professionalism.
• Students must comply with policies stated in SWAG��Ƶ and Nursing Student Handbooks.
• Students must obtain a minimum examination final average of 77 (C+) in all 300 and 400 level nursing and IHS courses in order to continue to progress through the program.
• Students must obtain a C or better in all required prerequisite (Nutrition, Pathophysiology, Statistics) courses.
• Students must meet the competencies for satisfactory completion of the experiential/clinical component of each nursing course. An unsatisfactory grade (U) in clinical, regardless of the grade in the theoretical component of the course, will result in a course grade no higher than C. In addition, a student cannot progress to the next experiential/clinical nursing course.
• Students must perform in the experiential/clinical area in a manner that is deemed safe by the faculty.
• If the student’s exam average is 77 (C+) or greater, his/her final grade will be determined by the calculation as stated in the syllabus for the course. If the student’s exam average is less than 77 (C+), the final grade will be determined by the calculation as stated in the syllabus for the course, but not to exceed a C regardless of the earned average.
• Failure to obtain a minimum grade of 77 (C+) in any 300 or 400 level nursing course would necessitate that the student repeat the course to achieve the minimum grade. A student may enroll in a nursing course twice. To promote retention of previous learning, and to maximize the likelihood of success in the course to be repeated, students who must repeat a nursing course are strongly encouraged to register to audit the nursing course immediately preceding the course to be retaken. 

Dismissal from the Nursing Program at the 300- and 400-course level

A student may be dismissed from the nursing program for any of the following reasons:

• Violations of the academic integrity policies
• Violation of the American Nurses Association “Code for Nurses” guidelines for ethical practice, or the National Student Nurses’ Association “Code of Academic and Clinical conduct.”
• Following admission and enrollment, discovery of dishonest proclamation of self-report of crime on application following criminal background discovery.
• Failure to maintain a grade point average (GPA) of 2.50
• Failure to achieve a grade of C+ or higher in any nursing course after a prior failure to achieve a satisfactory grade in the same course.
• A documented pattern of unprofessional behavior.

Students dismissed from the nursing program related to academic deficiencies (low GPA or second failure of a nursing course) may petition the nursing faculty for readmission if they wish to reenter the program. Faculty will make a recommendation to the director of the Department of Nursing regarding readmission to the nursing program.

Students dismissed from the program may initiate an appeal process as documented in the SWAG��Ƶ student manual. Students wishing to appeal an issue should refer to the SWAG��Ƶ Student Handbook “Academic and Disciplinary Appeals Policy.”

Technical Standards

Technical standards are all of the nonacademic functional abilities essential for the delivery of safe, effective nursing care. These basic abilities make up the core components of nursing practice, and there is a high probability that untoward consequences may result in clients cared for by nurses who fail to demonstrate these abilities. In compliance with state and federal laws, nursing education programs must attend to these essential functional abilities in the teaching and evaluation of students preparing for the practice of nursing.

This statement of technical standards identifies the functional abilities deemed by the Nursing Faculty at the SWAG��Ƶ to be essential to the practice of nursing, and as such are reflected in satisfactory progression through the nursing program and in the performance-based outcomes which are the basis for teaching and evaluating all nursing student.

Nursing Program Technical Standards (PDF)

Accreditation

The nursing program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and is approved by the Maine State Board of Nursing. The ACEN can be contacted at 3343 Peachtree Rd. NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, Ga. 30326 1-404-975-5000. 

Upon completion of the program, the graduate will be able to:

1. Integrate the knowledge and science of nursing with the natural/behavioral sciences, the humanities, and interprofessional education to provide holistic care for individuals, families, groups, communities or populations. 
2. Demonstrate the capacity to practice nursing using an evidence-based and theoretically guided framework. 
3. Model professional values as a nurse which reflect the integration of ethical and moral principles, social advocacy and legal standards in delivering quality care to all people. 
4. Utilize data from diverse sources with knowledge and skill in informatics and patient care technology to promote safety and optimal outcomes of care. 
5. Distinguish the components of nursing leadership and management as applied to healthcare organizations and healthy work environments. 
6. Model principles of self-care while supporting the health and well being of diverse individuals, families, groups, communities or populations. 
7. Demonstrate basic knowledge of the issues concerning health care delivery to diverse individuals, families, groups, communities or populations. 

MAINE NURSE CORE COMPETENCIES

(Role-Specific Student Learning Outcomes)

The Maine Nurse Core Competencies (2013) represent 11 core competencies that guide the transformation of academic curricula and professional practice standards across the state of Maine.

1. Professionalism-Evaluates own practice that is consistent with ethical, moral, altruistic, humanistic, legal, and regulatory principles, and utilizes self-care to practice in a mindful manner.
2. Leadership-Demonstrates leadership in the professional practice setting through accountability, influence, change management, and collaboration with others in a way that will facilitate the establishment and achievement of shared goals.
3. Patient-Centered Care-Enters into a holistic, compassionate, respectful partnership with the patient and family that facilitates shared decision-making, recognizing consumer preferences, values, and needs in providing age and culturally appropriate, coordinated, safe, and effective care.
4. Evidence-Based Practice-Identifies integrates and evaluates current evidence and research findings coupled with clinical expertise and consideration of consumers' preferences, experience, and values to make practice decisions for quality outcomes.
5. Teamwork and Collaboration-Practices effectively with the healthcare consumer, family, and interprofessional teams, to build relationships and foster open communication, mutual respect, and share decision-making.
6. Communication-Communicates effectively, fostering mutual respect and shared decision making to enhance knowledge, experience, and health outcomes.
7. Systems-Based Practice-responsive and knowledgeable to the changing healthcare system and demonstrates the ability to access resources in a safe, effective, and financially responsible manner to provide value-based care.
8. Informatics and Technology-Demonstrates proficiency in the use of technology and information systems to communicate, manage knowledge, mitigate error, and to support decision making for safe practice.
9. Safety-Utilizes clinical reasoning and critical thinking that drives a culture of safety to prevent risk of harm to healthcare consumers, families, colleagues, and the environment.
10. Quality Improvement-Contributes to evidenced-based nursing practice by participating in improvement strategies/processes including the use of data to design, implement, and evaluate outcomes to improve the quality and safety of healthcare systems.
11. Geriatrics-Values the unique psychosocial, physical, and cultural attributes of the older adult in order to promote healthy aging and provide safe and effective care.

CORE COMPETENCIES FOR INTERPROFESSIONAL COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE

1. Values and ethics for interprofessional practice.
2. Roles and responsibilities for collaborative practice
3. Interprofessional communication
4. Interprofessional teamwork and team-based care

Courses completed at another accredited college can be transferred to this degree program. Transferred courses must be reasonably close in scope and content to the required courses offered at SWAG��Ƶ in order to count as exact equivalents. Otherwise, they may transfer as general electives. All courses completed must be no older than five years. Other restrictions apply. See Undergraduate Admissions also.

Admissions Requirements

1. Meet all University general admission requirements: See University Undergraduate Admissions
2. Graduation from an NLNAC or ACEN accredited Associate Degree or Diploma Nursing Program
3. Current, active unencumbered license to practice as a Registered Nurse (RN) in the state of Maine. 
4. For new ADNs, an RN license must be obtained before beginning the second session in the program.
5. All students must maintain RN licensure throughout the RN to BSN program.
6. Successfully completion of all five pre-requisite (general education) courses before beginning the first session in the RN‐BSN Program with an earned GPA of 3.0 in those courses.

CLINICAL PLACEMENT REQUIREMENTS

• Completion of all of health requirements including the following immunizations and tests: Tetanus, Diphtheria, Attenuated Pertussis, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Meningococcal, Hepatitis B, Varicella, Tuberculin Skin Testing
• Other immunizations and tests as required by clinical facilities, including but not limited to, Flu vaccine
• Drug Screening-per various facilities
• Criminal Background Check
• CPR at level of health provider
• HIPAA training module completed
• Ability to meet Technical Standards

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more information regarding tuition and fees, please consult the Financial Information section of this catalog.

Lab Fees

Laboratory fees are assessed in individual courses that incorporate the skills laboratory, the human patient simulator laboratory, standardized testing, and clinical placement fees.

Transportation

Nursing students are responsible for their own transportation to clinical/experiential facilities throughout the program.

Pinning Ceremony

Graduation expenses include a departmental pinning ceremony in May. These expenses vary each year. Students may inquire in the nursing office for an estimate of current costs.

Financial Aid

Detailed information and applications are available on request from the Financial Aid Office at the University Campus. Call (207) 602-2342 or visit the Financial Aid website.