SWAG��Ƶ

MISSION

The mission of the School of Nursing and Population Health is to facilitate the education of students as safe clinicians and leaders. As professional nurses, students are prepared to promote the ability of individuals, families, and communities in attaining their highest level of wellness. As leaders, students are consumers of evidence-based practice and advocates for individuals, families, and communities.

PHILOSOPHY

Nursing is a caring art and science that encompasses the diagnosis and treatment of human responses to health and illness. A contemporary definition of health “recognizes that disease and disability can and often do co-exist with health. In this new conception, health is transformed from a state that requires the absence of disease to a state where the central theme is the fullness of life. Health involves the integration of body, mind, and spirit and recognizes the significant influence of sociologic, environmental and behavioral factors” (Bradley, Goetz, & Viswanathan, 2018). The nurse serves in multiple capacities, using a variety of theoretical frameworks to guide individuals, families, and communities* of diverse cultures and backgrounds toward identifying their own needs for health care, healing, and health promotion, moving toward and maintaining health in their human experiences.

The environment in which the nurse functions is globally diverse, technologically oriented, and rapidly changing. Nursing care is informed by evidence-based practice that includes individual, family, and community preferences and values, clinical expertise, and best research evidence, as well as socio-political influences and issues of justice and equality. Professional nursing practice must be in accordance with established standards as outlined by the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics (ANA, 2015) and the Maine Nurse Core Competencies (MPNEP, 2012).

Professional nursing education is grounded in the integration of academic and experiential learning. A strong educational foundation rooted in the arts, sciences, and humanities enables nurses to improve health care delivery to individuals, families, and communities. The faculty is committed to a curriculum that encourages a diverse, global perspective, expanding each student’s professional identity and social conscience. The curriculum cornerstones of clinical judgment, professional values, and interprofessionalism prepare students to be safe and competent nurses. The acquisition of competency-based knowledge, skills, and attitudes prepares future nurses to meet the healthcare needs of diverse populations.

Learning is a collaborative process whereby students and faculty learn from each other, individuals, families, and communities, peers, mentors, and preceptors as well as other health care professionals. Reflective practice forms the basis for the development of sound clinical judgment necessary for the provision of safe, quality nursing care. Student centeredness is the cornerstone to optimal learning; faculty is committed to a supportive, caring, and interactive environment that takes into account the diversity of culture and experience that students bring to the learning environment.

Self-care practices can positively impact student academic achievement, individual, family, and community outcomes, and perceived well-being. Students are encouraged to take responsibility for and become skilled in self-care to ensure personal health, emotional resiliency, and the ability to care for others. As future nurses, students have an ethical duty to care for their own health and safety in order to provide safe care for others.

*“Individual, family, and community” is referred to as “client” by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), which also includes significant others and populations.

Bradley, K. L., Goetz, T., & Viswanathan, S. (2018). Toward a contemporary definition of health. Military Medicine, 183, (suppl 3), 204–207.

The bachelor of science in Nursing is an academically rigorous four-year professional program. During the first four semesters, students build a foundation of knowledge in science, humanities, and related discipline. The student begins the process of knowledge acquisition in the discipline of nursing. 

During the last four semesters, students are deeply immersed in nursing course work and experiential learning which emphasizes health and human functioning, clinical judgment, and care and therapeutics. Experiential learning consists of nursing skill laboratories combined with simulation, and clinical experiences that occur in a variety of hospital and community-based settings. 

Graduation Requirements

A student in the nursing major may elect to pursue a bachelor’s degree in health sciences. This degree is only open to matriculated students at the SWAG��Ƶ. Special permission from the student’s advisor and the Dean of the Westbrook College of Health Professions is required for enrollment in the B.S. in Health Sciences.

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 school and dean of the college and may result 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 offering, receiving unauthorized assistance or information.
• Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers, reports, and patient care documents.
• 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 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 experience, 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 a part of their training and must follow approved HIPAA policies on usage of PHI. More detailed information is available in SWAG��Ƶ's School of Nursing and Population Health Student Handbook, and will also be provided by the SWAG��Ƶ HIPAA training program. Students requiring further clarification are referred to the faculty of this course. Students must 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.

Office for Student Access

The SWAG��Ƶ will make reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Students need to register with the Student Access Center and inform their instructors of any academic accommodations. Timely accommodations are dependent on early registration with Student Access. 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) 221-4438.

WCHP Course and Instructor Evaluation Policy

Course and instructor evaluations are an important tool for evaluating the quality of education, and for providing meaningful feedback to course faculty. Students completing evaluations by the published deadline will have access to their grades once available. For those students who do not complete evaluations, grades will be masked for approximately two weeks.

school of Nursing and population health Academic and Progression Standards

Students accepted to the WCHP at the SWAG��Ƶ are subject to two sets of academic guidelines, one to meet minimum qualifications for ongoing enrollment at the SWAG��Ƶ and the other to meet specific nursing school requirements.

Freshman and Sophomore Years (Semesters 1 through 4)
In keeping with the minimum guidelines of the SWAG��Ƶ, all students must achieve a minimum cumulative semester-end grade point average as follows to meet University requirements:

• Failure to maintain the minimum GPA requirements will result in university academic probation as described in the catalog of the SWAG��Ƶ
• Students must also achieve a minimum grade of “C” in the following courses: MAT 120, CHE 130, BIO 104, BIO 208, BIO 209, BIO 242, BIO 309 and IHS 220/NUTR 220. Failure to achieve a “C” will result in program-level probation and may affect academic progression and delay graduation. This also applies to equivalent coursework transferred from other institutions.
• Failure to earn a “C” or above in any of the above courses requires the student to repeat the course.
• Failure to achieve a “C” or above a second time the course is taken will result in dismissal from the nursing major.
• Failure to achieve a "C" in more than one science course will result in dismissal from the nursing major.
• Students must obtain a final course average of 77+ in all Nursing courses in order to continue to progress through the program.
• A student may enroll in any of the courses listed above a maximum of two times. Enrollment consists of achieving a WP or WF or a letter grade. Receiving a W from a course is not considered being officially enrolled.

Junior and Senior Years (Semesters 5 through 8)

• 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 cumulative examination average of 77 (C+) in clinical nursing courses in order to continue to progress through the program.
• Students must obtain a C or better in all required science and mathematics courses.
• Students must obtain a 77 (C+) or better in all required nursing courses.
• Students must meet the competencies for the satisfactory completion of the clinical component of each nursing course. An unsatisfactory grade (U) in clinical, regardless of the grade in the didactic component of the course, will result in a course grade no higher than C and may interrupt program progression.
• If a student’s exam average in a clinical course is 77 (C+) or greater, his/her final grade will be determined by the calculation as stated in the syllabus for the course. If a 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 nursing course would necessitate that the student repeats the course. A student may repeat a nursing course twice and must be successful the second time.
• Failure to achieve a minimum grade of 77 (C+) in any nursing course may interrupt program progression.

Dismissal from the Nursing Program at the 100 and 200-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”
• Failure to maintain a grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 in the WCHP Core Courses
• Failure to achieve a grade of C+ or higher in NSG 103 and NSG 202 after a prior failure to achieve a satisfactory grade in the same course
• Failure to achieve a grade of C or higher in a required science or math course after a prior failure to achieve a satisfactory grade in the same course
• Failure to achieve a "C" in more than one science course will result in dismissal from the nursing major
• A documented pattern of unprofessional behavior

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.”
• 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.
• Failure to achieve a grade of C or higher in a required science or math course after a prior failure to achieve a satisfactory grade in the same course.
• A criminal background resulting in clinical partner policy/refusal to support clinical education
• Discovery of falsifying criminal background on the application for admission
• 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 appeal the decision to the nursing faculty. The faculty will make a recommendation to the Director of the School of Nursing and Population Health 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 for 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. The technical standards can be found in the School of Nursing and Population Health Student Handbook.

Accreditation

The nursing programs are 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 (404) 975-5000.

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

1. Demonstrate the clinical judgment necessary for provision of safe, evidence-based nursing care that improves health outcomes for individuals, families, and communities. (Clinical Judgment/Evidence-based Practice)

2. Demonstrate use of information management and client care technology that supports the provision of safe, quality nursing care. (Informatics)

3. Demonstrate leadership principles that support effective health care delivery (Leadership).

4. Demonstrate effective interprofessional communication and collaboration that contributes to safe, quality, team-based care. (Interprofessionalism)

5. Model professional values (ethical, moral, and legal tenets), including care of self, that are inherent in the practice of nursing. (Professionalism/Self Care)

MAINE NURSE CORE COMPETENCIES

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 shared 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
5. Population Health Management

Non-nursing courses completed at another accredited college/university may be transferred to this degree program and must meet the SWAG��Ƶ School of Nursing and Population Health grading policy. Transferred courses must be reasonably close in scope and content to the required courses offered at SWAG��Ƶ in order to be considered as equivalent-otherwise, they may transfer as general electives. All courses completed must be no older than five years and receive prior approval by the appropriate program director. Other restrictions apply. See Undergraduate Admissions.

Admission Requirements

Applicants to the Nursing 4-year B.S.N. program must meet general admission requirements of the SWAG��Ƶ, have a high school diploma or GED, have completed four years of high school English, two years of high school math including Algebra I, two years of college-preparatory science including chemistry and biology. Applicants should have a minimum combined reading and math SAT score of 1080 (Math score should be at least 500) and have a high school grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.2 for English/language arts, and math and science combined.

Clinical Placement Requirements

• Completion of all of the 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, Influenza vaccine
• 10 Panel Drug Screening
• Criminal Background Check
• Basic Life Support (BLS) at the health provider level through the American Heart Association
• HIPAA training module completed
• Ability to meet Technical Standards as outlined in the school student handbook

See Undergraduate Admissions also.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees from year to year may vary. Other expenses include books, housing, travel to clinical sites and more. For more information regarding tuition and fees, please consult the Financial Information section of this catalog.

Equipment

Students are responsible for the costs of the following required items uniforms, shoes, nametag, bandage scissors, watch indicating seconds, stethoscope, penlight.

Transportation

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

COMMENCEMENT ACTIVITIES

Commencement activity expenses include the cost of the nursing pin for the college undergraduate commencement ceremony (pinning) and the cost of the cap and gown for the university commencement ceremony (graduation). 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.