Nursing (BSN)

Location(s): Northern State University Campus

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Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) provides students with the knowledge, skills, and disposition for entry into registered nursing practice. The program readies students through foundational courses taught by faculty in allied health and the liberal arts with didactic and clinical courses taught by nursing faculty. Graduates of Northern’s BSN are prepared to practice as generalists who provide safe and effective patient-centered nursing care. Students are educated to engage in healthcare with a broad understanding of diverse patient needs and emerging healthcare practices.

Admission requirements (HLC program approval - approval granted February 21, 2025):

Admission to NSU, with a major in Pre-Nursing
Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7
All coursework required for degree completion must be passed with no grade lower than a “C”.
Students may repeat prerequisite courses, but if a grade of “C” is not earned within 2 attempts, the student will not be eligible for admission.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Knowledge For Nursing Practice: Cultivate reflective nursing practice by integrating knowledge from nursing science, liberal arts, and natural and social sciences to guide inquiry and clinical judgment.
Person-Centered Care: Provide holistic, individualized, equitable, compassionate person-centered care that respects human diversity, is developmentally appropriate, and grounded in a scientific knowledge base across the lifespan.
Population Health: Cultivate collaborate partnerships across healthcare disciplines, communities public health entities and other stakeholders to analyze populations health issues and develop initiatives that promote equitable health outcomes.
Scholarship for the Nursing Discipline: Engage in scholarly inquiry processes to generate nursing knowledge, critically appraise evidence, translate research for practice, and disseminate findings that advance the nursing discipline.
Quality and Safety: Implement principles of quality improvement, safety science, and risk reduction strategies to monitor system effectiveness, individual performance, and continuously improve the quality and safety of nursing practice.
Interprofessional Partnerships: Collaborate with patients, families, communities, and interdisciplinary healthcare teams to prioritize interprofessional communication, teamwork and care coordination to optimize patient experiences and outcomes.
System-Based Practice: Utilize knowledge of complex healthcare systems and leadership principles to create a culture of safety and promote quality and equitable care for diverse populations.
Informatics and Healthcare Technologies: Demonstrate the appropriate use of informatics and technologies across various settings to manage and improve the deliver of safe, high-quality, and efficient healthcare services.
Professionalism: Uphold the professional values, ethical principles, regulatory standards and identity congruent with nursing’s core characteristics through accountable personal conduct.
Personal, Professional, and Leadership Development: Engage in reflective practices and leadership development activities that cultivate personal resilience, accountability, lifelong learning and the assertion of nursing’s unique role.