Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Website: https://twu.edu/nursing/undergraduate-programs/bachelor-of-science-in-nursing-bsn/
The TWU Baccalaureate Curriculum for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) builds upon a foundation of liberal arts and sciences, to produce a graduate who will be able to:
- Deliver nursing care focused on caring and competency in professional knowledge, skills, and values for culturally diverse populations across the lifespan and health continuum.
- Exhibit professional and personal responsibility and accountability in the provision of nursing care.
- Demonstrate critical thinking and clinical decision-making in the delivery, coordination, and collaboration of nursing care.
- Utilize effective systematic inquiry based on research and best evidence to provide safe patient-centered care and continuous quality improvement.
- Incorporate effective communication, collaboration, and advocacy in working with patients, families, groups, communities, and the health care team for improving health care outcomes.
- Demonstrate beginning leadership and patient-centered care in a health care system that is influenced by health policy, finance, and regulatory environment.
Our 4-year curriculum is split into two parts. Foundation-forming prerequisite courses are taught at the Denton campus for the first two years. Upper-division program courses are offered the last two years at medical centers in either Dallas or Houston.
Marketable Skills
Defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's 60x30 Strategic Plan as, "Those skills valued by employers that can be applied in a variety of work settings, including interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skills areas. These skills can be either primary or complementary to a major and are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities."
- Function in multidisciplinary teams.
- Apply ethical principles to provide leadership in promoting advocacy, collaboration, and social justice within the health care system and to act in a manner reflective of professional values and value-based behavior.
- Use written, verbal, non-verbal, and emerging technology to communicate effectively and deliver quality patient care in a variety of health care settings.
- Apply basic organizational and systems leadership for quality health care and patient safety.
- Identify, evaluate, and apply scientific evidence, clinical judgment, interprofessional perspective, and patient preference to the practice of nursing.
- Knowledge of healthcare policies, both financial and regulatory, and how they impact nursing practice and the health care system.
- Clinical reasoning within the context of patient-centered care across the lifespan, to diverse patients, that reflects ethical values.
Admissions
All applicants must meet the general undergraduate admission requirements.
Pre-Licensure/Non-Nurses Seeking a First Bachelor's Degree
Individuals apply to the University and indicate "Nursing Entry (BSN)" as a major on the application. On admission to the University, students are classified as nursing-entry majors and meet with academic advisors in the Pioneer Center.
The program is four years in length. The first four semesters consist of lower-division prerequisite courses that meet the University core curriculum and courses which are the essential foundation for nursing education. Upper-division nursing courses are taught in the last four semesters and are offered only in Dallas and Houston. Academic advisors are available through the Pioneer Center to assist students in the evaluation of prior course work, selection of equivalent courses, and verification of eligibility. The following list constitutes the lower-division prerequisite courses.
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| UNIV 1231 | Learning Frameworks: First-Year Seminar (Required only of students who start as freshmen at TWU) | 1 |
| ENG 1013 | Composition I | 3 |
| ENG 1023 | Composition II | 3 |
| HIST 1013 | History of the United States, 1492-1865 | 3 |
| HIST 1023 | History of the United States, 1865 to the Present | 3 |
| POLS 2013 | U.S. National Government | 3 |
| POLS 2023 | Texas Government | 3 |
| PSY 1013 | Introduction to General Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 1603 | Developmental Psychology (Lifespan) | 3 |
| MATH 1703 | Elementary Statistics I | 3 |
| NFS 2323 | Introduction to Nutrition | 3 |
| Chemistry with corresponding laboratory | 4 | |
| BACT 1003 & BACT 1001 | Microbiology and Microbiology Laboratory | 4 |
| ZOOL 2013 & ZOOL 2011 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I and Human Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory | 4 |
| ZOOL 2023 & ZOOL 2021 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II and Human Anatomy and Physiology II Laboratory | 4 |
| Select 3 semester credit hours (SCH) from each of the following | 9 | |
Language, Philosophy and Culture core | ||
Creative Arts core | ||
Multicultural Women's Studies core | ||
| Select 2-3 SCH from the following | 2-3 | |
Additional Mathematics or Wellness core | ||
| Total SCHs | 58-59 | |
Substitutions will be made, when applicable, to TWU core curriculum requirements, if those requirements are met at another Texas public institution of higher learning. Transfer students who have completed a Texas core curriculum from a Texas public institution are not required to complete additional courses at TWU to meet the TWU core curriculum.
Pre-Licensure/Non-Nurses with a Prior Bachelor's Degree in Another Field
Individuals with a prior bachelor's degree are not required to meet the TWU core curriculum. Prerequisites for those with a prior bachelor's degree are limited to the nursing foundation courses and the state required history and government courses, as listed below. Courses taken for the first degree will not have to be repeated if they are determined to be equivalent.
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 1013 & HIST 1023 | History of the United States, 1492-1865 and History of the United States, 1865 to the Present | 6 |
| POLS 2013 & POLS 2023 | U.S. National Government and Texas Government | 6 |
| PSY 1603 | Developmental Psychology (Lifespan) | 3 |
| MATH 1703 | Elementary Statistics I | 3 |
| NFS 2323 | Introduction to Nutrition | 3 |
| Chemistry with corresponding laboratory | 4 | |
| BACT 1003 & BACT 1001 | Microbiology and Microbiology Laboratory | 4 |
| ZOOL 2013 & ZOOL 2011 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I and Human Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory | 4 |
| ZOOL 2023 & ZOOL 2021 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II and Human Anatomy and Physiology II Laboratory | 4 |
| Total SCHs | 37 | |
Transfer Pre-Licensure/Non-Nurses from Another Nursing Program
Non-nurses previously enrolled in another nursing program must meet the same prerequisite and admission requirements as other TWU pre-licensure students, and be accepted both by Texas Woman's University and the TWU College of Nursing. Additionally, the following requirements must be met.
- Nursing courses were completed within a nursing program that has national nursing accreditation.
- A grade of C or higher was earned in all nursing courses (including pathophysiology).
- Nursing courses transferred in for credit must have been completed within the last five years.
- Eligibility to continue in or return to the previous nursing program must be verified by a letter of good standing from the dean of the previous program. The letter of good standing should be uploaded to your NursingCAS application or sent to the Manager, Nursing Student Services.
- Applicants must submit to the College of Nursing a course syllabus for each completed nursing course for evaluation. If the course(s) is/are determined to be equivalent to TWU nursing courses, credit may be granted.
- At least 30 of the last 62 SCH have to be completed at TWU for a degree from TWU.
- A minimum of 45 SCH has to be completed at TWU to graduate with honors.
- Successful completion of a minimum of 25% of the total SCH required for the degree must be taken at TWU.
- If a transfer student has not been enrolled in a nursing program for more than one year, placement test(s) and clinical skills assessment may be required to determine the level of entry into the nursing program.
Application for Upper-Division Nursing: Pre-Licensure/Non-Nurses
Only students accepted to the College of Nursing may enroll in upper-division nursing courses. Class space in nursing courses is limited and admission to the College of Nursing is competitive. Admission to the upper-division nursing program is based on a Holistic admissions process to include grade point averages for prerequisite coursework, admission assessment test scores, and the faculty’s evaluation of responses submitted to all sections of the admissions application, including short answers to questions posed to applicants about their leadership experiences and self-assessment of their personal traits of caring/compassion and resilience. Preferential consideration will be given to students who have completed 32 or more SCH of the required non-nursing lower-division courses at TWU. A prior degree is considered favorably.
To be eligible to be considered for progression into upper-division (3000-4000 level) nursing courses, students must have:
- been admitted to TWU using the Texas Common Online application. Students completing prerequisites at another institution should submit all TWU general admission materials at least 6 weeks prior to the upper-division nursing application deadlines. Official transcripts of courses taken to date during the semester of application to TWU must be sent to the Office of Admissions.
- successfully completed the following 25 SCH of nursing foundation courses by the nursing application deadline: Anatomy & Physiology I, with lab; Anatomy & Physiology II, with lab; Microbiology, with lab; Chemistry, with lab; Developmental Psychology; Nutrition; and Statistics;
- successfully completed an additional 21 SCH of core requirements for a total of 46 completed SCH of prerequisite courses by the nursing application deadline (first bachelor's degree students only);
- completed all remaining lower-division prerequisite courses, with the exception of Multicultural Women's Studies, before beginning the nursing courses;
- a minimum grade of C in anatomy and physiology, chemistry, and microbiology including all labs. Anatomy and physiology prerequisites must be the courses offered for science majors.
-
a minimum cumulative GPA AND a nursing prerequisite GPA of at least 3.0 on the required non-nursing lower-division courses. If a course is taken more than once, the most recent grade received will be counted in calculating the GPA. Other courses that an applicant may have taken are not calculated in the GPA for admission. Students with guaranteed admission are required to have a 3.5 GPA.
(Note: The nursing prerequisite courses are as follows: Any college-level Chemistry with lab, Microbiology (BACT 1003) with lab (BACT 1001), Human Anatomy and Physiology I (ZOOL 2013 and ZOOL 2011), Human Anatomy and Physiology II (ZOOL 2023) with lab (ZOOL 2021), Introduction to Nutrition (NFS 2323), Developmental Psychology (PSY 1603), and Elementary Statistics I (MATH 1703).
-
successfully passed the required nursing entrance exam (TEAS). The TEAS must be taken with scores uploaded to your NursingCAS application by the nursing application deadline. See our entrance exam policy on the TEAS Testing at TWU webpage.
- submitted a complete application for upper-division nursing through NursingCAS, including application fee, to the College of Nursing by the application deadline.
- submitted the background check through College of Nursing approved vendor (e.g. Castlebranch). In order to be admitted students must have a clean background check.
- Applicants are highly encouraged to schedule a prospective student advising appointment in the Pioneer Center or attend an information session prior to applying to discuss admissions requirements and how to apply.
Application Deadlines
College of Nursing applications for upper-division nursing must be received by the following yearly dates in order to be considered for admission:
- February 1, to begin nursing coursework in a Fall semester
- August 15, to begin nursing coursework in a Spring semester
Eligibility for Licensure as a Registered Nurse
Upon admission to upper-division courses in the College of Nursing, each student is required to review specific rules and regulations of the Texas Board of Nursing. Every student is responsible for reading information regarding application for licensure in the state of Texas. The Texas Board of Nursing determines criteria for eligibility for licensure. Students should access the Board of Nursing website to examine the Nurse Practice Act and its regulations. Detailed information about critical issues in a student’s background may affect eligibility, and the student should contact the Board for information regarding submission of a Declaratory Order. Board approval is required of candidates who apply for the NCLEX-RN examination to be licensed in the state of Texas.
Requirements for Course Enrollment
Prior to the start of any course within the Upper Division in the College of Nursing the student must provide proof of:
- If applicable, based on the above statement about eligibility to be licensed as a Registered Nurse in the state of Texas, a clearance of a Declaratory Order from the Texas Board of Nursing;
- negative drug testing and a cleared criminal background screening by a company designated by the College of Nursing, as mandated by TWU’s clinical partners;
- health insurance as mandated by TWU’s clinical partners.
- Professional liability insurance and blood-borne pathogen exposure insurance (covered by course fees) is provided for each student enrolled in a clinical nursing course through the TWU student professional liability group policy.
Requirements for a Clinical Course
Prior to the start of any clinical course within the Upper Division in the College of Nursing the student must provide proof of:
- Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification from the American Heart Association.
- Current required immunizations as specified by TWU College of Nursing approved vendor (e.g. Castlebranch).
- Negative drug testing and cleared criminal background screening by a company designated by the College of Nursing.
- Proof of personal health insurance (required by clinical facilities).
- Completion of HIPAA training.
- Social Security Number.
- Photo Identification.
Professional liability insurance (covered by course fees) is provided for each student through the TWU student professional liability group policy.
Degree Requirements
Total Semester Credit Hours (SCH): 120-121
Major: 62 SCH
Program Code: NURS.BSN CIP Code: 51.3801.00
Texas Core Curriculum
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 1013 | Composition I | 3 |
| ENG 1023 | Composition II | 3 |
| Mathematics | 3 | |
| Life & Physical Sciences | 6 | |
| Language, Philosophy, & Culture | 3 | |
| Creative Arts | 3 | |
| HIST 1013 | History of the United States, 1492-1865 | 3 |
| HIST 1023 | History of the United States, 1865 to the Present | 3 |
| POLS 2013 | U.S. National Government | 3 |
| POLS 2023 | Texas Government | 3 |
| Social & Behavioral Sciences | 3 | |
| CAO: Women's Studies | 3 | |
| CAO: First Year Seminar, Wellness or Mathematics | 3 | |
| Total SCHs | 42 | |
Courses Required for Major
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 4344 | Pathophysiology | 4 |
| NURS 3005 | Concepts and Clinical Competencies | 5 |
| NURS 3025 | Women's Health and Family Role Competencies | 5 |
| NURS 3035 | Adult Health Competencies I | 5 |
| NURS 3612 | Introduction to Nursing Research | 2 |
| NURS 3614 | Nursing Assessment across the Life Span | 4 |
| NURS 3813 | Pharmacology | 3 |
| NURS 4026 | Critical Competency Integration | 6 |
| NURS 4045 | Adult Health Competencies II | 5 |
| NURS 4055 | Child Health Competencies | 5 |
| NURS 4602 | The Nursing Experience with Groups | 2 |
| NURS 4612 | Promoting Wellness in the Aging Family | 2 |
| NURS 4614 | Community Health Competencies | 4 |
| NURS 4615 | Mental Health Competencies | 5 |
| NURS 4803 | The Nursing Leadership and Management Experience | 3 |
| NURS Elective - Choose one of the following: | 2 | |
| Advanced Nursing Assessment | ||
| Power of Nursing | ||
| Healthcare Disparities and People of Color | ||
| Nursing Student Success | ||
| Care of the Veteran and Family | ||
| Nursing Advocacy | ||
| Nursing Implications of Dysrhythmias | ||
| Clinical Ethics in Professional Nursing | ||
| Palliative Care Nursing | ||
| Experiential Learning in Nursing | ||
| Total SCHs | 62 | |
Departmental Requirements
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| BACT 1003 & BACT 1001 | Microbiology and Microbiology Laboratory | 4 |
| CHEM (any college level; may be applied from core) | 4 | |
| MATH 1703 | Elementary Statistics I (may be applied from core ) | 3 |
| NFS 2323 | Introduction to Nutrition | 3 |
| PSY 1603 | Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| ZOOL 2013 & ZOOL 2011 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I and Human Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory (may be applied from core) | 4 |
| ZOOL 2023 & ZOOL 2021 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II and Human Anatomy and Physiology II Laboratory | 4 |
| Total SCHs | 25 | |
Traditional Plan of Study
This is the suggested plan for those seeking a first bachelor's degree and initial licensure as a registered nurse (RN).
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | TCCN | SCHs | |
| ENG 1013 | Composition I | ENGL 1301 | 3 |
| HIST 1013 | History of the United States, 1492-1865 | HIST 1301 | 3 |
| PSY 1013 | Introduction to General Psychology | PSYC 2301 | 3 |
| CHEM (Any college-level lecture & lab) | 4 | ||
| UNIV 1231 | Learning Frameworks: First-Year Seminar (Only required for freshmen entering Fall 2014 or later.) | EDUC 1100, EDUC 1200, EDUC 1300 | 1 |
| SCHs | 14 | ||
| Semester 2 | TCCN | ||
| ENG 1023 | Composition II | ENGL 1302 | 3 |
| NFS 2323 | Introduction to Nutrition | BIOL 1322 | 3 |
| PSY 1603 | Developmental Psychology | PSYC 2314 | 3 |
| Wellness or Mathematics CAO Core | 2-3 | ||
| ZOOL 2013 & ZOOL 2011 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I and Human Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory | BIOL 2401 & BIOL 2101 | 4 |
| SCHs | 15-16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Semester 3 | TCCN | ||
| BACT 1003 & BACT 1001 | Microbiology and Microbiology Laboratory | BIOL 2420 & BIOL 2120 | 4 |
| Language, Philosophy, and Culture Core | 3 | ||
| MATH 1703 | Elementary Statistics I | MATH 1342 | 3 |
| POLS 2013 | U.S. National Government | GOVT 2305 | 3 |
| ZOOL 2023 & ZOOL 2021 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II and Human Anatomy and Physiology II Laboratory | BIOL 2402 & BIOL 2102 | 4 |
| SCHs | 17 | ||
| Semester 4 | TCCN | ||
| Creative Arts Core | 3 | ||
| HIST 1023 | History of the United States, 1865 to the Present | HIST 1302 | 3 |
| Multicultural Women's Studies CAO Core | 3 | ||
| POLS 2023 | Texas Government | GOVT 2306 | 3 |
| SCHs | 12 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Semester 5 | TCCN | ||
| BIOL 4344 | Pathophysiology | 4 | |
| NURS 3005 | Concepts and Clinical Competencies | 5 | |
| NURS 3614 | Nursing Assessment across the Life Span | 4 | |
| NURS 3813 | Pharmacology | 3 | |
| SCHs | 16 | ||
| Semester 6 | TCCN | ||
| NURS 3025 | Women's Health and Family Role Competencies | 5 | |
| NURS 3035 | Adult Health Competencies I | 5 | |
| NURS 3612 | Introduction to Nursing Research | 2 | |
| NURS 4602 | The Nursing Experience with Groups | 2 | |
| NURS 4612 | Promoting Wellness in the Aging Family | 2 | |
| SCHs | 16 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Semester 7 | TCCN | ||
| NURS 4045 | Adult Health Competencies II | 5 | |
| NURS 4055 | Child Health Competencies | 5 | |
| NURS 4615 | Mental Health Competencies | 5 | |
| Nursing Elective | 2 | ||
| SCHs | 17 | ||
| Semester 8 | TCCN | ||
| NURS 4026 | Critical Competency Integration | 6 | |
| NURS 4614 | Community Health Competencies | 4 | |
| NURS 4803 | The Nursing Leadership and Management Experience | 3 | |
| Comprehensive Exam | 0 | ||
| SCHs | 13 | ||
| Total SCHs: | 120-121 | ||
Weekend/Evening Plan of Study
The Weekend/Evening Nursing Program is an alternate nursing course plan available for pre-licensure students whose daytime obligations prevent them from pursuing traditional Monday-Friday daytime college classes. Lecture classes are held two evenings per week from 5-9 PM. Labs and clinical rotations at a hospital are on Saturdays and Sundays.
| Semester 1 Fall | TCCN | SCHs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NURS 3614 | Nursing Assessment across the Life Span | 4 | |
| NURS 3813 | Pharmacology | 3 | |
| BIOL 4344 | Pathophysiology | 4 | |
| SCHs | 11 | ||
| Semester 2 Spring | TCCN | ||
| NURS 3612 | Introduction to Nursing Research | 2 | |
| NURS 3005 | Concepts and Clinical Competencies | 5 | |
| NURS 3025 | Women's Health and Family Role Competencies | 5 | |
| SCHs | 12 | ||
| Semester 3 Summer | TCCN | ||
| NURS 3035 | Adult Health Competencies I | 5 | |
| NURS 4612 | Promoting Wellness in the Aging Family | 2 | |
| Nursing Elective | 2 | ||
| SCHs | 9 | ||
| Semester 4 Fall | TCCN | ||
| NURS 4055 | Child Health Competencies | 5 | |
| NURS 4602 | The Nursing Experience with Groups | 2 | |
| NURS 4614 | Community Health Competencies | 4 | |
| SCHs | 11 | ||
| Semester 5 Spring | TCCN | ||
| NURS 4045 | Adult Health Competencies II (this is a comment) | 5 | |
| NURS 4615 | Mental Health Competencies | 5 | |
| SCHs | 10 | ||
| Semester 6 Summer | TCCN | ||
| NURS 4803 | The Nursing Leadership and Management Experience | 3 | |
| NURS 4026 | Critical Competency Integration | 6 | |
| SCHs | 9 | ||
| Total SCHs: | 62 | ||
