Nursing Major

School of Nursing and Health Professions Vision

The School of Nursing and Health Professions at the University of San Francisco advances the mission of the university by preparing professional nurses who provide a moral compass to transform health care in order to promote equity and positively influence quality, delivery, and access to care.

School of Nursing and Health Professions Mission

The mission of the School of Nursing and Health Professions is to advance nursing education within the context of the Jesuit tradition. The school uses dynamic and innovative approaches in undergraduate and graduate nursing education to prepare professionals for current and future practice domains. The goal is to effectively link classroom and clinical experiences with expectations for competence, compassion, and justice in health care within the context of the highest academic standards.

School of Nursing and Health Professions Values

Congruent with the core values of the university, the values of the School of Nursing and Health Professions are to:

• Create and maintain an environment that promotes excellence in the health professions’ academic endeavor based on: mutual respect, transparency, collaboration, professionalism, creativity, diversity, cultural sensitivity and spirituality.
• Demonstrate the personal values of: integrity, academic excellence, respect for self and others, compassion and caring, personal growth, responsibility, and accountability, professionalism, a passion for justice, and personal health and well-being.
• Positively influence nursing practice and health care environments by promoting: health and wellness, holistic, patient-centered care, patient advocacy, a spirit of inquiry and evidence-based practice, safety and quality improvement, cost effective care, emerging technologies balanced with a humanistic approach, professional and ethical decision-making, increased access to care, especially for vulnerable populations and, lifelong learning.

The BSN curriculum is developed around a unique conceptual framework, the Vision, Mission, and Values. The conceptual framework is layered with transition theory and symptom management and enables the BSN student to develop knowledge, skills and attitudes consistent with the profession of nursing. The nursing process is represented by the strong foundation in clinical knowledge pertaining to assessment, diagnosis, skills, interventions and management of physiological and psychological symptoms in a culturally sensitive way among patients in a variety of settings.

Progression

Nursing students must earn a grade of “C” or better in all nursing courses (NURS 1XX - NURS 4XX) and nursing support courses (Anatomy and Lab, Physiology and Lab, Microbiology and Lab, and General Psychology) in order to progress in the nursing program. Any student who earns less than a grade of “C” in any of the above courses on his/her first attempt must repeat the course and earn a grade of “C” or better on his/her second attempt in order to progress within the nursing curriculum. A course in the School of Nursing and Health Professions may be repeated only once.

The California Board of Registered Nurses requires students to complete Public Speaking, Written Communication, and Sociology with an earned grade of “C” or better. Any student who earns less than a grade of “C” in any of these courses on his/her first attempt must repeat the course and earn a grade of “C” or better on his/her second attempt. Repeating Public Speaking and Sociology will not keep you from progressing in the nursing curriculum. Written Communication must be completed prior to Junior 1 (Nursing Module #3).

Sophomore Progression Policy

To promote nursing program excellence, evaluation data are used to drive the BSN curriculum with the goal of achieving consistently high NCLEX-RN pass rates. Hence, there is an established program-wide testing and progression policy, developed by the School of Nursing and Health Professions Academic Standards Committee and approved by the Faculty. The policy states: Students must earn a minimum score of 850 on the HESI Fundamentals specialty exam to progress in the nursing curriculum. Students who are unsuccessful in achieving the minimum score must take and pass the review course titled “Fundamentals of Nursing Review (1 unit)” offered over intersession and summer terms. During the course, students will have an opportunity to retake the Fundamental specialty test and must earn an 850 or better to progress in the nursing program. The review course may be taken a maximum of twice. For more information, please review the detailed policy available on the Pre-licensure Student portal.

Transfer Applicants

Acceptance as a transfer student in the School of Nursing and Health Professions is based on academic achievement, available clinical placement, and individual advising. Admission is highly competitive.

Students may transfer from a community college or a four-year academic institution, into USF.

After a potential transfer student has applied to the University, all prior course work will be reviewed by the University to determine transferable credit. Students desiring a career in Nursing may take courses such as Anatomy, Physiology, and Microbiology plus labs for each, and General Psychology, prior to application to USF at another institution. These courses may by transferred into the Nursing program providing the student has earned a grade of “C” or better in each course. If, however, a student earns below a “C” in any one of these courses, the student must earn a “C” or better when the course is repeated. Students who earn less than a “C” in any two (2) of these courses, or have less than a 3.0 transferable GPA, will not be considered for admission to the School of Nursing and Health Professions.

Mental and Physical Qualifications for Professional Nursing

The following are MINIMUM mental and physical qualifications for admissions to the professional nursing program:

• Frequently work in a standing position and frequent walking.
• Lift and transfer patients up to 6 inches from a stooped position, then push or pull the weight up to 3 feet.
• Lift and transfer patients from a stooped to an upright position to accomplish bed-to-chair and chair-to-bed transfers.
• Physically apply up to 10 lbs. of pressure to bleeding sites or in performing CPR.
• Respond and react immediately to auditory instructions/requests/monitor equipment and perform auditory auscultation without auditory impediments.
• Physically perform up to a twelve-hour clinical laboratory experience.
• Perform close and distance visual activities involving objects, persons and paperwork, as well as discriminate depth and color perception.
• Discriminate between sharp/dull and hot/cold when using hands.
• Perform mathematical calculation for medication preparation and administration.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing using appropriate grammar vocabulary and work usage.
• Make appropriate and timely decisions under stressful situations.

All students of the School of Nursing and Health Professions are expected to meet these qualifications and successfully complete other course requirements. Individuals applying for admission to the School of Nursing and Health Professions should consider their eligibility in light of these qualifications and assess their ability to meet these qualifications.

In carrying out the nondiscrimination policy of the School of Nursing and Health Professions with regards to students and applicants with disabilities, the School will endeavor to make reasonable modifications and otherwise reasonably accommodate students and applicants with disabilities. Students with disabilities should consider their ability to meet the above qualifications with reasonable accommodation. Any requests for accommodation will be evaluated by nursing faculty, with representation from outside the USF School of Nursing and Health Professions as appropriate. 

Core Curriculum Requirements (44 Units):

Nursing Pre-Licensure Requirements

Required Support Courses (16 Units)

Additional Requirement (CA BRN)

The California Board of Registered Nursing requires that before nursing graduates are eligible to take the NCLEX, they must successfully complete courses (earn a “C” or better) in the basic sciences and communication as well as nursing. At USF, aside from the Nursing requirements and required support courses, students must successfully complete a course in group, verbal, and written communication. These courses include ( RHET 103 - Public Speaking ), ( RHET 120 - Written Communication II  ), and ( SOC 150 - Intro to Sociology ). Many of these courses are met by the core curriculum requirements of the university.

Health Requirements

As part of the preparations for entering the clinical laboratories, students will find it necessary to complete the following health requirements and submit proof of results to the nursing office.

1. Physical Review 
2. Tdap Booster—This is a Tetanus booster that must include Diptheria and Pertussis.
3. Varicella, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Hepatitis B titers: Only positive titers indicating immunity will be accepted to complete this requirement.
4. 2-Step Negative PPD: (purified protein derivative (PPD) is a tuberculin skin-test). A baseline PPD testing uses the two-step method.
5. Annual Flu Shot

CPR Certification - BLS

All School of Nursing and Health Professions students must to have a valid Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Certification - BLS. The CPR certification must include prevention and recognition of cardiovascular disease, infant child and adult CPR, 1 and 2 person rescue, AED use, and foreign body airway management. In addition, each semester students must provide current certification as this is a requirement for entry into the clinical laboratory experience. Students are responsible for renewal of their CPR certification. Only American Heart Association certification is acceptable.

Background Checks and Drug Screening

Agencies must provide a safe environment for their patients/clients and require that the University of San Francisco School of Nursing and Health Professions require background checks and drug screening to be completed on each student prior to the first clinical laboratory experience.

The background check and drug screening are requested on-line and the results are shared with clinical agencies at their request prior to student interaction with their patients/clients.

Confidentiality

Students as well as other healthcare workers are required to maintain as confidential all those matters pertaining to the patient. Discussion of the patient with others not involved in the patient’s care is inappropriate and unprofessional. Patient privacy and rights must be protected.

Transportation

Students are responsible for their own transportation to clinical agencies. It is important to plan ahead in securing transportation to and from clinical areas. USF is not responsible or liable for accidents.

Because of the uniqueness of the School of Nursing and Health Professions curriculum, clinical courses are not graded “A” through “F” as most courses are, but graded “S” (Satisfactory) Or “U” (Unsatisfactory). Typically, only courses graded “A” through “F” are counted towards a student’s full-time status. However, clinical courses in nursing will be counted toward a nursing student’s full-time status. In addition, both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to make the Dean’s Honor Roll. A full-time undergraduate nursing student must be enrolled for twelve or more credits per semester.

Unsafe Clinical Practice

Definition: Any act, practice or omission during clinical practice that fails to conform to the accepted standards of the nursing profession which may directly or indirectly cause physiological and/or emotional harm to others.

If a student’s performance is deemed “unsafe” he/she may be removed from the clinical area or reassigned duties/supervision to protect the client. Students who are evaluated as “unsafe” may be required to develop and complete a performance improvement plan or may immediately be assigned an unsatisfactory grade for the course depending on the egregiousness of the event.

Integrity is absolutely essential to the practice of professional nursing. Evidence of deliberate dishonesty is unacceptable and will result in immediate failure of the course.

Safe clinical performance may include, but is not limited to the following behaviors:

• Preparation for clinical assignments according to course requirements.
• Assessment and evaluation of a patient’s physical and/or emotional status.
• Provision of care, which may be required to stabilize a patient’s condition or prevent complications.
• Prompt reporting of significant patient information to appropriate person(s).
• Provision of clear, accurate and complete verbal and/or written information to the appropriate person(s) regarding the patient’s condition, treatment or nursing care.
• Administration of medications and/or treatments in a responsible manner and according to the established standards of practice at the clinical agency.
• Demonstration of the application of previously learned skills and principles in providing nursing care.
• Compliance with institutional policies and procedures in implementing nursing care.
• Practice within educational level, experience, and/or responsibilities while in the role of the student nurse.