School of Nursing

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Accreditation: The School of Nursing of Widener University is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and approved by the State Board of Nurse Examiners of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
One Dupont Circle, Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036-1120; (202) 887-6791

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, State Board of Nursing
P.O. Box 2649, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2649; (717) 783-7142

Vision

The Widener University’s School of Nursing (SON) aspires to be a preeminent metropolitan school of nursing recognized for developing clinically prepared, scientifically oriented, technologically proficient, professional nurses who provide leadership as clinicians, educators, scholars, and researchers to transform the health and quality of life of diverse communities.

Mission

As a leading, comprehensive school of nursing, we achieve our mission by creating a learning environment where curricula are connected to societal health issues through diverse community engagement. We lead by providing a unique professional nursing education in a challenging, scholarly, and supportive learning community. We engage our students through interactive teaching, professional role modeling, active scholarship, and experiential learning. We inspire our students to be professionals who demonstrate leadership in nursing practice, education, scholarship, and research throughout the global community. We contribute to the health and well-being of the communities we serve.

School of Nursing Undergraduate Student Handbook

Widener University general policies regarding academic admission, progression, graduation, student rights/responsibilities, and student organizations are found in this catalog and in the Widener University Student Handbook. Policies specific to the School of Nursing, including academic/clinical requirements, dismissal, readmission, appeal, and other such matters, are found in the School of Nursing Undergraduate Student Handbook, which is available on the School of Nursing Undergraduate website. All students are responsible for familiarizing themselves thoroughly with university and School of Nursing policies and for complying with such policies.

Undergraduate Program

The School of Nursing offers a four-year full-time baccalaureate program, which begins with a broad foundation in the humanities and natural and social sciences, and expands to the role of the professional nurse. Clinical practice in varied health care settings is an integral part of the educational experience. The curriculum plan can be found in the School of Nursing Undergraduate Student Handbook, as well as in this catalog.

Undergraduate Learning Outcomes

• Synthesize theoretical concepts and constructs from the humanities, social sciences, mathematical, natural, and physical sciences into nursing practice.
• Use individual, organizational, and systems leadership and management theories to interact constructively and ethically to influence and assure effective, evidence-based, safe, quality outcomes in the delivery of nursing care to human beings in an ever-changing world and global society.
• Apply methods of scholarly inquiry and interpretation to translate best current evidence into nursing practice.
• Implement evidence-based and theoretically sound nursing care by collaborating with other health care team professionals to promote optimal health for individuals and populations.
• Use technology to facilitate care to provide safe, ethical, and effective clinical decision making for individuals, populations, and health care workers.
• Integrate into practice a basic knowledge of health care policy, finance, and regulatory environments, including local, national, and global trends with system cost factors and the impact on individuals and populations.
• Integrate into practice a basic knowledge of the impact of socio-cultural, economic, legal, and political factors influencing health care delivery and practice.
• Use effective communication techniques to produce positive interprofessional and intraprofessional working relationships.
• Demonstrate appropriate team building strategies when working with interprofessional and intraprofessional teams.
• Use health promotion along with disease and injury prevention strategies to maximize the health of individuals and populations across the lifespan.
• Advocate for social justice with a commitment to the health of vulnerable populations and the elimination of health disparities.
• Assume accountability for professional standards of moral, ethical, and legal conduct through self-reflection of attitudes, beliefs, and values as they relate to decision making, advocacy, collaboration, and social responsibility.
• Foster personal and professional growth and development through self-care and lifelong learning.
• Perform developmentally and culturally-focused patient and family assessments that include a comprehensive appraisal of physical, behavioral, socioeconomic, and environmental parameters.
• Deliver patient-centered education that reflects consideration for patient developmental level, cultural background, literacy, and family system.
• Recognize the relationships of genetics and genomics to health, prevention, screening, diagnostics, prognostics, selection of treatment, and monitoring of treatment effectiveness.
• Apply effective communication in interactions with patient and patient’s support network.
• Demonstrate in clinical practice the application of sound principles of psychomotor skills that reflect efficient, safe, and compassionate patient care.

Admission to the BSN Program

Incoming freshmen must have:

• Completed the application to Widener University specifying a major in nursing.
• SAT Score of 980 or higher (combined verbal and math).
• High school GPA of 2.85 or higher (on a 4.0 scale).

In addition, international students need passing TOEFL scores or equivalent: IBT scores of 79 (total score)/26 (spoken) or paper-based exam scores of 550/55 (spoken).*

Widener students who are transferring to nursing from another major must have:

• 2.75 or higher cumulative GPA at Widener.
• Grade of C or higher in CHEM 105/106.
• Grade of C or higher in all courses required for the nursing curriculum.

In addition, international students need passing TOEFL scores or equivalent: IBT scores of 79 (total score)/26 (spoken) or paper-based exam scores of 550/55 (spoken).*

Students who are applying to the Accelerated BSN option on the Chester or Harrisburg Campus must meet the following admission requirements:

• Complete the transfer application to Widener University specifying the accelerated nursing option and the campus of choice.
• A minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA from all previous college/universities for admission consideration.
• Completion of all pre-requisite coursework.  We will further examine the strength of science courses and the patterns of progress (limited withdrawals and repeats allowed).
• Letter of good standing from the dean/director/chair of the nursing program for students whose transcript contains evidence of nursing courses.

The Harrisburg, PA program is for second degree students only and a completion of a bachelor’s degree is required for acceptance.  Prerequisite and general education courses will be accepted as a block credit of 49 credits.

Transfer students will only be accepted on the Chester, PA campus.

Please be advised that a student attending the Main Campus in Chester cannot apply for another Widener major with the intention of eventually changing his/her major to Nursing.  If a student intends to graduate with a nursing degree, the student must be admitted directly to the nursing major.

Non-native English speaking applicants born outside the United States (international applicants, immigrants to the U.S., and U.S. permanent residents) are required to submit the results of a test of English proficiency (exemptions). Accepted tests and requirements are as follows:

  TOEFL internet-based test (80 minimum/26 minimum on the speaking section)

  TOEFL paper-based test (550 minimum)

  TOEFL computer-based test (213 minimum)

   IELTS (6.5 overall band score)

  *IETS (TOEFL) school code for Widener University is: 26642

*All non-native English speaking applicants born outside the United States (international applicants, immigrants to the United States, and U.S. permanent residents), including students who have completed English as a Second Language course(s), are required to take the TOEFL examination. Results from the TOEFL taken up to two years prior to admission will be accepted. Non-native English speaking applicants born outside the United States but who have attended high school in the United States since the 9th grade must submit their official high school transcript and either the SAT or TOEFL. An interview may be required.

Special Academic Progression Policies

Lower Division Policies

• Nursing prerequisites and electives may be repeated only once following either a grade of less than ‘C’ or withdrawal. The repeat attempt requires written permission from the school dean or dean’s designee on the “Repetition of Course” form. If, on the repeat attempt, the student does not complete the course with a minimal grade of ‘C’ or withdraws from the course, the student will be dismissed from the School of Nursing BSN program.
• BIOL 121  and BIOL 122  or corresponding transfer courses must be successfully completed not more than five years prior to entry to upper division (junior year).
• Students enrolled at Widener in a major other than nursing who wish to be considered for the school of nursing BSN program must fulfill the following requirements: (1) successfully complete CHEM 105  and CHEM 106  with a grade of ‘C’ or higher, (2) earn a grade of ‘C’ or higher in any courses that are part of the required nursing curriculum, and (3) achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.75 in their present major (see “Change in Curriculum ” section of current catalog). A cumulative GPA of 3.0 must be attained for entry into junior-level nursing courses. Students with a GPA of less than 2.9 at the end of the fall semester sophomore year may not progress to the spring semester nursing courses NURS 205 /NURS 206  and NURS 261 /NURS 262 .
• Matriculated students may take a maximum of nine semester credits off campus. The associate dean of academic affairs or the assistant dean of students approval must be acquired for all courses taken off campus prior to the start of the class. A “Course Transfer Authorization” must be completed for all courses taken off campus. See Undergraduate Student Handbook for more details.
• NURS 205 /NURS 206  and NURS 261 /NURS 262  must be completed in the semester immediately preceding the start of the junior year. Sophomore students who do not progress but who have taken NURS 205 /NURS 206  or NURS 261 /NURS 262  are required to repeat those courses in the semester immediately preceding the junior year.

Progression to Upper Division

Students must achieve a Widener University cumulative GPA of 3.0 and a grade of ‘C’ or higher on all lower division prerequisite courses listed for the freshman and sophomore years, including those courses meeting elective requirements in the nursing curriculum. Students must demonstrate compliance with all clinical requirements as specified in the School of Nursing Undergraduate Student Handbook.

Nursing Progression Policies

• Theory grades are calculated per the course syllabus and reported as a letter grade. Students are required to earn a grade of C or higher in the theory component of all nursing courses, including clinical and non-clinical required courses. The minimum numeric score required to earn a grade of C in any nursing course is 75.
• Laboratory or clinical grades are evaluated per the course syllabus and reported as “pass” or “fail.” A grade of “pass” in the clinical/laboratory component of a course is required to successfully complete, or pass, the course.
• Students who fail or withdraw from an upper division nursing course must repeat the course in the same semester it is offered in the following year. Students may not move forward to subsequent courses until all prior courses from the semester the student is enrolled is complete. If the course withdraw or failure occurs in the spring semester, senior year, the student must also repeat NURS 475  with the failed or withdrawn course.
• Students failing either the classroom or clinical component of a nursing course must repeat the course in its entirety, including classroom and clinical components.
• Students who withdraw from a nursing course with corequisite requirements before midterm must withdraw from the corequisite courses as well. For progression purposes, withdrawal from one course and its corequisites will be considered as one withdrawal.
• Students are permitted only one unsuccessful attempt to complete a nursing course throughout the program. Both withdrawals and failures count as an attempt.
  • A grade of less than ‘C’ in the same nursing course twice will result in dismissal from the nursing program.
  • A withdrawal from a nursing course and a grade of less than ‘C’ on a subsequent attempt after a previous withdrawal from the same course will result in dismissal.
  • A grade of less than ‘C’ in any nursing course with subsequent withdrawal from the same course on the second attempt will result in dismissal from the nursing program.
  • A grade of less than ‘C’ in any two nursing courses will result in dismissal from the nursing program.
  • A withdrawal from a nursing course followed by a subsequent withdrawal from any other nursing course will result in dismissal from the nursing program.
  • A withdrawal from a nursing course, followed by a subsequent failure of any nursing course will result in dismissal from the nursing program.
• Students who are dismissed from the School of Nursing will follow the policy as outlined in the School of Nursing Undergraduate Handbook, available online.

Programs for Registered Nurses

Widener’s School of Nursing is committed to meeting the needs of registered nurses who wish to further their education at the baccalaureate and graduate level. The RN to BSN program is offered for registered nurses holding an associate’s degree or diploma who wish to pursue the bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree. The RN/MSN option of the MSN program is offered for registered nurses prepared with the associate’s degree or diploma who also hold a bachelor’s degree in another field of study.

School of Nursing Honors Program

The School of Nursing Honors Program is designed for academically talented nursing students. Its purpose is to provide meaningful learning experiences that prepare students to continuously learn, apply, and create new knowledge throughout their lifetimes. Class time is spent cultivating critical thinking, skill in self-expression, and independent analysis of material. This program is intended as a complement to the university Honors Program in General Education. Participation may be in addition to or independent of the Honors Program in General Education. Eligible students must have a 3.2 cumulative GPA by the end of the sophomore year and a 3.5 GPA in the nursing major.

Nurses Educated Together (NET) Commuting and Learning Community

The NET Commuting and Learning Community is open to commuting freshman students admitted to the nursing major.  The students have an opportunity to attend selected freshman courses and faculty-led activities with a small cohort of commuter students.  This program enhances the freshman year through scheduled cocurricular activities and provides an immediate peer group.  Students apply to the NET program during the summer, prior to freshman orientation.  Students are selected on the basis of their applications.  Only students eligible to enroll in CHEM 105/106 during the fall of freshman year are eligible.

Nurses Educated Together (NET) Living and Learning Community

The Living Learning Community is manage through the School of Nursing in conjunction with Residence Life.  The Living Learning Community provides freshmen nursing students a unique opportunity to live and learn together through a variety of cocurricular activities and social events, in common areas of the residence hall and in Founders Hall.  This peer support system will foster friendships and help with the transition to college and reinforce your commitment to nursing excellence.  This community participates in diverse programming that complements the classroom experience while addressing personal development, academic skills, and success in the nursing profession.  Upper division nursing students serve as your Resident Assistant and mentor.  Active participation is the key to success of the NET LLC.  This acceptance requires that a student be available for all scheduled cocurricular activities with the exception of class conflicts.  These cocurricular experiences include, but are not limited to, times during late afternoon/early evening hours in your residence hall area or in Founders Hall.  Space in this LLC is limited to 54 students and selection will be by a competitive process.

If selected for the LLC, students will be placed in housing based on their Math ACT/SAT scores.  

Graduate Programs in Nursing

The School of Nursing offers a master of science in nursing (MSN), a doctor of nursing practice (DNP), and a doctor of philosophy (PhD). Post-master’s certificates in clinical specialties are also available. Information on all of the graduate nursing programs can be found in the School of Nursing’s online graduate catalog, which can be found at www.widener.edu/catalogs.

Additional Costs for Nursing Students

In addition to general matriculation charges such as tuition, room and board, and books, students in the School of Nursing incur additional expenses that begin with and continue through the clinical portions of the program. The approximate costs are as follows:

Note: Transportation to all clinical and other health care agencies is the responsibility of the student.

*All nursing students are required to complete the criminal check, child abuse clearance, and drug testing forms prior to beginning clinical components.

**Approximate cost. Fee may vary from state to state.

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