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Traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program
The Idaho State University School of Nursing Traditional Nursing undergraduate degree is well-suited to students with no prior nursing experience who seek their first degree in nursing. This program is also well suited to students who are currently licensed practical nurses who seek their baccalaureate degree. This program is four semesters in length and admits 80 students every year: 40 students for the Fall Semester and 40 students for the Spring Semester. Classes are taught primarily from the Pocatello campus through a hybrid-course model, integrating face to face and online formats into all courses. Clinical experiences are offered in the simulation lab and at a variety of off-campus settings, including community hospitals, community health facilities, service agencies, and schools.
The Traditional Nursing program provides learning opportunities for undergraduate students to prepare them for the role of the professional nurse in today's complex health care system and to take the National Council Licensure Examination Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) to secure licensure as a registered nurse.
More Information
Questions related to this degree program should be addressed to:
Program Overview
Program Information and Outcomes
The School of Nursing offers two program applications each year every fall and spring semester for admission the following spring or fall semester, respectively. The School of Nursing will admit 40 students for the Fall Semester and 40 students for the Spring Semester. The student's plan of study to complete the traditional baccalaureate nursing program varies depending when a student is admitted to start the nursing program.
Typically, students will complete the upper-division nursing courses in their third or fourth year of their undergraduate degree. Please see the Traditional Program Nursing Curriculum for the upper division nursing courses and structure of the 4-semester nursing program.
Please see the Traditional Program Sample Schedule for a sample 4-year degree plan including all prerequisite and upper division nursing courses. The first page shows course structure to prepare for the spring application for fall admission, and the second page shows the course structure to prepare for the fall application for spring admission. Students must complete the requirements prior to starting our upper-division nursing courses.
If you have questions after looking through the School of Nursing website, please see the Undergraduate Frequently Asked Questions page for more information.
Undergraduate Nursing Programs Student Handbook
Program Outcomes
Completion of the undergraduate program provides the graduate with the abilities to:
- Evaluate critical thinking skills based upon nursing knowledge integration, the sciences and the humanities, in planning direct and indirect care for diverse populations in rural or urban settings.
- Develop individual traits and personal power to interact constructively with clients, families and communities.
- Evaluate the broad range of technology requirements.
- Create effective communication with clients, families, communities and other health care providers using verbal, non-verbal, electronic and/or written modalities.
- Evaluate the principles of population health needs.
- Value behaviors congruent with current standards of professional practice, and promote the nursing profession.
- Appraise basic nursing science information and develop expertise in the comprehensive care of clients, families, and communities.
The Importance of a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing
The Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing is a critical first step for a career in professional nursing. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the national voice for baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs, recognizes the BS degree in nursing as the minimum educational requirement for a professional nursing practice. Recommendations by AACN state that education has a significant impact on the knowledge and competencies of the nurse clinician.
Nurses with BS degrees are well-prepared to meet the demands placed on today's nurse. Bachelor of Science nurses are prized for their skills in critical thinking, leadership, case management, and health promotion, and for their ability to practice across a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings. Nurse executives, federal agencies, the military, leading nursing organizations, health care foundations, community hospitals, and minority nurse advocacy groups all recognize the unique value that baccalaureate-prepared nurses bring to the practice setting. Following the School of Nursing's curriculum prepares students to become professional registered nurses and includes the following essential components of all baccalaureate nursing programs: a liberal education, professional values, core competencies, core knowledge, and role development.
Finances
Cost of Attendance
Traditional Program Estimated Cost - Per Semester page.
Scholarships
The School of Nursing annually awards over $50,000 in scholarships and the School of Nursing scholarship application is available annually in April.
Please see the Scholarship Office website for more information about scholarship opportunities available through ISU. For the list of nursing scholarships under Division of Health Science, please see the "Scholarship Listings by College" web page.
Scholarship Resources Outside of ISU
The ISU Scholarship Office also maintains a page with other scholarship resources outside of ISU.
Prerequisite Courses
Our 13 prerequisite courses are separated into 2 different lists, labeled as Set A and Set B courses and are usually completed during a student's first two years of their undergraduate degree. All prerequisite courses must be completed with a C grade or higher.
The Set A courses are used to calculate an applicant's nursing application GPA and must be completed prior to applying to the nursing program. A minimum 3.0 GPA is required for the nursing application and the Set A GPA calculation is 65% of an applicant's ranking in the application process.
The Set B courses can be in progress during the semester applicant applies in, so long as they are successfully completed before starting the program. Most students will have two or three of the Set B courses completed and then finish the remaining courses during the semester they apply in.
If courses are taken outside of Idaho State University, official transcripts verifying successful completion must be submitted to the ISU Registrar’s Office as part of the ISU application process.
Petitions to the School of Nursing may be required to establish equivalency for courses taken from other colleges or universities.
Traditional Program Requirements
Set A Prerequisite Courses |
||
Set A (completed before applying to SON) |
ISU Course |
ISU Credits |
| Introductory Microbiology with Lab | BIOL 2221 & 2221L | 4 |
| Anatomy & Physiology 1 with Lab | BIOL 2227 & 2227L or BIOL 3301 & 3301L | 4 |
| Anatomy & Physiology 2 with Lab | BIOL 2228 & 2228L or BIOL 3302 & 3302L | 4 |
| Introduction to General Chemistry | CHEM 1101 or CHEM 1111 & 1111L | 3 or 5 |
| Introduction to Psychology | PSYC 1101 | 3 |
| Child Development | PSYC 2225 | 3 |
| Cultural Diversity Course |
Use Objective 9 in the ISU General Education
Program for guidance
|
3 |
Set B Prerequisite Courses |
||
Set B (completed before starting program) |
ISU Course |
ISU Credits |
| Introduction to Pathobiology | BIOL 2229 or BIOL 3306 | 3 |
| Essentials of Organic & Biochemistry with Lab | CHEM 1102 & 1103 | 4 |
| Nutrition for Health Professionals | NTD 3340 | 3 |
| Introduction to Information Research | LLIB 1115 | 3 |
| Medical Ethics | PHIL 2230 | 3 |
| Statistical Reasoning | MATH 1153 | 3 |
School of Nursing Petition Process
School of Nursing Undergraduate Petition Form
Petitioning Courses
For any course that does not transfer into ISU as equivalent, students are welcome to submit a petition to the School of Nursing to see if the faculty will accept their course in place of the given School of Nursing undergraduate requirement. Students are also welcome to submit a petition for a course they would like to take to see if the School of Nursing would pre-approve the course for our undergraduate requirements.
Petitions must include:
- A completed form, including a signature and date
- A copy of the course description for the course (a course syllabus is preferred)
- An unofficial transcript with course completion (not needed if seeking preapproval for a course)
Please send the completed information to the School of Nursing via email at sonadvis@isu.edu. Staff will process your petition and send to the faculty for review for the final decision. If the faculty approves your petition, an approved nursing petition means that your course will satisfy the undergraduate nursing requirement but will not show as equivalent to the ISU course in your ISU transcript. The petition process usually takes 2-3 weeks.
Petitioning Other Requirements
In some cases, students may want to petition School of Nursing requirements other than courses. These may include, but are not limited to, undergraduate nursing application requirements, undergraduate nursing admission requirements, or graduation requirements. These petitions must include:
- A completed form, including a signature and date
- A statement explaining the need for the petition
- Any documentation you may have to support the petition
Students should contact the School of Nursing Academic Adviser for guidance on their nursing petition and/or University Petition.
Eligibility and Selection
The applicant is required to apply to Idaho State University and to the School of Nursing. The applicant must apply to and meet all requirements for admission to Idaho State University. Current Idaho State University students do not need to reapply to Idaho State University.
To apply to Idaho State University, please fill out an Undergraduate Application.
*There is a $50.00 application fee to Idaho State University. Apply as Undergraduate/Nursing Pre-major.
Acceptance to the School of Nursing is competitive and meeting admission requirements does not guarantee acceptance. In addition to the general requirements of Idaho State University, the student must comply with the following School of Nursing Traditional Program Requirements.
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher among Set A prerequisite courses for application eligibility.
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher among Set A and B at the time of admission.
To apply to the School of Nursing Traditional program, please visit the ISU Community Moodle site.
*There is a $50.00 application fee to the School of Nursing.
Applicant selection is based upon:
- Prerequisite GPA - The GPA is ranked based upon the calculation of grades from the prerequisite courses (Set A).
- Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) - The "BSN Program Percentile Rank" score is used for admission ranking. Please note we require 60.0% minimum Adjusted Individual Total Score to determine eligibility; this score is NOT used for the admission ranking.
Application and Admission Requirements for Spring 2021 Admission
- Meet with adviser to discuss courses, petition process, program information, and application requirements. For transfer students, please submit your unofficial transcripts for review to sonadvis@isu.edu
- Complete any required course petition(s) by September 1, 2020.
- Complete Set A course requirements and take the ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills (ATI TEAS).
- Meet with adviser to verify application eligibility for nursing program application.
- Email sonadvis@isu.edu
- Submit required documentation and compete application from August 1, 2020 through September 15, 2020.
Acceptance to the SON is competitive and meeting admission requirements does not guarantee acceptance. Admission decisions will be made and sent out via email in early October. If not accepted, contact a nursing adviser to discuss options.
Admission Process once accepted:
- Complete admission requirements.
- Successfully complete remaining Set B prerequisite courses and ISU General Education Courses.
Eligibility and Selection
The applicant is required to apply to Idaho State University and to the School of Nursing. The applicant must apply to and meet all requirements for admission to Idaho State University. Current Idaho State University students do not need to reapply to Idaho State University.
To apply to Idaho State University, please fill out an Undergraduate Application.
*There is a $50.00 application fee to Idaho State University. Apply as Undergraduate/Nursing Pre-major.
Acceptance to the School of Nursing is competitive and meeting admission requirements does not guarantee acceptance. In addition to the general requirements of Idaho State University, the student must comply with the following School of Nursing Traditional Program Requirements.
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher among Set A prerequisite courses for application eligibility.
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher among Set A and B at the time of admission.
To apply to the School of Nursing Traditional program, please visit the ISU Community Moodle site.
*There is a $50.00 application fee to the School of Nursing.
Applicant selection is based upon:
- Prerequisite GPA - The GPA is ranked based upon the calculation of grades from the prerequisite courses (Set A).
- Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) - The "BSN Program Percentile Rank" score is used for admission ranking. Please note we require 60.0% minimum Adjusted Individual Total Score to determine eligibility; this score is NOT used for the admission ranking.
Application and Admission Requirements for Fall 2021 Admission
- Meet with adviser to discuss courses, petition process, program information, and application requirements. For transfer students, please submit your unofficial transcripts for review to sonadvis@isu.edu
- Complete any required course petition(s) by March 1, 2021.
- Complete Set A course requirements and take the ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills (ATI TEAS).
- Meet with adviser to verify application eligibility for nursing program application.
- Email sonadvis@isu.edu
- Submit required documentation and compete application from January 15, 2021 through March 15, 2021.
Acceptance to the SON is competitive and meeting admission requirements does not guarantee acceptance. Admission decisions will be made and sent out via email in early March. If not accepted, contact a nursing adviser to discuss options.
Admission Process once accepted:
- Complete admission requirements.
- Successfully complete remaining Set B prerequisite courses and ISU General Education Courses.
