College of Health, Education and Professional Studies
School of Nursing
Associate Professor Kay Lindgren, Acting Director
Accreditation
The School of Nursing is approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing and is accredited by the Accreditation Council and Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
Pre-nursing
Students must meet the same admission requirements as all other applicants to the University. Academic advising for all students declaring Pre-nursing or nursing majors must be done by a member of the nursing faculty.
Pre-nursing students are advised in group sessions. The times and dates of advisement sessions are found on the School of Nursing Web site www.utc.edu/Academic/Nursing.
Enrollment in the nursing major is limited. Admission to the University does not ensure acceptance into the nursing major.
Eligibility Requirements for Participation in the Nursing Program
Nursing is a practice discipline, with cognitive, sensory, affective, and psychomotor performance requirements. The faculty of the School of Nursing has identified the skills and professional behaviors that are essential to pursue a course of study to be eligible to write the National Council Licensure Examination-R.N. and practice as a professional nurse. In order to progress in the nursing curriculum, a student must possess a functional level of capability to perform the duties required of a professional nurse. The essential eligibility requirements for participation in the nursing program are identified as Core Performance Standards.
These standards are adapted from the Southern Council on Collegiate Education for Nursing and are congruent with the skills presented in the document entitled Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing revised (1998), a publication of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. If these standards cannot be achieved by the student, either unassisted or with dependable use of assistive devices, the faculty reserves the right to exclude the student from clinical areas. Potential students are provided copies of the Core Performance Standards upon request. A copy of the Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice (1998) is available for review in the school’s Office of the Director.
The nursing program includes clinical components, practica and internships. Prior to and during contact with clients in clinical assignments, practicum experiences and internships, students are expected to evidence good judgement, ethical conduct and appropriate emotional functioning. These are evaluated by the School of Nursing faculty using professional nursing standards.
These standards are listed with the Director of School of Nursing and Dean of College of Health and Human Services. A student dismissed from the School of Nursing for not meeting these standards has the right to appeal the decision. Information about the process of appeal is available in the UTC Student Handbook and the Undergraduate Catalog.
Admission to the Nursing Major (for non- RNs)
Students desiring admission or readmission to the nursing major must submit a completed written application on forms available from the School of Nursing. Candidates for the nursing major (Nursing 251-254) must make formal application by April 15 for the fall class and by September 30 for the spring class. Students transferring from other nursing programs should submit the written application by April 15 for the fall class and September 30 for the January class. Enrollment is limited and the number of qualified applicants exceeds the number of students who can be admitted. The following are considered when evaluating candidates for admission:
- Completion of credit hours required for
sophomore classification including the following prerequisite courses
with no grade lower than a C and a minimum grade point average of
2.5 on a 4.0 point scale at UTC.
- Chemistry 121/123
- 3-4 hours General Education Natural Science (Biology 210)
- Biology 191, 208, 209, 210
- English 121, 122
- Psychology 101
- Nursing 226
- Physical and emotional characteristics appropriate for nursing practice.
- Science competency. The nursing major includes a strong biophysical science component; thus the first grade earned in a required science course will be used to compute the student’s GPA.
- Cumulative GPA.
- Science GPA (calculated on required sciences only)
- ACT or equivalent
- Number of prerequisite courses completed at UTC.
Candidates will receive written notification of their admission status. Individuals who are not accepted for a given class, and who desire to be considered for the next class must reapply.
The faculty in the School of Nursing reserve the right to make exceptions to the admission requirements. Written requests for exceptions to admission requirements, supported by evidence of extenuating circumstances, will be considered by the academic affairs committee after an official application for admission to the School of Nursing has been filed.
Acceptance of transfer and substitute credits in nursing to meet requirements of the curriculum will be determined by the school faculty. A student who transfers into the nursing program at UTC will be required to repeat any nursing or other required courses which are not considered comparable to the UTC curriculum or in which the grade earned is lower than a C. Transfer students must meet the same standards as other students in the program.
Expenses and Transportation
In addition to regular education costs, nursing students must meet the following expenses: uniforms, standardized test fees, yearly liability and health insurance, initial physical examinations, immunizations, CPR certification and others as required. Some nursing courses may require miscellaneous fees. Since clinical experiences in nursing are obtained in a variety of health care settings in local and remote areas, students are individually responsible for transportation to these sites.
Insurance and Health Requirements
Students must meet specific physical examination and immunization requirements as specified by state law and by the rules and regulations set forth by the various clinical agencies. All students must have health insurance and must participate in the school’s liability insurance program. Specific information concerning these requirements will be provided to the students at appropriate times by the nursing faculty.
Licensure
Upon successful completion of the baccalaureate program in nursing, and upon certification by the director that the student possesses the requirements, the student is eligible to write the National Council Licensure Examination-RN. Persons previously convicted of a felony may not be permitted to write the NCLEX exam.
Continuation Standards (for non-RNs)
In view of the nature of nursing and the fact that maintenance and quality of human life may be adversely affected by individuals providing nursing care, the following standards have been adopted and are applied by the nursing faculty.
- To progress in nursing, students are required to: a) make a minimum grade of C in all nursing and required courses (exclusive of electives); b) maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0; c) maintain active liability and health insurance policies for clinical courses; and d) maintain current CPR certification, and meet School of Nursing health requirements.
- Students who fail any portion of a clinical sequence may repeat the failed course(s) one time. Additional failure in any portion of a clinical course sequence will result in dismissal from the nursing program.
- Students who fail non-clinical courses may be denied progression in the program.
- Students who do not complete a course, or who make a grade below “C”, and who are eligible to repeat a course, are permitted to register for that course on a space-available basis.
- If in the judgment of the professor there is reason to question the emotional or physical condition of a student or the safety or quality of nursing care provided, the professor has the right and obligation to exclude the student from the clinical area. The incident or reason underlying such an action shall be brought to the attention of the course faculty on or before the next clinical day. The student will receive written notification of the recommendation of the course faculty. Should the decision be unacceptable to the student, he/she may appeal to the director, and thereafter in accordance with University policy.
- Exceptions to the above policies may be made at the discretion of the academic affairs committee or the director of the School of Nursing.
