Nursing and Health Studies (NURS, PHHE)

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 Admission to the major in nursing in the School of Nursing and Health Studies is limited. See “Limited Admissions and Limited Retention Requirements” in the Admission section of this catalog.

The School of Nursing and Health Studies offers majors in nursing (B.S.), public health (B.S.), and health education (B.S.Ed.), minors in public health and health education, and baccalaureate degree completion programs. Students interested in one of the school’s majors or minors should contact the college advising office as early as possible. Failure to do so could result in delayed graduation.

Majors in the School of Nursing and Health Studies who are preparing for professional practice may be dismissed from a program on the basis of either academic deficiencies or nonprofessional performance. Specific criteria relating to these areas are made known to each student at the time the professional phase of a program is initiated.

Nursing Program

The School of Nursing and Health Studies offers the B.S. degree with a major in nursing, successful completion of which allows the graduate to write the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) required for licensure as a registered professional nurse (R.N.). The Illinois Department of Professional and Financial Regulation requires a criminal background check prior to taking the NCLEX-RN examination. An R.N. degree-completion program is offered to registered nurses who want to earn a baccalaureate degree in nursing.

The nursing program at NIU prepares the professional nurse for leadership roles in patient care within the entire spectrum of health care agencies and settings. A variety of agencies in northern Illinois are used as clinical laboratory facilities for students. Experiences in the clinical settings are chosen to augment and demonstrate selected aspects of nursing theory. Graduates are prepared to function with baccalaureate competencies in the delivery of nursing care, in the improvement of health care delivery systems, in utilizing the knowledge of the physical and social sciences as integral aspects of nursing, and in entering graduate programs to increase their nursing competencies and skills. The baccalaureate curriculum is approved by the Committee on Nursing of the Illinois Department of Professional and Financial Regulation and accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Criminal Background Checks and Drug Screening

Students are required to undergo criminal background checks and drug screening. The nursing program may be unable to place students in a clinical setting if they have a positive drug screen or if the student has a prior criminal record; therefore, the student may not be able to complete the program of required courses.

General Information

Only students admitted as undergraduate nursing majors may enroll in the undergraduate nursing courses, with the exception of NURS 302 which is open to non-nursing majors. Admitted students must have all prerequisite courses completed with a grade of C or better to begin nursing courses. Transfer students are encouraged to contact a program adviser before enrolling to determine whether prior course work satisfies prerequisites. Exceptions may be considered on a case-by-case basis for graduate students in nursing who need to eliminate deficiencies. New freshman and transfer students who enroll as full-time students must plan on a minimum of five semesters to complete the required nursing courses.

In addition to the usual costs for a university student, the nursing major will be responsible for the costs involved in

• student nurse uniforms to be worn in all clinical courses;
• equipment, e.g., a watch with sweep second hand and a stethoscope;
• providing own transportation for the clinical courses (NURS 303, NURS 313, NURS 323, NURS 333, NURS 343, NURS 433, NURS 443, NURS 453, and NURS 463);
• professional liability insurance;
• criminal background checks and drug screening;
• clinical requirement fees; and
• fees for certain courses.

Students enrolled in clinical nursing courses must

• complete all prerequisites.
• provide evidence of completion of immunizations, current CPR certification, current professional liability insurance, and other proofs as listed in the “Clinical Requirements” statement in the nursing program’s student handbook.

R.N.-B.S. in Nursing Completion Program

The R.N.-B.S. in nursing completion program is designed to award credit to registered nurses for their recent education and previous learning experiences in the field of nursing. Registered nurse degree-completion students must plan on a minimum of at least three semesters to complete the required nursing courses. See “Admission” for further information. Upon successful completion of the bridge course, NURS 302, or NURS 347, the R.N. student will receive 32 semester hours of credit for NURS 303, NURS 305, NURS 313, NURS 314, NURS 315, NURS 318, NURS 319, NURS 323, NURS 333, NURS 336, NURS 343, NURS 422, and NURS 433. This credit will be held in “escrow” and will be posted to the student’s transcript upon successful completion of 12 semester hours of nursing credit with a grade of C or better. Students in this program are exempt from the 30 semester hour university residence requirement.

Registered nurses who graduated over five years ago from a nursing program will automatically be granted the appropriate number of escrow credits provided they have practiced as a registered nurse within the last two years. Registered nurses who graduated more than five years ago who have not practiced as a registered nurse within the last two years will need to demonstrate competency through successful completion of the Regents Examinations for Medical-Surgical Nursing, Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, and Pediatric and Obstetrical Nursing. In order to receive a baccalaureate degree, the R.N.-B.S. completion student is required to complete the following courses with a grade of C or better: NURS 302, or NURS 347; NURS 304, NURS 307, NURS 308, NURS 312; NURS 349X or IHHS 350; NURS 408, NURS 419, NURS 425, NURS 432, NURS 435; NURS 443 and NURS 453, or NURS 463; and NURS 488.

It is highly recommended that students intending to transition into the master’s program see the academic adviser to plan their sequence of courses early in their program of study.

Academic Standing

Nursing applicants and nursing majors must achieve a minimum grade of C or better in all nursing prerequisite courses that are taken before and after admission to the nursing major.

Freshman nursing students must achieve a 2.50 GPA at the completion of the second semester or be dismissed from the nursing program. R.N. students whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.50 after completing 9 semester hours at NIU will be dismissed from the nursing major. All other nursing students whose cumulative GPA is less than 2.50 will be dismissed from the nursing program. A nursing student who receives two grades of D or F or U in any combination of NURS courses will be dismissed from the nursing program. A student also may be dismissed from the nursing major for unprofessional behavior or actions which threaten the health and safety of patients. It is the responsibility of students to secure a copy of the dismissal policy from the office of the School of Nursing and Health Studies.

Students must repeat any required nursing course in which they receive a grade of D or F or U. Students must receive a grade of at least C or grade of S to progress in the nursing curriculum. See “Repeating a Course.”

To graduate as a nursing major, a student must earn a grade of at least C or S in each course required in the major and all prerequisite courses for the major.

Essential Performance Components

All students interested in enrolling and remaining in the undergraduate or graduate nursing program at NIU must possess performance component skills necessary to assess a patient’s biopsychosocial needs and to analyze collected data in order to identify patient problems, plan and implement independent and collaborative interventions, and evaluate the care provided and the patient’s responses to care. Specific observation, communication, motor cognitive, psychosocial, and behavioral requirements provide candidates with the ability to carry out the responsibilities of a student nurse providing direct or indirect patient care. A student must, with or without reasonable accommodation, possess these performance component skills upon admission to the nursing program and maintain these essential components throughout the program.

Manual Dexterity–use sterile technique; insert catheters (Foley, NG, IV); perform venipunctures; prepare medications and administer (PO, IM, IV); manipulate small objects (lancet, stopcock); open and close medication containers.
Mobility–remain at patient’s side for a prolonged period of time for purposes of monitoring and frequent assessments; perform CPR; assist in lifting and moving patients and patient care materials (bed, chair); move independently to and from patient care areas.
Processing Patient Information–respond to communication by patients with or without direct view of patient’s face; respond to monitor alarms, emergency signals, call bells from patients, and orders in a rapid and effective manner; accurately assess blood pressures, heart, lung, vascular, and abdominal sounds; accurately read a thermometer; identify cyanosis, absence of respirations, and movements of patients rapidly and accurately; accurately process information on medical containers, physicians’ orders, and monitor and equipment calibrations, printed documents, flow sheets, graphic sheets, medication administration records, and other medical records.
Math Competency–tell time; use measuring tools (tape measure, scale); add, subtract, multiply, and divide; record numbers; calculate medication dosages (PO, IM, IV) and intravenous solution rates.
Emotional Stability–provide emotional support to patients; adapt rapidly to environmental changes and multiple task demands (new admission, patient going to therapy or surgery); maintain adequate concentration and attention in patient care settings; maintain behavioral decorum in stressful situations (avoid inappropriate laughter, jokes, comments).
Cognitive Processing–transfer knowledge from one situation to another (classroom to patient care); assess patient needs based on understanding and synthesis of patient information (know comorbidities, complex problems); develop effective care plans based on assessments; prioritize tasks to ensure patient safety and standards of care (administer medications and treatments on time); organize and retain information in basic knowledge and skills areas (frequently administer medications and treatments).
Critical Thinking–identify cause and effect relationships (religious, ethnic, cultural); sequence information in a manner that is logical and understood by others; make sound clinical judgments and decisions based on standards of nursing care; seek assistance when clinical situation requires a higher level of expertise/experience.
Interpersonal/Communication Skills–respect differences in patients; establish and maintain effective working relations with patients and co-workers; teach and provide information in an accurate and effective manner; report critical patient information to other caregivers; convey information to others through graphic, print, and/or electronic media in an accurate, timely, and comprehensible manner.

Off-Campus Degree Program

Registered nurses who are seeking baccalaureate preparation leading to a B.S. degree with a major in nursing are served by courses offered at a number of off-campus sites. Off-campus course requirements coincide with on-campus requirements in the degree completion program. Students wishing additional information should contact the School of Nursing and Health Studies.

Nursing and Health Studies Faculty

Brigid Lusk, Ph.D., University of Illinois, Chicago, professor, chair 
Nailya Almagambetova, Ph.D., Syracuse University, assistant professor
Karen Baldwin, Ph.D., University of Illinois, Chicago, associate professor 
Wendy Bostwick, Ph.D., University of Illinois, Chicago, assistant professor
Catherine Carlson, Ph.D., Indiana University, assistant professor
Virginia Cassidy, Ed.D., Northern Illinois University, professor 
Jie Chen, Ph.D., University of Cincinnati, assistant professor
James R. Ciesla, Ph.D., University of South Carolina, professor
Sarah Conklin, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, professor
Carolinda Douglass, Ph.D., RAND Graduate School of Policy Studies, professor 
Jennifer Gray-Stanley, Ph.D., University of Illinois, Chicago, assistant professor
Judith E. Hertz, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin, associate professor 
Arlene Keddie, Ph.D., University of Texas, assistant professor 
Jinsook Kim, Ph.D., University of California-Los Angeles, assistant professor
Daniel Klein, Ph.D., Southern Illinois University, associate professor
Mary Koren, Ph.D., Rush University, assistant professor 
Nancy LaCursia, Ph.D., Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, assistant professor
Ayhan Lash, Ph.D., University of Chicago, professor
Donna Munroe, Ph.D., University of Southern California, professor 
Kathleen Musker, Ph.D., Loyola University, assistant professor
Nancy Oldenburg, Ed.D., Northern Illinois University, assistant professor
William A. Oleckno, H.S.D., Indiana University, Distinguished Teaching Professor, emeritus
Christina Papdimitriou, Ph.D., Boston University, assistant professor
Donna Plonczynski, Ph.D., University of Illinois, Chicago, associate professor 
Julie Robertson, Ed.D., Northern Illinois University, professor
Jeanette Rossetti, Ed.D., Northern Illinois University, associate professor
Tomoyuki Shibata, Ph.D., University of Miami, assistant professor
Ping Yao, Ph.D., University of Missouri, Columbia, assistant preofessor

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