Nursing

Dean - Janiszewski Goodin

Interim Associate Dean Pre-licensure Programs - Segovia

Interim Associate Dean Graduate Program - Zamaripa

Professors - Janiszewski Goodin

Associate Professor - Taylor

Assistant Professors - Segovia, Zamaripa

Instructors - Anderson, Baker, Hoag, Pierson, Steele, Stevens, Sung, Whitcraft

Program Information: http://www.capital.edu/nursing/

Introduction and History

The nursing program was established in 1950 as a department in the College of Arts and Sciences and is now an integral academic unit in the School of Natural Sciences, Nursing and Health. There are three distinct nursing programs that make up the nursing program. The traditional undergraduate program in nursing provides students the opportunity to blend a strong liberal arts foundation with professional studies. The faculty members are skilled professionals as well as dedicated teachers. Student experiences in a wide variety of healthcare facilities throughout Columbus and Franklin County provide a broad base of knowledge and skill for professional practice.

The Capital Nursing Accelerated Program (ABSN) is designed for individuals who have a completed BA or BS degree in a non-nursing field who wish to make a career change to nursing. The degree granted for this program is the BSN. This is a pre-licensure program that has the option to integrate MSN courses into the curriculum.

The department offers a BSN to MSN fast-track option for students with a 3.5 GPA cumulative or higher. Students in the traditional undergraduate nursing program may apply to this program in their junior year and take selected 500-level courses during their junior and senior year.

The School also offers the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree with concentrations in administration, legal studies, and nursing education. Dual degrees are available in nursing and administration (MSN/MBA), and nursing and law (MSN/JD.) Admission to the MSN program requires a BSN or Associates’ degree in Nursing and a Bachelor’s degree in another field.

Faculty offices, classrooms, assessment rooms, nursing skills, simulation and computer laboratories are located in the Battelle Memorial Hall of Science and Nursing. The assessment rooms and laboratories are equipped to allow students to develop their skills in simulated clinical settings in preparation for actual practice in healthcare facilities. The Helene Fuld Health Trust Learning Resources Laboratory provides computers for student use.

There are opportunities to participate in service/learning-related health promotion activities off campus for shorter periods of time. The off-campus opportunities are open to all nursing students.

The School of Nursing is approved by the Ohio Board of Nursing to offer pre-licensure BSN programs. Both the undergraduate and graduate nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and endorsed by the American Nurses Holistic Certification Corporation. Capital University is a charter member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).

Mission

Educating professional nurse leaders to promote and enhance holistic health, healing, and well-being with diverse people in the world.

Philosophy

Capital University is a comprehensive, private, church-related university philosophically committed to providing a liberal arts education within a caring and inclusive environment. The School of Nursing supports the University’s mission, values, and goals and the fundamental commitment to its Lutheran heritage. The School of Nursing encourages the development of the total person: intellectual, physical, psychosocial, moral, ethical, and spiritual. Recognizing the unique worth of each student, the faculty support students as they develop and work toward the attainment of their individual learning goals. Through collaborative experiences, students actively participate in a competency-based learning process in a caring culture that values diversity and equity.

Nursing incorporates the art and science of caring and focuses on the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing; and alleviation of suffering through compassionate presence. Nursing is the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations in recognition of the connection of all humanity (ANA, 2021). Nurses, as members of an interprofessional team, enter into therapeutic partnerships with care recipients in all spheres of care. Through their professional roles e.g. clinician, educator, advocate, researcher, leader, consultant, and role model, nurses provide safe, quality holistic healthcare.

The faculty of the School of Nursing embrace the core values of holistic nursing as the fundamental tenets within the discipline. The goal of holistic nursing is whole person healing. Holistic nurses recognize the totality of the human being - the interconnectedness of body, mind, emotion, spirit, social/cultural, relationship, context, and the environment. The holistic nurse is an instrument of healing and facilitates individuals, families, groups, and populations to attain or maintain optimum levels of health and well-being throughout the lifespan and in all spheres of care.

Professional education focuses on the attainment of a specialized body of knowledge, skills, and attitudes pertaining to a discipline through commitment to the social, ethical, and scholarly standards of the profession. It fosters the professionals’ acceptance of responsibility for critical thinking and clinical judgment congruent with the level of practice. Nursing education develops students who provide culturally sensitive, ethically grounded, and spiritually appropriate, evidence-informed/based health care. Inherent in holistic nursing education is attention to self-development. This requires nurses to integrate self-care, self-responsibility, spirituality, and reflection in their own lives. The pre-licensure nursing programs provide a foundation for the development of self, creativity, maturity, and the growth of intellectual, cultural, and leadership skills and perspectives. The graduate program extends the development of these qualities in both depth and scope.

Nursing knowledge is acquired through empirical, personal, ethical, aesthetic, and social knowing. Education occurs in an environment of scholarly inquiry and is dedicated to preparing students to care about and for care recipients across the lifespan. Nursing students also develop respect for the inherent worth of every human being, reflect upon personal values and attitudes, and demonstrate commitment to lifelong learning and to the profession. Preparation for baccalaureate professional nursing practice is based on a program of study that includes the art and science of nursing: human, physical, and behavioral sciences; and the university’s signature learning courses - e.g. ethics, global awareness; fine arts, and humanities. Preparation for graduate professional nursing practice builds on the undergraduate foundation and is based on a program of study that includes the application of nursing knowledge, theories, research, and advanced clinical and leadership skills within an interprofessional context. Graduate nurses serve as leaders in healthcare and the profession of nursing. Synthesis of theories, principles and research from nursing and related disciplines produces knowledge that contributes to a distinctive science of nursing.

Nursing is a career of significance for its impact on and value to society. Nurses make a difference in people’s lives as they care for the whole, enhancing human health and wellness and enabling hope. Their presence is a constant, and nursing practice occurs whenever, wherever, and however a need is identified. Graduates of the Capital University School of Nursing are prepared in the art and science of human caring, respectful of their role in this significant profession.

Goals of the Pre-Licensure Program

In addition to the competencies of the Signature Learning Goals of the University, the goals/outcomes/competencies of the prelicensure programs are based on the philosophy and the conceptual framework of the undergraduate curriculum of the Capital University School of Nursing. The Conceptual Framework for the nursing curriculum is located in the Prelicensure Nursing Handbook. The curriculum concepts are designed to prepare entry-level generalists and professional practitioners in nursing, who practice from an evidence base and provide holistic, safe, quality care to individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations.

Health is the central concern of nursing and is the core concept of the conceptual framework for the pre-licensure curriculum. The conceptual framework is organized around six additional concepts: These concepts include four professional nursing practice concepts: Critical Thinking / Clinical Judgment, Caring, Communication and Transitions. The framework also includes two concepts that comprise the context of nursing practice: Culture, and Systems.

Graduates of the prelicensure nursing programs will demonstrate standards of professional nursing practice while:

Using critical thinking and clinical judgment in the process of clinical reasoning to answer, impact, or resolve clinical problems, questions, or issues.

Competencies demonstrating critical thinking/clinical judgment include the ability to:

Apply relevant knowledge, theory, experience, standards, principles, or models from the liberal arts, biological, behavioral and nursing sciences as a framework for interpretation.
Utilize cognitive, empirical, intuitive, and reflective processes for clinical reasoning.
Holistically collect and purposefully analyze data to identify clinical problems, questions, or issues among individuals, families, groups, and communities.
Appraise and acknowledge salient factors to determine the level of health and well-being present.
Develop a prioritized plan of care based on effective decision-making and grounded in theory, experience, standards of care, and/or care bundles.
Deliver safe, competent, and effective, holistic nursing care based on cognitive, psychomotor, and affective knowledge and skills with individuals, families, groups, communities and populations.
Analyze and apply levels of evidence to develop an evidence-based practice that reflects best practices in patient care management.
Evaluate the efficiency, effectiveness and quality of the care provided in relation to expected patient outcomes or benchmarks.
Explain how the interrelationships among individuals, families, groups, environment, and factors among professional nursing practice, and the healthcare context influence health and well-being as well as healthcare.

Demonstrating the holistic caring practice of professional nursing.

Competencies demonstrating caring include the ability to:

Use cognitive, psychomotor and/or affective therapeutic interpersonal processes to comfort, value, nurture, and facilitate health and well-being of individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations.
Convey unconditional, positive regard, honor, intention, respect, and hope to clients, intraprofessional and interprofessional team members.
Practice holistic carative behaviors that enhance both patient care and self-care.
Provide safe, skilled, nursing care interventions in accordance with standards of practice.
Incorporate complimentary and alternative health modalities and holistic healing interventions in nursing practice.
Provide patient-centered care in the context of holistic health promotion, disease prevention, risk reduction holistic illness care, rehabilitation, and palliation.

Communicating effectively to collaborate with clients and inter/intraprofessional teams.

Competencies demonstrating effective communication include the ability to:

Use appropriate written, verbal, and nonverbal communication skills.
Develop and demonstrate effective communication abilities of presence, intention, centering, professionalism, active listening, and interpersonal/transpersonal connection when working with clients, faculty, peers, and members of the healthcare team.
Use principles of therapeutic communication in the delivery of nursing care.
Acknowledge and use the contributions of clients and members of the health care delivery systems.
Demonstrate communication behaviors that facilitate and maintain patient safety and quality care.
Document nursing care according to current professional, ethical, and legal guidelines.
Recognize and utilize standard nursing language systems.
Delegate tasks to others in accordance with professional, ethical, and legal standards.
Represent the Department of Nursing and affiliating agencies with respect and dignity.
Advocate for safe, quality, nursing care.
Demonstrate effective teaching/learning principles & strategies in the classroom and in the healthcare setting taking into consideration level of knowledge, literacy, culture, readiness, and ability.

Facilitating transitions for self and clients.

Competencies demonstrating transitions include the ability to:

Facilitate and advocate for clients through the life span and health continuum, recognizing patterns and salience of transition indicators, facilitators and inhibitors.
Incorporate the Patient Bill of Rights and Professional Organization Standards in client care situations.
Demonstrate personal responsibility and accountability for professional behaviors.
Transition to the professional role from classroom, lab, and theory to clinical practice.
Transition from knowledge to practices of self-care to the care of individuals, to clients, clients and their families, to multiple individuals, and to community and population arenas.
Develop principles of leadership and professionalism during the transition to the role of the beginning professional nurse.
Integrate principles of change theory while navigating transitional conditions in the education process and within healthcare environments.

Demonstrating cultural competence.

Competencies demonstrating cultural competence include the ability to:

Develop cultural awareness, knowledge, and skill, toward the desire to work holistically with clients from diverse backgrounds.
Be sensitive to and respect the beliefs, values, norms, lifeways, and healthcare practices of individuals and groups from diverse backgrounds.
Acquire knowledge about a client and/or cultural group and practice skills of cross-cultural communication, cultural assessment, cultural interpretation, and intervention when providing care.
Engage effectively in cross-cultural encounters in the educational or healthcare setting.

Functioning within a variety of systems.

Competencies demonstrating ability to function within healthcare systems include the ability to:

Provide for coordination and continuity of care across health care settings.
Involve clients, their support systems, and other healthcare professionals when providing and managing nursing care in a variety of settings.
Function safely in intra/inter professional collaboration and teamwork.
Analyze safety and quality concerns in health care systems.
Demonstrate competent skills in clinical information systems and with clinical technology with regard for human-machine interactions and latent effects of technology.
Adopt and comply with ethical and legal principles related to professional nursing practice.
Recognize the influence of health policy and economics on the healthcare system and on health outcomes.

Admission procedure

Direct admission to the Traditional Undergraduate Program is selective. Measures of academic performance (reflected in grade point average, class rank, and standardized tests), recommendations and participation in extracurricular activities are considered. All nursing students must possess the capability to complete, with or without reasonable accommodations, the curriculum and clinical practice (See Pre-licensure Handbook for Essential Performance Requirements). Students who do not meet the standards for direct admission into the School of Nursing (SON) may be admitted to the University as pre-nursing students. Once they have successfully completed the requirements outlined in the Change of Major form, as specified in the Bulletin and Student Handbook, they may apply for admission into the SON.

Admission to the ABSN program is selective and based on the following requirements. Evidence of a completed baccalaureate or higher degree from a regionally accredited college or university with 2.7 cumulative grade point average (GPA) is required. The GPA will be weighted if multiple transcripts are presented, but at a minimum, one transcript must show a completed baccalaureate or higher degree. In addition, a written essay and three recommendations are required; candidates for admission may be interviewed. Minimum prerequisites must be completed prior to acceptance, and include microbiology, human anatomy and physiology, bio / chemistry, and life span development. Science pre-requisites must have been taken within the last five years and must include a lab component. A grade of C or better is required in all sciences. In addition, students must possess the capability to complete “Essential Performance Requirements.”

Students seeking admission to the ABSN program under specific partnership agreements or pathways with clinical agencies may have elements of the admissions criteria including resume, essay, and/or references waived as stipulated and listed in the partnership agreements when equivalent criteria have been included and documented in the selection process by the organizational partner.

Transfer admission for Traditional Undergraduate Program/Advanced Standing Policy

Transfer admission is selective and based on prior academic performance and seats available.

Students should apply to the admission office for admission into the School of Nursing and meet university and Nursing admission standards. All other requirements for traditional undergraduate admission must be met, including TOEFL scores that meet the traditional undergraduate standard for international or ESL students. Online applications are available.
A weighted grade point average of 2.7* or higher for all college or university work completed is required. Sciences that apply to the major should have been taken within the last five years with a minimum grade of C for those sciences that have a laboratory component. (* A weighted cumulative GPA considers the cumulative GPA from each college/university attended and weights the GPA by the amount of completed semester hours of coursework at each college/university. A weighted average is then calculated.)
To begin clinical courses, students must have completed the following courses:
One semester of Anatomy and Physiology

Microbiology

Chemistry

Transfer students with less than 30 credits will be admitted as pre-nursing students. Once the student achieves the following, they may apply for admission to the nursing program.

2.7 Cumulative GPA
Completion of the following courses:
- BIOL 170 (Grade of C or better is required)
- CHEM 150 (Grade of C or better is required)
- PSYCH 120 and PSYCH 121
- NURS 110 (Grade of C+ or better is required)
- MATH 110 (May be exempt due to placement by university policy)
- ENGL 100 (May be exempt due to placement by university policy)
- ENGL 111
- UC 120
- UC 170

Students need to submit transcript(s) for all college or university courses. Equivalency of course credits for transfer to the nursing major will be determined jointly by the School of Nursing Chair or a designee and the university registrar.
A personal interview with the Associate Dean or designated faculty member may be requested if necessary.
Transfers from other nursing programs are handled on an individual basis. Syllabi will be requested from all nursing courses and reviewed by a nursing faculty. A letter of recommendation from the previous nursing director/dean/chair or the nursing academic adviser may be required to transfer nursing credit into the sophomore, junior and senior year.
Students need to be in good standing in the nursing program.
The applicant with advanced standing must be able to meet all criteria for graduation from Capital University.

Transfer admission for Capital Nursing Accelerated Program (ABSN)

Transfer admission is selective and based on prior academic performance and seats available.

Students should apply for admission to the ABSN Program and meet University and School of Nursing ABSN standards, including but not limited to completion of prerequisite courses prior to the intended start date, grade point average, and completed baccalaureate degree in another field. All other requirements for A-BSN admission must be met, including TOEFL scores that meet the A-BSN standard for international or ESL students.
An official transcript, from an accredited college or university, demonstrating prior admission to an accelerated (second-degree) registered nursing program must be provided.
For advanced standing in the ABSN program, syllabi for each course for which the applicant requests waiver must be submitted to the designee. Courses for which the applicant is seeking waiver must have been successfully completed by ABSN standards. Equivalency of course credit for transfer to the accelerated nursing major will be determined jointly by the designee and the University Registrar.
The applicant may have an interview with the Associate Dean and designated faculty members.
The applicant will submit a letter of recommendation from the previous Dean or academic nursing adviser from the nursing program in which the applicant was previously enrolled.
The applicant with advanced standing must be able to meet all criteria for graduation from Capital University.

Change of major to the Traditional Undergraduate Program

Students who wish to change major to nursing from another academic program at CU will apply to the School of Nursing by contacting the Associate Dean for the Pre-Licensure Program. Change of major to nursing is not automatic. It will be based on CU academic performance, match of prerequisite courses, and seats available. Change of major students with less than 30 credits will be admitted as pre-nursing students. Once the student achieves the following, they may apply for admission to the nursing program:

2.7 Cumulative GPA
Completion of the following courses:
- BIOL 170 (Grade of C or better is required)
- CHEM 150 (Grade of C or better is required)
- PSYCH 120 and PSYCH 121
- NURS 110 (Grade of C+ or better is required)
- MATH 110 (May be exempt due to placement by university policy)
- ENGL 100 (May be exempt due to placement by university policy)
- ENGL 111
- UC 120
- UC 170

Students must notify the Associate Dean of the School of Nursing of their intention to apply to the program before registering for any clinical course. Notification of intent to apply must be provided at least 12 weeks prior to the first day of classes for the semester. Approval is subject to space availability.

Re-admission to the Traditional Undergraduate Program

The University “Readmission as a Degree Candidate” form will be used. However, the following requirements will be applied:

No more than three years have lapsed since last attendance and no more than one year for an ABSN student.
If the curriculum has been changed since the last date of attendance, the student shall meet the program’s curriculum requirements for the currently entered students.
As long as the student wishing to be readmitted was in good standing at the time he/she left and seats are available, the Associate Dean of the program may authorize reinstatement into the appropriate rotation.
Students wanting to be readmitted who left without being in good standing must petition the Academic Affairs Committee of the program for approval to readmit. Applications are accepted based on the presence of new and compelling information. The petition is to be addressed to the AAC explaining the reason for leaving, work done to support a readmit decision, and discussion of actions to be taken to be successful returning to the program.
After these requirements are met, readmission is also based on the space availability in the program.

Curriculum Requirements

For students enrolled in the Traditional Undergraduate Program, the nursing curriculum requires 124 semester hours of credit that may be completed in four academic years. Two years are required for lower division study and two years of upper-division study.

For students enrolled in the ABSN Program, the nursing curriculum requires 65 semester hours of credit which are completed in two academic years (five consecutive semesters including the summer term). The curriculum consisting of upper division undergraduate courses is sequential. Three graduate level courses are included in the curriculum; these courses are non-sequential and are taken beginning in the second semester. Clinical experiences begin in the first semester and continue throughout the curriculum, culminating in a practicum experience during the final semester.

Traditional Undergraduate and ABSN Students are required to pass a standardized test at a required level in their senior year; students who do not achieve the required level will need to document enrollment in an approved NCLEX preparation course in order to be administratively certified to sit for the R.N. licensing exam. Students identified “at risk” will also be required to take an NCLEX-RN review course during their senior year. Additional information concerning standardized testing requirements in the nursing program is published in the Nursing Student Handbook for Pre-Licensure Programs.

Signature Learning Education Goals are located in the bulletin.

Placement into Reading & Writing and Quantitative Reasoning is based on ACT scores. For students who placed in English 100 or Math 110 as prerequisite for the specific general education course, the prerequisite will be counted as general elective credit. If courses are waived with no credit granted, credits are made up with electives to meet the graduation credit requirement. ROTC students will be enrolled in Military Science course work each term. This work will be identified as general elective course work to the Nursing major.

Clinical Facilities

In selecting clinical settings for students in the nursing program, the School of Nursing is responsive to dramatic and rapid changes occurring within the health care system. Nursing skills are developed and refined in traditional practice settings such as hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities. Home care settings provide an opportunity to learn and practice skills necessary to deliver comprehensive care to clients and their families. Institutions such as schools and businesses afford students the opportunity to develop competencies in providing care to groups and select populations. Students must comply with all clinical agency guidelines and the Ohio Administrative Codes as set forth by the Ohio Board of Nursing.

Grading Policies for Nursing

All courses in nursing are graded on the following scale:

A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
F

93-100
90-92
87-89
83-86
80-82
78-79
73-77
70-72
67-69
60-66
59 and below

Students must achieve a 78% exam average AND have an overall score of 78% or higher to successfully pass a nursing course. Students taking graduate courses need to refer to the Graduate Nursing Student Handbook for the grading scale used in graduate level nursing courses (e.g., NURS 500, NURS 520, NURS 530).

THE 78% RULE / CLINICAL UNSATISFACTORY IN NURSING COURSES:

Students are required to demonstrate a “C+” (78%) or higher in any undergraduate nursing course. Students who receive a grade below “C+” (78%) in a nursing course must repeat the course and earn a grade of “C+” in order to progress in the nursing program.
Students must achieve an average grade of “C+” (78%) or higher on the exam component of each nursing course. If a student’s exam average is below 78%, they will fail the course, and their exam average will be the final grade reported, as other assignments will not be factored in.
Clinical practice and/or a laboratory component in a course must be passed with an earned grade of satisfactory. An unsatisfactory in clinical practice or in the laboratory setting will result in a C, unless the student’s earned grade is lower than a C, in which case they will receive the lower grade earned.

Academic and Continuation Policies of Nursing Programs

Continuation in nursing requires demonstration of capable and acceptable performance in nursing. The nursing faculty reserves the right to recommend the withdrawal of a student who appears academically and/or personally unable to fulfill professional responsibilities in nursing.

In the Traditional Undergraduate Program, no more than two total individual nursing courses may be repeated. An individual nursing course may be repeated only one time; however, no more than one of the total nursing courses failed and repeated may be a 300 or 400 level course. In the Accelerated Program (ABSN), no more than one required nursing course may be repeated. An individual nursing course may be repeated only one time. Courses may be repeated contingent upon space availability. Lapses in enrollment or progression of greater than one academic year require application for readmission to the academic program.

In the Traditional Undergraduate Program, the student must meet the following standards to progress in the curriculum:

Fitrst year students must have a minimum GPA Accum ≥ 2.7 at the end of the first year to retain their seat in the nursing program. Students must have a minimum CUM GPA ≥ 2.7 to progress to NURS 300 . If their GPA falls below this standard, they will be dismissed from the nursing program, but will be given the opportunity to change majors prior to enrolling for the next academic term.

In order to progress into 300 level nursing courses, the following is required:

Earned GPA Cumulative ≥ 2.7.
An earned grade of “C” or better in all required biological/physical sciences (BIOL 100 , BIOL 231 , BIOL 232 , BIOL 280 and CHEM 150 ). A grade of “C-” in science courses is not acceptable.
An earned grade of “C+” or better in NURS 110 and NURS 201 .
If a fall semester grade in a science is below a “C,” the student may progress to the second semester course in the sequence but must repeat the science course to raise the grade to a “C” or higher before progression to the upper division nursing courses.
All sciences transferred in must include a laboratory component and may not be online unless pre-approved. Students need to request an official transcript be sent to Capital University prior to the first day of NURS 300 .

Students who have not been successful in NURS 300 or NURS 301 may not continue to progress to higher level nursing courses. Only one 300 or 400 level nursing course may be repeated in the nursing program.

Required Nursing Courses

Students must achieve an average grade of “C+” (78%) or higher in all nursing courses in order to pass each course.
Student nurse performance in clinical and laboratory will be graded as satisfactory or unsatisfactory using the clinical evaluation tool. Students will fail a clinical nursing course if they are unsatisfactory in any area of the clinical and laboratory evaluation tool.
Clinical practice in a required clinical course must be satisfactory or the grade for the course will be no higher than a “C”.
Students must achieve a ≥ 78% on the exam component in each required nursing course, or the grade for the course will be no higher than a “C”.

Progression through the Accelerated Nursing Curriculum (ABSN)

300 and 400-level nursing courses in each semester must be completed satisfactorily prior to enrollment in the subsequent semester courses. A student, with adviser support, may petition the Academic Affairs Committee for an exception to the policy based on rationale and significant merit; however, placement in a different level is based on space availability.
Nursing courses designated as prerequisite courses must be satisfactorily completed prior to starting the program.
A cumulative grade point average of 2.25 or higher must be achieved to continue to progress to subsequent semesters.
Registration for 500-level courses will be facilitated by the student’s adviser and the Associate Dean of the Graduate Nursing Program, due to space considerations.
All 500-level core courses must be completed with a C+ or better. If a student receives less than a C+ in a 500-level course, the student may progress in the 300 and 400-level ABSN courses and repeat the 500-level course in which he/she earned less than a C+ grade prior to graduation.
Students must achieve a > 78% on the exam component in each nursing course in order to pass the nursing course. Students must also achieve a minimum of 78% in the overall course grade to pass the nursing course. If a student’s exam average is below 78%, they will fail the course, and their exam average will be the final grade reported, as other assignments will not be factored in.

Graduation requirements for the Traditional Undergraduate Program

For the Traditional Undergraduate Program, students must complete 124 semester hours and all required nursing and science courses. Nursing courses must be completed with a grade of “C+” or higher and science courses must be completed with a minimum grade of “C” or higher.
A cumulative grade point average of 2.25 or higher in all courses taken at Capital University is required.
Students in the pre-licensure programs (the traditional undergraduate program and ABSN) must pass the standardized exit-RN exam before certification for graduation will be made. See “Standardized Testing” below. Students that are unsuccessful in achieving the minimum criterion on the exit-RN exam will be required to take an additional NCLEX Review/ Preparation Course before certification for the NCLEX-RN licensure exam will be made.

ABSN Graduation requirements

Academic graduation requirements include the following:

Completion of 65 semester hours and all the required ABSN courses, including the three graduate-level courses, NURS 500, NURS 520, and NURS 530.
A grade of “C+” or better in all undergraduate and graduate nursing courses, and a cumulative grade point average of 2.25 or higher for all courses taken at Capital.
Note: While a 2.25 cumulative grade point average is sufficient for graduation from the program, students wishing to apply to the Master of Science in Nursing program should note that the admission requirement for that program is set at a 3.0 or higher cumulative grade point average.
ABSN students in the pre-licensure program must pass the standardized exit-RN exam with the required minimum score before certification for the NCLEX-RN licensure exam will be made. See “Standardized Testing” below. Students who are unsuccessful in achieving the minimum criterion on the exit-RN exam will be required to take an additional NCLEX Review/Preparation Course prior to certification for the NCLEX-RN licensure exam.

Standardized Testing for the Traditional Undergraduate Program and the ABSN Program

Standardized testing is used throughout the nursing curriculum to help ensure that students are prepared for the NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination-RN.) Students will take Specialty Exams in designated nursing courses to assess learning outcomes during their progression throughout the curriculum. Students will also complete required case studies and practices exams to enhance their learning prior to taking the assessment exams in nursing courses. Students will be required to participate in a Supplemental Learning Program (SLP) if their scores on the Specialty Assessment Exams do not reach the minimum criterion defined in the Nursing Student Handbook. In addition, two exit examinations are administered during the last year of the program. Students who do not receive a 900 on the first Exit-RN will be required to enroll in the NCLEX-RN review course prior to taking the required second Exit-RN in the next semester. Students who do not achieve a minimum of 900 on the second EXIT-RN exam are required to take an extra NCLEX review course at their own expense. A certificate of completion of the review will be required prior to certification for the NCLEX-RN exam. Proof of attendance and completion of the review course must be provided to the School of Nursing prior to the submission of the certification of eligibility to take the licensing examination. The policy regarding Standardized Testing requirements is located in the Nursing Pre-Licensure Student Handbook.

Financial Information

See Section II for information about the cost of the program, the policies and procedures for payment, and scholarship and loan programs available. Scholarship and loan programs of the University are administered through the Office of Financial Aid (Financial Information). Nursing students are afforded the same opportunities for assistance as other students in the University. Tuition for the ABSN program is set annually and is consistent with tuition costs for the graduate nursing program.

Immunizations/Health Assessment

Prior to enrollment in NURS 300 students (traditional and ABSN) must file evidence of up-to-date immunizations and the results of a health assessment. The completion of Hepatitis B, TDaP, MMR, varicella, annual flu shot, and the COVID-19 vaccine are required. Annual TB screening is required of all students before enrollment in clinical courses. Students must comply with all clinical guidelines and the Ohio Administrative Codes set forth by the Ohio Board of Nursing to attend clinicals. Students will be required to upload proof of all requirements to an online management tool as directed by the School of Nursing.

CPR

Prior to enrollment in NURS 300 students (traditional and ABSN) must file evidence of current CPR certification. Certification must be obtained from the American Heart Association, only the BLS for Healthcare Providers certification will be accepted.

Uniforms and Nursing Equipment

Traditional students and ABSN students are responsible for purchasing uniforms as prescribed in the Student Uniform Policy in the Pre-Licensure Student Handbook. Uniforms are not required until the first clinical nursing course.

Drug Testing Policy for Students in Nursing

Hospitals where we place students for clinical experience require, by contract, that Capital University has a drug testing policy for nursing students in place. Capital University must validate for the affiliating agencies that we have a policy and are following the policy. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JACAHO) has mandated this requirement.

In light of these concerns, Capital University has implemented a policy on drug testing of students. The policy can be found in the Nursing Pre-licensure Student Handbook. All students will be drug tested prior to their first clinical course and may be tested for cause or randomly at any time throughout the program.

Liability Insurance

Prior to enrollment in NURS 300 students (traditional and ABSN) must arrange for professional and personal liability insurance coverage. This liability insurance needs to be renewed yearly. Students may not participate in clinical practice unless their liability insurance is up to date.

Eligibility for Licensure and Employment

Sections 173.41, 3701.881, 3712.09, 3721.121 and 3722.151 of the Ohio Administrative Code prohibit the employment of individuals with select criminal records in certain settings: direct care to older adults through passport agencies; care to children and older adults through home health agencies; direct care to older adults in hospice programs; direct care to older adults in adult daycare programs; and direct care to older adults in adult care facilities (nursing homes). Fingerprinting is a required component of a criminal records check. Evidence of a satisfactory criminal records check is required prior to enrollment in NURS 300 for traditional undergraduate and ABSN students, and again as a part of the application for licensure to practice as a registered nurse in Ohio. There is a fee for the criminal records check. An applicant for licensure as a registered nurse in the state of Ohio must divulge any information related to previous licensure or denial of licensure, and any convictions, findings of guilt, guilty plea, no contest plea, Alford plea, treatment in lieu of conviction, or diversion for a number of crimes. The Ohio Board of Nursing may propose to deny an application for any felony, a crime involving gross immorality or moral turpitude, a misdemeanor drug law violation, and a misdemeanor committed in the course of practice. The Ohio Board of Nursing will divert any application for licensure accompanied by a positive criminal record check or positive response to any question on the “compliance” section of the application for licensure by examination for investigation. The Ohio Board of Nursing may deny permission to sit for the licensing exam based upon findings of the investigation, and in accordance with applicable due process laws. Certain crimes are automatic bars to licensure as a registered nurse in Ohio; these crimes include aggravated murder, murder, voluntary manslaughter, felonious assault, kidnapping, rape, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, sexual battery, gross sexual imposition, and aggravated arson.

In addition, the Ohio Board of Nursing requires applicants for licensure to disclose certain mental health diagnoses; that section of the application also includes a requirement for disclosure of designation as a sexual predator. The Board of Nursing requires individuals with these diagnoses to provide information about treatment, present condition and prognosis, and contact information identifying the treating health care professional and/or treatment facility as a part of the application process.

The application for licensure by examination in Ohio may be viewed in its entirety by accessing the Ohio Board of Nursing website at www.nursing.ohio.gov. The Dean of the School of Nursing can discuss, in confidence, any individual situation and can make more referrals for information.

Clinical affiliates (e.g., hospitals and other clinical facilities) contractually require students to submit to drug testing. Drug testing will be done by a certified laboratory, and will be completed, on a random basis, “for cause,” and prior to beginning the first clinical experiences. A complete policy on drug testing for students in Nursing can be found in the Prelicensure Nursing Handbook on the Capital University website.

Students with a diagnosed learning disability who wish to request testing accommodations at the time they take the licensure exam must apply six months in advance to the Board of Nursing in the state to be licensed. Applicants must meet the Board of Nursing’s requirements for the request. Please talk to the Dean of the School of Nursing one year prior to the desired date to make sure you have met the requirements for alternate testing.

Transportation

Students are responsible for their own transportation to agencies for specified experiences. Students may use public transportation, private autos, or carpools.

Nursing Student Handbooks

The Nursing Pre-licensure and Graduate Student Handbooks http://www.capital.edu/Nursing/ that govern the specific program the student is enrolled in, are available online through the Nursing website. These handbooks provide guidelines and policies specifically related to study in nursing. Students will be held accountable to all the academic and professional policies in these handbooks.

Essential Performance Requirements

The nursing students must possess the capability to complete, with or without reasonable accommodations, the entire nursing curriculum. The nursing curriculum requires all students to perform at a high level of competency in all phases of classroom, clinic, and laboratory activities as they will ultimately use the knowledge and competencies attained in professional nursing practice. These will enable them to perform in a manner that will not jeopardize the safety and well-being of patients or themselves. The entire policy and essential performance qualifications required of the student in the nursing curriculum related to sensory/observation, communication, motor, intellectual-conceptual, integrative, behavioral, social and ethical attributes as well as disability services can be found in the Nursing Student Handbook for Pre-Licensure Programs. Upon readmission or leave of absence, students must also attest to performance requirements.