NURSING
Overview
Since the
founding of The Department of Nursing and Allied Health Professions in
1968, IUP offers a tradition of preparing professional nurses to meet the
challenging demands of health care. Over
2300 students have graduated from the Bachelor of Science in Nursing
degree program and more than 300 students have graduated from the Master
of Science in Nursing degree program. These graduates take their strong
nursing
education and liberal studies foundation with them into exciting
and challenging clinical practices settings.
Alumni are found practicing nursing in health care facilities
throughout Pennsylvania and across the country and throughout the world.
Both
the baccalaureate and master’s degree programs are fully accredited by
the
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
(CCNE) through December 2009 attesting to the quality of the program and
the continued commitment of support for these degrees.
Undergraduate Program
The
120-credit program of study for the
Bachelor
of Science in Nursing consists of three components of the
curriculum:
One part is the liberal studies component required by the university. Many
of these courses are taken in the first four semesters of study.
Another part of the curriculum consists of the natural science courses.
These courses are usually taken in the first four semesters of
study.
The third component of the program consists of six semesters of nursing
courses that begin in the fall semester of the sophomore year.
Each semester combines classroom nursing courses with clinical
coursework experience in a variety of patient care settings.
Special
Requirements
Before
beginning the first clinical course, students must complete a
comprehensive health screening. This
screening includes, but may not be limited to, a hepatitis B vaccine,
tuberculosis screening, and assurances of immunity to chicken pox and
measles. Students also have
to provide documentation of routine eye and dental care and have a
physical examination. Urine
drug screens may be required prior to placement in select clinical
settings. All students must
be screened for criminal records and child abuse history on an annual
basis. Students are also expected to carry professional liability
insurance, maintain CPR certification, and purchase student uniforms and
health assessment equipment. The
department may require students to purchase and complete various
assessment tests throughout the curriculum.
Many of these special requirements are at the student’s own
expense. Further details and
up-to-date requirements can be found in the student information handbook.
RN Track
BS
in Nursing
The
Bachelor of Science degree is nursing is also available for registered
nurses who are graduates of accredited diploma or associated degree
nursing programs and who meet IUP’s admission requirements.
A separate
track for RN students is
designed to award 30 nursing credits for prior nursing course work,
eliminating the need to repeat nursing courses.
Registered nurse students will still fulfill all degree
requirements set forth by the university.
This specialized track for RNs is designed to prepare the
professional nurse to function as a provider, designer, manager, and
coordinator of care in a variety of health care settings.
Nursing clinical coursework will focus on development of leadership
skills and community health nursing to meet the personal learning needs of
the RN.
Graduate
Program
The program
leading to a Master of Science degree in nursing is fully accredited by the
Commission on Collegiate Education. It is designed to prepare the graduate for
advanced practice nursing roles as a nurse administrator or a nurse educator and
serves as a foundation for doctoral study.
The outcomes
of the graduate program are:
-
Provide leadership
that influences and contributes to the advancement of the
nursing profession
-
Synthesize
advanced skills and scientific knowledge into advanced nursing practice roles
-
Utilize new
knowledge to provide high quality health care, initiate change, and improve
the practice of nursing
-
Evaluate the effectiveness of
advanced nursing practice initiatives
Course
work builds on the knowledge and skills gained in a basic nursing education
program. It provides the theoretical and practical knowledge required for
advanced nursing practice in diverse settings within a rapidly changing health
care system. Nurse administrators assume leadership roles in planning,
organizing and implementing care across the spectrum of health care settings.
Nurse educators assume the responsibility as nurse educator, patient educator or
nursing staff development in a variety of academic and health care settings.
The Master of Science in nursing program offers
two 36-credit tracks, the Nursing Administration track and the Nursing Education
track for baccalaureate prepared registered nurses.
Clinical Sites
A
variety of clinical sites and agencies are used to enhance the learning
opportunities for student nurses. IUP
affiliates with outstanding clinical agencies such as
Indiana
Hospital,
Latrobe Area Hospital and
Westmoreland Regional
Hospital.
Undergraduate students also spend clinical time in other clinical
facilities such as home health care agencies, schools, nursery schools,
day care agencies, physicians’ offices, clinics, wellness centers, and
long-term care facilities. The
undergraduate nursing program also provides an opportunity to work closely
with one nurse in a clinical setting during the final clinical courses.
For this experience, students may choose to practice in other
clinical facilities such as the
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center or
Allegheny General Hospital in areas such as the emergency department, an
oncology unit, or medical-surgical units.
Career Information
Nursing
provides secure employment for the future.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports employment among RNs will
grow faster than average for all occupations through 2008.
Nurses
practice everywhere. Many
nurses do practice in the traditional hospital setting, but that is just
one of the many clinical settings for employment.
Nurses also practice in places such as home care, clinics, offices,
schools, hospice, occupational settings, and health and wellness centers.
The nursing profession offers a wide variety of specialties
including work with babies, children, teenagers, adults or the elderly.
The impact of nursing is felt across the lifespan and chances are
there are jobs in the specialty areas of choice.
Starting
salaries are impressive. Entry-level
staff nurses may earn from $30,000 to $45,000 per year plus have
substantial benefit packages. Nurses
with experience or advanced degrees earn even more.
To
learn more about professional nursing organizations, check out these links
The
National League for Nursing www.nln.org
The American Nurses
Association www.nursingworld.org
American
Association of Colleges of Nursing www.aacn.nche.edu
Sigma
Theta Tau International www.nursingsociety.org
The
National Student Nurses Association www.nsna.org
To learn about scholarships, job opportunities, and the alumni directory
services offered by After College, go to
http://www.aftercollege.com/groups/ccenter.asp?fct=1&ID=1538201570
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