Nursing (BSN)

The School of Nursing, as an integral part of the University, shares a mission that is consistent with the mission and beliefs of the university. The faculty assumes the responsibility to educate baccalaureate nurses within the framework of the University’s Catholic intellectual tradition and commitment to social justice. We honor our history of dedication, compassion, and strength as the foundation of our core values. We will investigate and interact in the dynamic healthcare arena to keep our faculty and our students at the forefront of nursing. We embrace the pursuit of knowledge, innovation, and future thinking.

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is earned through multiple pathways. Upon degree completion, the pre-licensure graduate is eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Pre-licensure students are those students who do not possess a license as a Registered Nurse. BSN students are admitted to begin the major twice a year (January and August). Full and part time options are available through the Nano Nagle Online School of Nursing Program for students with a current, unencumbered LPN or RN license.

Accreditation

The BSN program is approved by the Iowa Board of Nursing, www.nursing.iowa.gov. The BSN program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, (202) 887-6791. http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ccne-accreditation.

Admission Criteria

All students must complete an application and be admitted to the University before applying to the nursing degree program.

To be eligible for admission into the pre-licensure, on campus Nursing Program, students must:

1. Be accepted to the University.
2. Submit a Nursing Program  application by the posted  deadlines. Davenport campus: available at https://sau.edu/nursing Cedar Rapids campus: available through the nursing Administrative Assistant email rbean@mtmercy.edu
3. Achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above.
4. Complete all prerequisite courses with a grade of C or higher.
5. Davenport campus: have no more than 7 outstanding required general education credits at the time of application.
6. Meet any track-specific requirements listed below.
7. Must not have had a nursing license permanently denied, suspended, surrendered, or revoked in the U.S. or any other country as a result of disciplinary action.
8. Pass a criminal background check.

Applicants accepted into the Nursing Program will receive instructions to create an account with the current web-based compliance management system to complete background screening, immunizations, and compliance requirements. Failure to complete requirements by the deadline will result in removal from nursing coursework.

Pre-licensure BSN applicants

In addition to the general requirements, applicants must:

• Complete the following  prerequisite courses or an equivalent:
  • BIOL-211 Microbiology
  • BIOL-230 Human Anatomy & Physiology I
  • BIOL-232 Human Anatomy & Physiology II
  • CHEM-101 Introduction to Chemistry
  • PSYC-105 Introduction to Psychology
  • PSYC-212 Life-Span Developmental Psychology
  • STAT-145 Introductory Statistics
  • COMM-145 Critical Conversation-Finding Your Voice and Building Relationships
• Davenport campus: Early Decision Placement
  • Accepted High School seniors with an unweighted GPA of 3.2 or higher may apply for Early Decision Placement into the BSN program. To retain their placement, they must meet all admission criteria at the time of nursing application. Application deadline is August 1 of the student’s incoming freshman year.
• English Proficiency (if applicable):
  • Davenport campus (Cedar Rapids campus effective Fall 2027)
  • Student’s primary language is not English, the student must meet the required TOEFL® Proficiency set by the Iowa Board of Nursing:
    • TOEFL iBT minimum of 84 with a speaking score of 26
    • TOEFL PBT minimum score of 560IELTS minimum of 6.5 with a speaking score of 7.0

Online LPN to BSN and RN to BSN Applicants

In addition to general requirements, applicants must:

1. Possess an unencumbered license as a Practical (LPN) or Registered Nurse (RN) in a state where SAU is authorized to offer nursing coursework. An unencumbered license must be maintained throughout enrollment.
2. Maintain residency in one of the states where SAU is approved to offer nursing coursework.
3. Graduate from a state-approved associate degree, or diploma nursing program.
4. Complete the prerequisite courses as noted for your program type.
5. Online students are encouraged to have all required general education credit completed before beginning the program.
6. NLN Mobility Exams are not accepted as substitutes for program requirements.

Progression Criteria

To remain in good standing and eligible for enrollment in the nursing program, students must meet the following criteria:

1. Compliance Requirements
   1. Students must meet and have all required health and compliance documentation completed prior to the first day of classes.
   2. Students who fail to meet compliance requirements by the deadline will be administratively removed from clinical courses.
   3. Achieve a minimum grade of C or higher in all nursing, prerequisite, and co-requisite courses.
2. Grading Parameters
   1. Grades are not subject to rounding.
   2. Maintain a 74% average on all course exams.
   3. In courses that have exams, if the exam average is below 74%, the exam average will be recorded as the final course grade, regardless of other assignment grades.
   4. In courses that have a clinical component, failure in the clinical portion results in a course failure.
3. Complete all prerequisite nursing courses before progressing to the next semester.
4. Davenport campus: Pre-licensure, on-campus students must successfully complete their entire semester courses prior to the beginning of the next.
5. Course Repetition
   1. Students who receive one unsatisfactory grade (C- or lower) may retake the course once. For on-campus, pre-licensure students, a course withdrawal is considered an unsatisfactory attempt and is subject to the same retake policy. Online students see the Program Interruption and Reentry Policy in the Nursing Handbook.
   2. Before repeating, the student must meet with the Nursing Success Coach to develop and follow a remediation plan. Students who receive two unsatisfactory grades, whether in the same or different nursing courses, will be dismissed from the nursing program.

Fees

 There are additional fees associated with the nursing program. 

Degree Requirements for a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing

Nursing students are required to complete the Core courses as identified in this catalog (120+ credits).

BSN program Requirements:

Nano Nagle Online BSN program requirements: