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CU College of Nursing - Nursing BS Program, Denver, Colorado

College of Nursing
 

Nursing BS

Program Info


Getting your Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in the major of nursing is the first step to advancing your career. Obtaining a BS degree opens the door to allow you a more versatile work opportunity, nursing leadership positions and is the initial step to seeking a higher degree to expand your horizons within the nursing field.  Determining which option is the best for you is dependent on your educational background, learning style, and life circumstances. If you are undecided, we encourage attending an information session or meeting with an admission specialist to help you determine the best option for you.

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Science (BS) degree program consists of two options.

Traditional option

  • The Traditional pathway is a full-time Bachelor of Science option for you if you have either completed a previous degree(s) or have no previous degree.
  • Students interested in this option apply between August 1 and October 15.
  • Once admitted, students start the following summer semester.
  • The pace of the traditional facilitates integration of learning and acknowledges that students balance a number of responsibilities while completing their nursing education.

The following is the program of study for students who will start June 2012 and after.

The following programs of study are for currently enrolled students.

Accelerated option

  • The Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing is a full time alternative option for you if you have earned a previous bachelor’s by the semester or quarter prior to starting the nursing program.
  • If you want to start spring semester, you may apply April 1 through June 15. If you want to start summer semester, you may apply August 1 through October 15.
  • If you are interested in this option, you can start spring or summer semester.
  • If you are applying for summer admissions, you will be considered for both the Accelerated and Traditional option. 
  • This is a highly intensive, fast-paced program with a rigorous schedule.

The following are programs of study for students who will start June 2012 and after.

The following programs of study are for currently enrolled students.

Course Work

Listed below are the undergraduate courses in the College of Nursing Bachelor of Science program. To view the description of the course, click on the course title.

 
NURS 3001 Introduction to Health Assessment - Fall/Spring/Summer - 3.0 cr.

This course introduces skills of health assessment of persons across the lifespan. Content will be presented in didactic sessions and application will occur in laboratory.

NURS 3002 Fundamentals of Nursing - Fall/Spring - 4.0 cr.

Prereq: NURS 3001, NURS 3103.

This course focuses on nursing interventions of the art and science of human care, as foundations to reflective nursing practice. Content focuses on clinical judgment, basic nursing principles, key nursing interventions, facilitating health and understanding the patient as recipient-participant. Human care concepts are integrated throughout the clinical content of the course.

NURS 3003 Pharmacology - Fall/Spring - 3.0 cr.

Prereq: NURS 3001, NURS 3103.

Lecture course of introductory pharmacology including general concepts (pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, developmental pharmacology, interactions and adverse effects) and overview of major drug groups following a body systems approach. Autonomic system pharmacology and implications for monitoring, drug administration and patient education emphasized.

NURS 3103 Pathophysiology - Fall/Spring/Summer - 3.0 cr.

This course is divided into two content areas: general concepts and specific disease processes. General concepts include the topics of cellular environment, genetics, stress and disease, immunity, inflammation, and cellular proliferation. Exemplar disease processes from the major organ systems are presented.

NURS 3307 Nursing Care of Childbearing Families - Fall/Spring - 6.0 cr.

Prereq: NURS 3002, NURS 3003.

This course focuses on the application of knowledge to clinical practice as it relates to care of childbearing families. Students will explore factors that affect individuals and families during the human experience of childbirth within the context of clinical judgment and critical thinking from a caring framework.

NURS 3407 Nursing Care:Children/Adolescents - Fall/Spring - 6.0 cr.

Prereq: NURS 3002, NURS 3103.

Nursing process directed toward health promotion and maintenance, disease prevention and health restoration for the child, adolescent and family is utilized in clinical practice, laboratory experience and class. Subsystem/pattern variation receives particular emphasis.

NURS 3507 Mental Health Nursing - Fall/Spring/Summer - 6.0 cr.

Prereq: NURS 3999.

Focuses on the nursing care of adolescents and adults in the promotion and restoration of mental health within a variety of clinical settings. Assessments and treatment approaches based on nursing diagnosis and DSM IV classifications will be incorporated into class lectures and clinical practice.

NURS 3999 Adult and Elderly Nursing Care - Fall/Spring/Summer - 6.0 cr.

Prereq: NURS 3002, NURS 3003, NURS3103.

Nursing care of adults and older adults directed toward health promotion, disease prevention, maintenance and restoration of health is emphasized in both theory and clinical practice. The concepts of health, illness, healing and dying are investigated from a human science/caring perspective.

NURS 4020 Nursing Research - Fall/Spring/Summer - 3.0 cr.

Prereq: Undergraduate statistics course.

Introduces foundational concepts of nursing research and promotes the development of the student as a research consumer. The ability to critically evaluate research findings and assess their potential use in clinical practice is an integral component of the course.

NURS 4051 Professional Nursing: Reflective Practice - Fall/Spring/Summer - 3.0 cr.

Social Justice, Issues & Trends

Prereq: NURS 3001, NURS 3002, NURS 3003, NURS 3103.

This course is one of a two-course sequence designed to enhance professional development. Content includes historical, philosophical, theoretical and ethical foundations of nursing, professional issues and trends and two selected practice/inquiry foci for theory-based, evidence-guided reflective nursing practice.

NURS 4070 Professional Nursing: Environmental Context - Fall/Spring - 3.0 cr.

for Practice: Bioethical & Legal Foundations

Prereq: NURS 3002, NURS 3003, NURS 4051.

Examines societal context of nursing practice and health care delivery. Emphasis is given to environmental context of U.S. health care system and bioethical/legal parameters which influence professional nursing practice and achievement of quality/cost effective outcomes.

NURS 4097 Nursing Care of Adults with Complex Disease Processes - Fall/Spring - 6.0 cr.

Prereq: NURS 3999.

Nursing Care directed toward maintenance and restoration of health for adult individuals experiencing multiple, complex alterations in health in both theory and clinical practice. Advanced concepts important in the understanding of health, illness, dying and death will be considered using a human science/caring perspective.

NURS 4128 Senior Integrated Practicum - Fall/Spring - 6.0-8.0 cr.

Synthesis of theory, research and practice to facilitate clinical reasoning for quality care and clinical outcomes improvement. Leadership and management competencies in organizational skills, communication, conflict management, delegations, interdisciplinary collaboration and decision-making support successful transition into practice and professional development.

NURS 4207 Public Health Nursing - Fall/Spring - 6.0 cr.

Prereq: NURS 3999, NURS 4020.

Students learn the structure and functions of public health services, apply principles of environmental health and epidemiology, provide nursing care to vulnerable and diverse families and develop and implement a health promotion and/or disease prevention program with a community-based population.

NURS 4517 Health Assessment - Summer - 2.0 cr.

This is a basic health assessment course for students who are enrolled in the RN-BS program. These individuals are currently licensed to practice nursing, but who are prepared at the ADN or the diploma levels.

NURS 4593 Case Management - Spring - 6.0 cr.

Innovative integrated nursing case and care management models within the context of today’s managed care delivery system are considered in this course. Accountability, interdisciplinary collaboration, continuity of care, timeliness and cost effectiveness of health care delivery are evaluated within the context of care management.

Clinical Experience

One component of the Bachelor of Science program is clinical experiences. As a student, you will complete credit hours in a clinical setting under the supervision of a nursing professional. This is an integral part of our mission as a college to provide you with comprehensive nursing education. You will have a wide variety of clinical settings and nursing environments in which to complete your clinical hours. The student clinical education section provides instructions for signing up and more information on the clinical experience.

There are very specific requirements concerning immunizations, background checks, etc. that you will need to follow. For more information about what is required before participating in any clinical experience, please review all of the clinical experience requirements.

Faculty

In addition to providing state-of-the-art technology both inside and outside the classroom, the University of Colorado College of Nursing is consistently ranked as one of the nation's top nursing programs. The faculty at the College of Nursing is dedicated to educating graduates using evidence based best practices in all areas of nursing.

Our distinguished faculty have made significant contributions to a wide variety of areas in nursing, including school-based health care, nursing informatics, setting standards in pain management, rural health as well as pediatric nursing. As we look to the future, we continue to expand our areas of influence including public health, health care of children and chronic illness care.  Our clinical faculty practice in many settings, providing a wide variety of specialty care and working with varying populations. An education at the University of Colorado provides opportunities to be educated by some of the nation’s leading nursing clinicians and nurse science researchers.

For more information about our renowned faculty and their research interests, visit and review the College of Nursing faculty pages and bios.

Careers

A Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in nursing provides a wide variety of career choices. Upon successful completion of the BS nursing program and the national licensure examination (NCLEX), baccalaureate prepared nurses are able to choose from a wide variety of practice settings.

Additionally, unlike graduates prepared with an associate degree in nursing, bachelor's prepared nurses are able to pursue advanced degrees in nursing including careers as an adult or pediatric nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, nurse midwife or certified nurse anesthetist. Doctorate level education is also possible for bachelors prepared nurses who wish to pursue a PhD or DNP (doctorate in nursing practice).

Examples of potential practice areas for a Bachelor of Science graduate include:

  • providing patient care in the hospital settings (the most popular choice of nursing graduates)
  • caring for patients in community based settings
  • providing nursing leadership through nursing management positions
  • pursuing a nursing career at Magnet designated hospital facilities
  • providing nursing care to individuals, families and communities internationally
  • working in clinical research by coordinating human subject studies
  • helping shape future nursing clinicians through teaching opportunities

For more information on the wide variety of career options available to BS in nursing graduates, please visit the Johnson and Johnson Discovering Nursing website.