Nursing

Nursing as an art and science is based on scientific, aesthetic, and ethical knowledge. The professional nurse diagnoses and treats human responses to illness, helps restore wellness, promotes health, and brings comfort to the dying patient. Caring, commitment, critical thinking, and practice competence are characteristics of the USI nurse.

Graduates of the USI nursing program are employed in hospitals, long-term care facilities, schools, clinics, research facilities, and numerous other community settings. Clinical specialty areas include medical, surgical, maternal-child, geriatric, and psychiatric nursing. Additional education and experience provide career opportunities in teaching, research, management, and independent practice.

The undergraduate nursing program is designed to prepare the professional nurse as a generalist to plan, implement, and evaluate healthcare for individuals, families, and groups in institutional and community settings.

Completion of the undergraduate program provides the foundation for professional practice and graduate study in nursing. Students completing and meeting the requirements for graduation from the nursing program will be eligible to sit for the registered nurse licensure exam.

In addition to classroom instruction and simulated learning activities, clinical learning occurs in local hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, clinics, and a number of other agencies. Students gain experience with patients in medical, surgical, psychiatric, maternity, pediatric, gerontology, oncology, operating room, critical care, emergency room, post-anesthesia, and community settings. Clinical practice prepares students for employment in these areas following graduation.

The nursing program is accredited by the Indiana State Board of Nursing.  The baccalaureate degree in nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, One Dupont Circle, Suite 530, Washington D. C. 20036, 202-887-6791.

BSN Program Admission Requirements

Admission to the USI baccalaureate nursing program requires admission to the University and a separate application to the nursing program. Admission is competitive and limited by the availability of instructional resources and clinical learning sites.

To be admitted/enrolled in nursing program courses, students must have a minimum grade of C or better in BIOL 121 ; BIOL 122 ; BIOL 272 ; CHEM 141 ; NUTR 376 ; ENG 101 ; ENG 201 ; CMST 101  or CMST 107 ; PSY 201 ; plus one course from either Ways of Knowing/Social Inquiry or BS Skills/Social Science. Students earning less than a C grade in two sciences and/or nutrition courses will not be eligible to be admitted or enrolled in nursing courses.

All students selected for admission to the nursing program also must meet clinical agency requirements, present evidence of satisfactory health status, be eligible for RN licensure, and capable of fulfilling clinical practice requirements. Admission to the nursing program is based on academic qualifications and is contingent upon a satisfactory criminal record check and drug screening. The number of students admitted to the nursing program is limited by the availability of instructional resources and clinical learning sites.

Non-native speakers of English must provide an official report confirming a TOEFL score of 525 (paper test) or 71 (Internet based), or APIEL score of 3, or IELTS score of 6.

Direct admission, standard admission, and second degree admission are available for prospective nursing students.

BSN Direct Admission

Direct admission to the nursing program is possible for students with outstanding high school grades and SAT/ACT scores. Students should apply for direct admission prior to their first semester at USI. To qualify for direct admission, students must have both:

• A high school fall semester senior year cumulative GPA of a 3.5 or above on a 4.0 scale
• One standardized exam score that meets the following requirements:
  • SAT taken after March 2016 with a combined score of 1260 (reading and math, with minimum 580 in each area)
  • ACT composite score of 26

Accepted direct admission students must maintain eligibility by earning a college GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale, by completing the first year prerequisite courses (see below*) prior to August 1 after their first year of college, and by completing all prerequisite second year courses according to the curriculum.

Student with a standard test score which qualifies them for direct admission and a high school GPA of 3.4 to 3.49 on a 4.0 scale OR students with a high school GPA which qualifies them for direct admission and a minimum ACT composite score of 25 or SAT of 1220 (reading and math, with a minimum 560 in each area) may be eligible for Conditional Direct Admission. Please inquire with the Advising Center.  

To complete an application for direct admission please complete and submit the Direct Admission Application. The application should be submitted PRIOR to the start of your course work at USI. A 200 word essay explaining your desire to pursue nursing as a career is required with the application and must be submitted separately either by email to cnhpadmissions@usi.edu or to the secure fax 812-465-7092.

BSN Standard Admission 2018

Application Deadline August 1, 2017

After completion of the first-year required prerequisite courses, pre-nursing students are eligible to apply to the nursing program. Accepted standard admission students must maintain eligibility by completing all prerequisite second-year courses according to the curriculum.

Admission to the program is competitive and the selection of applicants is based upon the following criteria, with a total maximum possible of 50.5 points:

Application Requirements:

• Acceptance to the University of Southern Indiana as an undergraduate student
• Application to the Bachelors of Science in Nursing Program at the College of Nursing and Health Professions
• A 200 word narrative stating your professional goals. Many previous applicants address the reasons they selected nursing as a career, state their current position(s) in nursing, and conclude with a discussion concerning their nursing plans once the BSN is completed. To electronically submit your essay, email the document to cnhpadmissions@usi.edu or use the secure fax 812-465-7092.