Nursing

• Transfer Credit 
  Most students will be able to transfer credit in for 28 credits of nursing courses including the following courses: NSG 212, NSL 212, NSG 312, NSL 312, NSG 411, NSL 411
• Waiver of Courses 
  Includes content generally taught in nursing programs; Pathophysiology (BIO 307), Abnormal Psychology (PSY 375)
• General Education Requirements 
  Required by WCU for all students (48 credits)
  Includes courses in English composition, mathematics, communication, a Diverse Communities course, an Interdisciplinary course, basic behavioral and social sciences, the arts and humanities, and free electives. Many of these may be transferred from previous educational experiences.
• CLEP Opportunities 
  Credit for life experience (CLEP) exams are accepted for many of the courses offered at West Chester University. Applicants must see Registrar page for accepted courses and where the exam can be taken.

• Pre-requisite to all RN-BSN core nursing coursework: Six credits of English or Writing.
• Pre-requisite to NSG 313: Math 121 or 125 (statistics).
• Required core nursing coursework at WCU (24 credits)
• NSG 330 Professional Nursing Communication Strategies
  2 credits, offered fully online in 7 weeks
  The course is designed for the RN-BSN student to foster beginning skills in scholarly inquiry, scientific writing, and professional communication strategies. The content of this course serves as a foundation for student success in subsequent coursework and must be taken upon admission to the program. This course may be taken concurrently with other nursing or general education coursework.
• NSG 313 Applied Nursing Research
  3 credits, offered fully online in 10 weeks *MAT 121/125 is a pre-requisite to this course.
  This course is designed to introduce the topic of evidence-based practice, which is the integration of existing scientific evidence, clinical judgment, patient preferences, and available resources as it is used in clinical decision making.
• NSG 332 Ethics and Health Policy in Nursing
  3 credits, offered fully online in 7 weeks
  This course is designed to explore the role of ethics in healthcare and public policy. This is an approved Writing Emphasis and Ethics designated course.
• NSG 334 Population and Environmental Health Nursing
  3 credits, offered fully online in 7 weeks - *Must be taken concurrently with NSG 335
  This course will allow students to explore and gain knowledge about the role of the community/public health nurse caring for individuals, families, communities, and populations.
• NSG 335 Population and Environmental Health Nursing Practicum
  2 credits, offered fully online in 7 weeks - * Must be taken concurrently with NSG 334
  This experiential learning experience will allow students to apply their knowledge of the role of the community/public health nurse when caring for individuals, families, communities, and populations.
• NSG 430 Physical and Health Assessments of Diverse Populations Across the Lifespan
  3 credits, offered fully online in 7 weeks
  In this course, students will build a foundation of knowledge and learn concepts and principles underlying assessment of the health status of individuals from culturally diverse backgrounds with emphasis placed on interviewing skills, health histories, and the physical and psychosocial findings in the well person across the lifespan.
• NSG 432 Health Information, Technology, and Quality Improvement
  3 credits, offered fully online in 7 weeks
  This course is designed to introduce the nursing student to informatics tools that are currently being utilized in healthcare to ensure safe and quality care. Electronic Health Records (EHR), telehealth, personal reference management software, Evidence-Based Practice (EBP), and HIPAA will be emphasized.
• NSG 434 Nursing Leadership & Management in Today’s Healthcare Environment
  3 credits, offered fully online in 7 weeks - *Must be taken concurrently with NSG 435
  This course prepares the BSN nurse for the challenges of nursing leadership and management with a concentration on issues that currently impact the healthcare environment.
• NSG 435 Nursing Leadership Practicum
  2 credits, offered fully online in 7 weeks - *Must be taken concurrently with NSG 434
  The practicum course has an emphasis on decision-making and advocacy for the bachelor's degree in nursing.

• Do I have to pass the NCLEX exam before being accepted into the program?
  No, and students are expected to hold an active RN license prior to beginning their second semester of course work if they are considered a traditional RN-BSN student (earned ADN or nursing diploma). Students enrolled in concurrent coursework will become licensed during the course of the program. They must hold an active RN license prior to enrolling in their final core nursing course(s).
• What is the cost?
  Tuition and fees information can be found here.
• How long is the program?
  This varies among students and is based on prior coursework, and the ability to complete the program on a part-time or full-time basis. Core nursing coursework is often completed in three semesters (spring, summer, and fall). For those with a prior bachelor's degree who attend full time, they can complete the program in two semesters (Fall & Spring).
• Is the program on-line?
  YES. The RN-BSN program is 100% online and asynchronous. Some courses require online check-ins with faculty and peers when working on group assignments.
• Can I take courses at another school?
  Yes, but students must complete 30 credits at WCU to meet residency requirements for graduation. Students are advised to use the transfer credit course tool on the Registrar's website or speak with the program counselor prior to completing coursework at another institution. Diversity course requirements MUST be completed at WCU and cannot be transferred.
• What credits transfer?
  ADN nursing coursework and general education requirements will transfer from partner schools. The registrar will review and determine transfer equivalencies and does not charge for transfer credits. To determine if courses taken at another college are considered equivalent to WCU courses, please visit the Registrar's webpage for more transfer credit information.
• Does WCU accept Excelsior/Correspondence Nursing credits?
  NO, WCU does not accept these nursing credits.

Application packets will include the following materials:

1. If you are an internal transfer student, it will be necessary for you to request an official transcript of all coursework completed, at all institutions you attended. You may ask WCU's Registrar office to send this information to the Nursing Department or have your official transcripts sent from each institution you attended. Transcripts should be sent to:
   Department of Nursing
   Attn: Megan Mraz, PhD
   Internal Transfer Applicant.
   155 University Ave; Room 317
   West Chester, PA 19383
2. Complete the following items found in the application:
1. Internal Transfer Application
2. Essay question responses
3. Acknowledgement signature
4. Unofficial WCU transcript
3. Request one letter of reference from a faculty member at West Chester University. The letter must be in pdf format, addressed to Megan Mraz, PhD, Professor and Assistant Chair, Department of Nursing and submitted with your application.

Prerequisite to NSG/NSL 212 students must:

Complete BIO 100, CHE 107, CRL 107, BIO 259, and BIO 269 with a minimum composite GPA of 2.75 in these courses.

*In addition to the above required coursework, the courses listed below are prerequisites to NSG/NSL 311 and 312. If most prerequisite coursework is not completed prior to the application submission, applicants may be denied entry into the nursing program due to the inability to ensure progression into the junior level nursing courses.

Prerequisite to NSG/NSL 311 or 312 students must:

Complete WRT 120; WRT 200, 204, 205, 206, 208 or 220; BIO 204; NSG 310, NTD 303, PSY 100, SOC 200, PSY 210 or HEA 206, and MAT 121 with a minimum of a C- in these courses.

View the sequence of courses within the traditional nursing program.

Prior to junior year clinical placement (NSL 311 or NSL 312), the student will complete all required documentation (health physical, immunizations, drug screening, etc.) as required by the State Board of Nursing. Students will receive more information on this process during NSG/NSL 212. Failure to successfully complete all clearance processes will result in the removal of nursing courses from the student schedule.

All decisions will be communicated to applicants via email by the program coordinator. Accepted students will be asked to complete the Nursing Department agreement form and a change of major request must be submitted online via the Registrar's webpage. This process will formalize the student's transfer into the Nursing Department. Students should understand that the Department has a commitment only to the clinical year agreed upon. Therefore, student progression within nursing is contingent upon the student's ability to be successful in nursing courses. Students must successfully complete both the NSG and NSL portion of each course in order to move forward within the academic curriculum. Please see course progression as outlined in the BSN handbook .

• Will I graduate on time?
  Some students graduate in 4 years as internal transfer students. The time it takes to complete the nursing program is dependent upon the coursework you completed prior to your internal transfer. It is also dependent upon your success with all nursing classes.
• Will I fall behind other students?
  This depends on your success with nursing coursework. Not all students are successful with each nursing class and need to repeat a class. If this were to occur, you will be "out of sequence" in the progression plan and it will take longer to complete the nursing program.
• Must I complete the Pre-requisites before I can apply?
  YES! You may not apply to the internal transfer program unless the following core science classes are complete and you earned a minimum composite GPA of 2.75 or higher in these courses. BIO 100, CHE 107, CRL 107, BIO 259, and BIO 269
• If enrolled in the last of the pre-requisites in the fall semester, will I be able to apply for the spring semester?
  YES, but you will not be accepted until final grades are posted in December. Please note, those who have completed the prerequisite core science classes will receive priority for this program.
• Can I transfer to WCU and then apply to the nursing program?
  Yes, but this route is not advised or encouraged. This is a highly competitive application process and there is no guarantee that you will be accepted into our Nursing program once you become a WCU student. Students that enroll in WCU from high school and have made an earnest attempt in another major, but found nursing is their calling receive priority for this program. Applications from students that transfer into WCU with the sole purpose of applying to our nursing program will be reviewed, only after our established students (those beginning their academic career at WCU) have been accommodated. Please note, interest in this program has always been very high and we usually have 7 to 10 times the number of students applying to the program than what we can accommodate.
• Can I submit an internal transfer application if I am not a current WCU student?
  NO, we only accept internal transfers into our program, therefore, you must be a WCU student to apply.
• Are there other options at WCU Nursing for me?
  YES! If you are serious about Nursing, consider a two-year nursing program at a community college or diploma program. You can complete a RN program in 2 years, then transfer into WCU's RN-BSN program to complete the last two years of bachelor's course work. Many students go to the local community colleges first, and then transfer to WCU to complete their BSN degrees while working as an RN. Health care facilities often pay for the students to complete their BSN coursework, so not only are you working as an RN, your employer is also paying for two years of your college education. Please consider this an alternative route into Nursing!