College of Nursing

Interprofessional Health Sciences Campus
123 Metro Boulevard, Nutley, NJ 07110
(973) 542-6200
shu.edu/nursing

Dean:  Kristi Stinson, Ph.D., R.N., APN-BC.
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs: Judith A. Lucas, Ed.D., R.N., FGSA
Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research: Kathleen Neville, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN
Assistant Dean for Student Success: Elizabeth McDermott, Ph.D.
Director of Business Affairs: Caroline A. Addeo-Gartley, Ed.S., BCBA                     
Director of Clinical Simulation: Kathryn Sanok, M.S.N., R.N.
Director of Skills Laboratory: Linda Cerami, R.N., M.S.N.-ED
Leadership Institute: Katherine Connolly, D.N.P., R.N., A.P.N.-C. 
Clinical Placement Coordinator: Kathryn Tarpey Balsamo, M.S.N., A.P.N., C.P.N.P.-P.C
Undergraduate Department Faculty: Ampiaw; Barra- Schneider; Carolina; Clark-Pappas; T. Conklin; Connolly; Conway (Chair); Darby; DeVito; Huryk; Innella; Jameson; Kass; Kenney-Lau; Leonard; Logan; Lucas; Ropis; Sailsman; Smith; Sternas; Stinson; Tevlin; Torres; Ulak; Wall; Wells
Graduate Department Faculty: Hansell; Hinic; Kendra; Loughrey; Maglione; McClure; Neville; Roberts (Chair); Sturm

Accreditation

The baccalaureate degree programs in nursing, master’s degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program and post-graduate APRN certificate programs at Seton Hall University are accredited by the:

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
655 K Street, NW, Suite 750
Washington, D.C. 20001
(202) 887-6791

The pre-licensure programs are accredited by the:

New Jersey Board of Nursing
124 Halsey Street
Newark, New Jersey 07102
(973) 504-6430

Programs of Study

The College of Nursing offers programs of study leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Nursing. The programs combine a liberal arts education with basic preparation in professional nursing. The baccalaureate graduates are prepared to practice nursing in a variety of settings, which may include ambulatory care, acute care hospitals, sub-acute care facilities, hospice programs and home care, and community-based services, among others. In addition, the baccalaureate degree in nursing prepares graduates to continue education on a graduate level.

College of Nursing Mission Statement

The College of Nursing’s mission is to educate generalists and specialists in nursing at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Undergraduate and graduate curricula exist within a university community that embraces a student body enriched by cultural, ethnic, and racial diversity where religious and ethical commitment and academic freedom are valued. The College of Nursing aims to cultivate values in its students and graduates that enable a commitment to lifelong learning, service and leadership for the greater good of the global society.

Undergraduate Philosophy

Education is a dynamic process that directs and facilitates learning. Learning is the active, continuous process of acquiring knowledge and skill that brings about actual or potential changes in behavior. Learning is a lifelong endeavor. New learning builds on previous levels of knowledge and experience and is a function of motivation and readiness. Learning is facilitated when activities are goal- directed, purposeful, and meaningful for the learner. The faculty guide, direct, facilitate, and evaluate learning while encouraging self-direction and development of intellectual curiosity, creativity, and independent thinking. Learning is best achieved in an atmosphere where individual dignity is respected and a commitment to excellence exists. The development of cognitive skills that include critical thinking, analysis, and synthesis is a vital process necessary for professional nursing practice. The Nursing curriculum builds upon a liberal education and incorporates creative teaching strategies.

Adapted from University of Southern Indiana School of Nursing & Health Professions. (1995). — Evansville, IN: — Author.

Undergraduate Program Outcomes

At the conclusion of the program, the student will:

1. Communicate actively and clearly.
2. Think critically and creatively in solving problems and making decisions.
3. Design and provide care based on best evidence.
4. Be prepared to use characteristics of servant leadership in their professional practice and community life.

Admission Requirements for Pre-Licensure Students

In addition to the general University requirements for admission, the College of Nursing requires that applicants complete one unit in biology and one unit in chemistry with labs. Students who do not meet all nursing requirements for admission but meet the University admission requirements may be admitted as provisional nursing students and must contact the College of Nursing for advisement. Students may only remain on provisional  nursing status for one academic year after admission. Provisional nursing students cannot enroll in any nursing courses above the 1000 level. Provisional nursing students wishing to change to the nursing major must have completed 30 credits at Seton Hall by the end of the first two semesters of study, including, a minimum of BIOL 1122 Human Anatomy and Physiology I/BIOL 1123 Human Anatomy and Phys I Lab and BIOL 1133 Human Anatomy and Phys II/BIOL 1134 Human Anatomy and Phys II Lab as required in the nursing curriculum with grades of C+ or higher, foundational nursing courses prescribed in the plan of study with grades of C+ or higher. Additionally, provisional nursing students must have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher by the end of their first two semesters of study at Seton Hall. Provisional nursing students must earn a C+ or higher in all science or nursing courses on the first attempt; provisional nursing students with initial grades below C+ in any science or nursing courses prescribed in the plan of study will not be eligible for the nursing major.

Students transferring from other majors at Seton Hall, or from external colleges, must achieve a 3.3 cumulative GPA; these students must also earn at least a C+ in all nursing and science courses while tracking the nursing major. Provisional nursing students who meet the eligibility requirements for the nursing major must submit the relevant SHU forms/online application to the Assistant Dean for Student Success, or the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs prior to beginning the second year at Seton Hall. Internal transfer students who meet the eligibility criteria and have been admitted to the College of Nursing must submit the relevant SHU forms/online application to change majors. Admission to the pre-licensure nursing major is on a space-available basis. Students may track the nursing major for two semesters only. Eligible provisional nursing students must declare the nursing major at the completion of the spring or second semester of their first year.

Transfer Requirement for Pre-Licensure BSN Program

To meet College of Nursing requirements, sciences must be taken in the last 5 years at a 2- or 4-year college with a grade of B or better.  All transfer courses must be approved by appropriate departments and the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs.

English as a Second Language

All applicants to the College of Nursing whose native language is not English must have taken the TOEFL iBT® test within the past five years and achieved minimum scores of:

• 22 in Reading
• 22 in Listening
• 26 in Speaking
• 24 in Writing

Licensure

Each state’s Board of Nursing has the responsibility to determine who is eligible to take the registered nurse licensure examination (NCLEX-RN). Graduation from the nursing program satisfies one of the eligibility requirements. There are other eligibility criteria as well such as a criminal background check for New Jersey licensure as a registered professional nurse. Since eligibility criteria may vary, applicants should check with the Board of Nursing of the state in which they plan to apply for licensure to determine the eligibility criteria. Our programs meet the pre-licensure curriculum requirements for most states – applicants should check our CON website to determine whether their home state accepts our program to meet their state’s curriculum requirements.

Learning Resources

The College of Nursing is co-located with the School of Health and Medical Sciences, and the Hackensack Meridian Health School of Medicine on the  Interprofessional Health Sciences campus (IHSC) in Nutley, NJ which is approximately 10 miles from the South Orange Campus. The IHSC   is shared by the three schools with a focus on interprofessional education. This state-of-the-art facility contains many classrooms, including traditional and advanced technology learning studios which better accommodate a flipped classroom pedagogy. This campus provides many opportunities for interprofessional experiences related to simulations, service learning, and work on interprofessional teams and guest speakers for students in all three schools.

Classrooms in the IHS building are located on floors 1, 2, and 3 of the building. The lower level (below floor 1) houses security offices, a student lounge and a bookstore. The first floor of the building is where the library with an Associate Dean and  health sciences librarians, quiet and group study rooms and some classrooms are located. Food service, student support services including rooms for disability services with quiet testing environments and counseling services, and the chapel with full-time chaplain are located on this floor as well.

All the labs and more classrooms are located on the second floor along with some administrative offices. The skills labs include 3 flexible skills rooms with 8 beds in each room, and 2 part-task training rooms, for practice of foundational and specialized clinical skills. The health assessment labs include 3 health assessment examination table labs with 10 exam tables per room. There is a 16-bed Standardized Patient Center where students are evaluated on their exam skills utilizing standardized patients (actors performing the role of the patient) or peer to peer evaluation. The High-Fidelity Simulation Center includes 7 state-of-the-art clinical acute care rooms, control rooms, and debriefing spaces.  These rooms are designed to mimic state-of-the-art acute care adult, birthing, pediatric and neonatal high-fidelity rooms utilizing simulation mannequins as well as a nursing/communication station and an operating room. Some of the patient simulation rooms can be flexed between a single or double patient room or an ICU, PACU, etc. The spaces can be transformed into different patient care areas such as a psychiatric dayroom, athletic field or home environment.  There are four debriefing rooms used to process the simulation after the event to help students gain insight into their patient care techniques and improve patient outcomes. 

Clinical Requirements

The College of Nursing uses an outside vendor to manage and store clinical documents. All students entering a clinical course must use the online system and vendor specified by the College of Nursing for clinical clearance and to manage clinical documents. Students must begin the clinical clearance process the semester prior to entering the clinical setting to meet the deadline. Prior to enrollment in any clinical course, accepted students must complete university and college health requirements including a physical examination, medical history, immunization and titers, drug screen, and competencies including the American Heart Association Certification course for CPR (BLS for Healthcare Professionals). This also includes a criminal background check through CastleBranch.com. Completion of requirements is due annually. Clinical agencies vary in their requirements for clinical participation and these may be changed in addition to the regular requirements. All requirements must be submitted by the established due date. For clarification, see Clinical Clearance Documents and the Undergraduate Nursing Student Handbook in the Undergraduate Nursing Team’s page. 

Students who fail to comply with clinical clearance requirements or deadlines for submission of clearance documentation will not be permitted in clinical settings and can be removed from the respective clinical course(s). Decisions on accepting students at any clinical site reside with the clinical agencies themselves. Any findings on a student’s background check or drug screening can result in the inability of the College of Nursing to secure clinical placements for him or her. In this case, it may become impossible for the student to complete the BSN program.

Liability Insurance

Students taking clinical nursing courses must obtain professional liability and malpractice insurance in the amounts of $2,000,000 per claim/$4,000,000 aggregate, subject to change as required by external or regulatory agencies. Application forms and additional information can be obtained from the Undergraduate Nursing Team's page.

Uniform and Equipment Policy

A uniform and equipment policy for clinical practice is in effect in the College of Nursing. Appropriate attire is included in this policy, which must be adhered to by students of professional nursing. Please refer to the Undergraduate Nursing Student Handbook in the Undergraduate Nursing Team's page for details.

Honor Society

Gamma Nu Chapter of the international nursing honor society, Sigma Theta Tau International, Inc. inducts members annually. Please refer to the Undergraduate Nursing Student Handbook for more information.

Fees

Fees are associated with certain courses, standardized testing, e-books, software, simulation software, and laboratory equipment. Students are responsible for the costs associated with clinical clearance requirements, clinical equipment and supplies, uniforms and lab coat, and transportation to and from clinical practicum settings.

Cooperating Community Agencies

Students obtain their clinical experience in a variety of settings. There are more than 40 hospitals/medical centers, nursing homes, subacute and rehabilitation centers and community/public health agencies that cooperate with the College of Nursing.

Standards and Requirements for Progression

Technical standards and academic standards for College of Nursing students are documented in the Undergraduate Nursing Student Handbook, posted in the Undergraduate Nursing Team's page. Students are required to comply with all policies and requirements documented in the most current version of the Undergraduate Nursing Student Handbook. Such policies and requirements are subject to change.

To enroll in the first clinical nursing course, NUTC 2011 Health Assessment, a pre-licensure student must be a nursing major, meet curricular prerequisites, have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and at least a “C+” in:

These are prerequisite or corequisite for NUTC 2011 Health Assessment and NUTC 2103 Nursing Therapeutics for Evidence-Based Nursing Practice. Both BIOL 2141 Introduction to Microbiology/BIOL 2142 Intro to Microbiology Lab , CHEM 1301 Elements of Organic and Biochemistry, and NUTH 2003 Pathophysiology  must be completed with satisfactory grades prior to entering NUTC 3113 Adult Nursing I.

Students are expected to comply with the pre and corequisite requirements for all nursing courses and with progression policies as outlined in the most recent version of the Undergraduate Nursing Student Handbook in the Undergraduate Nursing Team's page. Additionally, students must complete all prerequisite nursing and science courses with grades of at least “C+” (77%) in each course to proceed to any subsequent nursing course in the following semester. If a student earns a grade below “C+” in a required science or nursing course, then the course must be repeated prior to enrolling in the next clinical courses in sequence. Students who do not meet the grade standard are not permitted to register for the next clinical course in the sequence.

Students are subject to the progression requirements outlined below and in the Undergraduate Nursing Student Handbook in the Undergraduate Nursing Team's page.

Students also are expected to exhibit personality, values and emotional characteristics consistent with developing the professional nurse role. If, after consultation and work with approved counselors, students still do not meet these criteria, they will not be permitted to continue in the nursing program.

Retention and progression in the nursing programs are also determined by the student’s ability to successfully meet the academic and progression requirements as documented in the Undergraduate Student Handbook. All nursing students in the traditional BSN program must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 to enter the clinical sequence and maintain matriculation in the program. Students with cumulative GPAs below 3.0 are placed on nursing probation. Students on probation must achieve a semester GPA of 3.0 or higher in the following term and must achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 within 2 semesters of being placed on nursing probation. Students who do not meet these standards will be dismissed from the College of Nursing.

In the pre-licensure BSN programs, students are placed on Progression Risk or College Dismissal status for failing to meet the academic standards of the College of Nursing. Any grade below C+ (77%) in any NUTC or NUTH course, or in Anatomy and Physiology, Chemistry or Microbiology (including the required lab courses) will result in progression risk status. A course with a grade below C+ must be repeated and a C+ or higher must be achieved. Students may repeat an individual nursing course or required science course only once. A grade below C+ (77%) on the second attempt at the same course will result in dismissal from the College of Nursing. Three grades below C+ in different science or nursing courses will result in dismissal from the College of Nursing.

If a nursing student withdraws from the same science course or nursing course more than once, the student will lose his or her matriculation status for the degree in nursing. Students with course averages below C+ during the withdrawal period are not permitted to withdraw from NUTH or NUTC courses.

Course Descriptions

Note to Students: The following listing represents those courses that are in the active rotation for each department, i.e., have been offered in the past five years. Some departments have additional courses offered more rarely but still available – to find the complete list of all official courses for a department, please use the “Course Catalogue Search” function in Self-Service Banner.