UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE

COLLEGE OF HEALTH & NURSING SCIENCES

 

Department of Nursing

 

Overview of Proposed Undergraduate Nursing Curriculum Changes – Fall 2001

 

                Several program/course changes and a new honors program are being submitted for approval by the College Curriculum Committee and Undergraduate Studies Committee. These changes have been approved by nursing department faculty, the department curriculum committee, and the department chair. The following is a summary of these changes:

 

New Undergraduate Nursing Curriculum:

 

1.      Clarification of Requirements for Bachelor of Science In Nursing

               Major in University Catalog (see attached catalog page 177)

 

Replace “Pathways Course/Elective” on page 179 in Catalog with HESC 155, Personal Health Management: An Approach for a Lifetime.

 

RATIONALE: When the new undergraduate nursing curriculum was planned a few years ago, the faculty was not certain of the permanent number, title, and details of the pathways course to be offered by the College of Health and Nursing Sciences. Since that time, HESC 155 has been developed, approved, and offered. Nursing students are officially required to enroll in that particular pathways course.

 

  1. Changes in Pre- and Co-requisites in courses listed below

 

OVERALL RATIONALE: Some pre- and co-requisites were omitted or listed incorrectly when curriculum originally approved.  Further course planning has stimulated discussion about what knowledge and experiences are necessary in order to most effectively learn course content and skills. Discussions resulted in some revisions.

 

NURS 220                         NURS 411

NURS 230                         NURS 452

NURS 240                         NURS 453

NURS 353                         NURS 454

NURS 355                         NURS 455

NURS 357                         NURS 474

NURS 359                         NURS 475

NURS 362

 

 

 

 

 

  1. Changes in NURS 230 Course

RATIONALE: Review of content of NURS 220 during recent course planning by assigned faculty resulted in fine tuning of the NURS 230 description to more accurately reflect the focus of the course.

 

  1. Changes in Contact Hour : Credit Ratio for Labs and Clinical Practica in courses listed below

 

OVERALL RATIONALE: The new curriculum includes 3 more nursing credits as well as increased lab and discussion time in several courses. After further course planning and review of the number of student hours/semester especially at the senior level, it was decided that a 3:1 ratio may not be necessary to meet course requirements. Additionally, we found that some of the extra contact hours were going to be provided for students to complete course assignments that should be considered “homework” and course preparation time rather than class time. Faculty expect students to come to class, lab, and practica prepared. Finally, completion of some lab skills practice will be accomplished through independent practice time with lab personnel or teachers’assistants present at open lab times, and review of CD-ROMs, Web enhanced info, etc. as pre-lab assignments. This will decrease the number of class/clinical hours that have to be devoted to lab demonstration by faculty.            The current “old” curriculum has operated with a 2:1 ratio.

 

NURS 220                         NURS 353                                    NURS 453

NURS 230                         NURS 355                                    NURS 455

NURS 240                         NURS 359                                    NURS 475

 

5.      Creation of Honors Program in Nursing (see attached Academic Program

      Approval Form for rationale and summary)

 

Baccalaureate Program for the Registered Nurse (BRN)

 

The Department of Nursing offers a program that allows registered nurses to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

 

     1.  Changes in Admission Criteria: Eliminate National League for Nursing

          Accelerated Challenge Exams (NLN-ACE II)

 

Successful completion of National League for Nursing Accelerated Challenge examinations (NLN-ACE II) for diploma school graduates will no longer be required as part of admission to the program.  

 

RATIONALE: Since 1993, data indicate that an overwhelming majority of diploma school graduates in the University of Delaware Baccalaureate Program for the Registered Nurse (BRN)  pass the National League for Nursing Accelerated Challenge Examinations (NLN-ACE II). Associate degree applicants have never been required to take the National League for Nursing Accelerated Challenge Examinations (NLN-ACE II) for admission.  Mean grade point averages following BRN program completion have been highly comparable among diploma and associate degree students at the University of Delaware. Nursing literature supports the fact that the grade point average from the initial nursing program (diploma or associate’s degree) is a reliable indicator of success in a subsequent baccalaureate nursing program. Therefore, admission criteria for diploma nurses should depend on the grade point average from their basic program (and other college/university course work if applicable) and successful completion of the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) licensure exam.

 

  1. Awarding of Transfer Credits

 

Currently, diploma school graduates are awarded thirty transfer credits with the stipulation that they pass the National League for Nursing Accelerated Challenge examinations (NLN-ACE II). With the elimination of the NLN-ACE II requirement, diploma nurses will be awarded 30 credits for completion of their basic program and successful completion of the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). This practice is currently in place for associate degree nurses.

 

RATIONALE: Associate degree and diploma prepared nurses are required to pass the same National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) to enter the BRN program. Therefore, admission criteria should be the same for associate degree and diploma nurses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11/6/01