Nursing (BSN)

The Nursing Program has as its mission the formation of nurses able to offer competent, sensible, effective, safe, and quality nursing care to the client person, family and community. The Program aims to produce graduates prepared to:

1. Provide care with autonomy and with interdisciplinary collaboration and sensitivity to ethical-legal and cultural values and directed to the achievement of the best results for the client.
2. Coordinate care by applying leadership and management skills that lead to the highest quality care with the minimum of cost.
3. Assume a commitment as a member of the discipline in harmony with the standards of the practice.

The Bachelor’s Program of the Aguadilla, Arecibo and Metropolitan campuses is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) (http://www.acenursing.org).

The Bachelor’s Program of the Barranquitas, Bayamón, Guayama, Ponce and San Germán campuses is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) (http://www.aacnnursing.org/CCNE).

The Aguadilla, Arecibo, Barranquitas, Bayamón, Guayama, Metropolitan, Ponce and San Germán campuses are authorized to offer the Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing.

Competencies Profile of Graduates

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing is designed to develop the competencies that will enable students to:

Knowledge

1. Demonstrate theoretical and practical knowledge integrated into the safe and effective nursing care provided to individuals, families and communities.
2. Know the use of nursing interventions to prevent disease, and to promote, protect, maintain and restore health.
3. Know critical thinking skills to make clinical judgments and to use research findings for the continuous improvement of the nursing practice.

Skills

1. Use assessment and therapeutic interventions skills when providing nursing care in diverse scenarios so they can improve the expected health care results.
2. Apply skills of communication, collaboration, critical thought, and the use of technology as a provider and coordinator of care and as a future member of the profession.
3. Act as leaders and managers of the care that you are seeking to provide.

Attitudes

1. Apply humanistic care in the nursing practice to promote protection, optimization and the preservation of human dignity.

Major requirements are offered in a four-year program with an option to leave the Program upon completing the requirements of the first two years. Each year is equivalent to a level in which courses have been organized and developed according to their level of complexity. In the first two years (levels I and II) technical (associate) knowledge and skills are presented; in the last two years (levels III and IV) those corresponding to the professional level (generalist) are presented. This scheme articulates both levels of preparation, (associate degree and Bachelor’s Degree in nursing) by integrating knowledge and skills.

Students in the Nursing Program are exempt from taking GEHP 3000 - Well-being and Quality of Life.

Admission Requirements

1. Comply with the admissions requirements established in the General Catalog.
2. To be a candidate for admission to the Bachelor’s Program in Nursing, candidates must have a minimum grade point index 2.50 from their high school or place of origin.
3. To be a candidate for admission to the third level (third year courses) of the Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing, students must:
   1. Have satisfactorily completed the requirements of the first two years of the Degree in Nursing or,
   2. Present evidence of holding an Associate Degree in Nursing from an accredited and recognized institution of higher education. Candidates having an Associate Degree must complete any general education requirement established by the Institution for awarding the degree.
   3. Present at the time of admission to the Program evidence of any permanent license they possess.

Requirements of Clinical Practice

To be admitted to a practice agency the following is required:

1. A current certificate of no criminal record issued by the Police of Puerto Rico.
2. A health certificate valid for one year issued by the Health Department.
3. Evidence of vaccination against Hepatitis B.
4. Evidence of vaccination against chickenpox or chickenpox titer tests.

Some agencies and courses have additional requirements. Students are responsible for complying with any other requirement imposed by the practice agency. Among these are: An updated certificate of CPR, a negative dope test, a nose and throat culture and a negative certificate of sexual offender.

Transfer Requirements

1. Comply with the admissions requirements for transfer students established in the General Catalog.
2. Admission of transfer students to the Program or to take courses of the major with combined registration requires the previous authorization of both Program directors.

Academic Progress Requirements of the Nursing Program:

1. Comply with all Satisfactory Progress Norms established in the General Catalog.
2. Pass all courses in Nursing and the course GEMA 1000 (Quantitative Reasoning) with a minimum grade of C.
3. Students who do not pass a major course with a minimum grade of C in their third intent will be dropped from the Program.

Graduation Requirements

1. Students are required to complete 50% of the major credits in the campus from which they expect to receive the degree.
2. Students must take course NURS 4980 in the campus where they expect to graduate, except in special situations with the previous authorization of the Director of the Program.
3. All students who are candidates for graduation must graduate with a minimum grade point average of 2.50.
4. Students, upon completing the requirements of the first two years of study, have the option to request certification of the Associate Degree in Nursing in order to apply for the board examination.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing

General Education Requirements	45 credits
Major Requirements	72 credits
Elective Courses	3 credits
Total	120 credits

General Education Requirements - 45 credits

Forty-five (45) credits are required as explained in the section “General Education Requirements for Bachelors’ Degrees.” Students of this Program are exempt from taking the course GEHP 3000 in the Health and Quality of Life category.

Major Requirements - 72 credits

NURS 1111	Fundamentals of Nursing	4
NURS 1112	Practice of Fundamentals of Nursing	2
NURS 1130	Pharmacological Aspects	3
NURS 1231	Fundamentals of Adult Care I	6
NURS 1232	Practice of Adult Care I	2
NURS 2141	Fundamentals of Maternal-Neonatal Care	3
NURS 2142	Practice in Maternal-Neonatal Care	2
NURS 2233	Fundamentals of Adult Care II	6
NURS 2234	Practice of Adult Care II	2
NURS 2351	Fundamentals of Pediatric Care	3
NURS 2352	Practicing Pediatric Care	2
NURS 2361	Fundamentals of Psychosocial Care	3
NURS 2362	Practice of Psychosocial Care	2
NURS 2970	Transition Seminar	1
NURS 3100	Dimensions of Professional Practice	3
NURS 3115	Introduction to The Nursing Research Process	3
NURS 3120	Health Assessment	4
NURS 3140	Intervention in Psychosocial Transitions	2
NURS 3190	Professional Intervention During the Life Cycle	4
NURS 4180	Nursing Care of Family and Community	4
NURS 4911	Practice in Professional Interventions During the Life Cycle	3
NURS 4914	Practice in Nursing Care to the Family and Community	4
NURS 4980	Integrated Workshop	4