The Bethel baccalaureate nursing program (BSN) builds a comprehensive professional nursing curriculum on a strong liberal arts foundation known for its academic excellence. Bethel’s nursing program, with its beginnings in 1908, reflects current trends in nursing education that emphasize the preparation of a professional nurse as a generalist—one who can function as a beginning practitioner in a home, hospital, business, community or other settings in an urban or rural environment. In addition, graduates of Bethel’s program develop expertise in clinical practice, counseling, teaching, management, and understanding nursing theory and research. The baccalaureate program provides clinical experience in a variety of settings as well as providing the foundation for expanded professional roles. The nursing curriculum teaches nursing care focused on client needs that emerge throughout the lifespan. The goal for the nurse is to restore, maintain, and promote health, utilizing a variety of nursing roles. The nurse provides care to individuals, families, and communities in various environments in their clinical experiences. Bethel nursing students are exposed to various urban and rural settings while providing care to individuals, families, and communities. Multiple agencies in acute care, long-term care, ambulatory care agencies, home health and hospice environments, and other community health agencies are utilized to provide various clinical practice experiences. All of these agencies are available within 30-45 minutes of the North Newton community, and therefore, students are provided with broad exposure to all types of nursing roles.
Prerequisites
• Chemistry – 3 (meets General Education requirement)
• Anatomy and Physiology** – 4
• Cell Biology and Microbes** (Microbiology) – 4 (meets GE requirement)
• Psychology – 3 (meets GE requirement)
• Pathophysiology** – 3
• Sociology – 3 (meets GE requirement)
• Life Span Development (Human Growth and Development or Developmental Psychology may be equivalent) – 3
• Statistics – 3
• Nutrition – 3
• English Composition II (Critical Writing) – 3 (meets GE requirement)
• Speech – 3 (meets GE requirement)
**Course must be successfully completed within five years before the fall start of the nursing program.
Additional General Education (GE) requirements
• Arts and Humanities – 6 credit hours from a minimum two departments
• Science and Mathematics – 6 credit hours from a minimum two departments
• Social Sciences – 6 credit hours from a minimum two departments
• Bible and Religion – 3 credit hours
- Vocation Seminar-2 credit hours
Nursing Course Descriptions (NSG)
300. Foundations of Nursing- 3 hours
This introductory nursing course discusses the baccalaureate nurse’s role and scope of practice. Within the context of the course, the historical development of nursing as a profession will be discussed, including nursing theory and foundational concepts related to essential nursing function, ethical and legal issues, and concepts related to providing biopsychosocial, spiritual, and cultural care to patients.
Fall. Prerequisites: Admission to the nursing program
310. Nursing Dosage Calculations- 1 hour
This course will review essential math concepts for dosage calculation, including fractions, percentages, ratios, measurements, and conversions. Practice and assessment tests will include medication administration problems, including oral, intravenous, and parenteral routes. Fall. Prerequisites: Admission to the nursing program.
311. Health Assessment- 2 hours
This course focuses on the baccalaureate nurse’s role and scope of practice in the study of health assessment relating to patients’ biopsychosocial, spiritual, and cultural needs with the planning of health promotion, maintenance, and restoration. Emphasis is placed on body systems and the acquisition of skills related to performing health assessments. Fall. Prerequisites: Admission to the nursing program.
312. Nursing Care of the Adult I- 4 hours
This course focuses on the role and scope of practice of the baccalaureate nurse in the care of the adult medical-surgical patient through the development of the nursing process related to acute and chronic health conditions. Focus will be placed on using the nursing process in planning for health promotion, maintenance, and restoration while meeting adult patients’ biopsychosocial, spiritual, and cultural needs. Prerequisites: Admission to the nursing program.
320. Clinical Practicum I- 3 hours
This clinical course focuses on the baccalaureate nurse’s role and scope of practice in providing safe, competent care to patients. Emphasis is on the development of basic psychomotor and psychosocial nursing skills. Students will have dedicated experience in the clinical laboratory, simulation, long-term care, and structured clinical environments. Fall. Prerequisites: Admission to the nursing program.
327. Mental Health-3 hours
This course focuses on the baccalaureate nurse’s role and scope of practice in caring for patients experiencing acute and chronic mental health illness. Focus will be placed on using the nursing process, planning for health promotion, restoration, maintenance, and therapeutic communication. Spring. Prerequisites: NSG 300; NSG 310; NSG 311; NSG 312; & NSG 320.
329. Nursing Care of the Adult II- 4 hours
This course builds on the concepts presented in Nursing Care of the Adult I. It will focus on the role and scope of practice of the baccalaureate nurse in the care of the adult medical-surgical patient through the development of the nursing process related to acute and chronic health conditions. Focus will be placed on using the nursing process in planning for health promotion, maintenance, and restoration while meeting adult patients’ biopsychosocial, spiritual, and cultural needs. Spring. Prerequisites: NSG 300; NSG 310; NSG 311; NSG 312; & NSG 320.
330. Basic Nursing Pharmacology- 2 hours
This course focuses on the baccalaureate nurse’s role and scope of practice concerning legal, ethical, and professional issues related to safe medication administration. In addition, exploration of the science of pharmacology, including medication absorption, effects, metabolism, and excretion through the human body, will occur. Drug class and body systems will explore medication and the administration process. Spring. Prerequisites: NSG 300; NSG 310; NSG 311; NSG 312; & NSG 320.
335. Clinical Practicum II- 3 hours
This clinical course focuses on the baccalaureate nurse’s role and scope of practice in caring for patients in the medical, surgical and mental health setting. Students will have dedicated clinical experiences in the clinical laboratory, simulation, and structured clinical environments. Spring. Prerequisites: NSG 300; NSG 310; NSG 311; NSG 312; & NSG 320.
340. Evidence-Based Practice for Nurses- 2 hours
This course focuses on the role and scope of practice of the baccalaureate nurse and the use of evidence-based practice, the research process in developing nursing knowledge and practice, and the improvement of healthcare. The emphasis is on understanding the research process, critically appraising published research, and incorporating research findings in clinical nursing practice by becoming informed consumers of nursing literature. Spring. Prerequisites: NSG 300; NSG 310; NSG 311; NSG 312; & NSG 320.
401. Maternal Newborn- 3 hours
This course focuses on the baccalaureate nurse’s role and scope of practice in caring for the childbearing family during the preconception, antepartum, intrapartum, postpartum, and newborn periods. The emphasis is designed to utilize the nursing process in developing critical thinking, communication, and caring to meet the childbearing family’s biopsychosocial, spiritual, and cultural needs. Fall. Prerequisites: NSG 300; NSG 310; NSG 311; NSG 312; NSG 320; NSG 327; NSG 329; NSG 330; NSG 335; & NSG 340.
402. Child and Family- 3 hours
This course focuses on the baccalaureate nurse’s role and scope of practice in caring for the pediatric patient and their families. Focus will be placed on the use of the nursing process in planning for health promotion, maintenance, and restoration in varied settings, as well as the developmental changes that occur through infancy, childhood, and adolescence. Fall. Prerequisites: NSG 300; NSG 310; NSG 311; NSG 312; NSG 320; NSG 327; NSG 329; NSG 330; NSG 335; & NSG 340.
403. Community Health- 3 hours
This course focuses on the baccalaureate nurse’s role and scope of practice in caring for patients outside of the acute care setting within a community. The planning for health promotion, maintenance, and restoration of a community is emphasized through community assessments and environmental analysis. Fall. Prerequisites: NSG 300; NSG 310; NSG 311; NSG 312; NSG 320; NSG 327; NSG 329; NSG 330; NSG 335; & NSG 340.
409. Complex Nursing Pharmacology- 2 hours
Complex Nursing Pharmacology builds on the concepts presented in Basic Nursing Pharmacology. It focuses on the baccalaureate nurse’s role and scope of practice in providing safe patient care related to medication administration of more complex drugs and more sophisticated routes of administration in caring for complex patients and populations. Alternative and complementary therapies are also discussed. Fall. Prerequisites: NSG 300; NSG 310; NSG 311; NSG 312; NSG 320; NSG 327; NSG 329; NSG 330; NSG 335; & NSG 340.
410. Clinical Practicum III- 3 hours
This clinical course focuses on the baccalaureate nurse’s role and scope of practice in caring for pediatric, obstetric, and community patients. Students will have dedicated clinical experiences in the clinical laboratory, simulation, and structured clinical environments. Fall. Prerequisites: NSG 300; NSG 310; NSG 311; NSG 312; NSG 320; NSG 327; NSG 329; NSG 330; NSG 335; & NSG 340.
416. Complex Nursing Care of the Adult- 2 hours
This course focuses on the nursing care of adult patients experiencing complex alterations in body systems and multiple co-morbidities. Focus will be placed on using the nursing process in planning for health promotion, maintenance, and restoration while meeting the biopsychosocial, spiritual, and cultural needs in higher-acuity settings. Spring. Prerequisites: NSG 300; NSG 310; NSG 311; NSG 312; NSG 320; NSG 327; NSG 329; NSG 330; NSG 335; & NSG 340; NSG 401; NSG 402; NSG 403; NSG 409; & NSG 410.
417. Nursing Leadership and Management- 3 hours
This course focuses on the baccalaureate nurse’s role and scope of practice in developing management and leadership skills assumed by the entry-level professional nurse. It includes an examination of leadership and management principles, the delegation of responsibilities, priority setting and decision-making, networking, facilitation of groups, conflict resolution, legal/ethical issues, case management, and collaboration. Spring Prerequisites: NSG 300; NSG 310; NSG 311; NSG 312; NSG 320; NSG 327; NSG 329; NSG 330; NSG 335; & NSG 340; NSG 401; NSG 402; NSG 403; NSG 409; & NSG 410. Meets core requirements in peace, justice, and conflict studies for nursing majors only.
425. Clinical Practicum IV- 2 hours
This clinical course focuses on the baccalaureate nurse’s role and scope of practice in caring for medical-surgical, intensive-care, and emergency room patients. Students will have dedicated clinical experiences in the clinical laboratory, simulation, and structured clinical environments. Spring. Prerequisites: NSG 300; NSG 310; NSG 311; NSG 312; NSG 320; NSG 327; NSG 329; NSG 330; NSG 335; & NSG 340; NSG 401; NSG 402; NSG 403; NSG 409; & NSG 410.
426. Bethel Capstone- 3 hours
The Bethel Capstone is a clinical course that focuses on the role and scope of practice of the baccalaureate-prepared nurse through the opportunity to practice in an acute care setting under the supervision of an approved preceptor. Students synthesize the knowledge and skills learned throughout the curriculum, emphasizing patient safety, priority-setting, delegation, decision-making, and leadership principles. Legal and ethical care issues are examined as they emerge within the student’s clinical experience. Spring. Prerequisites: NSG 300; NSG 310; NSG 311; NSG 312; NSG 320; NSG 327; NSG 329; NSG 330; NSG 335; & NSG 340; NSG 401; NSG 402; NSG 403; NSG 409; & NSG 410.
430. Synthesis of Concepts- 3 hours
This course utilizes a variety of approaches to assist the student in synthesizing content learned throughout the entire nursing curriculum and pre-requisite course work and applying that knowledge to patient care within selected care settings. Individual plans of study guide students through nursing regulations for licensure, knowledge acquisition, test-taking strategies, and critical thinking processes in preparation for completion of the nursing licensing exam. Spring. Prerequisites: NSG 300; NSG 310; NSG 311; NSG 312; NSG 320; NSG 327; NSG 329; NSG 330; NSG 335; & NSG 340; NSG 401; NSG 402; NSG 403; NSG 409; & NSG 410.