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Bachelor of Science-Nursing (Traditional Track)
The BSN - traditional track is a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree program. The program will prepare the graduate for professional nursing practice and eligibility to take the registered nurse licensure examination.
The BSN traditional track requres 120 semester credit hours (SCH).
- 60 SCH in prerequisite and core courses
- 60 SCH in nursing courses
BSN Traditional Track Requirements:
- Full admission to Texas A&M University-Texarkana
- Completion of all core, required courses as designated on the degree plan unless approved by the Director of Nursing
- Admission application to the Nursing Program
- Admission requirements as outlined on the Nursing Program website
Additional Requirements for International Applicants
International applicants with foreign transcripts must follow the policies and procedures for international students as outlined by University. Applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit proof of English proficiency, which is satisfied by:
- a minimum TOEFL score taken within the previous two years of:
- 550 for paper-based testing (p-BT), or
- 213 computer-based testing (c-BT), or
- 79 internet-based testing (i-BT)
These scores must be sent directly from ETS to the University, and the test must have been taken within the two-year period prior to enrollment.
Accreditation
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing/master's degree program in nursing at Texas A&M University-Texarkana is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 2001, 202-887-6791.
Degree Requirements
Students should refer to their DegreeWorks degree audit in their Web for Students account for more information regarding their degree requirements.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements 1 | ||
| General Education Requirements | ||
| HSCI 1323 | Nutrition and Health | 3 |
| NURS 331 | Pathophysiology | 3 |
| NURS 332 | Professional Concepts | 3 |
| NURS 333 | Pharmacology in Nursing | 3 |
| NURS 334 | Health Assessment Across the Lifespan | 3 |
| NURS 336 | Evidence Based Practice-EL | 3 |
| NURS 357 | Mental Health Nursing | 5 |
| NURS 365 | Fundamentals of Nursing Practice | 6 |
| NURS 368 | Adult Health Nursing I | 6 |
| NURS 426 | Issues in Professional Nursing | 2 |
| NURS 431 | Nursing Care of the Older Adult | 3 |
| NURS 455 | Community Health Nursing | 5 |
| NURS 462 | Adult Health Nursing II | 6 |
| NURS 463 | Maternal Child Health | 6 |
| NURS 464 | Leadership and Management in Nursing | 6 |
| Other Requirements | ||
| MATH 1342 | Elementary Statistical Methods | 3 |
| or PSYC 2317 | Statistical Methods in Psychology | |
| PSYC 2301 | General Psychology 2 | 3 |
| 3sch Mathematics from: | ||
| College Algebra 2 | ||
| Mathematics for Business and Social Sciences I 2 | ||
| Pre-Calculus 2 | ||
| Calculus I 2 | ||
| Support Courses | ||
| CHEM 1305 | Introductory Chemistry 3 | 3 |
| BIOL 2401 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I 2,3 | 4 |
| BIOL 2402 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II 2,3 | 4 |
| BIOL 2405 | Introduction to Microbiology 3 | 4 |
| PSYC 2314 | Lifespan Growth and Development | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Take as needed to meet minimum degree requirements | ||
| Minimum Hours for Degree | 120 | |
- 1
Upper Division Courses in Major must be completed with a grade of C or higher
- 2
Satisfies Core Curriculum
- 3
Science courses must be within 5 years from the date of admission to the nursing program
Note: A minimum of 54 upper division hours (300 and 400 level courses) are required for this degree. Resident credit totaling 25% of the hours is required for the degree. A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required in three areas for graduation: Overall GPA, Institutional GPA, and Major GPA.
Bachelor of Science-Nursing (Traditional Track) 4 Year Plan
Students should refer to their DegreeWorks degree audit in their Web for Students account for more information regarding their degree requirements.
First Year
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Semester Credit Hours | |
| BIOL 1306 | Biology for Science Majors I satisfies core curriculum, prerequisite for BIOL 2401 if not transferred. | 3 |
| BIOL 1106 | Biology for Science Majors I Lab satisfies core curriculum, prerequisite for BIOL 2401 if not transferred. | 1 |
| ENGL 1301 | Composition I Minimum grade of 'C' required, satisfies core curriculum | 3 |
| 3sch Mathematics Core Curriculum from: | 3-4 | |
| College Algebra | ||
| Mathematics for Business and Social Sciences I | ||
| Pre-Calculus | ||
| Calculus I | ||
| HIST 1301 | United States History I satisfies core curriculum | 3 |
| IS 1100 | University Foundations Mandatory for FTIC students | 1 |
| Fall Total Semester Credit Hours | 9-15 | |
| Spring | Semester Credit Hours | |
| CHEM 1305 | Introductory Chemistry satisfies core curriculum | 3 |
| ENGL 1302 | Composition II satisfies core curriculum | 3 |
| or ENGL 2311 | Technical Writing & Communication | |
| HIST 1302 | United States History II satisfies core curriculum | 3 |
| PSCI 2301 | American Government I: Federal & Texas Constitutions satisfies core curriculum | 3 |
| PSYC 2301 | General Psychology satisfies core curriculum | 3 |
| Spring Total Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Summer | Semester Credit Hours | |
| Creative Arts Core Curriculum Requirement | 3 | |
| Language, Philosophy and Culture Core Curriculum Requirement | 3 | |
| Summer Total Semester Credit Hours | 6 | |
| Total First Year Semester Credit Hours | 30-36 | |
Second Year
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Semester Credit Hours | |
| BIOL 2401 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I satisfies core curriculum | 4 |
| BIOL 2405 | Introduction to Microbiology | 4 |
| PSYC 2314 | Lifespan Growth and Development | 3 |
| PSCI 2302 | American Government II: Federal & Texas Political Behavior satisfies core curriculum | 3 |
| SPCH 1315 | Public Speaking satisfies core curriculum | 3 |
| or COMM 1307 | Introduction to Mass Communication | |
| or COMM 1311 | Introduction to Communication Studies | |
| Fall Total Semester Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Spring | Semester Credit Hours | |
| BIOL 2402 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II satisfies core curriculum | 4 |
| PSYC 2317 | Statistical Methods in Psychology | 3 |
| or MATH 1342 | Elementary Statistical Methods | |
| HSCI 1323 | Nutrition and Health | 3 |
| NURS 331 | Pathophysiology requires minimum grade of 'C' required | 3 |
| NURS 332 | Professional Concepts requires minimum grade of 'C' required | 3 |
| Spring Total Semester Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Total Second Year Semester Credit Hours | 33 | |
Third Year
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Semester Credit Hours | |
| NURS 334 | Health Assessment Across the Lifespan requires minimum grade of 'C' required | 3 |
| NURS 365 | Fundamentals of Nursing Practice requires minimum grade of 'C' required | 6 |
| NURS 333 | Pharmacology in Nursing requires minimum grade of 'C' required | 3 |
| Fall Total Semester Credit Hours | 12 | |
| Spring | Semester Credit Hours | |
| NURS 368 | Adult Health Nursing I requires minimum grade of 'C' required | 6 |
| NURS 357 | Mental Health Nursing requires minimum grade of 'C' required | 5 |
| NURS 336 | Evidence Based Practice-EL requires minimum grade of 'C' required | 3 |
| Spring Total Semester Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Total Third Year Semester Credit Hours | 26 | |
Fourth Year
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Semester Credit Hours | |
| NURS 462 | Adult Health Nursing II | 6 |
| NURS 463 | Maternal Child Health requires minimum grade of 'C' required | 6 |
| NURS 431 | Nursing Care of the Older Adult requires minimum grade of 'C' required | 3 |
| Fall Total Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | Semester Credit Hours | |
| NURS 464 | Leadership and Management in Nursing requires minimum grade of 'C' required | 6 |
| NURS 455 | Community Health Nursing requires minimum grade of 'C' required | 5 |
| NURS 426 | Issues in Professional Nursing requires minimum grade of 'C' required | 2 |
| Spring Total Semester Credit Hours | 13 | |
| Total Fourth Year Semester Credit Hours | 28 | |
| Minimum Hours required for Degree | 120 | |
Note: A minimum of 54 upper division hours (300 and 400 level courses) are required for this degree. Resident credit totaling 25% of the hours is required for the degree. A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required in three areas for graduation: Overall GPA, Institutional GPA, and Major GPA.
Undergraduate Courses in Nursing
NURS 301. Professional Nursing Practice. 3 Hours.
The emphasis of the course is on transitioning from technical to professional practice and exploration of the professional practice role. Professional nursing is examined from historical and contemporary perspectives and philosophical and theoretical foundations. The student is introduced to collaborative practice, health policy, health economics, health promotion, informatics, and life-long learning. Prerequisite: None.
NURS 302. Health Assessment Across the Life Span for the RN. 3 Hours.
This course builds on the student's prior knowledge to further develop history taking and physical assessment skills. An emphasis is placed on health and cultural assessment of individuals and families across the life span. Application of critical analysis in situations of health and deviations from health will be explored. Prerequisite: None.
NURS 303. Leadership and Mangement in Nursing Practice. 4 Hours.
Assessment and analysis of a real work problems, assessment of the work environment, and development of a proposed solution, as well as principles of client education, are included.
NURS 304. Evidence Based Practice in Nursing for the RN. 3 Hours.
This course provides a foundation of research concepts, types of evidence, and research methods. The student will apply this foundation to framing clinical questions and retrieval and interpretation of research findings. The importance of patient needs and preferences will be stressed in the application of evidence to clinical practice. An emphasis will be placed on the ethical basis and policies for research with human subjects.
NURS 305. Professional Nursing Practice with Individuals and Families for the RN. 4 Hours.
This course will discuss the continuum of care of individuals and families with an emphasis on transition from acute care settings to outpatient care. Nursing care will emphasize a holistic approach in the prevention of disease and promotion of health of individuals and families.
NURS 317. Pathophysiology for Nurses. 3 Hours.
The major focus of this course is for nurses to understand the pathophysiological basis for disease processes in adults and children. Central concepts will address symptoms, treatment, prognosis, and case studies. The major direction of the course will be on clinical application of findings that underlie the pathogenesis of the disease process.
NURS 322. Professional Concepts. 2 Hours.
This course will provide the student an introduction to the concepts and competencies basic to professional nursing practice. The development of professional nursing will be examined from historical and contemporary perspectives and philosophical and theoretical foundations. Selected concepts pertinent to the practice of professional nursing will be explored. Prerequisite: Provisional admission to the nursing program.
NURS 331. Pathophysiology. 3 Hours.
The course will focus on the pathology, pathophysiology, etiology, and symptomatology of common diseases from a cellular, system, and multi-system perspective. The student will consider the influence of genetics, environment, and cultural influences on the development of pathophysiology. Prerequisite: BIOL 2402.
NURS 332. Professional Concepts. 3 Hours.
This course will provide the student an introduction to the concepts and competencies basic to professional nursing practice. The development of professional nursing will be examined from historical and contemporary perspectives and philosophical and theoretical foundations. Selected concepts pertinent to the practice of professional nursing will be explored.
NURS 333. Pharmacology in Nursing. 3 Hours.
The emphasis of this course is to prepare the nurse to administer drugs safely using key pharmacological concepts, knowledge or prototypes, and drug calculation skills within the framework of the nursing process and the regulatory environment. Prerequisite: NURS 331 and NURS 332 with grades of C or better.
NURS 334. Health Assessment Across the Lifespan. 3 Hours.
The student will develop the knowledge and skill to perform a holistic health history and health assessment of individuals. The emphasis will be on the differentiation of normal findings from abnormal findings. The student will practice skills in the laboratory. Prerequisite: NURS 331 and NURS 322. Corequisite: NURS 365.
NURS 336. Evidence Based Practice-EL. 3 Hours.
The student will develop a beginning approach of basing nursing practice on evidence. The student will learn to locate, assimilate, and analyze evidence, determining the appropriateness of the evidence for current clinical practice. The student will engage the patient and/or family in decision-making related to care. An emphasis on legalities and ethics of research will be threaded throughout. Prerequisite: NURS 365 with a grade of C or better.
NURS 357. Mental Health Nursing. 5 Hours.
This course prepares the student to apply evidence based approaches and knowledge of human behavior while promoting mental health issues in a variety of settings. Emphasis will be placed on the following concepts: therapeutic communication skills, therapeutic use of self, cultural care, ethical and legal influences, and principles of quality and safety. The impact of health care policy and legislation in the provision of mental health nursing will be explored. Prerequisite: NURS 365 with a grade of C or better.
NURS 365. Fundamentals of Nursing Practice. 6 Hours.
Students are introduced to the direct care of adult patients through application of the concepts of caring, critical thinking, and professional standards of practice. Principles of safety, infection control, psychosocial care concepts, and physical care concepts form the foundation of nursing interactions and interventions and the development of basic nursing skills in the laboratory and clinical settings. Beginning principles of priority setting are incorporated. Prerequisite: NURS 331, NURS 332, NURS 333 and NURS 334.
NURS 368. Adult Health Nursing I. 6 Hours.
Students are introduced to the direct care of adult patients through application of the concepts of care, critical thinking, and professional standards of practice. Principles of safety, infection control, psychosocial care concepts, and physical care concepts form the foundation of nursing interactions and interventions and the development of basic nursing skills in the laboratory and clinical settings. Beginning principles of priority setting are incorporated. Prerequisite: NURS 365 with a grade of C or better.
NURS 403. Leadership and Management in Nursing Practice for the RN. 4 Hours.
This course builds on the foundation of physical and psychological sciences, systems theory, and complexity theory in the development of leadership and management skills. Emphasis will be placed on analyzing real work problems, assessing the work environment, and developing a proposed solution based on evidence. SCH 4 [3.5 SCH didactic; 0.5 clinical (22.5 clock hours)].
NURS 406. Community Health Nursing Practice for the RN. 5 Hours.
This course introduces community-based nursing care of individuals, families, and populations. Issues of health promotion, primary disease prevention, and management of chronic health problems in community settings will be explored. 5 SCH [4.5 SCH didactic, 0.5 SCH clinical (22.5 clinical clock hours)].
NURS 407. Quality Care and Patient Safety in Professional Nursing Practice for the RN. 2 Hours.
This course will prepare the student to function as a member of an interdisciplinary health care team to use quality improvement concepts, processes, and outcome measures within various health care settings. The emphasis will be on provision of a safe caring environment for healthcare delivery. SCH 2. Prerequisite: None.
NURS 417. Pathophysiology for the Registered Nurse. 3 Hours.
The focus of this course is to provide the pathophysiological basis for disease processes in adults and children. Central concepts will address symptoms, treatment, and prognosis. This course will focus on the clinical application of findings that underlie pathogenesis and provide a basis for evidence based practice.
NURS 426. Issues in Professional Nursing. 2 Hours.
This course will emphasize the synthesis of the professional role of the registered nurse, including critical thinking and clinical reasoning in the application of professional values, ethics and legalities, health policy and regulations, evidence-based practice, and commitment to life-long learning. Current trends and issues within the profession will be discussed. Principles of collaborative care, health disparities, cultural and ethnic differences, genetics, ethics and legal aspects of care, cost, and safety are threaded throughout the course. Prerequisite: NURS 462, NURS 463, and NURS 431. Prerequisite or Corequisite: NURS 464 and NURS 455.
NURS 431. Nursing Care of the Older Adult. 3 Hours.
The emphasis in this course is on individualizing care to maximize health and adapt to chronic diseases of the older adult, support of caregivers, and coping with grief, loss, death, and dying. The professional role of the nurse is considered from the perspective of ethics/legalities, interprofessional collaboration, transitional care, and policy and regulations. The content is designed in the context of the Recommended Baccalaureate Competencies for Nursing Care of Older Adults by the AACN and the John A Hartford Institute of Geriatric Nursing. Prerequisite: NURS 368.
NURS 432. Certification in Specialty Nursing Practice. 3 Hours.
This course is designed to assist the student in qualifying and passing a nationally recognized nursing specialty exam approved by the nursing advisor or program director. The student will review advanced knowledge in the field related to biological, psychosocial, research, and policy issues related to the area of practice. Examples of approved certifications include CCRN (Critical Care Registered Nurse), CEN (Certified Emergency Nurse), Certified Medical-Surgical Nurse, or Certified Obstetric Nurse. Examples of unapproved certifications include PALS, ACLS, and TNCC.
NURS 455. Community Health Nursing. 5 Hours.
This course introduces concepts of community health utilizing the population focused nursing process. Emphasis is on health promotion, risk reduction, and disease management in selected community settings. Principles of collaborative care, health disparities, cultural and ethnic differences, genetics, ethics and legal aspects of care, cost, and safety are threaded throughout the course. Prerequisite: NURS 462, NURS 463, and NURS 431.
NURS 462. Adult Health Nursing II. 6 Hours.
Building upon previously developed adult health knowledge and skills, the student plans, prioritizes, implements, and evaluates culturally appropriate, safe, and quality nursing care of adults with complex health problems. Principles of collaborative care, health disparities, cultural and ethnic differences, genetics, ethics and legal aspects of care, cost, and safety are threaded throughout the course. Prerequisite: NURS 368.
NURS 463. Maternal Child Health. 6 Hours.
This course focuses on the nursing care of childbearing women, children, and families. Emphasis is placed on the use of critical thinking skills to develop safe, evidence-based care that promotes, maintains, and restores health for women, children, and their families. Principles of collaborative care, health disparities, cultural and ethnic differences, genetics, ethics and legal aspects of care, cost, and safety are threaded throughout the course. Prerequisite: NURS 368.
NURS 464. Leadership and Management in Nursing. 6 Hours.
In this course the student is introduced to the process of leadership and management of human, information, and material resources to achieve safe, quality patient care. Emphasis is placed on delegation, supervision, and evaluation of care provided by others. Prerequisite: NURS 462, NURS 463, and NURS 431 with grades of C or better.
NURS 489. Individual Study. 1-5 Hours.
This course provides individual instruction. Students may repeat the course when topics vary.
NURS 497. Special Topics. 3 Hours.
Instructors will provide an organized class designed to cover areas of specific interest. Students may repeat the course when topics vary.
NURS 499. Undergraduate Independent Research. 1-6 Hours.
This course is an independent reseach in Nursing conducted by a student under the guidance of a doctorally prepared Nursing faculty member of his or her choice. The student may conduct research in the clinical practice area and assist with literature searches, data gathering, data entry and analyses, and dissemination of results. The student is required to maintain a research journal and submit a project by the end of the semester and potentially make an oral presentation on the project. SCH and hours are by arrangement and, with a change in content, this course may be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: NURS 304 or by instructor consent.
