Nursing, ASN

Associate of Science in Nursing Degree Curriculum

Criteria for Selection

The Selection Committee will consider relevant aspects of each applicant’s credentials. Required prerequisite courses taken during the Spring semester are considered in the selection process.

The following variables will be considered for selection:

1. Completion of 25 hours of required courses with a grade-point average of 2.5 or higher.
2. Nursing Entrance Examination Score.
3. Overall academic record and cumulative GPA.
4. Licensure/certification in a health-care profession.
5. Hours completed at LSU Eunice.
6. Academic performance in required courses and number of courses repeated.

At the time of application to the Nursing program, the student is required to fulfill the following:

1. Attend a scheduled Orientation Session.
2. Complete the form “Application for Permission to Enroll in a Clinical Nursing Course” with fees required by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN) and submit with the Nursing Selection Application Form.
3. Complete required documents including digital fingerprint cards for LSBN Criminal Background check.

Upon selection into the Nursing Program the student is required to fulfill the following:

1. Complete forms and submit fees for additional background investigations required by healthcare facilities.
2. Receive a negative drug screen report.
3. Students admitted to the nursing program must submit a completed Nursing Program Health Form within four weeks prior to the beginning of the semester of entry. These forms will be mailed to applicants with notification of acceptance for enrollment in nursing courses.

Students entering nursing are advised that the Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN) requires persons who have been arrested, charged with, convicted of, pled guilty or no contest to, or been sentenced for any criminal offense in any state to petition the Board in writing for the right to practice as a student of nursing in Louisiana prior to enrolling in the first clinical nursing course. The LSBN will conduct a criminal background record check with digital fingerprints on all students applying to the nursing program.

The criminal background check will be conducted by the Louisiana State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. There are additional background investigations required by some of the clinical agencies not covered by the LSBN criminal history background investigation.

The data required by various health care agencies not covered in the LSBN background check include:

1) Social Security number verification, 2) employment verification to include the reason for separation and eligibility for reemployment for each employer, 3) Violent Sexual Offender and Predator Registry Search, 4) Health and Human Services (HHS) / Office of Inspector General (OIG) list of excluded individuals or entities, 5) General Services Administration (GSA) list of parties excluded from federal programs, and 6) U.S. Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) list of Specially Designated Nationals (SDN). A separate agency is contracted with LSU Eunice to perform the additional background checks required by health care affiliates. This background check is completed at the student’s expense.

Retention/Progression Guidelines

Acceptance into the LSU Eunice Nursing Program entitles the student to progress through the nursing curriculum with the class to which the student is admitted. In order to be retained and progress in the clinical nursing sequence, a student must:

1. Maintain an LSU and an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher.
2. Maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher in all required nursing courses.
3. Complete all nursing courses with a grade of “C” or better. The grading scale for all nursing courses is: A-93-100; B-85-92; C-77-84; D-65-76; F-failure below 65.
4. Repeat any nursing course in which a grade of “D,” “F,” or “W” was earned. A student is permitted one “D”, “F”, or “W” once admitted to the clinical nursing sequence.  A second “D”, failure and/or withdrawal in any nursing course constitutes dismissal from the program.
5. Maintain current CPR certification (CPR for Health Care Providers) and annual TB testing.
6. Maintain health/immunization requirements.

Failure to successfully complete any nursing course (excluding NURS1000 ), for either academic or other reasons, will require that the student apply for readmission to the Nursing Program if the student wishes to continue in the program. A student repeating a nursing course must concurrently re-enroll in the co-requisite nursing courses. Re-enrolling in a co-requisite course in which the student had previously received a passing grade will not be counted as a repeated nursing course hours for the dismissal policy. The most recent grade earned will be the grade for the course. The purpose for requiring re-enrollment in co-requisite courses is to assure that nursing students receive the most current health care information.

Dismissal

Students may be dismissed from a nursing course and/or the nursing program for any of the following reasons:

1. A deliberate attempt to cover up any error or negligent performance during clinical experiences.
2. Repetitive performance of unsafe behaviors during clinical experiences.
3. Performance of unethical or illegal behaviors during clinical experiences.
4. Failure to comply with clinical agency policies and regulations.
5. Breech of patient or agency confidentiality by inappropriate management of information in any form.
6. Cheating or plagiarism (See LSU Eunice’s Code of Student Conduct located in the Student Handbook).
7. Violation of the LSU Eunice Code of Student Conduct.
8. A positive report on any random drug screen.

The LSU Eunice faculty reserves the right to recommend termination of a nursing student when health and/or personal conduct requires such action.

Requirements for Readmission

A student whose enrollment is interrupted, either voluntarily or by compulsion, or who fails to earn a grade of “C” in a required nursing course may be considered for readmission to the Nursing Program provided that the student is in good academic standing as defined in the “University Regulations ” section of the LSU Eunice catalog. However, in no circumstances will a student be considered for readmission when the student has earned more than one “D,” “F,” or “W” in required nursing courses. A student may only be readmitted to the nursing course in which they received the failing grade.

Persons wishing to re-enter the LSU Eunice Nursing Program must submit a written application to the Division of Health Sciences and Business Technology by April 1 for re-entry in the Fall semester and November 1 for the Spring semester. A student will be considered for readmission only when there is clear evidence of his or her potential to complete the requirements of the nursing curriculum. In reviewing such applications, special scrutiny will be given to (1) overall grade-point average, (2) previous performance in nursing courses, and (3) grades earned in the behavioral and biological sciences. Students with previous credit in required nursing courses who are readmitted into the LSU Eunice Associate of Science in Nursing Degree Program must have nursing skill performance validation prior to entering the semester of readmission. The overall financial and personnel resources available to the Nursing Program will also be a consideration in readmission decisions.

Transfer Nursing Students

Students who wish to transfer with nursing credits are subject to the “Requirements for Readmission,”“Louisiana State Board of Nursing’s Criteria for Enrollment in a Clinical Nursing Course, “and “Retention/Progression Guidelines” specified above. Nursing credits will be evaluated on an individual basis.

Students requesting transfer into the Nursing Program must:

1. Arrange a personal interview with the Nursing Program Director
2. Provide a transcript of all previous college work at the time of the interview.
3. Submit a course description and course content from completed nursing courses at the time of the interview.
4. Submit a Letter of Good Standing from prior nursing program(s). This letter from the administrative head of the prior program(s) should be mailed directly to the Nursing Program Director, to be received by the time of the interview.
5. Have earned a minimum grade of “C” in required nursing courses.

Special Provisions and Requirements

 In addition to meeting all other specified curricular requirements, nursing students must (1) meet immunization and physical examination requirements, (2) maintain CPR for Health Care Provider Certification for the duration of their program, (3) assume responsibility for providing their own transportation to and from clinical agencies, (4) have the appropriate Nursing Entrance Examination Score, (5) have a negative random urine drug screen, and (6) purchase student nurse liability insurance through LSUE.

Degree Requirements

In addition to fulfilling the “General Degree Requirements ” specified in this catalog for all associate degree candidates, nursing students must complete all required nursing courses with a grade of “C” or better.

Graduates of the program are awarded the Degree of Associate of Science in Nursing. After successful completion of this curriculum, the graduate will be eligible to make application to the Louisiana State Board of Nursing for licensure as a registered nurse. The LSU Eunice Nursing Program has full approval of the Louisiana State Board of Nursing and is accredited by the National League for Nursing, Accrediting Commission, 3343 Peachtree Road N.E., Suite 500 Atlanta, GA 30326, telephone 1-404-975-5000.

Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN): Advanced Standing

The LPN applicant must meet the requirements for admission to the University and to the Nursing Program as described in the previous section, Requirements for Admission to the Associate of Science in Nursing degree program. Advanced Standing placement is based on successful completion of the LPN Entrance Exam. LPN applicants who are selected for the LPN Track will receive 14 credit hours of advanced standing credit toward their Associate Degree of Science in Nursing.

The LPN Advanced Track curriculum consists of a summer session, fall and spring semesters of upper level nursing courses. The curriculum uses various electronic learning technologies including use in the lecture This technology requires frequent use of a computer.