UNIVERSITY CATALOG: 2024-2025

Program: Nursing, B.S.

Accelerated Option

Program Description

This option for earning the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is designed for second-degree students who hold a minimum of a B.A. or B.S. degree in any field and who have completed necessary prerequisite courses and admission requirements. The program of study is intense, and nursing courses required for licensure are completed within four semesters. This BSN option builds on previous learning and provides specific clinical education that prepares nursing professionals who can practice in a wide variety of settings. The BSN framework emphasizes the practice of professional nursing, including assessment, promotion, maintenance, restoration and evaluation of the health of individuals, families, groups, communities and populations. Nursing courses include classroom instruction and clinical laboratories in patient-care settings.

This program is available through self support (funded entirely by student fees and offered in a cohort format) in partnership between one of the CSUN academic colleges and The Tseng College.
Admission into programs leading to licensure and credentialing does not guarantee that students will obtain a license or credential. Licensure and credentialing requirements are set by agencies that are not controlled by or affiliated with the CSU, and requirements can change at any time. For example, licensure or credentialing requirements can include evidence of the right to work in the United States (e.g., Social Security number or taxpayer identification number) or successfully passing a criminal background check. Students are responsible for determining whether they can meet licensure or credentialing requirements. The CSU will not refund tuition, fees, or any associated costs to students who determine subsequent to admission that they cannot meet licensure or credentialing requirements. Information concerning licensure and credentialing requirements is available from the department. See Notice to Students: Licensure and Certification for more information.

Program Requirements

Academic Policies

  1. Nursing courses from other programs may be considered nonequivalent and cannot be transferred into this program with the exception of NURS 307/L.
  2. Students are admitted as a cohort. Should progression through the curriculum be interrupted, students whose progress is interrupted will need to reapply to the program and will be considered on a space-available basis. All nursing courses must be completed within 5 years after taking the first nursing course.
  3. A minimum grade of “C” is required in all prerequisite and nursing courses. A grade of “C-” will require the student to repeat the course or concurrent theory/lab courses. All nursing courses may be repeated only once with a maximum of 15 repeated units. Students progressing on schedule through the program will be given priority space in classes, and students repeating courses will be considered only on a space-available basis. The need to repeat some courses may interfere with the repeating student’s ability to complete the degree.
  4. Students must enroll and pass concurrently both theory and clinical laboratory components of each area of study that contains these components.
  5. Due to clinical requirements imposed by clinical affiliates, students are required to obtain and maintain at their sole cost the following clinical requirements: health exams and immunizations; evidence of TB test, titers or other required tests; background check; drug screening; nursing liability insurance; CPR certification; fire safety card; HIPPA and Bloodborne Pathogen training; and any other requirements deemed necessary by the clinical affiliates. Students must complete a preclinical checklist and provide proof that requirements are met 4 weeks prior to the start of their first clinical course. If an affiliating clinical agency notifies faculty that they are refusing clinical placement to a student based on a background check or drug screen, the student will be unable to complete the required clinical laboratory coursework, be unable to progress in the program and, thus, be unable to meet degree requirements.
  6. Access to reliable transportation is required for clinical courses off campus.
  7. Due to the clinical requirements imposed by external clinical partners, students must be prepared to attend clinical rotations in the community settings any day of the week, including weekends and at various times of the day, including evenings and nights. No reasonable student accommodation to clinical scheduling can be made given the cohort nature of the program and the external limitations placed on the department by hospitals and other clinical settings. Clinical rotations can change each academic semester or year given external assignments of times and days.
  8. Given the cohort nature of the program and the program’s requirements to match the clinical schedule offered to our students by our affiliating clinical agencies, scheduled clinical dates, times and hours cannot be modified to meet students’ personal needs. Clinical rotations can change each academic semester or year according to changes in clinical agencies’ schedules.
  9. The faculty reserves the right to make program modifications as necessary to meet current professional standards, Board of Registered Nursing requirements and accreditation criteria.
  10. Prior to and during clinical placements, students are required to demonstrate professional maturity and physical, emotional, ethical and moral fitness for clinical practice.

A. Requirements for Admission to A-BSN Pathway

  1. An earned bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a GPA of 3.21 or better or a master’s degree of 3.0 or better.
  2. All prerequisite course grades must be “C” or higher. All science prerequisites must have been completed within the past 7 years. Courses that have been taken at an upper division undergraduate level or that combine prerequisite content (e.g., single course of 5 semester units in anatomy and physiology with lab) will be considered on a case-by-case basis as potentially meeting minimum requirements.
  3. A personal interview may be requested of all applicants.
  4. Potential applicants should consult The Tseng College Accelerated Bachelor of Science Nursing website for up-to-date information on application deadlines and procedures.

B. Requirements for the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing

1. Prerequisite Courses (28 units)

Any of the following courses or their equivalents that were completed as part of the first degree program do not need to be repeated. Course equivalencies can be checked at ASSIST or with the help of an advisor.

All science prerequisites must have been completed within the past 7 years.

Science Prerequisites (19 units)

BIOL 211/BIOL 212 Human Anatomy and Lab (2/1)
BIOL 215/L Introductory Microbiology and Lab (2/2)
BIOL 281/BIOL 282 Human Physiology and Lab (3/1)
CHEM 103/CHEM 103L Introductory Chemistry I and Lab (3/1)
MATH 140 Introductory Statistics (4)

General Education courses from the following sections (9 units)

A1 Oral Communication (3)
A2 Written Communication (3)
A3 Critical Thinking (3)

2. Required Courses for the BSN Program (58 units)

NURS 302 Pathophysiology (3)
NURS 307/L Health Assessment and Lab (2/1)
NURS 310 Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice (3)
NURS 315 Pharmacology (3)
NURS 318/L Introduction to Professional Nursing and Lab (3/4)
NURS 320/L Intermediate Medical Surgical Nursing and Clinical Lab (4/3)
NURS 422/L Advanced Medical Surgical Nursing and Clinical Laboratory (4/4)
NURS 426 Nursing Systems Issues and Ethics (3)
NURS 427/L Dynamics of Nursing Leadership and Leadership in Nursing Lab (3/1)
NURS 428/L Community and Population Health Nursing and Lab (3/2)
NURS 430/L Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing and Clinical Laboratory (2/1)
NURS 443/L Nursing Care of Children and Clinical Lab (2/1.5)
NURS 444/L Nursing Care of Childbearing Family and Clinical Lab (2/1.5)
NURS 498L Clinical Intensive (2) 

Total Units Required Beyond Original B.A./B.S. Degree: 58

More information

For more information about this program, please contact csunnursing@csun.edu.

Contact

Department of Nursing
Chair: Rebekah Child
Jacaranda Hall (JD) 2210
(818) 677-5739

Accelerated Bachelor of Science Nursing

Program Learning Outcomes

Students receiving a Bachelor of Science in Nursing will be able to:

  1. Evaluate nursing care for patients across the lifespan from diverse backgrounds in a variety of settings to ensure that it is compassionate, age and culturally appropriate, and based on a patient’s preferences, values and needs.
  2. Collaborate with members of the interprofessional healthcare team to manage, coordinate and advocate for the provision of safe, quality care, disease prevention and injury prevention for patients, families and groups.
  3. Demonstrate use of best current evidence and clinical expertise when making clinical decisions in the provision of patient-centered care that meets legal, ethical and professional standards.
  4. Evaluate evidence-based information to determine the appropriate use of strategies to effectively utilize patient care technology, harm reduction strategies and quality improvement processes in the provision of safe, quality patient-centered care in a variety of healthcare settings.
  5. Demonstrate leadership skills in providing safe, quality, patient-centered care to individuals, families, groups, communities and populations.