• Requirements and Procedures
• Entrance and Placement Exams
• Tuition and Fees

Requirements and Procedures

All applicants work closely with an Admissions Advisor to assess career goals, motivation, and commitment to learning.

 

To be considered for admission, an applicant must meet the following requirements:

1. Pay the non-refundable application fee as shown above.
2. Complete the Application for Admissions. (The application and the paid fee are valid for one [1] year).
3. Submit a copy of a high school diploma or equivalent as described below, one week prior to the first day of attendance. Several equivalents to a high school diploma may be submitted:

   • a GED certificate;

   • a certificate or other official completion documentation demonstrating that the learner has passed a state-authorized examination, such as the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC), the High School Equivalency Test (HiSET), or, in California, the California High School Proficiency Exam, that the state recognizes as the equivalent of a high school diploma (certificates of attendance and/or completion are not included in this qualifying category);

   • an associate degree;

     successful completion of at least sixty (60) semester or trimester credits or seventy-two (72) quarter credits that does not result in the awarding of an associate degree, but that is acceptable for full credit toward a bachelor’s degree at any institution; or

   • enrollment in a bachelor’s degree program where at least sixty (60) semester or trimester credits or seventy-two (72) quarter credits have been successfully completed, including credits transferred into the bachelor’s degree program;

   • a “secondary school leaving certificate” or similar document from the proper government agency for learners who completed secondary school in a foreign country, accompanied by a foreign credentials evaluation.

4. Pass the Pre-Licensure Nursing Entrance Exam.
5. If requesting transfer of credit, learners must submit official college transcripts for the previous post-secondary coursework by the deadline in accordance with the Transfer of Credit section of this Catalog.
   • A total of forty-eight (48) general education semester credits is required for graduation from the BSN Program and must be completed prior to the end of the last academic semester of the BSN Program. Learners may refer to the General Education Requirement section of this Catalog for the minimum number of credits required in each of the five (5) general education (GE) breadth areas. GE courses may be completed at the College or another institution of higher learning concurrent with enrollment in nursing courses.
   • A minimum of fourteen (14) semester credits of general education, including eight (8) semester credits of human anatomy and human physiology, a minimum of three (3) semester credits of college-level mathematics, and a minimum of three (3) semester credits of college-level English is required to enroll in any nursing core course. Learners may elect to complete the prerequisite coursework at the College or another institution of higher learning.
   • A minimum of twenty-four (24) semester credits of general education are required to enroll in BSN 215 and/or BSN 225 nursing courses. Learners may elect to complete the prerequisite coursework at the College or another institution of higher learning.
   • A minimum of thirty-three (33) semester credits of general education are required to enroll in BSN 246 and/or BSN 315 nursing courses. Learners may elect to complete the prerequisite coursework at the College or another institution of higher learning.
   • A minimum of thirty-six (36) semester credits of general education are required to enroll in BSN 266 and/or BSN 335 nursing courses. Learners may elect to complete the prerequisite coursework at the College or another institution of higher learning.
   • Official transcripts are required for matriculation into the BSN Program.
   • Learners admitted without the full forty-eight (48) semester credits of general education are required to complete at least one (1) general education course per academic semester at the College or another institution of higher learning and provide the official transcript to the Registrar prior to the beginning of the next academic semester to register for the next academic semester. To register for the last academic semester of the BSN Program, the learner must submit the proof of enrollment in the final general education course to the Registrar and, upon completion, submit an official transcript to graduate.
   • The College reserves the right to accept or reject any and all credits earned at other post-secondary institutions or through course challenge exams.
6. Complete Smarter Measure Assessment for evaluation of online learning readiness.
7. Meet with a Learner Funding Advisor to initiate the financial aid process.
8. Be in good financial standing with the College.

Note:The highest level of academic integrity is expected throughout the admissions process. Violations of the academic integrity policy at any point in the admissions process will result in automatic denial of admission. See the Academic Integrity section of the College Catalog for more details.

Entrance and Placement Exams

Passing of certain placement exams is required to enroll in certain courses or matriculate in the program as indicated below.

Pre-Licensure Nursing Entrance Exam (ACCUPLACER® Diagnostic Test)

To be admitted to the program learners must achieve the required scores in each academic area of the entrance exam. The entrance exam determines learners’ readiness for success in the program by assessing knowledge in three (3) academic areas: Arithmetic, Reading Comprehension, and Sentence Skills. A score of 260 in each of the three (3) areas is required for admission with full matriculation. Learners have three (3) attempts to achieve the required score. Conditional admission is granted to learners who score at least 240 but less than 260 as follows: 

• Learners who score below 240 in any of the three areas will not be admitted.  

• Learners who score between 240-259 in Arithmetic will be admitted on a non-matriculated basis and will be required to take and successfully complete MAT 90 in the first semester of enrollment.  

• Learners who score between 240-249 in Reading will be admitted on a non-matriculated basis and will be required to take and successfully complete ENG 90 in the first semester of enrollment and ENG 95 their second semester of enrollment. 

• Learners who score between 250-259 in Reading will be admitted with conditional matriculation and will be required to take and successfully complete ENG 95 in the first semester of enrollment. 

• Learners who score between 240-259 in Writing will be admitted with conditional matriculation and will be required to complete ENG 95 in the first semester of enrollment. 

The entrance exam voucher fee is included in the application. Scores are valid for one (1) year. Proctoring fees are separate from the voucher and must be paid for each attempt.

Nightingale College graduates of the PN Diploma Program who enroll in the BSN program within one year of graduation will not be required to take the entrance exam for the BSN program.  If more than one (1) year lapses from the time of graduation from the PN Diploma Program, learners will be required to take and pass the entrance exam to be admitted.  

Advanced Placement Candidates Only

Advanced placement candidates who are requesting academic credit for courses in BSN 246 and/or BSN 266 are required to pass the corresponding HESI exams as described in the table below:

Advanced placement servicemembers who do not qualify for the automatic BMTC block credit transfer are required to pass the HESI exam as described in the table below:

Applicants may retake the exam one (1) time after completion of mandatory remediation. The fee to retake an exam is $45. On the second attempt, the applicant will take a different version of the exam. Free personalized remediation materials are available at www.evolve.elsevier.com after the first exam attempt.

If the score on the second attempt is below the minimum score requirement, the applicant is allowed to retest after one (1) year from the date of the first attempt upon completing a new program application and paying a new application fee. Applicants who do not pass the exams may choose to enroll into the corresponding semester.

To earn a transfer of credit for BSN 215, learners must successfully complete the Medical Dosage Calculation (MDC) self-paced online course as described in the Acceptance Notification and Matriculation Requirements section of the Catalog.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition for the BSN Program is $630 per semester credit. Tuition and fees may be changed at any time with a 30-day notice. Audit fees are non-refundable and cannot be paid with Title IV funding.

 

Tuition does not include the non-refundable application and testing fees. In addition, learners are responsible for expenses such as transportation and lodging, if any, associated with the required experiential learning sessions.

Estimated Total Program Cost
The estimated total program cost for a learner who does not transfer in any college-level credits is $85,700, not taking into consideration the Learner Graduation Fund credit of up to $6,000.

• General Education Requirements
• Curriculum
• BMTC Advanced Placement BSN Program Sample Curriculum Plan
• Standardized Exams
• Satisfactory Academic Progress Table

General Education Requirements

A combination of forty-eight (48) semester credits of general education and elective courses is required for graduation. General education (GE) courses may be completed at the College or another institution of higher learning accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). GE academic credit may be granted pursuant to the policies described in the Experiential Learning and Extra-Institutional and Non-Instructional Learning sections of this Catalog. Learners may refer to the Admissions Requirements and Procedures section above for more information.

The nursing core courses progression requirements do not allow the final academic semester of the Program to consist of only GE courses. GE course requirements must be completed prior to or during the final semester of enrollment. GE courses in math, English, human anatomy, and human physiology must be completed prior to enrollment into any nursing course. Pathophysiology must be completed no later than the first semester of enrollment in the nursing courses.

 

 

Curriculum

The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice provides an important framework for designing and assessing baccalaureate education. The original purpose of the Essentials is to “delineate the essentials of education for professional baccalaureate nursing practice" (AACN, 2008). Because professional nursing practice in all settings requires consideration of the individual, family, community, and population as client, these outcomes are essential to baccalaureate nursing education offered by Nightingale College.

• Essential I: Liberal Education for Baccalaureate Generalist Nursing Practice 
• Essential II: Basic Organizational and Systems Leadership for Quality Care and Patient Safety 
• Essential III: Scholarship for Evidence-Based Practice 
• Essential IV: Information Management and Application of Patient Care Technology 
• Essential V: Healthcare Policy, Finance, and Regulatory Environments 
• Essential VI: Interprofessional Communication and Collaboration for Improving Patient Health Outcomes 
• Essential VII: Clinical Prevention and Population Health 
• Essential VIII: Professionalism and Professional Values 
• Essential IX: Baccalaureate Generalist Nursing Practice

All didactic instruction is delivered via distance learning modalities. All experiential learning and workshops for the core nursing courses are delivered on-ground at SOFE sites. For learner residency and course delivery modalities definitions, see the Learner Residency and Course Delivery Modalities section of this Catalog. For learning modalities definitions, see the Learning Modalities Definitions section of this Catalog. A sample curriculum layout is presented in the table below.

 

BMTC Advanced Placement BSN Program Sample Curriculum Plan

 

Standardized Exams

Standardized end-of-course exams are administered at the end of each level of the BSN Program. Required scores for mandatory remediation on standardized exams are specified in the table below.

Standardized Exam Schedule for Generic BSN Learners:

Satisfactory Academic Progress Table

 

• Course Descriptions

Course Descriptions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: Though not classified as “direct focused client care experiential learning” contact hours in the curriculum plan, the RN-to-BSN Program requires twenty-two point five (22.5) tracked practice-based direct focused client care experiential learning project hours to earn the academic credit for BSN 325.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Benefits
• Capstone Experience
• Capstone Steps

Benefits

 Learners select an employer-focused topic that is related to nursing in order to apply leadership skills at work, and propose further avenues for evidence-based practices in nursing. In order for a Capstone Project to be successful, learners will develop and refine their project goals, objectives, and results throughout the second and third semesters before completing the final written proposal. BSN Program instructors aid learners in selecting a topic and provide feedback during each step of the Project’s timeline.

Learners utilize advanced reasoning skills taught in the BSN Program to uncover potential proposal topics such as the importance of hand washing, tactics to decrease the number of patient falls, and proposing methods to reduce the number of medication errors by nurses. Proposal topics are chosen based on the needs of a learner’s employer. Instead of waiting to use the skills and knowledge until after graduation, the BSN Program’s Capstone Project is intended to help learners implement solutions now and place them in a position of leadership.

The Capstone Project brings value to employers and to learners willing to step up to the challenge and make a difference in their facility.

There are many benefits to participating and completing Nightingale College’s employer-focused Capstone Project. From advancing your knowledge and skills past an ADN competency level, the Capstone Project tests learners ability to apply what has been learners to real-world situations.

The Opportunity to Become an Engaged, Invested Employee

The Project is not to be taken lightly as it is one that asks learners to become engaged in their place of employment and find solutions to challenges that may be faced on a daily basis. Throughout the Project, learners are viewed as invested employees at work because the structure of the course requires learners to recognize and assess policies and procedures.

A Project that Will Set You Apart from Your Colleagues

The Capstone Project is designed to challenge learners to develop a strategy that may be implemented at their current place of employment. The course is designed to train learners in leadership skills and to recognize inefficiencies while providing possible solutions. Learners will learn about vision, creativity, and planning in relation to nursing leadership.

A Means of Advancing Your Nursing Career

Learners are encouraged to get involved at work and look for areas of improvement. Learners who decide to take responsibility for their education will gain significant value from the Project. This Project will help elevate the employer and advance their nursing career.

Ultimately, Securing Your Future

The nursing profession is constantly changing and nurses are required to have the latest skills and knowledge in order to bring value to their employers and colleagues. By completing the Capstone Project, learners have already positioned themselves in a leadership role and have displayed their passion and commitment for advancing nursing practices. Securing a future in nursing requires advanced knowledge and skills, as well as positioning yourself as an asset to the organization.

Capstone Experience

Throughout the Program, learners will engage in didactic instruction with accompanying assignments to prepare them for the final Capstone Proposal that is completed in the final semester of the course. From the start in the class, faculty instructs learners on the purpose, goals, and structure for the Capstone Project. BDN 355: Capstone Proposal is completed in the first semester of the Program and will be completed the final semester in BDN 485: Capstone Leadership.

Capstone Steps