Progression in the Nursing Major

Students entering the pre-licensure track of the BSN degree program must follow the prescribed curriculum sequence and must complete the required pre-requisites.

Students must receive at least a C+ grade (78) in each nursing course and may not progress to the next semester nursing courses until a grade of C+ (78) is achieved. This may mean that the student needs to extend the program beyond 4 years since most nursing courses are taught only once per year. Students must achieve a 78 average on test scores in nursing courses including the final exam, before other grades, such as papers, projects or nursing care plans, are averaged into the grade.

• Students may only repeat a nursing course once. Failure to successfully complete a nursing course on the second attempt, at any institution, will result in dismissal from the nursing major.
• Students, in the class of 2017 and after, who fail two different nursing courses will be dismissed from the nursing major.
• Effective for the class of 2016 and after, for all theory courses with a clinical component, students must pass both theory and clinical in order to pass the course. If a student fails either the theory or clinical component, the student must repeat both the theory and clinical components of the course.
• Students must request approval from the Associate Dean of Nursing or Academic Advisor prior to enrolling in any course other than a Saint Joseph’s College course. The Associate Dean of Nursing or Academic Advisor will determine the appropriateness of the course. 

Additionally, nursing students must achieve the following grades in non-nursing required courses as follows:

Course	Minimum Acceptable Grade
EH101* College Writing	C
PY101* Introduction to Psychology	C-
SO201* Principles of Sociology	C-
BI201* Medical Microbiology	C-
BI204** Anatomy & Physiology I	C-
BI205** Anatomy & Physiology II	C-
CH105** Chemistry for the Health Sciences	C-
NN202* Nutrition	C+

* Course must be successfully repeated prior to progressing to junior level nursing courses.

** Courses must be successfully repeated prior to progressing to sophomore level nursing courses.

If a student does not successfully repeat these required courses within the required time frame then the time for the completion of the program will be extended beyond four years.

These courses may be repeated only once; failure on the second attempt will result in dismissal from the program.  If these courses are taken at another accredited institution, a minimum grade of C (73 or 2.0) must be achieved (College policy).

Functional Abilities Policy

Students in nursing programs must possess the functional abilities to perform the skills and behaviors required of a professional nurse. Therefore all nursing students must possess the following functional abilities:  The

• ability to see, hear, touch, smell, and distinguish colors;
• capacity to communicate orally and in writing with clarity, accuracy, and efficiency;
• ability to perform full range of required client care activities in a safe and effective manner;
• ability to think critically, analyze, assess, solve problems, make judgments;
• emotional stability and ability to accept responsibility and accountability.

Detailed statements relative to these abilities can be found in the Nursing Student Handbook, “Guide for the Journey”.

American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2000). Guidelines for Accommodating Students with Disabilities in Schools of Nursing. Washington, DC: American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

Professional Licensure

The undergraduate Nursing major curriculum is designed to prepare students to take the NCLEX - RN licensing exam. It should be noted, however, that the Maine State Board of Nursing may refuse to grant a license on the basis of violation of academic or professional integrity or on the basis of criminal history record information relating to convictions denominated in Title 5, Chapter 341, Subsection 5301 of the Maine Revised Statutes Annotated.

Students, who are pursuing a BSN degree leading to application for professional licensure and who will be participating in clinical placements and internships through the Saint Joseph’s College program, should be aware that their host facility may require a criminal background check, finger printing or drug screening. In such situations, each student is responsible for obtaining and paying for the background check or other screening process and for delivering required documentation to the facility. Although the College will make reasonable efforts to place admitted students in field experiences and internships, it will be up to the host facility to determine whether a student will be allowed to work at that facility.

Further, students should be aware that a criminal record may jeopardize licensure by the state licensing body. Students may consult the licensing body of their particular state for more details. Successful completion of a program of study at Saint Joseph’s College does not guarantee licensure.