THE BACHELOR OF SCIENCE OF NURSING (BSN) DEGREE: GENERAL DESCRIPTION AND PROGRAM OUTCOMES (TERMINAL LEARNING OBJECTIVES)

Currently, AUHS School of Nursing offers only one program option leading to a traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree for beginning nurse generalists. Our program is a 36-month accelerated (fast-track) program. We only admit and focus solely on educating entry level (pre-licensure) baccalaureate students, especially those from diverse cultural backgrounds who are typically under-represented in the health care field. At the offset of this program, we initially only admitted students who had already obtained all science and general education pre- requisites and were eligible for transfer of these credits. Today, all pre-requisites and co-requisites can be taken at AUHS as the student matriculates through our program. The mission, goals, and expected program outcomes are consistent with relevant professional nursing standards and guidelines for the preparation of nursing professionals. The AUHS School of Nursing utilizes the Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements, ANA (2015), Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice, ANA (2015), The Essentials for Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice, AACN (2008), California Board of Registered Nursing Nurse Practice Act (2016), and the QSEN Competencies Pre-licensure KSA’s (2014) in its program as standards and guidelines for preparation of professional nurses. The focus of our program is in direct alignment and supports the mission of the University in preparing beginning health-care practitioners who can appreciate and identify with racial and ethnically diverse populations especially as it relates to culturally competent care. Graduates of the BSN degree program can assume responsibility for organizing, implementing, and evaluating hospital-, population-, and/or community-based plans of nursing care for a highly complex and culturally diverse society. After completing the BSN degree, congruent with the school’s mission, learning objectives and philosophy, graduates of the SON will demonstrate the ability to:

1. Apply the theoretical and scientific underpinnings of nursing, biological and behavioral sciences, and humanities to the professional practice of nursing.
2. Incorporate the nursing process as a problem-solving tool of the nurse in assisting individuals, groups, and communities to attain, maintain and regain health.
3. Effect positive client/patient outcomes through application of appropriate communication and teaching-learning theories, as well as advocating for the client/patient needs and rights.
4. Develop, implement, modify, and evaluate a culturally appropriate plan of care, even when client/patient needs may differ from the nurses’ personal values.
5. Utilize scientific processes, evidence-based practice, critical thinking, and professional judgment as integral parts of all decision-making.
6. Practice within professional standards, an ethical framework, and regulatory guidelines.
7. Facilitate collaborative relationships with the client/patient and members of the health team in the application of the nursing process and the delivery of health care.
8. Demonstrate basic competence in nursing research, leadership, and management consistent with an increasingly diverse and multicultural workforce and complex healthcare system.
9. Demonstrate knowledge of social, historical, and philosophical significance of the nursing profession.
10. Develop personal responsibility for ongoing professional growth and development including higher education in advanced practice nursing.
11. Influence health care systems and policy through professional involvement in nursing organizations and political activities.