Nursing, B.S.

Mission

The mission of the Department of Nursing is to prepare students to be competent nursing professionals who integrate Christian caring into their nursing practice.

Degree Program

A Bachelors of Science degree in Nursing is offered upon the completion of the University baccalaureate and major requirements. All nursing students must meet the Biola Bible minor requirements and therefore the Biola Nursing program is a four and 1/2 year program.

Overview

Biola University offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing which is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing:

1747 North Market Street, Suite 150
Sacramento, CA, 95834
(916) 322-3350

And accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education:

655 K Street NW, Suite 750
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 887-6791

The program is designed to prepare graduates for a career in professional nursing. Graduates of licensed vocational, diploma and associate degree nursing programs may be admitted as transfer students and evaluated individually. Policies are available from the Department of Nursing.

Clinical nursing experiences are provided in cooperation with hospitals and other agencies throughout Los Angeles and Orange Counties. In compliance with State Board regulations, the graduate will be eligible to take the NCLEX-RN examination required by the Board of Registered Nursing for licensure as a registered nurse. Upon graduation, application can be made for certification as a public health nurse. Both acceptance to, and continuation in the nursing major, will be determined by the student's preparation, performance and personal integrity, as assessed by the faculty of the Department of Nursing.

Philosophy

The philosophy of the Department of Nursing is in agreement with that of the University. As such, we believe nursing is concerned with the well being of the total person. Each faculty member, student and patient is an integrated, unique person, created in God's image, and endowed by God with dignity and worth. The entry of sin into the world has placed a constraint on the individual's total well being which can only be remedied by the power and love of God through faith in Jesus Christ. God has created all persons with the potential for dynamic growth and development throughout their lives, and with the right to make decisions which influence their well being. All persons require social interaction to achieve and maintain well being. The family within the context of its cultural environment is the fundamental unit through which the socialization process is advanced.

We believe that caring, as exemplified in the life of Jesus Christ, is the essence of nursing. The focus of nursing activity is the three client systems (personal, interpersonal and community) and the dynamic interaction between them within the context of their environment. These three systems also are interacting constantly with internal and external stressors which may affect the integrity of the systems. It is our view that the purpose of nursing is to support and promote the processes that facilitate the systems' abilities to achieve and maintain optimal adaptation. This is accomplished through use of the nursing process which is ongoing and involves assessing, diagnosing, planning, implementing, and evaluating. Effective use of this process enables the nurse to work with client systems across the health-illness continuum.

Nursing is a dynamic profession based on a growing body of evidence-based knowledge. It is our belief that Biblical studies, together with the humanities, arts and sciences, are fundamental to the development of nursing's own unique body of knowledge. Nursing is both art and science; its uniqueness does not reside in any specific component of theory or action, but can be found only in the whole.

As one of the major health care professions, we believe nursing is accountable to God and to society for provision of quality health care services in a broad variety of settings. Baccalaureate nurses endeavor to meet this responsibility through involvement in leadership, inter-professional collaboration, education, and research utilization activities to improve clinical practice, influence health care policies, and further the development of nursing science.

In a rapidly changing world, adequate and equitable delivery of health care is a critical challenge. We believe that equal access to health care services is the right of every individual in society. Through its unique contribution, nursing can and must be an effective social force in promoting the quality and availability of health care services for all persons. To effect positive changes nurses must participate in all aspects of the health care delivery system including:

1. evaluating the adequacy of health care services for the community,
2. projecting needs for additional or new services, and
3. taking appropriate action to insure accessibility of services. This requires nursing involvement with community action groups and with local and national legislative processes.

We believe initial preparation of professional nurses to meet the health care needs of society is best accomplished through the learning acquired in baccalaureate education. As nurse educators it is our responsibility to provide an environment which facilitates the learning necessary to prepare graduates for professional practice and advanced professional education.

As Christian educators we value the distinctive cultural, ethnic, and social backgrounds of each person and recognize that this diversity enriches our learning environment. It is the role of the educator to provide a learning climate of Christian caring which:

1. enhances students' abilities to use their own unique learning styles effectively,
2. promotes students' accomplishment of personal goals, and
3. facilitates students' utilization of resources and personal support systems to enhance their ability to meet their individual learning needs.

It is our belief that the goal of learning is behavioral change in the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. Learning is a purposeful, dynamic process and involves changes in knowledge, skills, attitudes, values and/or beliefs. Learning occurs more efficiently, is more pervasive and more enduring when the learner actively participates in all phases of the learning process. Previous experience provides the foundation for current learning. Learning is facilitated when experiences move from the familiar to the unfamiliar and from simple to complex. Learning which emphasizes discovery of organizing principles rather than specific content facilitates the transfer of learning to novel situations.

We believe critical thinking, creative thinking, and clinical reasoning are essential for the professional nurse. Development of these skills is fostered in a supportive learning environment which:

1. provides opportunity for involvement in critical thinking and problem solving throughout the learning process,
2. stimulates the processes of inquiry and discovery,
3. provides exposure to a variety of problems in a variety of settings,
4. encourages maturation of the ability to utilize internal and external evaluative feedback, and
5. promotes increasing self-direction and independence.

The educator as a role model enhances the learning process by demonstrating Christian caring and the skills of inquiry and discovery. Acting as an expert learner, facilitator, and resource person, the educator guides the student learner through the educational experience. We believe that education is a life-long process which facilitates the ongoing development of the learner's potentialities for continued growth as a person, citizen, and professional nurse.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate essential nursing knowledge and skills in nursing practice; integrating knowledge from biblical studies, arts, sciences, and humanities; and applying knowledge of relevant cultural, global, social, and technological factors (ULO 1, 2, and 3).
2. Employ effective communication and collaboration in the provision of quality nursing care (ULO 1).
3. Base nursing practice on a formulation of knowledge incorporating critical thinking, clinical reasoning, leadership, and advocacy (ULO 1).
4. Demonstrate ethical Christian caring and professional development consistent with a biblical world-view (ULO 1, 3).

Each Program Learning Outcome (PLO) listed above references at least one of the University Learning Outcomes (ULO 1, 2, 3), which may be found in the General Information section of this catalog.

Admission Requirements

The Biola University nursing program is a four-and-a-half-year program that consists of two distinct phases.

1. Apply to Biola and be admitted to a nursing pathway major: the Bachelor of Science Healthcare Management.
2. Once the necessary coursework is completed apply to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). To pursue the BSN, you must meet additional admissions requirements as noted below.

Students must meet the university’s general admission requirements. Additional requirements apply to transfer students, as indicated below.

Prerequisites to the Program

Prior to admission into the clinical nursing program, pre-clinical nursing students must complete:

¹

CHEM 107 is waived for students who meet the qualifications to enter CHEM 120, and they are required to complete 26 program prerequisite credits. See the current Placement Options for CHEM 120 for more information. 

²

Fulfills the Science Core Curriculum requirement.

³

CHEM 105 and CHEM 115 may be substituted for CHEM 120 and CHEM 121 upon advisor approval.

⁴

Fulfills 3 credits of the 6-credit English Core Curriculum requirement.

⁵

Fulfills the Behavioral Science Core Curriculum requirement.

⁶

Fulfills the Communication Core Curriculum requirement.

Curriculum Requirements

Acceptance into the clinical nursing program is required prior to taking the program courses below.

¹

NURS 367 (Critical Care Nursing - Theory) is available to be taken as elective with the option of having a Critical Care Clinical placement (based on space availability and faculty selection) in NURS 452.

²

MATH 210 or MATH 318 fulfills the Mathematics Core Curriculum requirement and must be taken prior to Semester 4 of clinical nursing program and NURS 441.

³

See department for approved options.

⁴

Or other Department approved upper division elective.

⁵

See Core Curriculum Program section for details.

Transfer/Challenge Policy

For transfer nursing students, registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses and other applicants with health profession backgrounds including Military Veterans into the Biola Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.

General Policies

1. Transfer Student Application Process
   Applicants must first be accepted into Biola University. It is recommended that the applicant meet with a nursing advisor at the time of university application. When the student has met the prerequisite requirements, a separate application and application fee must be made to the Department of Nursing. If the applicant is a RN or LVN, it is recommended that this be done concurrently with the application to the University. Contact the Department of Nursing for the program application. Priority consideration for placement in the clinical nursing program is given to current Biola students. To be considered for acceptance into the clinical nursing program, all applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.

2. Challenge Planning
   Applicants planning to challenge nursing courses must first be accepted by and fulfill all matriculation requirements of Biola University. All required non-nursing prerequisites as outline in the Standard Curriculum Chart for the nursing major should be completed before entering clinical nursing courses. Contact the Department of Nursing for the current curriculum chart. Transfer credit for non-nursing courses will be granted by the Registrar's Office as indicated in the University catalog.
   RNs desiring to challenge must submit a portfolio and review fee of $350. LVNs desiring to challenge must submit a portfolio and review fee of $350. Veterans desiring to challenge must submit a portfolio and review fee of $350. Placement of students and nursing course credit for prior education experience is based upon individual portfolio evaluation which will include the following:

   1. Current RN or LVN license in the USA (and in California prior to start of nursing clinicals).
   2. Nursing course content outlines/syllabi/course descriptions.
   3. Official transcript documenting graduation from a regionally-accredited nursing program.
   4. Two references:
      1. If the ADN or LVN program was completed in the last 5 years, one reference is required from a faculty member from the last year of nursing courses.
      2. If the applicant has been employed as an RN or LVN, a work recommendation from an immediate supervisor who has worked with the applicant for at least 6 months is required.

   5. Educational and work resume.
      Nursing courses for which the RN may receive credit include the following (approved courses are subject to change):

      Nursing B.S.

      Theory	Clinical
      NURS 209/NURS 216/NURS 358	NURS 212/NURS 218/NURS 359
      NURS 204	N/A
      NURS 341	NURS 345
      NURS 347/NURS 355	NURS 349/NURS 357
      NURS 351	NURS 353

      Nursing courses for which the LVN may receive credit include NURS 209 and NURS 212.

3. Minimum Degree Requirements
   All candidates will take a minimum of nine upper-division nursing courses. This will include NURS 300 (for 3 credits) in which the writing competency requirement will be met and which is designed to facilitate socialization into baccalaureate professional nursing. The credits of NURS 300 will be started during the first year following acceptance into the nursing program. The content and credits will vary with individual needs, depending upon prior education experiences and the number of credits transferred in. These initial credits must be successfully completed prior to enrollment in any other clinical nursing course.
   The minimum required courses will include:

NOTE: The course sequence table is designed by the major department and is one way that the classes will work out properly in sequence for your major. However, there are alternative or flexible ways to rotate some of the classes within the same year/level and sometimes between year levels. Please contact your major department advisor to discuss flexible alternatives in scheduling the sequence of your classes.

Taking coursework during the summer session may also be an option to accelerate your degree path.

See Core Curriculum Program section for a list of approved Core Curriculum courses.

Nursing, B.S.

¹

Prerequisite for admission to Clinical Nursing program.

²

If not completed earlier, students are recommended to take a Bible class and/or INCS/ANTH/SOCI class online during Third Year Summer.

³

NURS 367 is available to be taken as an elective with the option of having a Critical Care Clinical placement based on space availability and faculty selection in NURS 452.

⁴

Or other department-approved upper-division elective. 

NOTE: The course sequence table is designed by the major department and is one way that the classes will work out properly in sequence for your major. However, there are alternative or flexible ways to rotate some of the classes within the same year/level and sometimes between year levels. Please contact your major department advisor to discuss flexible alternatives in scheduling the sequence of your classes.

Taking coursework during the summer session may also be an option to accelerate your degree path.

See Core Curriculum Program section for a list of approved Core Curriculum courses.

Nursing, B.S.

¹

Prerequisite for admission to Clinical Nursing program.

²

If not completed earlier, students are recommended to take an INCS/ANTH/SOCI class online during Third Year Summer.

³

NURS 367 is available to be taken as an elective with the option of having a Critical Care Clinical placement based on space availability and faculty selection in NURS 452.

⁴

Or other department-approved upper-division elective.