To participate in the weekend program, students must hold a BA or BS in another field and complete required general education courses prior to starting nursing courses. The nursing courses begin in the fall and are scheduled for four semesters (fall/spring) on Saturdays and Sundays. Students will be required to attend classes and clinicals that are scheduled for 8am to 5pm both days. Prerequisite courses required for entry are: Anatomy and Physiology I and II with labs (taken within 5 years of starting program), Microbiology with lab (taken within 5 years of starting program), Nutrition, Developmental Psychology, General Psychology and Principles of Sociology. Strong grades in these prerequisite courses are required. At the completion of the program, students will have earned their Associate of Science in Nursing and are eligible to sit for the Registered Nurse Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN). This program is only offered at the Gwynedd Valley Campus.
The Associate of Science in Nursing requires two academic years of full-time study. These two years provide academic and clinical nursing experience. At the completion of the two years, students are eligible to sit for the Registered Nurse Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN), and are prepared as beginning practitioners in nursing to give direct care to patients with health problems in supervised settings. This program is only offered at the Gwynedd Valley Campus.
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-BSN) core is a 43 credit hour, 74-week program designed to expand a student's critical thinking skills while providing the student with a solid foundation in the principles and practices of nursing, and their contemporary applications in the workplace. (A minimum of an associate degree in nursing or equivalent RN diploma is required for admission to the B.S.N. Program.) This program is offered at the Bensalem, Plymouth Meeting, and Philadelphia Campuses.
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing emphasizes the important managerial, supervisory and community focused nursing care skills necessary for successful career development and growth, or preparation for graduate studies. Full or part-time study in the day or evening and flexible clinical experiences are available. A nursing faculty member will assist in program planning. This program is only offered at the Gwynedd Valley Campus.
The Master of Science in Nursing program prepares professional nurses for advanced practice and provides a base for doctoral study. The clinical nurse specialist track leads to specialty practice based on relevant theories and research findings. The scope of practice includes expert nursing care of individuals, families and communities. The clinical nurse specialist track offers specialization in adult health with gerontology. Graduates are prepared to deliver direct and indirect advanced practice nursing care through implementation of the sub-roles of the clinical nurse specialist including clinician, educator, manager and researcher. In addition, they are prepared to assume entry-level positions in nursing education or nursing management. Graduates are eligible to sit for national certification examinations after accrual of the number of hours of advanced nursing practice specified by the nursing organization offering certification.
The role of a Nurse Educator encompasses the development, implementation and evaluation of curricula in collegiate nursing education programs and clinical environments to ensure society's access to safe, effective and state-of-the art nursing care.
Nurse practitioners are licensed independent practitioners who can conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat common acute illnesses and injuries such as infections, manage chronic health problems such as high blood pressure and diabetes, order and interpret lab services and X-rays, prescribe pharmacologic therapy and nonpharmacologic interventions. The Adult Nurse Practitioner Program prepares advanced practice nurses as primary care providers to manage the health of individuals from adolescence through old age. The Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program prepares advanced practice nurses as primary care providers to manage the health of individuals from the time they're newborns through age 21.
This program is designed for professional nurses who have earned a Master of Science in Nursing degree and seek further education to qualify for state and national certification as a nurse practitioner in adult health with gerontology or pediatric health.
