Prelicensure Program

Unlicensed first year and transfer students are identified as Prelicensure Students as opposed to the RN students who are licensed nurses without a BSN.  Prelicensure students require four years of college course work.  Students work on prerequisite classes in their freshman year and first semester of sophomore year with admission and immersion into the nursing major in the second semester of the sophomore year. 

The nursing major is 53 semester credit hours.  Students complete 12 credits of nursing during their sophomore spring term.  Faculty encourage basic nursing students to be employed in a nursing setting while studying nursing.  Early exposure in the clinical environment assists students to develop communication skills, to become familiar with the clinical environment and to improve organizational skills.  This introduction to the socialization process for nurses and the early acquisition of nursing intervention skills assist the learner to solidify the career choice in nursing and to gain employment skills for the summer recess in a nursing environment. 

At the junior level students complete 12 nursing credits in the fall and 11 nursing credits in the spring.

Nursing students gain nursing skills in the university’s nursing learning laboratory and at selected clinical sites during their third year of study and practice.  During the senior year students complete 11 nursing credits in the fall and 10 nursing credits in the spring.  Students have the opportunity to further develop and refine their nursing practice as members of the health care team.   Students receive an introduction to nursing informatics skills throughout the program.  In addition to the required Biology support courses listed in the Department of Nursing Plan of Study, students may graduate with a minor in biology by taking one of the following courses: Biology 107, 109, 110, 310 or 321. 

 Advancement to the spring junior clinical course is qualified by whether the student has attained 80 hours of work experience (beyond the employer’s orientation) in a nursing environment.  If the student cannot demonstrate completion of clinical work experience by November 30th of the junior fall semester the student will not advance to the junior level clinical course.  Work experience should include repeated application of nursing skills learned in Nursing 160.  Work experience will be verified by a member of the nursing faculty.  Work experience must have been completed within the last five years.

Program Assessment

At the end of the junior and senior years students will complete a national competency exam to assist them with determining their readiness for the licensure exam.

All senior students must achieve a score of 850 on the competency examination.  Students not earning a score of 850 by the end of their senior year will be given an incomplete grade in Nursing 460.  The Department of Nursing uses the HESI competency exam because it provides a good prediction for passing NCLEX.

According to the State of Iowa Board of Nursing, a nursing course with a clinical component may not be taken by a person:

• Who has been denied licensure by the State Board of Nursing

• Whose license is currently suspended, surrendered or revoked in any U.S. jurisdiction.

• Whose license/registration is currently suspended, surrendered or revoked in another country due to disciplinary action.

Students can apply to the Board of Nursing and the licensure testing company after graduation.  The Board of Nursing notifies the testing company after student's  final transcript has been received.

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