Report in Response to SB 1172 to Establish a Passport Nursing Program (October 31, 2023)
Summary
Report in response to SB 1172 to establish a Passport Nursing Program, from the Virginia Community College System Academic and Workforce Program Unit, dated October 31, 2023. The executive summary states that Senate Bill 1172 directs the Virginia Community College System, in collaboration with the Board of Nursing and others, to convene a work group to develop a system for standardizing registered nursing (RN) education and diploma programs. It states that the work group must submit its report no later than November 1, 2023, and that invitations to nursing program representatives were emailed on June 13, 2023. The table of contents lists sections on the RN core curriculum, recommendations and anticipated impact, and appendices including RN curricula and credit totals.
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“Report in Response to SB 1172 to Establish a Passport Nursing Program (October 31, 2023).”
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Report in Response to
SB 1172 to Establish a
Passport Nursing
Program
Virginia Community College System
Academic and Workforce Program Unit
October 31, 2023
1
Table of Contents
I. Executive Summary…………………………………………………………………………………….........3
II. Detailed Report
a. Background…………………………………………………………………………………............5
b. Discussion……………………………………………………………………………………………...6
i. Classes that Constitute and Define the RN Core Curriculum…........6
ii. System to Standardize the RN Core Curriculum..............................6
1. Name of the core curriculum……………………………………………6
2. Content ……………………………………………………………………..….…6
3. Rigor…………………………………………………………………………..….…8
4. Credits for RN programs including clinical hours required…9
5. Opportunity-based and competency-based
learning pathways……………………………………….…………………..9
6. Fully online classes and programs…………………………………….9
7. Ensure that all credits earned toward an RN degree or diploma
program are stackable, transferrable, and universally accepted
across all such programs…………………………………………………..10
c. Recommendations......................................................................................10
d. Anticipated Impact of Implementing Passport Nursing Program................11
e. Benefits of Communication Among Nursing Programs...............................12
III. Appendices
a. Appendix 1: Statute Requiring Core Curriculum for RN Programs.............13
b. Appendix 2: Convening Work Group..........................................................14
c. Appendix 3: Membership of Work Group..................................................17
d. Appendix 4: Overview of Legislation Provided to Work Group..................19
e. Appendix 5: Work Group’s Agenda & Membership of Small Groups……...21
f. Appendix 6: Small Groups’ Responses to Work Group’s Questions...........22
g. Appendix 7: RN Curricula...........................................................................38
h. Appendix 8: Credit Totals for RN Curricula.................................................54
i. Appendix 9: Virginia Association of Colleges of Nursing Letter Regarding
Standardized Curriculum………………………………………………………..………………55
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Executive Summary
Senate Bill 1172, an Act to require the Virginia Community College System to establish a standardized
core curriculum for all registered nursing (RN) degree or diploma programs in the Commonwealth, the
Passport Nursing Program, was approved by Governor Youngkin March 22, 2023. This act directs the
Virginia Community College System (VCCS), in collaboration with the Board of Nursing, the State Council
of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), the Virginia Nurses Association and other relevant stakeholders,
to “convene a work group, consisting of representatives from the Virginia Community College System,
SCHEV, the Board of Nursing, the Virginia Nurses Association, for-profit and private not-for-profit
institutions offering registered nursing (RN) education and diploma programs, the Virginia Hospital and
Healthcare Association (VHHA), and Radford University’s Nursing Competency Accelerated Pathway
(NCAP) program, to develop a system for the standardization of all RN education and diploma programs
offered in the Commonwealth, to be called the Passport Nursing Program.” The work group must submit
its report to the Governor, the Chairman of the House Committee on Education, the Chairman of the
Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the Board of Nursing no later than November 1, 2023
(Appendix 1, p. 13).
In response, the VCCS collaborated with representatives of Virginia Board of Nursing (VBON) and SCHEV
to identify representatives of all Associate Degree in Nursing, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and pre-
licensure Master of Nursing programs across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Representatives of each
Nursing program, along with representatives from SCHEV, the Virginia Nurses Association, the VHHA, and
Radford University’s NCAP program were emailed on June 13, 2023 to invite them (Appendix 2, p. 14) to
attend a meeting to discuss the curriculum for registered nurses in Virginia. Those who did not respond
to the email were contacted a second time. As shown in the same appendix, a few invitees did not
respond, a few responded that they would not attend, and a few who planned to attend were unable to
do so but provided input via phone and email. In addition, the Virginia Association of Colleges of Nursing
submitted a letter sharing the association’s concerns and outlining several recommendations (Appendix
9, p. 55).
On July 13, 2023, representatives from the VCCS, VBON, Virginia Nurses Association, VHHA member
hospitals, and SCHEV met with representatives from nursing programs at hospitals, colleges, and
universities across the Commonwealth of Virginia for a total of 32 participants (Appendix 3, p. 17). VCCS,
SCHEV, and VBON representatives provided participants with an overview of SB 1172 (Appendix 4, p. 19).
Working in small groups to which representatives of different types of institutions were assigned
(Appendix 5, p. 21), participants discussed seven questions (Appendix 6, p. 22) addressing lines 20-29 of
legislation SB 1172. Each group reported a summary of their responses orally and submitted their
meeting notes and answers to the questions to the VCCS representatives to assist with this report. To
conclude the meeting, the group formulated a set of recommendations aimed at increasing the supply of
registered nurses in Virginia. In addition, several work group members submitted their curricula which
were used as a representative sample of nursing curricula from which to draw information on clinical
hours and total credit hours required (Appendix 7, p. 38).
The representative curricula reviewed include the core content required by the Virginia Board of Nursing
as specified in Administrative Code. As all registered nursing program graduates must pass the same
exam, the NCLEX-RN, to be granted a license as a Registered Nurse, those present agreed that although
their curricula differ, they all prepare students with the same required knowledge and skills. However,
participants were unable to reach an agreement on standardization of admissions, courses and course
sequences, or course delivery for all RN education programs offered in the Commonwealth. Participants
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strongly recommended that nursing programs be allowed to retain their curricula and policies in order to
serve different student populations, thereby keeping the pool of prospective nurses as broad as possible.
The work group expressed concern that requiring uniformity across all nursing programs would unfairly
disadvantage some student populations and some regions. While a common curriculum was not agreed
upon, representatives developed a set of recommendations to potentially increase the number of
Registered Nurses in Virginia. These fall into two broad categories: recommendations related to
curriculum and delivery of nursing education and recommendations for recruiting and retaining nurses
and nurse educators.
Although participants did not agree to a common curriculum or a strategy for developing a common
curriculum, they expressed great appreciation for the opportunity to meet that this legislation
prompted. Before this convening, participants from these diverse institutions and organizations had
never met as a group. Nursing program representatives, including some who could not attend the
meeting agreed that convening the group was very worthwhile and should be repeated periodically.
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DETAILED REPORT
Background
Senate Bill 1172, an Act to require the Virginia Community College System to establish a standardized
core curriculum for all registered nursing (RN) degree or diploma programs in the Commonwealth, the
Passport Nursing Program, was approved March 22, 2023. This act directs the Virginia Community
College System (VCCS), in collaboration with the Virginia Board of Nursing (VBON), the State Council of
Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), the Virginia Nurses Association and other relevant stakeholders,
to “convene a work group, consisting of representatives from the Virginia Community College System,
SCHEV, the Board of Nursing, the Virginia Nurses Association, for-profit and private not-for-profit
institutions offering registered nursing (RN) education and diploma programs, the Virginia Hospital and
Healthcare Association (VHHA), and Radford University’s Nursing Competency Accelerated Pathway
(NCAP) program, to develop a system for the standardization of all RN education and diploma programs
offered in the Commonwealth, to be called the Passport Nursing Program. The work group shall (i)
determine what classes constitute and define the RN core curriculum and (ii) develop a system to
standardize the RN core curriculum in name, content, rigor, and credits, including the award of clinical
nursing credit hours, opportunity-based and competency-based learning pathways, and fully online
learning classes and programs, to ensure that all credits earned toward an RN degree or diploma
program are stackable, transferrable, and universally accepted across all such programs.” The work group
must submit its report to the Governor, the Chairman of the House Committee on Education, the
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the Board of Nursing no later than
November 1, 2023 (Appendix 1, p. 13)
In response, the VCCS collaborated with representatives of VBON and SCHEV to identify representatives
of all Associate Degree in Nursing, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and pre-licensure Master of Nursing
programs across the Commonwealth of Virginia. It should be noted that the VBON reports that there are
no longer any diploma programs in Virginia. Representatives of each nursing program, along with
representatives from SCHEV, the Virginia Nurses Association, the Virginia Hospitals and Healthcare
Association (VHHA), and Radford University’s Nursing Competency Accelerated Pathway (NCAP) program
were emailed on June 13, 2023, to invite them (Appendix 2, p. 14) to attend a meeting to discuss the
curriculum for registered nurses in Virginia. Those who did not respond to the email were contacted a
second time. As shown in the appendix, a few invitees did not respond, a few responded that they would
not attend, and a few who planned to attend were unable to do so. Some institutions and the VHHA
provided input via phone or email. Several of the institutions submitted their curricula for inclusion in
this report (Appendix 7, p. 38). In addition to being represented on the work group, the Virginia
Association of Colleges of Nursing (VACN) submitted a letter outlining VACN’s concerns about requiring a
standardized nursing curriculum (Appendix 9, p. 55). Work group members also noted that on its website
at Baccalaureate Education (aacnnursing.org), the American Association of Colleges of Nursing notes that
BSN curricula may offer nursing classes beginning in the freshman or sophomore year.
On July 13, 2023, representatives from the VCCS, VBON, Virginia Nurses Association, and SCHEV met
with representatives from nursing programs at hospitals, colleges, and public, private, and proprietary
universities across the Commonwealth of Virginia for a total of 32 participants (Appendix 3, p. 17). VCCS,
SCHEV, and VBON representatives provided participants an overview of SB 1172(Appendix 4, p. 19).
Working in small groups (Appendix 5, p. 21), participants discussed seven questions addressing lines 20-
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29 of legislation SB 1172 (Appendix 6, p. 22). Each group reported a summary of their responses orally
and submitted their meeting notes and answers to the questions to the VCCS representatives for
inclusion in this report. At the end of the meeting, all participants collaborated to provide a group of
recommendations that they believe will help address the nursing workforce shortage in Virginia.
In addition to responding to the legislation, the work group considered the landscape of nursing
education in Virginia. It includes nursing programs at hospitals, community colleges, and public, private,
and proprietary universities, some of which are not based in Virginia. Nursing programs serve a wide
range of students, from well-prepared traditionally aged students who go directly to a university, to
poorly prepared adult students who may need to work while they attend college and may need to
improve their English and math skills before undertaking college-level courses.
The work group also considered information on the curriculum that is common across all VCCS Associate
Degree in Nursing programs. Developed over a period of approximately two years and maintained by a
group representing the 21 colleges with the program, the VCCS nursing curriculum is the result of
frequent meetings at which nurse educators decided how to address all VBON requirements at
community colleges in all parts of the Commonwealth. From 2020-2021 through 2022-2023, the VCCS
prepared a total of 3,963 nursing graduates.
Discussion
Classes that Constitute and Define the RN Core Curriculum
Virginia Administrative Code 18VAC90-27-90 Curriculum provides minimum standards for pre-licensure
nursing education programs requiring a wide range of evidence-based didactic content and clinical
experiences. It does not specify how that content should be distributed across the curriculum. Thus, the
structure of the RN core curriculum varies based on institutions’ individual curriculum models; there is
no subset of classes that constitute a core curriculum for all Virginia nursing programs.
System to Standardize the RN Core Curriculum
Participants at the nursing curriculum meeting discussed each of the following points to address the
legislation seeking to standardize the RN core curriculum.
Name of the Core Curriculum
In Virginia, the nursing core curriculum is that body of knowledge and skills required by the
Virginia Board of Nursing. Program faculty have authority over their nursing curriculum as
required by national nursing accreditors. Work group members agreed that curriculum
progresses from simple to complex. However, except within the VCCS nursing programs, there
was inconsistency in course name, course credit, content, and associated clinical hours per
course. Therefore, the group was unable to define a core subset of courses that could be labeled
as the Passport Nursing Program. Since most Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs will
accept transfer students who have earned their RN license, the knowledge and skills required to
pass the NCLEX function as a core curriculum.
Content
As required by the Virginia Board of Nursing and consistent with Virginia Administrative Code
18VAC90-27-90, the programs represented by the work group all include classes that cover the
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following core content and include additional content as deemed required by program faculty
and administration:
• Maintenance of physical and mental health and prevention of illness throughout the life
cycle,
• Anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and chemistry,
• English and social sciences such as psychology,
• Communication,
• Nursing fundamentals,
• Adult medical/surgical nursing,
• Maternal/infant (obstetrics, gynecology, neonatal) nursing,
• Geriatric nursing,
• Pediatric nursing,
• Mental health/psychiatric nursing,
• Concepts of pathophysiology,
• Pharmacology,
• Nutrition and diet therapy,
• Ethics, legal considerations, and professional responsibilities,
• Client-centered care,
• Nursing in acute and nonacute settings,
• Nursing in community-based and long-term care settings
• Nursing assessment including data collection,
• Management and supervisory skills, and
• Clinical judgment.
Participants noted that they had more in common than expected but that, as stated in the VACN
letter (Appendix 9, p. 55), some differences are necessary because accrediting bodies require
Nursing programs to align with the institution’s mission and because baccalaureate (BSN)
programs are almost twice as long as Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) and diploma programs.
Differences among nursing programs include:
• Accreditation standards vary with the nursing accrediting body and the regional institutional
accreditor.
• Nursing accreditation agencies require the faculty at a given institution to inform the
curriculum. Thus, within the guidelines established by Administrative Code, faculty must
possess the ability to refine their nursing program’s curriculum.
• Prerequisite courses, often determined by faculty in general education disciplines, are not
typically the purview of the nursing faculty. For example, at some institutions, Biology faculty
teach Anatomy and Physiology as one two-semester course while at others the faculty teach
Anatomy as a separate one-semester course from Physiology.
• Nursing content is threaded throughout the curriculum in a variety of nursing and
sometimes non-nursing courses. For example, Introduction to Nursing may be included in
Fundamentals of Nursing or may be a separate course. Health Assessment, Nutrition,
Pathophysiology, Medical Terminology, and Clinical Calculation are separate courses at
several institutions, but the concepts are integrated into other courses at some institutions.
Additional courses that are different among the participating institutions include: Adult
Health: Complex Care, Evidence Based Practice, Obstetrics, Gerontology, Senior Seminar:
Transition to Practice, Patients with Complex Health Problems, Community Health,
Healthcare Policy and Regulation, Management, and Research & Evidence-based practice.
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• ADN curricula do not include specific community (diverse or global populations) classes or
clinicals, or research courses or the Leadership, Legal and Ethics courses included in BSN
programs.
• Some nursing programs are offered by institutions nationwide, so their curricula are viewed
through a multi-state lens.
• Classes/content may be offered in different sequences in different programs.
In a related phone call, the interim dean of the Radford University nursing program added that
as they pursue development of a competency-based program, as required by their nursing
accreditor, the overall content will still be the same, though broken into modules.
Rigor
Maintaining national nursing accreditation is an assessment of program quality and is required
for all registered nursing programs in 18VAC90-27-220. Nursing accreditors hold nursing
programs to the strict standards set by the accrediting agency. Institutions of higher education
and accrediting bodies assess the quality of nursing programs through a variety of measures to
include, National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) pass rates, progression rates,
completion rates, employment of graduates, program outcomes, instructor qualifications, and
up-to-date facilities as evidence of rigor.
Some factors that affect the rigor of nursing programs include admission standards,
progression/dismissal standards, grading scale, session length, and delivery methods.
• Admission Standards: Some colleges have pre-nursing admission requirements and some
allow students to be admitted to the nursing program on admission to the university.
The grade point average (GPA) required for admission varied among participants’
institutions from 2.5 to 3.0, and some programs do not use GPA for admission decisions.
Some institutions consider applicants’ GPAs in science courses or prerequisite courses
specifically while others use the overall GPA. Many nursing programs use the ATI or HESI,
requiring various scores for admission; some university nursing programs perform
holistic admission assessment. English proficiency exams are required for students for
whom English is not the primary language. Some programs require recommendation
letters, application essays, and high school diplomas but others do not require these
items. Work group members emphasized that regardless of admissions practices, all
nursing programs must produce the same outcomes: graduates who are successful on
NCLEX-RN and are ready for entry to practice. The group does not recommend
standardizing admission standards as doing so would eliminate prospective nurses who
just need additional preparation.
• Grading scales and progression requirements within nursing courses vary. Most colleges
represented by the work group require passing scores on exams before other
assignments are factored into the grade. The programs follow skill checklists that include
medication administration and patient identification safety, adherence to “red rules”
that require exact compliance for patient safety, professional behavior, communication,
and ethics. Most institutions require a grade of C for passing, but a C may be assigned for
scores ranging from 70-80 percent.
• Dismissal/Attendance Policies: Programs vary in dismissal policies, allowing failure of one
to three courses before program dismissal. Didactic and clinical attendance
requirements also vary among the programs.
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• Associate Degree in Nursing programs are approximately two years long while BSN pre-
licensure programs are four years long and so allow time for additional content. Within
those parameters, specific program length varies; session lengths vary from 5 weeks to
16 weeks. Because prerequisite courses by their very nature must be taken before
students can take their core nursing courses, a “two-year” Associate Degree might take
three calendar years to complete. Some programs require students to attend full time,
but a few do not.
• Most programs represented by the work group admit students two or three times per
year and require students to complete the program within a certain number of years.
This is typically 150% of the theoretical length of the program (so, three years for
associate degrees and six years for the BSN). Most institutions have a process by which
students may appeal dismissal from the nursing program.
• The laboratory and clinical portions of nursing courses include varying percentages of
time spent in skills laboratories, clinical sites, and simulations. Nursing courses generally
do not transfer well, but it is even more unusual for an institution to teach or accept
nursing courses with a clinical or lab component taught online.
Credits for RN programs including clinical hours required
The total number of credits required in each nursing program varies across the Commonwealth.
Using the institutions in the work group that submitted RN curricula as a sample: (1) ADN
programs range from 64 to 72 credits; (2) BSN programs range from 120 to 128 credits.
(Appendix 8, p. 54) Total clinical hours required for each RN program represented in the sample
often exceed the VBON requirement that programs include at least 500 clinical hours; the
representative ADN programs require up to 766 hours; (2) for traditional BSN programs (not
including ADN to BSN bridge programs), clinical hours range from 532 to 954 hours. (Appendix 7,
p. 38) The programs are allowed to apply simulation time to meet up to 25% of the required
clinical hours. It is common to require 45 hours of total contact time for each clinical credit.
Some nursing programs’ clinical hours are integrated into the related didactic course while
others are separate clinical courses. When didactic and clinical hours are integrated into one
course, students must pass the clinical requirements to pass the course regardless of how well
students performed in the didactic portion. Grading of clinical performance varies from a letter
grade to a grade of Pass/Fail.
Opportunity-based and competency-based learning pathways
There are three main nursing curriculum designs: medical model, concept based, and
competency based. Senior institutions are moving toward competency-based learning as
required by American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). The VCCS common curriculum
is concept-based while others remain a medical model. Radford University’s nursing program will
share its competency-based model, once developed, with the VCCS to assist in facilitating
alignment. Most of the work group members have very strict rules for accepting credit for prior
learning due to the variations in nursing curriculum.
Fully online learning classes and programs
Although several institutions within the work group offer or accept general education courses
taught online, some do not. As noted earlier, it is very unusual for an institution to teach or
accept courses with an online clinical component. Some institutions in Virginia (e.g., Averett
University, South University) do offer online BSN programs, but those too require in-person labs
and clinical rotations. Allowing the use of some online general education and didactic portions of
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nursing classes helps to make nursing programs more accessible to students whose schedules
make it difficult to be on campus several times per week.
Ensure that all credits earned toward an RN degree or diploma program are stackable,
transferrable, and universally accepted across all such programs
Transfer of credit for students who have not completed a degree or certificate: VCCS colleges
typically accept transfer credit for courses within the VCCS common curriculum if they can
discern the number and specialty covered by clinical hours. Because nursing content is
distributed differently across nursing courses at the various institutions, except within the VCCS,
most nursing programs do not accept much or even any credit for individual nursing courses in
transfer.
ADN to BSN: Credits earned in ADN programs are usually applied toward the BSN for graduates
who have earned their RN license; this is roughly equivalent to the first two years of the BSN. In
addition, the VCCS has transfer agreements with Radford University, University of Virginia,
Virginia Commonwealth University, Bluefield College, Mary Baldwin University, ECPI University,
George Washington University, and Southern New Hampshire University nursing programs, and
is negotiating such agreements with UVA-Wise and James Madison University. These agreements
guarantee the application of credits to the BSN program.
LPN to ADN: Some ADN programs give credit for the LPN license with a bridge course that
assures students are prepared for the second year of a registered nursing curriculum.
CNA: No institution represented in the work group gives course credit for the CNA although a
few did give points for it toward admission.
General education: Within the VCCS, students in good standing can transfer all their general
education courses with a grade of C or higher. The general education courses required by VCCS
ADN programs can be applied to the general education Passport and Uniform Certificate of
General Studies mandated by Code. Acceptance of general education courses by other
institutions varies with the way their curricula are structured and whether nursing content is
embedded in their general education courses.
Recommendations
Although work group members agree that programs must address all of the concepts and skills required
by Administrative Code, the work group does not recommend requiring all RN programs in Virginia to
offer a standardized set of courses in a standardized sequence. This stance is supported by the July 2023
VACN letter (Appendix 9, p. 55). However, the work group offers the following recommendations for
improving nursing education and for recruiting and retaining nurses in Virginia.
• Continue the work started at the meeting conducted in response to SB1172; bring
representatives of disparate nursing programs in Virginia together periodically to discuss ways
they can collaborate to recruit and educate prospective nurses.
• Consider the content mandated in Administrative Code and tested by the NCLEX-RN as the core
nursing curriculum for Virginia.
• Strengthen nursing transfer pathways in the Commonwealth. Establish additional guaranteed
admission agreements between ADN programs and BSN programs. As noted earlier, the VCCS
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has transfer agreements with eight senior institutions in Virginia and is currently working with
the University of Virginia at Wise and James Madison University to establish agreements.
Expanding the pipeline of ADN to BSN programs in the Commonwealth would stem the tide of
ADN graduates who are enrolling in programs outside Virginia including Western Governors
University and Southern New Hampshire University. Encourage representatives of BSN pre-
licensure programs to consider possible ways to facilitate transfer among their programs.
• Facilitate collaboration among nurses, nursing educators, and any other interested parties to
define the standards for accepting and transferring credits.
• Promote the development and use of clear pathways from high school through community
colleges and universities to careers in nursing. Encourage high schools to work with colleges to
provide dual and concurrent enrollment programs that prepare students to enter nursing
programs and, ultimately, the nursing profession.
• Encourage the VCCS to maintain the common nursing curriculum it has established across its 21
Associate of Applied Science Nursing programs.
• Acknowledge the importance of varied nursing education delivery methods at least for didactic
portions of courses (online and in-person, sessions of different lengths) to provide options that
work well for different populations of prospective nurses. This is especially important for adult
students who must fit their nursing classes into busy schedules.
• Review regulations and policies to assure that they do not unfairly disadvantage any regions of
the Commonwealth or potential student populations. For example, admission standards should
be established that allow students who need to refresh their knowledge of math or who need
preparatory courses in English to be able to enter nursing. This could make a nursing career
unavailable to people in some low-income areas or who have been out of school several years.
• Review VBON regulations and nursing accreditation requirements and define components of
rigor and expectations for each.
• Base decisions to require changes to nursing education on data, considering the data outcomes
and numbers of students in the pipeline, program completers, and those working in the field.
Identify sources of data that should be used.
• Increase funding for laboratories so nursing programs can provide a state-of-the-art education
regardless of sponsoring institution.
• Address the shortage of clinical placements. Access to clinical sites affects curriculum in that
colleges have to run clinical courses according to the availability of different clinical specialties.
• Invest in marketing for the nursing profession as it has suffered from bad publicity in recent years
due to Covid and workplace violence.
• Recruit nursing educators. Actively recruit a diverse nursing workforce to improve health
outcomes with attention to equity and health disparities.
• Retain nurses and nursing faculty with salary increases and clear career advancement pathways,
including funding to earn graduate degrees. Improve workplace conditions such as safety.
Anticipated Impact of Implementing Passport Nursing Program
The work group emphasized that RN programs have different missions and different populations served.
Complicating matters is that the clinical sites that RN programs use have engendered different emphases
in the curricula which are exemplified in a diverse range of clinical hours that institutions require across
the state. If public institutions, for-profit, and private not-for-profit institutions are mandated to adopt a
core curriculum, this could disrupt the delivery of nursing education by increasing the competition for
clinical sites. That would have a detrimental effect on the efforts by the RN programs to address the
11
shortage of trained nurses in the Commonwealth at a time when one of Governor Youngkin’s priorities is
to increase post-secondary credentials as a strategy to strengthen Virginia’s workforce.
Implementing a Passport Nursing Program with a standardized core curriculum would not strengthen
transferability of nursing courses across the Commonwealth. For students currently enrolled in a RN
program who wish to move to another RN program (e.g. a student in an ADN program who seeks
admission in another ADN program), differing clinical experiences available at different points within
curricula often precludes the transfer of credits from one institution to another. Even for the VCCS, with
its ADN common curriculum, students transferring between community colleges must still complete all
the different types of clinical experiences that must be addressed by RN programs to meet the VBON
requirements for clinicals.
A standardized core curriculum is not needed to strengthen the transfer of ADN graduates to BSN
programs in the Commonwealth. As indicated previously, students who earn the ADN, pass the NCLEX,
and obtain their RN license typically are awarded the equivalent of two years of credit toward a BSN. The
ADN is an excellent vehicle for vertical transfer because every pre-licensure RN curriculum is aligned with
VBON’s curricular standards for didactic content and clinical experiences for pre-licensure programs.
Thus, while the work group identified course-related differences in RN curricula, the fundamental
structure of nursing content is based upon a curricular framework that is defined by VBON’s standards.
Benefits of Communication Among Nursing Programs
Although the work group recommends continuing to allow variations among institutions in the
curriculum and delivery of Virginia’s nursing programs, the group advocates for continuing the
communication among nursing programs initiated by the need to respond to Senate Bill 1172. Such
communication facilitates the sharing of best practices. Nursing program representatives, including some
who could not attend the meeting agreed that convening the group was very worthwhile and should be
done periodically. The work group is grateful for this opportunity to work together.
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Appendix 1: Statute Requiring Core Curriculum for RN Programs
CHAPTER 212
An Act to require the Virginia Community College System to establish a standardized core
curriculum for all registered nursing (RN) degree or diploma programs in the Commonwealth,
the Passport Nursing Program.
[S 1172]
Approved March 22, 2023
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. § 1. That the Virginia Community College System, in collaboration with the Board of Nursing,
the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), and representatives from for-profit
and private not-for-profit institutions offering registered nursing (RN) degree or diploma
programs, shall standardize the core curriculum for all RN degree or diploma programs in the
Commonwealth, including those offered at hospitals and for-profit institutions, to be called the
Passport Nursing Program, for which the RN core curriculum is standardized in name, content,
rigor, and credits such that all classes and credits are stackable, transferrable, and universally
accepted by all RN degree or diploma programs in the Commonwealth.
2. That the Virginia Community College System, in collaboration with the Board of Nursing, the
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), the Virginia Nurses Association, and
other relevant stakeholders, shall convene a work group, consisting of representatives from the
Virginia Community College System, SCHEV, the Board of Nursing, the Virginia Nurses
Association, for-profit and private not-for-profit institutions offering registered nursing (RN)
education and diploma programs, the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association (VHHA), and
Radford University's Nursing Competency Accelerated Pathway (NCAP) program, to develop a
system for the standardization of all RN education and diploma programs offered in the
Commonwealth, to be called the Passport Nursing Program. The work group shall (i) determine
what classes constitute and define the RN core curriculum and (ii) develop a system to
standardize the RN core curriculum in name, content, rigor, and credits, including the award of
clinical nursing credit hours, opportunity-based and competency-based learning pathways, and
fully online learning classes and programs, to ensure that all credits earned toward an RN
degree or diploma program are stackable, transferrable, and universally accepted across all
such programs. The work group shall submit its report to the Governor, the Chairman of the
House Committee on Education, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education and
Health, and the Board of Nursing no later than November 1, 2023.
13
Appendix 2: Convening Work Group
Dr. Daniel Lewis, Director of Academic Programs (Virginia Community College System) received
a contact list for all RN programs from the Virginia Board of Nursing which was used as the
distribution list to invite institutions to serve on the Work Group. Instead of engaging all private
not-for-profit BSN institutions in the Commonwealth, the Council of Independent Colleges in
Virginia designated Shenandoah University as the institution to represent this group of
institutions. On June 13, 2023, Dr. Lewis sent an invitation to RN programs to participate in a
meeting scheduled for July 13 and sent a second email on July 5, 2023 to request RN curricula
and transfer policies from each institution.
First email sent to Work Group on June 13, 2023
RN institutions responded in the affirmative that they would send a representative to the Work
Group except for the following institutions who did not respond to the email: Old Dominion
University (BSN); Saint Michael College of Allied Health (Associate Degree); Sentara College of
Health Sciences (BSN); Standard Healthcare Services College (Associate Degree). Hampton
University (BSN) and Radford University (BSN) had indicated that they would attend but could
not find a representative to participate in the meeting.
From: Daniel Lewis <DLewis@vccs.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2023 11:37 AM
Subject: Invitation to participate in the RN Work Group meeting on July 13, 10:00 am -3:00 pm (RSVP by
June 23, 5 pm)
Greetings,
The Virginia Community College System (VCCS) has been charged by the General Assembly to convene a
work group to “standardize the core curriculum for all RN programs” in the Commonwealth. This
legislation (attached) directs the VCCS to engage with institutional representatives from all Registered
Nursing (RN) programs in the state in partnership with the Virginia Board of Nursing, the State Council of
Higher Education for Virginia, the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association and the Virginia Nurses
Association. As a work group, we are being asked to do the following:
• Determine what classes constitute and define the RN core curriculum;
• Develop a system to standardize the RN core curriculum in name, content, rigor, and credits,
including the award of clinical nursing credit hours, opportunity-based and competency-based
learning pathways, and fully online learning classes and programs;
• Ensure that all credits earned toward an RN degree or diploma program are stackable,
transferrable, and universally accepted across all such programs.
We will be having a face-to-face meeting with all stakeholders on Thursday, July 13, 10:00 am-3:00 p.m.
at the VCCS system office in North Chesterfield. June 23 is the deadline to RSVP to me. We will be
providing a complementary lunch. If you have any dietary restrictions please contact Heather Fitzgerald
(mfitzgerald@vccs.edu). Please see attached for driving directions to the system office, parking, and
information about hotels in the area. Unfortunately, we are not able to provide financial support for
travel and lodging expenses.
14
I look forward to working with you to address the General Assembly’s charge.
Thanks,
Dan
_____________________________
Daniel C. Lewis, Ph.D. (he/him)
Director of Academic Programs and Policy
Virginia Community College System
300 Arboretum Place, Suite 200
Richmond, VA 23236
804.819.4936 (voice)
dlewis@vccs.edu
Second email sent to Work Group on July 5, 2023 requesting RN curriculum and transfer policy
From: Daniel Lewis <DLewis@vccs.edu>
Date: Wednesday, July 5, 2023 at 5:10 PM
To:
Cc: Mary Heather Fitzgerald <mfitzgerald@vccs.edu>, Daniel Lewis <DLewis@vccs.edu>
Subject: Request for RN Curriculum Information and Transfer Policy by next Tuesday, July 11, 5
pm
In preparation for our meeting next Thursday, July 13, 10:00 am-3:00 pm, we ask that every RN program
provide us with your institution’s RN curriculum via the Google spreadsheet (see link below); this
curricular content (see bulleted items below) aligns with 18VAC90-27-80, C9-C10 (Virginia Board
regulations). We also request a copy of your institution’s RN transfer policy (PDF or .doc) that describes
how your program addresses students wishing to transfer to your program from another college or
university; please email your transfer policy to my colleague, Heather Fitzgerald, Coordinator of
Academic Programs; her email is mfitzgerald@vccs.edu. The deadline to update the Google
spreadsheet and submit the transfer policy is next Tuesday, July 11, 5 pm.
Link to Google spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MhwDYcbR1q8CDOY1jfIsz3rDpKPc5cs0/edit?usp=sharing&ou
id=109621531762839644238&rtpof=true&sd=true
The Google spreadsheet includes the following content areas that we need you to complete so that we
have the required nursing courses for each institution:
• Institution
• Program Type (ADN/BSN)
• Course Name
• Theory Hours
15
• Skill Lab Hours
• Simulation Hours (if used in lieu of direct client care hours)
• Clinical Hours
• Course Description
If you have any questions about accessing and/or inputting information into the Google spreadsheet
please contact Heather Fitzgerald: mfitzgerald@vccs.edu
Thanks so much for your assistance. We look forward to seeing you next week!
Dan Lewis
_____________________________
Daniel C. Lewis, Ph.D. (he/him)
Director of Academic Programs and Policy
Virginia Community College System
300 Arboretum Place, Suite 200
Richmond, VA 23236
804.819.4936 (voice)
dlewis@vccs.edu
16
Appendix 3: Membership of Work Group
Organization Last Name First Name Attended Meeting
Arizona College of Nursing Long Deborah
Arizona College of Nursing Rada Teri X
Arizona College of Nursing Weir Melissa X
Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing Woodcock Brenda
Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing Green Melanie X
Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing Hence Michelle X
Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing Perkins Chris-Tenna
Bryant & Stratton College Cohen Patty X
Bryant & Stratton College Erick Debi X
Bryant & Stratton College Murphy Beth
Centra College Gable Heather
Centra College Huffer Sarah X
Chamberlain University College of Nursing Combs Caroline X
Eastern Virginia Career College Gaulard Lisa X
Eastern Virginia Career College Hammond Melissa X
Eastern Virginia Career College Kitchen Kristina
ECPI University Larar Barbara X
ECPI University Lipsmeyer Andrea
Fortis College Martinez Jennifer X
Galen College of Nursing Ortelli Tracy X
Galen College of Nursing Peake Lisa
George Mason University Oetjen Cheryl X
Germanna Community College Lisk Patti
Hampton University College of Virginia Beach Hughes Latonya
Hampton University College of Virginia Beach Montgomery Arlene
J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College Lawson Pattie X
James Madison University Eaton Melody
James Madison University Robinson Jamie X
Longwood University Little Kimberly X
Norfolk State University Martin Jamela X
Norfolk State University Thurman Aretha
Old Dominion University Wright Suzanne
Radford University Downey Wendy sick so couldn't
attend but met with
VCCS by phone
Randolph Macon College Rubenstein Cynthia
Riverside College of Health Careers Compton Beth
Riverside College of Health Careers Outlaw Debbie X
17
Saint Michael College of Allied Health Adedokun Michael
SCHEV Graber Bella X
SCHEV Muniz Emily X
SCHEV Smith Paul X
Sentara College of Health Sciences Johnson Judith
Shenandoah University Levinson Lisa X
South University Peck Linda X
South University Tran Narisa X
Southside College of Health Sciences Swineford Cindy X
Standard Healthcare Services College Douglas- Rondine
Stanley
The University of Virginia's College at Wise Haugen Nancy X
University of Virginia Hallowell Sara X
VCCS Fitzgerald Heather X
VCCS Lewis Dan X
VCCS Reid Philmika X
VCCS Robertson Sheri X
Virginia Board of Nursing Wilmoth Jacquelyn X
Virginia Commonwealth University Edmonds Michelle X
Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association Alexander Sharon No, but many
conversations
Virginia Nurses Association Akers Shanna X
Virginia Nurses Association Apple Ashley
Virginia Nurses Association Wall Janet
Virginia Nurses Association Wilson Sherri X
18
Appendix 4: Overview of Legislation Provided to Work Group
A copy of the legislation broken into parts to highlight the many points to be discussed was
given to everyone who attended the meeting. The handout is copied below.
CHAPTER 212
An Act to require the Virginia Community College System to establish a standardized core
curriculum for all registered nursing (RN) degree or diploma programs in the Commonwealth,
the Passport Nursing Program.
[S 1172]
Approved March 22, 2023
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. § 1. That the Virginia Community College System, in collaboration with also see part 2 with
longer list
the Board of Nursing,
the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), and
representatives from
for-profit and
private not-for-profit institutions
offering registered nursing (RN) degree or diploma programs,
shall standardize the core curriculum for all RN degree or diploma programs in the
Commonwealth,
including those offered at hospitals and for-profit institutions,
to be called the Passport Nursing Program,
for which the RN core curriculum is standardized in
name,
content,
rigor, and
credits
such that all classes and credits are
stackable,
transferrable, and
universally accepted by all RN degree or diploma programs in the
Commonwealth.
2. That the Virginia Community College System, in collaboration with
the Board of Nursing,
the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV),
the Virginia Nurses Association, and
other relevant stakeholders,
19
shall convene a work group, consisting of representatives from
the Virginia Community College System,
SCHEV,
the Board of Nursing,
the Virginia Nurses Association,
for-profit and private not-for-profit institutions offering registered nursing (RN)
education and diploma programs,
the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association (VHHA), and
Radford University's Nursing Competency Accelerated Pathway (NCAP) program,
to develop a system for the standardization of all RN education and diploma programs
offered in the Commonwealth, to be called the Passport Nursing Program.
The work group shall
(i) determine what classes constitute and define the RN core curriculum and
(ii) develop a system to standardize the RN core curriculum in name, content, rigor, and
credits,
including the award of clinical nursing credit hours,
opportunity-based and competency-based learning pathways, and
fully online learning classes and programs,
to ensure that all credits earned toward an RN degree or diploma program are
stackable, transferrable, and universally accepted across all such programs.
The work group shall submit its report to the Governor, the Chairman of the House Committee
on Education, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the Board
of Nursing no later than November 1, 2023.
20
Appendix 5: Work Group’s Agenda and Membership of Small Groups
Nursing Curriculum Conversation
Agenda
July 13, 2023
Welcome and Introductions
Review Code of Virginia Requiring a Standardized Core RN Curriculum
Charge to the Work Group
Small Group Discussion of Key Points in Legislation
1. Courses Participants Require as Part of RN Core Curriculum
2. How Participants Define and Measure Rigor
3. Clinical Nursing Credit Hours
4. Opportunity-Based and Competency-Based Learning Pathways
5. Online Classes and Programs
6. Transfer of Nursing Credits
7. Consideration of CNA
Recommendations
Group 1: Shenandoah University, ECPI University, The University of Virginia’s College at Wise,
Riverside College of Health Careers.
Group 2: University of Virginia, Southside College of Health Sciences, Centra, ECPI, and Virginia
Nurses Association.
Group 3: Reynolds Community College, Virginia Commonwealth University, and George Mason.
Group 4: Galen College of Nursing, Arizona College of Nursing, and James Madison University.
Group 5: Longwood University, Eastern Virginia Career College, and Arizona College of Nursing.
Group 6: Bryant & Stratton College, Bon Secours College of Nursing, South University, and Bon
Secours- Richmond Health System- Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing with Southside
College of Health Sciences.
Group 7: Eastern Virginia Career College, Bryant & Stratton College, Virginia Nurses Association,
and South University- Virginia Beach.
21
Appendix 6: Small Groups’ Responses to Work Group’s Questions
The following lists each question followed by responses by each group. In most cases,
differences and similarities in the responses are listed separately.
Question 1: In addition to what is required by Board of Nursing regulations, what does each
institution in your group define as included in the RN core curriculum in terms of courses
required? Please identify what is common in terms of the coursework (content covered)
required by individual RN programs.
Group One:
Differences
• Accrediting bodies require that nursing program missions align with institutional mission
and nursing curriculums reflect the institutions and programs’ missions. Accreditation
standards vary, both regional and nursing (CCNE, SACSCOC) which guide curriculum.
• Pre-requisite courses varied by institution- often involving faculty in other science
disciplines.
Similarities
• Every program includes topics required by VBON regulations, including clinical courses
such as Medical/Surgical, Maternal/Newborn, Pediatrics, and Psychiatric Mental Health.
Group Two:
Differences
• Some General Education courses are “owned by Nursing” and some are not.
Similarities
• Within their BSN and ADN tracks, the programs are CCNE, CNEA or ACNE accredited.
Group Three:
Differences
• One participant’s Anatomy and Physiology courses are separate but the other program’s
Anatomy and Physiology course is taught together.
Similarities
• Microbiology, Anatomy and Physiology, English, Growth and Development across the
lifespan, Understanding of Society and Community Social Sciences, General Education
Requirements, Anything Transfer VA as far as General Education, Health Assessment,
Population Health, Pharmacology, Adult Health, Pediatrics, Mental Health, Fundamentals
• 540 Clinical hours.
Group Four:
Differences
• A BSN program focuses on research and evidence-based practice, quality improvement
and safety, systems management, global, informatics, civic engagement and health
policy, community health with a clinical. The ADN focuses on nursing practices.
22
• Ethical reasoning, clinical reasoning, critical thinking, and clinical decision-making is
highly prioritized in BSN programs but less so in ADN programs.
• A program participant infuses general education liberal arts into the BSN core nursing
courses to align with AACN Essentials that require integrations of humanities, social
sciences, natural sciences. VCCS degree programs have separate general education
courses, but those also include humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.
• One program participant includes a focus on civic engagement and health policy to align
its core curriculum with the university mission, vision, and values.
• Accreditation agencies require the faculty to inform the curriculum and having a
standardized curriculum across the state would make the aspect impossible.
• Some schools use standardized prediction exams as an indicator of curricular quality.
One program participant in the group does not use this as a high-stakes exam or
measure of quality.
Similarities
• Core courses including Foundations of Nursing, Pharmacology (some have patho-pharm,
some have patho separate as a prerequisite), Health Assessment, Skills, Medical Surgical
(gerontology, adult, acute, complex care), women’s health, child health, psychiatric
mental health, preceptor experience (capstone).
• Concepts include: ethical, legal, professional role, leadership and management, general
education courses.
• Quality of programs is evaluated in part through licensure pass rates, progression rates.
Group Five:
Differences
• Course structure. With one program, Introduction to Nursing is built into Fundamentals.
Introduction to Nursing is a separate course for the other program participants.
• Health Assessment is a separate course at two of the group participants. Health
Assessment is built into fundamentals and adult nursing course at the other program
participants.
• Nutrition is a separate Nursing course two of the program participants. Nutrition is a
separate course that is built into a general education program and built into
fundamentals.
• Pathophysiology is a separate course at two program participants. Pathophysiology is
built into every nursing course at the other group participant.
• Obstetrics and Pediatrics are offered at two program participants.
• Additional courses that are different include: Professional Seminar, Transition to practice,
Adult Health: Complex Care, Community Health, Evidence Based Practice, Leadership,
Legal and Ethics, Gerontology, Senior Seminar: Transition to practice, Patients with
Complex Health Problems, Community Health, Healthcare Policy and Regulation,
Management, and Research & Evidence-based practice.
Similarities
• All offer Fundamentals of Nursing, Pharmacology, Adult Health (Medical/Surgical)
(separate course), and Mental Health (separate course).
23
Group Six:
Differences
• One group participant includes Medical Terminology and Clinical Calculation courses;
the other represented programs do not.
• One group participant does not have a specific leadership course.
• The ADN curriculums do not include specific community (diverse or global populations)
classes or clinicals, or research courses.
Similarities
• Participants defined core courses as those nursing classes that are completed in the
professional phase.
• All programs within the group incorporate classes, clinical labs, and simulations required
by the VBON (i.e. Fundamentals, Medical, Surgical, Maternal/Infant, Pediatric, Mental
Health/Psychiatric).
• All programs have pharmacology classes, transition (NCLEX) and preceptorship.
Group Seven:
Differences
• Different course requirements are considered prerequisites, some programs not having
specific leadership courses.
• The ADN curriculums do not include specific community classes, clinicals, or research
courses.
• Specialty areas include: Pediatrics, OB, Mental Health, Community Health, and
Leadership.
Similarities
• Prerequisites include Math, English, and Anatomy and Physiology.
• Nursing courses include Introduction to Nursing, Pharmacology, Fundamental-
Assessment, Adult Nursing and Med-Surg.
• BSN courses include Research, Leadership, Legal and Ethics.
24
Question 2: How does each institution define and measure rigor in an RN program? Consider:
Admission Standards? Do you have rolling admissions? Passing Standards? Session length?
Must students score a certain value on a test before other assignments count? Do you use
other assignments as part of your grading? What is your withdrawal policy? How many
courses can a student fail prior to being dismissed for your program? Please identify what is
common in terms of how rigor is defined and measured by individual RN programs.
Group One:
Differences
• Admission requirements, progression, passing standards, session length, and
withdrawal policy all differed to some extent:
o Overall GPA for admission varies.
o Science GPA varies from 2.5- 3.0.
o TEAS score varies from 65%-68%
o Different entry points into various programs for admission
o Science repeat course policies vary.
o Grading scales differ.
o Some programs allow only one failure and some two failures before leading to
dismissal.
o Attendance requirements varies.
o Program length varies for ADN/BSN and within BSN programs,
o Semester lengths vary from 6 weeks to 16 weeks.
o Policies vary on withdrawal dates, strict dates on withdrawal periods.
o Entry from admissions vary from one to three times per year with some offering
rolling admission,
Similarities
• All participating colleges in the group require 78-80 on exams before other assignments
are factored into the grade.
• Skills checklists are similar.
• Require medication administration and patient identification safety, adherence to red
rules.
• Require professional behavior, communication, and ethics.
Group 2:
Differences
• Varying GPAs required for admission.
• TEAS testing requirements differ.
• Some colleges have pre-nursing admission requirements and some admit students upon
admission to the University.
• Some require recommendations.
• Admission dates vary.
• Grading scales differ.
• Some colleges/universities have tests weighted, some are integrated.
• Session lengths vary from 5 weeks to 16 weeks.
25
• Various assignments used at each college/university as part of their grading.
• Withdrawal policies differ.
• Policies pertaining to how many courses a student can fail before they are dismissed
from the program differ (i.e. 2-3 course failure).
• One year wait period may be required before readmission.
Similarities
• All programs in this group require a high school diploma for admission.
• All applications require an essay.
• NCLEX pass rates, program outcomes are monitored as evidence of quality.
• All require standardized testing (ATI, HESI).
• All monitor retention rates, completion rates, and employment rates to help assess
program rigor and quality.
Group Three:
Differences
• Annual admission cycles differ.
• An essay is required for VCU admission but not VCCS admission.
• C is passing for VCU and Reynolds at a minimum of 80% But at George Mason University
77% is C+.
• VCU uses holistic admission processes, Reynolds uses admissions testing.
• Reynolds minimum GPA is 2.5 whereas VCU minimum GPA is 3.0.
• Admissions GPA for Reynolds is based only on prerequisites, but for VCU is based on all
courses taken.
• One institution requires students to have a B or better in Anatomy and Physiology, and
Microbiology.
• Another requires a minimum of 80% average on all tests and final exams to pass a course
before any other assignments count.
• Reynolds allows 2 withdrawals only for continuation.
• George Mason University has direct admissions for freshmen and also admits in
sophomore year; VCU admits in sophomore year.
• The program must be completed within 3 years for the community college program;
must be completed within 6 years for the universities.
Similarities
• Session length is 15 weeks for all three programs.
• Students are allowed to continue with up to two failures.
• All 3 use comprehensive predictor exams and pass rates on NCLEX to assess quality.
• All require TOEFL for admission of ELL students.
Group Four:
Differences
• Various admission cycles/standards:
26
o 1 school has rolling admissions, 1 school admits 2 cycles per year, 1 school admits
4 cycles per year.
o 2 institutions directly admit students to nursing but 1 requires a 2+2 where
students must apply separately for nursing.
o 1 institution uses holistic admission with no exam; the other two use an entrance
exam (HESI or TEAS).
o Nursing admission GPA varies from no GPA requirements to 2.75- 3.0.
o Science and Math course considerations vary.
• Passing guidelines:
o One program includes an exam grade passing requirement in addition to overall
course grade.
o Two programs use college-wide (standardized) exams.
• Session Length:
o Two institutions use a 16 week semester but one follows a quarter based term
(12 contact hours/credit).
• Withdrawal policy:
o Students can be withdrawn from two programs for attendance policy violations.
• Course failure:
o Two programs only allow a student to fail a nursing course once.
Similarities
• No rounding of grades is allowed.
• A grade of C is passing for nursing courses (70, 74,77 as a minimum scale).
• Attendance is included in passing for theory/didactic portions of the courses.
• Students must graduate within 3 years
• Appeals are allowed.
Group Five:
Differences
• Admissions differed ranging from general education every eight weeks to three times a
year to traditional direct entry once per year.
• HESI/TEAS entrance exam scores ranged from 60%-65%.
• Passing standards range from 75% to 80%.
• Nursing courses are taught for 15-16 weeks.
• Some programs offer nursing courses Fall, Spring, and Summer semester, but others only
offer nursing courses in Fall and Spring semesters.
• Exam and assignment grade requirements vary from requiring a 75% exam average for
other assignments to all grades combined with 80% minimum average.
• Dismissal of a student varied from a student failing a course in two semesters, failure of
courses in three semester to allowing a student repeat a course only once and can only
fail two courses.
Similarities
• Each college has an appeal process for students pertaining to dismissal from the Nursing
program.
27
Group Six:
Differences
• GPA and TEAS scores required for admission differ.
• Only one college in the group has rolling admissions.
• Passing percentages ranged from 70% to 80%.
• Course session lengths vary ranging from 8-week quarters to 16 week semesters.
Similarities
• Pertaining to testing, each college requires 80% in order to pass.
• Each college in this group allows one withdrawal and two to three class failures before
students are dismissed.
Group Seven:
Differences
• Programs admit students 2 or 3 times per year.
• Passing standards range from 70%-80%.
• Class passing is based on GPA and must be above 2.5 (readmission is 1-2 times, there is
no readmission afterwards).
• Session lengths include quarters and semesters.
Similarities
• All use exams (ATI/TEAS/HESI Entrance Exam), overall GPA, and general education GPA
for admission decisions.
28
Question 3: How does each institution award clinical nursing credit hours? How many clinical
hours are specifically designated for each course? How many total clinical hours are in your
program? Please identify what is common in terms of the awarding of clinical nursing credit
hours by individual RN programs?
Group One:
Differences
• Total clinical credit hours vary from 570-700. Grading/evaluation of clinical performance
may be a letter grade or a grade of Pass/Fail.
Similarities
• All address VBON requirements.
• Each college has similar attendance requirements.
• Each college is using simulation to apply toward clinical hours, although challenges
remain to achieve 25%.
• The Capstone/Preceptor course is similar for all programs.
Group Two:
Differences
• In some programs clinical hours are integrated into the course, while in other programs
clinical hours are in separate courses.
• The college in this group required 540 to 675 clinical hours.
Some programs use pass/fail grading for clinicals. Others use letter grades.
Similarities
• None were identified.
Group Three:
Differences
• Clinical courses are separate from didactic in two programs and together at the other
institution in this group.
Similarities
• At each institution 1 clinical credit is 45 hours.
• Failure clinically equates to failure for the didactic and all attendance standards have to
be made up.
Group Four:
Differences
• Credits varied among programs.
• Total clinical hours varied from 216 to 684.
Similarities
• All programs in this group utilize a ratio of 1:3 (one credit= 3 contact hours).
• All programs use accreditation standards and Board of Nursing regulation to inform
curriculum decisions.
29
• All programs have attendance requirements when it comes to successfully completing
clinical hours.
Group Five:
Differences
• The required number of clinical hours ranged from 500 to 630.
• Some programs used pass/fail clinical course grades but others used letter grades.
Similarities
• All institutions had the same attendance requirements for clinical hours.
Group Six:
Differences
• The required number of clinical hours ranged from 540 to 990.
• One credit requires different numbers of contact hours ranging from 15 to 30 hours per
clinical credit.
Similarities
• All programs in this group utilize pass/fail for their clinicals.
• Each program utilizes up to 25% of clinicals as indirect.
• In this group, two participants are national programs (not Virginia-based institutions)
and as such curriculums are viewed through a multi-state lens.
Group Seven:
Differences
• The required number of clinical hours varied widely, ranging from 516 to 1000. The
number of contact hours required for a clinical credit varied from 15 to 30 hours of
clinical.
• The colleges in this group have different preceptorship/internship experiences.
Similarities
• The programs in this group share the same areas of specialty, including: OB, Pediatrics,
Community, and Mental Health.
30
Question 4: Does your institution offer opportunity-based and competency-based learning
pathways? If so, please identify what is common with respect to opportunity-based and
competency-based learning pathways offered by individual RN programs.
Group One:
Similarities (no differences)
• All programs in group one are moving to a competency-based curriculum, based on the
American Association of College of Nurses.
• All nursing students in their programs have opportunities for clinical and simulation
experiences.
• The change to competency-based education requires a significant amount of work for
each school in evaluating current curriculum, revising program outcomes and course
outcomes, and identifying evaluation methods for each competency and sub
competency.
Group Two:
Similarities (no differences)
• The programs (BSN, B-BSN, RN-BSN, ADN, Entry Level Masters pathways) are taught
using concept based instruction, but competencies completed at the end of the
course/program. The program participants use available opportunities in the clinical
setting to achieve competency-based learning.
Group Three:
Differences
• Two of the group participants have military agreements for opportunity-based pathways.
• One group participant has an operating room internship that is opportunity-based for
some clinical credit.
• Two programs have RN to BSN programs.
• One group participant has a bridge format for LPN to RN and RN to BSN.
• Two of the group’s participants are working toward American Association of Colleges of
Nursing competency-based curriculum without a time variable.
• Another group participant utilizes National League of Nursing concept-based program
and has a LPN-RN bridge that provides advanced placement for LPNs.
Similarities
• This group’s participants are all moving to competency or concept-based curricula.
• Each program has a version of capstone, practicum, or a course where students get
precepted contact hours and this was valued over opportunity-based learning.
Opportunity-based learning was not recognized in this group.
Group Six:
Differences
• One of the group participants provides an opportunity for LPN’s to test out of some RN
coursework.
• Two of the group participants offer RN to BSN programs.
31
Similarities
• All members of this group utilize competency-based learning only.
Group Seven:
Similarities (no differences)
• Components of their RN to BSN programs’ competency demonstration include utilizing
ATI competency, pharmacology, Fundamentals of Nursing and Introduction to Nursing
classes.
• All members of this group assess competency utilizing a nursing skill checklist, including
skills learned in the lab, demonstrating competency, and performing the skill set.
32
Question 5: Does your institution offer fully online learning classes and/or programs? If so,
may lab and/or clinical hours be completed online? Please identify what is common in how
individual RN institutions offer distance learning classes and/or programs.
Group One:
Differences
• Prerequisite courses may be offered online.
Similarities
• All group members offer their RN to BSN programs online.
• BSN programs (outside of RN-BSN) offer few online courses.
• All campus learning labs and clinical hours are in person.
Group Two:
Differences
• One program in this group offers an ADN option, with the class-based portion only
meeting 50% of the time (clinical, lab experiences, 100% in person).
Similarities
• All members of this group offer an asynchronous RN to BSN online program.
• They offer a hybrid option that includes an online RN to BSN program all online,
requiring in-person attendance once a month.
• All members of this group require clinicals to be completed in person, attending lab
component of course in person.
Group Three:
Differences
• Programs used different definitions of distance learning at their institutions.
Similarities
• All programs offer occasional classes in their programs online, but none have online
options for labs or clinicals.
Group Four:
Similarities (no differences)
• All programs offer distance learning asynchronously and synchronously.
• The theory/didactic portions of courses sometimes are delivered online.
• Simulation is offered via online format. There are no lab or clinical portions of courses
that are delivered online.
Group Five:
Differences
• The programs in this group offer online courses in different focus areas such as
legal/ethics, leadership, research, and medical terminology.
• Two of the programs in this group offer some virtual simulations that are synchronous
faculty led. One group program participant offered no virtual simulation.
Similarities
33
• All programs in this group offer some online courses.
Group Six:
Differences
• Some of the programs offer general education/prerequisites online.
• Virtual clinicals are used on very rare occasions.
Similarities
• Tutoring is offered online.
Group Seven:
Similarities (no differences)
• All programs require face to face participation for lab and clinicals.
• The group participants do not offer online nursing courses.
34
Question 6: Does your program accept or have you considered accepting nursing transfer
credits? Please tell us why or why not. Do you accept clinical credits in transfer? If you do
accept courses in transfer, how do you apply those credits?
Group One:
Differences
• The courses programs accept vary from pathophysiology to health assessment to
pharmacology.
Similarities
• None of the schools in Group one accepts clinical based courses as transfer credit.
• All members of this group agreed that it is difficult to accept courses beyond the
fundamental level due to patient safety, and adherence to rigor and program outcomes
(NCLEX rate, practice-ready, retention) and differences in overall curriculum and policies.
Accreditation standards require a certain percentage of credits that must be completed
at an institution.
• Minimal specific nursing courses are accepted for transfer.
Group Two:
Similarities (no differences)
• This group only accepts nursing transfer credit situationally, based on syllabi review,
objectives review, clinical review, grades, circumstances, clinical or lab components (with
no credit if there is a clinical component).
• Differences in course content and clinical experience may prevent transferring.
• Specific amounts of credit must be completed at the university to award credit.
• For post-licensure BSN program- the ADN would allow prior-learning award (PLA) based
on their RN licensure.
Group Three:
Differences
• Two of the group participants do not generally accept nursing credit as transfer. They do
individualized reviews on a case-by-case basis. This is due to the individuality of the
content of the other courses at the native institution.
• One program accepts nursing transfer credits from other VCCS colleges. It only very
sporadically transfers in credit for classes outside of the VCCS; those must be reviewed
on a case-by-case basis.
Similarities
• All group members are very cautious about accepting transfer credit.
Group Four:
Differences
• One program will accept nursing transfer credits for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing
program. This is not common and is typically limited to courses such as Research.
• The other two programs in this group have multiple campuses throughout the country.
They will only accept internal transfers from one campus to the other because their
35
curriculum is standardized across all campuses. These two programs do not accept
transfer credit from external institutions.
Similarities
• Group four reports that it is difficult to understand the rigor of courses offered at other
institutions.
• Each program monitors NCLEX pass rates and completion rates.
Group Five:
Differences
• Policies for transfer credits vary. One program will only accept transfer credits into the
program except for LPNs (the license being a measure of competency) that meet the
qualifications and qualify for advanced placement in the program.
• One program will accept transfer credits in general education courses. Nursing course
transfer is on a case-by-case basis with a rigorous transfer of credit evaluation.
• The other program will accept transfer credits according to university standards. This
program will not accept transfers of courses with clinical hours except on a case-by-case
basis which includes a thorough syllabus review.
Similarities
• All programs in this group are very cautious about accepting transfer credit.
Group Six:
Differences
• Two programs only transfer students within their organizations.
Similarities
• These programs usually do not accept nursing transfer credits. Group seven reports that
NCLEX liability prevents schools from wanting to “stack” or “transfer” nursing credit.
Group Seven:
Similarities (no differences)
• Each institution allows nursing credits to be transferred from one location to another
within the institution.
• It is very rare for these programs to accept transfer clinical credits.
36
Question 7: If an applicant has a CNA do you have a way to apply it toward your degree? How
about if they come to you with their LPN?
Group One:
• Nothing from the CNA applies to the LPN or the RN program.
Group Two:
• Nothing from the CNA applies to the Nursing degree programs.
• Applicants with a LPN receive some credits toward the ADN program.
Group Three:
• These programs do not apply credit for a CNA license toward their degree.
• One program participant does give credit for prior learning if in a transition program.
Group Four:
• These programs do not give transfer credit for the CNA toward the degree.
• One group participant considers the general education courses from the LPN program as
possibly transferrable credit, but none of the nursing courses.
• One group participant has a LPN to RN program and these students get a block of credits
for LPN licensure. This substitutes for the Foundations course and allows students to
take a shorter version of women’s health and pediatrics.
Group Five:
• Two programs allot no credit for CNA toward their degree.
• One program allows LPN participants to transition for advanced placement.
• One program incorporates CNA and LPN as admission points, but there is no credit
applied toward the Nursing curriculum.
Group Seven:
• One program allows students with a LPN license to test out of three classes.
37
Appendix 7: RN Curricula
Institution: Hours
Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing
Theory Skill Simulation Clinical
Program Type Course Name Lab
BSN NUR 1101: Orientation to BSMCON 15.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 2140: Foundations of Nursing Practice 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 2101: Professional Nursing Concepts 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 2102: Lifespan Health Assessment and Clinical 45.00 30.00 0.00 0.00
Prevention
BSN NUR 2104P: Competencies for Nursing Practice 0.00 60.00 0.00 90.00
BSN PHR 3101: Pathopharmacology I 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 3111: Adult Nursing Science I 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 3111P: Adult Nursing Science I Practicum 0.00 0.00 15.50 119.50
BSN & RN-BSN NUR 3322: Introduction to Research and Evidence 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Based Practice
BSN PHR 3102: Pathopharmacology II 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 3112: Adult Nursing Science II 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 3112P: Adult Nursing Science II Practicum 0.00 0.00 7.00 128.00
BSN & RN-BSN NUR 3316: Population and Global Health 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 3116P: Population and Global Health Practicum 0.00 0.00 45.00 45.00
BSN NUR 4112: Nursing Care of Families 60.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 4112P: Nursing Care of Families Practicum 0.00 0.00 25.00 65.00
BSN NUR 4119: Behavioral Health Across the Lifespan 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 4119P: Behavioral Health Across the Lifespan 0.00 0.00 20.00 70.00
Practicum
BSN & RN-BSN NUR 4346: Servant Leadership 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 4143P: Clinical Immersion 0.00 0.00 0.00 225.00
BSN & RN-BSN NUR 4343: Business of Health Care in Complex Systems 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 4141: Transition to Practice 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
RN-BSN NUR 3208: Orientation to Online Learning 15.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
RN-BSN NUR 3240: Transition to Baccalaureate Nursing 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
RN-BSN NUR 3209: Advanced Practice Nursing 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
RN-BSN NUR 3241: Quality and Safety in Nursing Practice 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
RN-BSN NUR 4242: Synthesis of Nursing Practice 0.00 0.00 0.00 45.00
BSN & RN-BSN NUR 4330: Nursing Elective 30.0 0.00 0.00 0.00
Total 578.00
38
Institution: Hours
South University
Theory Skill Simulation Clinical
Program Type Course Name Lab
BSN Introduction to the Profession of Nursing 40.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN Principles of Assessment 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN Lab - Principles of Assessment 0.00 60.00 0.00 0.00
BSN Pharmacotherapeutics I 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN Fundamentals of Nursing 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN Lab - Fundamentals of Nursing 0.00 80.00 0.00 0.00
BSN Practice - Fundamentals of Nursing 0.00 0.00 0.00 60.00
BSN Pharmacotherapeutics II 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN Introduction to Nursing Research 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN Caring for Adults I 40.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN Practice - Caring for Adults I 0.00 0.00 10.00 110.00
BSN Caring for Adults II 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN Practice - Caring for Adults II 0.00 0.00 0.00 90.00
BSN Caring for Women and Neonates 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN Practice - Caring for Women and Neonates 0.00 0.00 16.00 104.00
BSN Caring for Diverse & Vulnerable Populations I 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN Caring for Adults III 20.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN Practice - Caring for Adults III 0.00 0.00 10.00 80.00
BSN Caring for Children 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN Practice - Caring for Children 0.00 0.00 0.00 120.00
BSN Caring for Persons with Psychiatric/Mental Health 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Problems
BSN Practice - Caring for Persons with Psychiatric/Mental 0.00 0.00 0.00 120.00
Health Problems
BSN Caring for Adults IV 20.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN Practice - Caring for Adults IV 0.00 0.00 0.00 90.00
BSN Caring for Diverse and Vulnerable Populations II 0.00 0.00 0.00 60.00
BSN Legal and Ethical Issues in Nursing 20.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN Transition into Professional Nursing 60.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN Preceptorship - Transition into Professional Nursing 0.00 0.00 0.00 120.00
Preceptorship
Total 954.00
39
Institution: Hours
ECPI University
Theory Skill Simulation Clinical
Program Type Course Name Lab
ADN NUR119 Dosage Calculations for Professional Nurse 0.00 30.00 0.00 0.00
ADN NUR138 Pharmacology 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
ADN NUR164 Concepts of Nursing I 15.00 30.00 0.00 0.00
ADN NUR166 Concepts of Nursing II 15.00 30.00 9.00 36.00
ADN NUR168 Concepts of Nursing III 15.00 30.00 9.00 36.00
ADN NUR221 Pathophysiology 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
ADN NUR234 Mental Health Nursing 45.00 0.00 9.00 36.00
ADN NUR242 Maternal/Newborn Nursing 45.00 0.00 9.00 36.00
ADN NUR243 Parent/Child Nursing 45.00 0.00 9.00 36.00
ADN NUR256 Medical Surgical Nursing I 45.00 0.00 18.00 72.00
ADN NUR257 Medical Surgical Nursing II 45.00 0.00 18.00 72.00
ADN NUR258 Acute Care Nursing 45.00 0.00 18.00 72.00
ADN NUR273 Dimensions of Professional Nursing 39.00 0.00 18.00 72.00
ADN NUR280 Nursing Capstone 30.00 30.00 0.00 0.00
Total 468.00
RN to BSN NUR300 RN-BSN Orientation 15.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
RN to BSN NUR302 Foundations of Professional Nursing Practice 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
RN to BSN NUR321 Pathophysiology 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
RN to BSN NUR340 Health Assessment 45.00 30.00 0.00 0.00
RN to BSN NUR350 Nursing Research & Evidence-Based Practice 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
RN to BSN NUR430 Leading and Managing for Innovation 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
RN to BSN NUR443 Community Health Nursing 60.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
RN to BSN NUR444L Community Health Practicum 0.00 30.00 0.00 0.00
RN to BSN NUR456 Senior Practicum 30.00 0.00 0.00 45.00
RN to BSN NUR490 Nursing Capstone 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Total 45.00
40
Institution: Hours
ECPI University
Theory Skill Simulation Clinical
Program Type Course Name Lab
BSN NUR219 Dosage Calculations 0.00 30.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR221 Pathophysiology 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR303 Essentials of Nursing Practice 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR305 Concepts of Nursing I 15.00 30.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR307 Concepts of Nursing II 15.00 30.00 9.00 36.00
BSN NUR309 Concepts of Nursing III 15.00 30.00 9.00 36.00
BSN NUR310 Pharmacology 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR325 Health Assessment Across the Life Span 45.00 30.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR347 Mental Health Nursing 45.00 0.00 9.00 36.00
BSN NUR356 Medical-Surgical Nursing I 45.00 0.00 18.00 72.00
BSN NUR357 Medical-Surgical Nursing II 45.00 0.00 18.00 72.00
BSN NUR359 Community Health Nursing 60.00 0.00 9.00 36.00
BSN NUR400 Nursing Research 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR424 Maternal/Newborn Nursing 45.00 0.00 9.00 36.00
BSN NUR426 Parent/Child Nursing 45.00 0.00 9.00 36.00
BSN NUR457 Nursing Care of the Older Adult 45.00 0.00 9.00 36.00
BSN NUR458 Acute Care Nursing 45.00 0.00 18.00 72.00
BSN NUR470 Professional Leadership 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR475 Transition to Practice I 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR476 Transition to Practice II 30.00 0.00 0.00 90.00
BSN NUR480 Senior Seminar 30.00 30.00 0.00 0.00
Total 558.00
41
Institution: Hours
Arizona College of Nursing
Theory Skill Simulation Clinical
Program Type Course Name Lab
BSN NUR 211 CRITICAL THINKING IN CLINICAL 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
DECISION-MAKING
BSN NUR 218 INTERPROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATIONS 15.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 213 ETHICS & LEGAL STANDARDS IN NURSING 15.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
PRACTICE I
BSN NUR 215 THEORETICAL FOUNDATION IN NURSING 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
PRACTICE
BSN NUR 215L THEORETICAL FOUNDATION IN NURSING 0.00 60.00 0.00 45.00
PRACTICE PRACTICUM
BSN NUR 216 HEALTH ASSESSMENT 30.00 30.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 338 LEADER IN QUALITY AND PATIENT SAFETY 15.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
I
BSN NUR 333 ETHICS & LEGAL STANDARDS IN NURSING 15.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
PRACTICE II
BSN NUR 355 ACUTE & CHRONIC HEALTH DISRUPTIONS 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
IN ADULTS I
BSN NUR 355L ACUTE & CHRONIC HEALTH 0.00 30.00 0.00 90.00
DISRUPTIONS IN ADULTS I PPRACTICUM
BSN NUR 356 MENTAL HEALTH THEORY & APPLICATION 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 356 L MENTAL HEALTH THEORY & 0.00 30.00 0.00 45.00
APPLICATION PRACTICUM
BSN NUR 337 EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE I 15.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 334 PHARMACOLOGY I 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 425 ACUTE & CHRONIC HEALTH DISRUPTIONS 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
IN ADULTS II
BSN NUR 425L ACUTE & CHRONIC HEALTH 0.00 15.00 0.00 112.50
DISRUPTIONS IN ADULTS II PRACTICUM
BSN NUR 426 COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING THEORY 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
AND APPLICATION
NUR 426L COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING THEORY
BSN 0.00 30.00 0.00 90.00
AND APPLICATION PRACTICUM
BSN NUR 357 EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE II 15.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 358 LEADER IN QUALITY & PATIENT SAFETY II 15.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 354 PHARMACOLOGY II 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 423 ETHICS & LEGAL STANDARDS IN NURSING 15.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
PRACTICE III
BSN NUR 335 MATERNAL HEALTH THEORY & 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
APPLICATION
42
BSN NUR 335L MATERNAL HEALTH THEORY & 0.00 30.00 0.00 45.00
APPLICATION PRACTICUM
BSN NUR 336 PEDIATRIC HEALTH THEORY & 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
APPLICATION
BSN NUR 336L PEDIATRIC HEALTH THEORY & 0.00 30.00 0.00 45.00
APPLICATION PRACTICUM
BSN NUR 427 EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE III 15.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 428 LEADER IN QUALITY & PATIENT SAFETY III 15.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 443 TRANSITION TO THE PROFESSION 15.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 445 ACUTE & CHRONIC HEALTH DISRUPTIONS 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
IN ADULTS III
BSN NUR 445L ACUTE & CHRONIC HEALTH 0.00 15.00 0.00 157.50
DISRUPTIONS IN ADULTS III PRACTICUM
BSN NUR 446 PROFESSIONAL SEMINAR 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 447 EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE IV 15.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 448 Leader in Quality & Patient Safety IV 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Total 630.00
Institution: Hours
Centra College
Theory Skill Simulation Clinical
Program Type Course Name Lab
ADN NUR 150: Introduction to Nursing Concepts 45.00 30.00 0.00 90.00
ADN NUR 165: Health Promotion and Assessment 30.00 30.00 0.00 0.00
ADN NUR 170: Professional Nursing Concepts I 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
ADN NUR 175: Health Care Participant 45.00 0.00 0.00 45.00
ADN NUR 180: Nursing Concepts I 45.00 0.00 0.00 90.00
ADN NUR 240: Nursing Concepts II 45.00 0.00 0.00 90.00
ADN NUR 250: Nursing Concepts III 45.00 0.00 0.00 90.00
ADN NUR 260: Nursing Concepts IV 45.00 0.00 0.00 135.00
ADN NUR 270: Professional Nursing Concepts II 60.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Total 540.00
RN-BSN NUR 320: Theoretical & Conceptual Foundations 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
RN-BSN NUR 335: Informatics in Nursing Practice 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
RN-BSN NUR 350: Evidence-based Practice & Research in 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Nursing
RN-BSN NUR 360: Advanced Health Assessment 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
RN-BSN NUR 420: Community Health Perspectives 60.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
RN-BSN NURS 430: Healthcare Policy 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
43
RN-BSN NUR 450: Population Health & Epidemiology 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
RN-BSN NUR 455: Introduction to Pathophysiology 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
RN-BSN NUR 460: Nursing Leadership & Management 60.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
RN-BSN NUR 470: Aging, Health, & Longevity 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
RN-BSN NUR 480: Management of Illness & Disease 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Processes
RN-BSN NUR 485: RN-BSN Capstone 60.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Total 0.00
Institution: Hours
Riverside College of Health Careers
Theory Skill Simulation Clinical
Program Type Course Name Lab
ADN GEN 111: Introduction to Healthcare 7.50 0.00 0.00 22.50
ADN NUR 111: Fundamental Nursing Skills 60.00 67.50 0.00 67.50
ADN NUR 121: Principles of Nursing Practice 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
ADN NUR 131: Nursing Health Assessment 30.00 22.50 0.00 22.50
ADN NUR 122: Principles of Pediatric Nursing 45.00 0.00 44.00 46.00
ADN NUR 142: Essentials of Maternal Newborn Nursing 45.00 0.00 0.00 90.00
ADN NUR 152: Nursing Care of Adults I 52.50 22.50 0.00 90.00
ADN NUR 223: Principles of Psychiatric Nursing 45.00 0.00 7.50 60.00
ADN NUR 253: Nursing Care of Adults II 60.00 45.00 15.00 97.50
ADN NUR 254: Nursing Care of Adults III 45.00 0.00 0.00 90.00
ADN NUR 300: Nursing Capstone 75.00 0.00 0.00 180.00
Total 766.00
Institution: Hours
Reynolds Community College
Program Theory Skill Simulation Clinical
Type Course Name Lab
ADN NSG 100: Introduction to Nursing Concepts 45.00 0.00 3.00 42.00
ADN NSG 106: Competencies for Nursing Practice 15.00 45.00 0.00 0.00
ADN NSG 130: Professional Nursing Concepts 15.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
ADN NSG 200: Health Promotion and Assessment 30.00 35.00 4.00 6.00
ADN NSG 152: Health Care Participant 30.00 0.00 0.00 45.00
ADN NSG 170: Health/Illness Concepts 60.00 10.00 6.00 74.00
ADN NSG 210: Health Care Concepts I 45.00 0.00 6.00 84.00
ADN NSG 211: Health Care Concepts II 45.00 0.00 6.00 84.00
44
ADN NSG 230: Advanced Professional Nursing Concepts 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
ADN NSG 252: Complex Health Care Concepts 60.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
ADN NSG 270: Nursing Capstone 0.00 0.00 26.00 154.00
Total 489.00
Institution: Hours
Southside College of Health Science
Program Theory Skill Simulation Clinical
Type Course Name Lab
ADN NUR 100: Orientation to Nursing 15.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
ADN NUR 101: Foundations for Nursing Practice 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
ADN NUR 102: Lifespan Health Assessment and Clinical Prevention 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
ADN NUR 102L: Lifespan Health Assessment and Clinical Prevention 0.00 30.00 0.00 0.00
Lab
ADN NUR 103P: Competencies for Nursing Practice (Lab and 0.00 15.00 8.00 45.00
Practicum)
ADN NUR 104P: Competencies for Nursing Practice II (Practicum) 0.00 15.00 13.00 45.00
ADN NUR 111: Adult Nursing Science I 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
ADN NUR 111P: Adult Nursing Science I Practicum 0.00 0.00 30.50 90.00
ADN PHR 105: Pathopharmacology 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
ADN NUR 212: Adult Nursing Science II 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
ADN NUR 212P: Adult Nursing Science II Practicum 0.00 0.00 26.60 90.00
ADN PHR 205: Pathopharmacology II 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
ADN NUR 218: Behavioral Health Nursing 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
ADN NUR 218P: Behavioral Health Nursing Practicum 0.00 0.00 29.00 90.00
ADN NUR 221: Advanced Professional Concepts 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
ADN NUR 219: Nursing Care of Families 60.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
ADN NUR 219P: Nursing Care of Families Practicum 0.00 0.00 56.00 90.00
ADN NUR 222: Transition to Practice 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
ADN NUR 222P: Clinical Immersion 0.00 0.00 6.50 0.00
Total 450.00
45
Institution: Hours
UVA Wise
Program Theory Skill Simulation Clinical
Type Course Name Lab
BSN NUR 2100 Health Promotion and Nutrition Across the lifespan 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 3000 Fundamentals of Nursing 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 3010 Fundamentals of Nursing Clinical Laboratory 0.00 36.00 0.00 90.00
BSN NUR 3030 Basic Nursing Simulations and Skills Laboratory 0.00 45.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 3100 Pathophysiology 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR3130 Health Assessment 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 3140 Health Assessment 0.00 15.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 3200 Medication Administration 0.00 15.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 3300 Pharmacology I 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 3310 Pharmacology 1 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 3400 Adult Medical-Surgical Nursing 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 3410 Adult Medical-Surgical Nursing Clinical 0.00 0.00 0.00 126.00
BSN NUR 3500 Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 3510 Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Clinical 0.00 0.00 0.00 84.00
Laboratory
BSN NUR 3530 Intermediate Nursing Simulations and Skills Laboratory 0.00 0.00 45.00 0.00
BSN NUR 4030 Advanced Nursing Simulations and Skills Laboratory 0.00 0.00 15.00 30.00
BSN NUR 4300 Advanced Concepts in Clinical Nursing 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 4310 Advanced Concepts in Nursing Clinical Laboratory 0.00 0.00 0.00 126.00
BSN NUR 4400 Nursing Care of Childbearing Families 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 4410 Nursing Care of Childbearing Families Clinical Laboratory 0.00 0.00 0.00 126.00
BSN NUR 4600 Community Health Nursing 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 4610 Community Health Clinical Laboratory 0.00 0.00 0.00 84.00
BSN NUR 4710 Evidence-Based Nursing Practice 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 4800 Healthcare Leadership and Management 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 4810 Healthcare Leadership and Management Clinical 0.00 0.00 0.00 42.00
BSN NUR 4930 Synthesis of Professional Nursing Practice 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUR 4940 Synthesis of Professional Nursing Practice Clinical 0.00 0.00 0.00 84.00
Laboratory
Total 792.00
46
Institution: Hours
Bryant & Stratton College
Theory Skill Simulation Clinical
Program Type Course Name Lab
ADN NURS 104 Clinical Calculations and Medical 15.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Terminology for Nursing
ADN NURS 103 Nursing Fundamentals 45.00 45.00 0.00 90.00
ADN NURS 125 Lifespan Development & Nursing 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Practice
ADN NURS 202 Family Child Nursing 45.00 0.00 0.00 90.00
ADN NURS 211 Medical Surgical Nursing I 45.00 0.00 0.00 135.00
ADN NURS 215 Pharmacology for Nurses 30.00 45.00 0.00 0.00
ADN NURS 222 Geriatric & Mental Health Nursing 45.00 0.00 0.00 90.00
ADN NURS 223 Medical Surgical Nursing II 45.00 45.00 0.00 45.00
ADN NURS 230 Nursing Issues, Leadership & Research 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
ADN NURS 270 Internship 15.00 0.00 0.00 90.00
Total 540.00
Institution: Hours
Galen College of Nursing
Theory Skill Simulation Clinical
Program Type Course Name Lab
ADN - Two-Year Option PNS 112 - Introduction to Professional Nursing 24.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
ADN - Two-Year Option NUR 155 - Foundations of Nursing 72.00 96.00 0.00 72.00
ADN - Two-Year Option NUR 170 - Concepts of Medical-Surgical Nursing 48.00 48.00 0.00 108.00
ADN - Two-Year Option NUR 210 - Principles of Pharmacology 48.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
ADN - Two-Year Option NUR 230 - Concepts of Nursing: The 72.00 48.00 0.00 72.00
Childbearing/Child Caring Family
ADN - Two-Year Option NUR 256 - Concepts of Mental Health Nursing 48.00 0.00 0.00 72.00
ADN - Two-Year Option NUR 257 - Concepts of Aging & Chronic Illness 36.00 24.00 0.00 72.00
ADN - Two-Year Option NUR 265 - Advanced Concepts of Medical-Surgical 48.00 24.00 0.00 108.00
Nursing
ADN - Two-Year Option NUR 282 - Leadership and Nursing Management 24.00 24.00 0.00 48.00
ADN - Two-Year Option NUR 283 - Transition to Registered Nursing 48.00 24.00 0.00 144.00
Practice
Total 696.00
47
Institution: Hours
Galen College of Nursing
Theory Skill Simulation Clinical
Program Type Course Name Lab
ADN - LPN/LVN to ADN PNS 202 LPN/LVN to RN Role Transition 24.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Bridge Option
ADN - LPN/LVN to ADN NUR 210 Principles of Pharmacology 48.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Bridge Option
ADN - LPN/LVN to ADN NUR 242 Medical-Surgical Nursing Concepts 48.00 24.00 0.00 36.00
Bridge Option
ADN - LPN/LVN to ADN NUR 253 Concepts of Mental Health Nursing 36.00 0.00 0.00 36.00
Bridge Option
ADN - LPN/LVN to ADN NUR 254 Concepts of Nursing: The Childbearing 36.00 24.00 0.00 36.00
Bridge Option and Child Caring Families
ADN - LPN/LVN to ADN NUR 265 Advanced Concepts of Medical-Surgical 48.00 24.00 0.00 108.00
Bridge Option Nursing
ADN - LPN/LVN to ADN NUR 282 Leadership and Nursing Management 24.00 24.00 0.00 0.00
Bridge Option
ADN - LPN/LVN to ADN NUR 283 Transition to Registered Nursing Practice 48.00 24.00 0.00 144.00
Bridge Option
ADN - LPN/LVN to ADN Credit for PN/VN Licensure 0.00 0.00 0.00 140.00
Bridge Option
Total 500.00
Institution: Hours
Norfolk State University
Theory Skill Simulation Clinical
Program Type Course Name Lab
Traditional BSN NUR 300 Foundation of Professional Development 15.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Traditional BSN NUR 304 Nursing Informatics 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Traditional BSN NUR 322 Health Assessment 60.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Traditional BSN NUR 332 Genetics and Genomics in Nursing 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Practice
Traditional BSN NUR 342/342L Fundamental of Nursing and 60.00 53.00 5.00 32.00
Fundamentals of Nursing Lab
Traditional BSN NUR 348 Nursing Pharmacology 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Traditional BSN NUR 360/360L Nursing Care of Adults I and 90.00 8.00 2.00 123.00
Nursing Care of Adults I Lab
Traditional BSN NUR 400 Nursing Pathophysiology 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
48
Traditional BSN NUR 440/440L Nursing Care of Adults II & Nursing 90.00 8.00 5.00 135.00
care of adults II Lab
NUR 442/442L Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing
Traditional BSN 30.00 5.00 5.00 90.00
& Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing Lab
NUR 446/446 L Nursing of women and the Child
Traditional BSN bearing family & Nursing of women and the Child 30.00 8.00 5.00 90.00
bearing family lab
NUR 450/450L Nursing of children, adolescents,
Traditional BSN and families & Nursing of children, adolescents, 30.00 8.00 5.00 90.00
and families Lab
Traditional BSN NUR 461 Nursing Research Dimensions 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Traditional BSN NUR 462 Nursing Leadership and Management 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Traditional BSN NUR 463/463L Capstone theory and 15.00 4.00 0.00 135.00
Preceptorship
Traditional BSN NUR 485 Contemporary Topics in Nursing and 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Health Care
Traditional BSN NUR 490/490L Community Health Nursing and 45.00 0.00 0.00 90.00
Community Health Nursing Lab
Total 785.00
Institution:
Norfolk State University
Theory Skill Simulation Clinical
Program Type Course Name Lab
RN-BSN NUR 435/435L 45.00 0.00 0.00 90.00
RN TO BSN (Online) NUR 301 Foundations of Online Success: BSN 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Orientation
RN TO BSN (Online) NUR 418 Conceptual Models for Nursing 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
RN TO BSN (Online) NUR 461 Nursing Research Dimensions 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
RN TO BSN (Online) NUR 321 Multicultural/Bioethics 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
RN TO BSN (Online) NUR 415 Health Assessment 60.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
NUR 435/435L Providing Nursing Systems for
Families, Groups, and Communities and
RN TO BSN (Online) 45.00 0.00 0.00 30.00
Providing Nursing Systems for Families, Groups,
and Communities Lab
RN TO BSN (Online) NUR 462 Nursing Leadership and Management 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
RN TO BSN (Online) NUR 470 Seminar on Professional Development 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
RN TO BSN (Online) NUR 485 Contemporary Topics in Nursing and 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Health Care
Total 120.00
49
Institution:
Eastern Virginia Career College
Theory Skill Simulation Clinical
hours Lab Hours Hours
Program Type Course Name Hours
ADN SDV 100: Student Development 15.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
ADN NSG 115: Introduction to Nursing 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
ADN NSG 125: Principles of Nutrition 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
ADN NSG 135: Fundamentals of Nursing 75.00 59.00 1.00 0.00
ADN NSG 138: Fundamentals of Nursing Clinical 0.00 0.00 0.00 130.00
ADN NSG 155: Pharmacology 92.00 25.00 0.00 0.00
ADN NSG 162: Adult Nursing I 102.00 43.00 12.00 0.00
ADN NSG 163: Adult Nursing I Clinical 0.00 0.00 0.00 130.00
ADN NSG 187: Psychiatric Nursing 30.00 0.00 0.00 32.00
ADN NSG 209: Specialized Populations I: Maternity 30.00 15.00 0.00 24.00
Nursing with Clinical Component
ADN NSG 216: Specialized Populations II: Pediatric 30.00 0.00 0.00 24.00
Nursing with Clinical Component
ADN NSG 222: Adult Nursing II 102.00 8.00 12.00 0.00
ADN NSG 225: Adult Nursing II Clinical 0.00 0.00 0.00 160.00
Total 500.00
Institution:
Shenandoah University
Theory Skill Simulation Clinical
hours Lab Hours Hours
Program Type Course Name Hours
BSN N 218/NLAB 218: Foundations of Nursing 45.00 45.00 0.00 0.00
BSN N 321/NLAB 321 Advancing Nursing Practice 45.00 45.00 0.00 0.00
BSN N 201/NLAB 201 Health Assessment 45.00 45.00 0.00 0.00
BSN N 272 Pathophysiology 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN N 283 Pharmacology 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN N 209/NLAB 209 Psychiatric Mental Health 45.00 0.00 0.00 45.00
Nursing
BSN N 214/NLAB 214 Nursing Care of Adults I 45.00 0.00 0.00 90.00
BSN N 314/NLAB 314 Nursing Care of Adults II 45.00 0.00 0.00 90.00
BSN N 315/NLAB 315 Nursing Care of Adults III 45.00 0.00 0.00 90.00
BSN N 308/NLAB 308 Nursing Care of Childbearing 45.00 0.00 0.00 45.00
Families
50
BSN N 307/NLAB 307 Nursing Care of Children and 45.00 0.00 0.00 45.00
Adolescents
BSN N 406/NLAB 406 Community and Population 45.00 0.00 0.00 45.00
Health
BSN N 216 Nutrition Across the Lifespan 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN N 319 Ethics and Genomics of Nursing Practice 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN N 306 Nursing Theory, Research, and Evidence- 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Based Practice
BSN N 414 Leadership and Management in Professional Nursing Practice 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN N 415 Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Nursing 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN N 407 Advancing to Professional Practice 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NLAB 403 Senior Capstone 15.00 0.00 0.00 120.00
Total 570.00
Institution:
Virginia Commonwealth University
Theory Skill Simulation Clinical
hours Lab Hours Hours
Program Type Course Name Hours
BSN NURS 201. Concepts of Professional Nursing 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NURS 202. Technologies of Nursing Practice 45.00 28.00 0.00 90.00
BSN NURS 261. Health Assessment for Nursing Practice 45.00 30.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NURS 325. Nursing of Adults I 45.00 4.00 10.00 90.00
BSN NURS 335. Nursing of Women 45.00 0.50 2.50 60.00
BSN NURS 345. Nursing of Children 45.00 4.00 2.00 60.00
BSN NURS 355. Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing 45.00 4.00 10.00 60.00
BSN NURS 365. Pathophysiology and Pharmacology I 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NURS 366. Pathophysiology and Pharmacology II 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NURS 416. Community Health Nursing 45.00 9.00 4.00 60.00
BSN NURS 425. Nursing of Adults II 45.00 4.00 2.00 90.00
BSN NURS 478. Leadership and Management in Health 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Care: Theory and Application
BSN NURS 496. Senior Synthesis 30.00 0.00 0.00 180.00
Total 690.00
51
Institution:
Longwood University
Theory Skill Simulation Clinical
hours Lab Hours Hours
Program Type Course Name Hours
BSN NURS 100 Intro to Nursing & Healthcare Systems 37.50 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NURS 105 Medical Terminology for Healthcare 12.50 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NURS 210 Health Assessment Across the Lifespan 25.00 25.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NURS 220 Clinical Skills for Nursing Practice 25.00 25.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NURS 240 Principles of Pathophysiology 50.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NURS 230 Foundations of Nursing Practice 37.50 7.00 7.00 56.00
BSN NURS 290 Learning Strategies & Core Nursing 12.50 12.50 0.00 0.00
Clinical Skills
BSN NURS 315 Nutrition Health & Disease 50.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NURS 320 Principles of Pharmacology 37.50 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NURS 325 Care of Women, Children & Families 56.25 2.00 16.00 84.00
BSN NURS 341 Nursing Care of Adults & Families 50.00 0.00 3.00 56.00
BSN NURS 360 Research & Evidence-Based Practice 37.50 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NURS 372 Care of the Older Adult 37.50 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NURS 393 Patients with Complex Health Problems 37.50 25.00 4.00 56.00
BSN NURS 410 Nursing Care of Patients with 37.50 0.00 2.50 54.00
Psychiatric/Mental Health Problems
BSN NURS 420 Community Health Nursing 37.50 0.00 0.00 56.00
BSN NURS 430 Healthcare Policy & Regulation 37.50 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NURS 440 Managing for Safety & Quality 37.50 0.00 0.00 0.00
Outcomes
BSN NURS 480 NCLEX Success 25.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NURS 491 Senior Seminar: Transition to Nursing 25.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NURS 492 Internship in Nursing 12.50 0.00 10.00 170.00
Total 532.00
Institution:
University of Virginia
Theory Skill Simulation Clinical
hours Lab Hours Hours
Program Type Course Name Hours
BSN NUCO 2220 Cells to Society for Nursing Practice 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUCO 2130 Therapeutic Principles of Nursing Care 37.50 42.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUCO 2210 Foundations of Nursing CARE 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUCO 2330 Health Assessment 37.50 14.00 0.00 0.00
52
NUCO 2440 Principles and Application of Case-
BSN 15.00 0.00 10.00 56.00
Based Learning for Nursing Practice
BSN NUCO 3110 Patient-Family Centered Care: Adult- 37.50 0.00 8.00 84.00
Gero Nursing in Acute Care
BSN NUCO 3310 Patient-Family Centered Care: 37.50 0.00 16.00 84.00
Pediatric Nursing
BSN NUCO 3610 Patient-Family Centered Care: 37.50 0.00 4.00 84.00
Maternal/Child Nursing
BSN NUCO 4056 Introduction to Health Policy 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
NUCO 4110 Patient-Family Centered Care: Adults
BSN 37.50 0.00 9.50 84.00
with Complex Health Conditions
NUCO 4210 Patient-Family Centered Care: Public
BSN 37.50 0.00 3.50 84.00
Health Nursing and Population Health
BSN NUCO 4310 Patient-Family Centered Care: Mental 45.00 28.00 8.00 56.00
Health
BSN NUCO 4710 Team-Based Care Synthesis 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUCO 4720: Transition to Practice: Synthesis Practicum 0.00 0.00 0.00 168.00
BSN NUCO 4730 Professional Nursing Practice Synthesis 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUIP 2420 Pathophysiology and Clinical Management I 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUIP 3420 Pathophysiology and Clinical Management II 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUIP 2430 Pharmacology and Clinical Management I 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
BSN NUIP 3430 Pharmacology and Clinical Management II 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
NUIP 2311 Research, Ethics, Advocacy, and Leadership:
BSN 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Intro to Professional Practice
BSN NUIP 3311 Research, Ethics, Advocacy, and Leadership: 45.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Quality, Safety, and EBP
BSN NUIP 4311 Research, Ethics, Advocacy, and Leadership: 30.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
RN in Complex Systems
Total 700.00
53
Appendix 8: Credit Totals for RN Programs
Institution Program Credit Total
Arizona College of Nursing Bachelor of Science in Nursing 120
Bon Secours Memorial College of Bachelor of Science in Nursing 120
Nursing
Bryant & Stratton College Associate of Applied Science in 72
Nursing
Centra College Associate of Applied Science in 67
Nursing
Eastern Virginia Career College Associate of Applied Science in 69
Nursing
ECPI Associate of Applied Science in 71
Nursing
ECPI Bachelor of Science in Nursing 120
Galen College of Nursing Associate of Applied Science in 71
Nursing
Longwood University Bachelor of Science in Nursing 120-121
Norfolk State University Bachelor of Science in Nursing 121
Riverside College of Health Associate of Applied Science in 69
Careers Nursing
Reynolds Community College Associate of Applied Science in 64
(example of VCCS) Nursing
Riverside College of Health Bachelor of Science in Nursing 120
Careers
Shenandoah University Bachelor of Science in Nursing 121
South University Bachelor of Science in Nursing 120
Southside College of Health Associate of Applied Science in 72
Science Nursing
University of Virginia Bachelor of Science in Nursing 120
University of Virginia Wise Bachelor of Science in Nursing 128
Virginia Commonwealth Bachelor of Science in Nursing 122
University
54
Appendix 9: Virginia Association of Colleges of Nursing Letter Regarding Standardized
Curriculum
July 11, 2023
Dear Daniel,
On behalf of the Virginia Association of Colleges of Nursing (VACN), I would like to thank
you and your team for your commitment to the workgroup for evaluation of the feasibility of a
statewide prelicensure nursing curriculum and inviting many of our membership deans and
directors to the meeting on July 13th for further discussion. We will have several
representatives present that can expand upon our analysis and recommendations in regard to
SB 1172 as the workgroup considers the components of the report for submission to the
Governor in November.
VACN does not support moving forward with a standardized statewide prelicensure nursing
curriculum at this time for the reasons outlined below. We do see opportunities for
collaboration to strengthen the nursing pathway and standardize preparation for entry into
Virginia prelicensure nursing program at all levels which aligns with the goal of SB 1172. I
provide guidance from VACN on opportunities from our baccalaureate lens and current
expertise.
The following are concerns and barriers for which VACN recommends alternative approaches
to strengthening the prelicensure nursing education in the Commonwealth in lieu of a
standardized statewide curriculum.
• Demand and need for a singular state nursing curriculum has not been established. Data
on the number of students with this need is necessary to support forward movement with
this proposal. A transition to a standardized curriculum requires a significant increased
workload on already taxed academic nursing faculty during the worst nursing faculty
shortage experienced in Virginia. There is great potential with forward movement on the
proposal to exacerbate the state’s faculty shortage which negatively impacts the number
of graduates from our program and the ability to increase enrollment.
o For the VACN membership programs, students generally are not seeking
transferable courses. Most have selected to attend their institution as residential
students. For the few students who seek a different program, a process for
evaluation of transfer courses exists at most institutions.
o This proposal is duplicative of the work that was done a few years ago whereby
community colleges offering the ADN now have a standardized curriculum. We
55
have several BSN programs that already accepts credits from this curriculum which
creates a seamless process for BSN entry to practice.
• Accreditation standards and curricular guidelines vary for programs in critical
competencies and standards. AACN’s The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional
Nursing Education (2021) and NLN vary in competency focus. Significant curricular
revision for BSN programs using the revised AACN Essentials has or currently is being
completed across the state.
• Curriculum policies and standards vary by home institutions/universities for which nursing
programs must adhere. Barriers to a standardized curriculum include the following: 1) total
major credits vary by institution; 2) ratio of lab/clinical hours by credit vary by institution;
3) nursing major courses are designed to meet institutional general education requirements
at select institutions; and 4) admission, progression, and graduation criteria vary by
institution and nursing program, aligning with institutional policies.
• Nursing programs have missions that align with their institutional mission and nursing
curriculum reflects the individualized student learning outcomes for the prelicensure
nursing program. Nursing curriculum is individualized to integrate and meet the
institution’s and program’s mission. This varies by institution focus and is required by
accreditation organizations. A statewide standardized curriculum fails to meet
accreditation standards for the institution and the nursing program.
• BSN programs within the Commonwealth have curricular frameworks designed that are
individualized for their program. These frameworks purposefully drive how the BSN
graduate of that institution is different from other graduates of Virginia nursing
programs. Students select their nursing program based on congruence with their values
and curricular design.
• Baccalaureate programs have varying entry points, from freshman entry to sophomore or
junior year entry. Each institution’s nursing curriculum reflects scaffolded learning based
on entry points. A statewide standardized curriculum fails to support numerous entry
points and curricular design to scaffold nursing education. Only the ADN programs within
the community colleges have a similar entry point for nursing programs. This
standardized curriculum already meets the proposal’s outcomes.
• Not all programs accept transfer students. A statewide standardized curriculum does not
benefit these institutions and programs. Capacity of programs does not support
institutional transfers. Upper division entry programs have sufficient enrolled students to
meet program capacity which eliminates the feasibility of moving between nursing
programs in the state. There are current processes in place at institutions who have space
for nursing transfer students. This provides the opportunity to evaluate prior major
courses, within specified completion time frames, for alignment and credit in the
curriculum.
In consideration of the lack of data and identified need for a statewide standardized
prelicensure nursing curriculum, VACN recommends the following focus of the workgroup
for the report to the Commonwealth. The following are recommendations to strengthen and,
by certain actions, accelerate the number of prelicensure graduates within the
Commonwealth.
56
• Revisions to the high school dual enrollment (DE) program is indicated for pre-nursing
students. Our programs consistently accept DE students, but these students do not come
with the coursework needed to accelerate their transition to nursing courses. For example,
DE courses in anatomy and physiology, developmental psychology, and medical
terminology would be more applicable to a BSN degree than multiple courses in history
and English.
• There are processes already in place for educational pathways from RN to BSN that
are well established and can accommodate more students. Funding and work release
time to complete programs is needed. Enrollment has decreased significantly across
Virginia since 2020 due to the workplace stressors for nurses. A baccalaureate-prepared
workforce has consistently demonstrated a reduction in patient morbidity and
mortality.
• Expanding the nursing pipeline pathway for LPN-RN programs. There are a limited number
of programs within the state and expanding programs will increase the RN pipeline, often
in rural regions in which there is greater need.
• A focus on nursing faculty is critical to all elements of the nursing pipeline – maintaining
and growing our programs at all levels. Using evidence from other states to address the
multiple barriers to recruitment, education, and retention of nursing faculty is fundamental
to all plans for growth of programs and quality RN graduates for the workforce.
VACN is deeply appreciative of the workgroup’s consideration of the information we have
provided as well as our recommendations to strengthen prelicensure nursing programs
within the state. We are certainly heartened that our governor and legislators remain
committed to nursing education and the nursing workforce pipeline. In my role as president
of VACN, please do not hesitate to reach out if there are additional ways in which I can
support the workgroup.
With warm regards,
Cindy Rubenstein, PhD, RN, CPNP-PC, CNE
President, Virginia Association of Colleges of
Nursing
VACN Member Signatories:
Dr. Teresa Beach, Averett University School of Nursing Dean Jessica Sharp, Bluefield University
School of Nursing
Dean Chris-Tenna M. Perkins, Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing
Dr. Melody Cash, Eastern Mennonite University Department of Nursing
Dean Laurie Anne Ferguson, Emory and Henry College School of Nursing
Chair Melody Sharp, Ferrum College Nursing
Dr. Cheryl Oetjen, George Mason University School of Nursing
Dr. Arlene Montgomery, Hampton University School of Nursing
Dr. Melody Eaton, James Madison University School of Nursing
57
Dean Tracy Turner, Liberty University School of Nursing
Dr. Kim Little, Longwood University Department of Nursing
Dr. Andrew Wolf, Marymount University, Malek School of Nursing Professions
Dr. Suzanne Wright, Old Dominion University School of Nursing
Dean Wendy Downey, Radford University School of Nursing
Dr. Cynthia Rubenstein, Randolph-Macon College Department of Nursing
Dr. Cynthia Banks, Nursing, Sentara College of Health Sciences
Dean Lisa Levinson, Shenandoah University Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing
Dean Jean Johnson, The George Washington University School of Nursing
Dr. Janice Adams, Mary Baldwin University School of Nursing
Dr. Kathy Johnson, University of Lynchburg School of Nursing
Dr. Janet Atarthi-Dugan, University of Mary Washington School of Nursing
Dean Marianne Baernholdt, University of Virginia School of Nursing
Dr. Cathy Collins, UVA College at Wise Department of Nursing
Dean Jean Giddens, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing
Dr. Sibena N. Samuel-Harris, Virginia State University Department of Nursing
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