School of Nursing

Dr. Julie T. Sanford, Director
Mr. Joseph Tacy, Associate Director
Phone: (540) 568-6314
Email: sanforjt@jmu.edu
Location: Health and Behavioral Studies Building, Room 4092
Website: http://www.nursing.jmu.edu

Professors
M. deValpine, M. Eaton, L. Hulton, J. Sanford, S. Zook

Associate Professors
S. Annan, M. Bagnardi, A. Knopp, E. Lewis, E. Metzler-Sawin, L. Sobel, J. Strunk, D. Trimm

Assistant Professors
C. Argenbright, L. Donovon, D. Elkins, D. Gleason, A. Graham, J. Harnage, B. Herron, K. Jagiello, T. Kiser, C. Lam, J. Lee, M.Scheikl, J. Tacy

Instructors
C. Brown, L. Carmines, C. Fasching-Maphis, J. Haynes, M. Leisen, N. Puffenbarger, A. Kelly, S. Stowell, K. Weeks

Mission

We engage students, faculty and communities through dynamic and innovative nursing education, practice and scholarship to influence health in our world.

Purposes

In order to support and accomplish this mission the nursing faculty has identified the following purposes:

Prepare nursing professionals who provide culturally competent, holistic, evidence-based nursing care to individuals, families, aggregates and communities in a wide variety of settings.
Promote a community of learning that models professional values and lifelong professional development for both faculty and students.
Promote service-learning activities that include collaborative, cross disciplinary initiatives and partnerships between nursing education and the practice arena to meet the future health needs of consumers.
Conduct research and creative scholarship to generate nursing knowledge and disseminate that knowledge though collaboration, publication and presentations.

Career Opportunities and Marketable Skills

Preparation as a professional nurse leading to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) degree.
Eligibility to take the National Certification and Licensure (NCLEX) exam to become a registered nurse (R.N.).
Preparation for entry-level positions in a wide range of health care settings.
Upon completion of the R.N. – B.S.N. program of study, students may be eligible for leadership positions in a wide range of health care settings.
Preparation for graduate study in nursing.

Co-curricular Activities and Organizations

JMU Chapter of the Virginia Nursing Student Association
Pi Mu At-Large Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society
B.S.N. Student Advisory Council
Nursing Students without Borders

Accreditation

The JMU nursing program is approved by the Virginia Board of Nursing. The baccalaureate and master’s programs at James Madison University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036, (202) 887-6791.

Program Options

The School of Nursing offers two program options. The generic B.S.N. program is designed to prepare undergraduate students to practice at the baccalaureate level of professional nursing. The R.N. to B.S.N. program provides flexible learning opportunities at the baccalaureate level for students who are graduates of community college or diploma schools and are licensed registered nurses (R.N.).

Special Admission and Retention Requirements

Generic B.S.N. Program

Admission to the nursing program is limited and competitive. Each semester 90 students are enrolled in junior level nursing courses. All students, including transfer students, must complete the B.S.N. Admission application following admission to the university. B.S.N. admission applications are available on the nursing school website.

A completed B.S.N. admission application must be received by December 1 to be considered for the following fall semester and by July 1 to be considered for admission for the spring semester of the following year. Students not admitted to the program must reapply to be considered in the applicant pool for the following admission cycle.

To be considered for admission to the nursing major, students must:

Be currently enrolled as a JMU student as a declared nursing major.
Transfer students must complete one semester as a full-time student at JMU prior to applying the B.S.N. program.
Have earned a minimum JMU cumulative GPA of 3.00 as verified by the academic record (Admission is competitive, based on cumulative GPA and nursing prerequisite course grades and limited to a set number of qualified students).
Have completed and/or enrolled in 36 academic credits at the time of application.
Complete the following nursing prerequisite courses (or approved equivalents) with a grade of “C-” or higher: CHEM 120 , MATH 220 and at least two of the required biology courses (BIO 270 , BIO 280 or BIO 290 ) by the end of the fall semester of the sophomore year (to be considered for the following fall) or by the end of spring semester (to be considered for the following spring).

In order to begin the nursing program, at time of entry to the first full semester, students must:

Have completed all required nursing prerequisite courses (CHEM 120 , MATH 220 , PSYC 160 , NUTR 280 , BIO 270 , BIO 280 and BIO 290 ).
Have completed JMU General Education requirements.
Maintain a GPA of at least 3.00 or higher.
Meet the department’s technical standards.

Admission criteria are available online. Students must meet the school’s technical standards for nursing practice. Technical standards are basic physical, cognitive and psychosocial skills and abilities that are required for nursing practice. The technical standards are posted on the nursing website.

The nursing curriculum is designed as a full time program. The undergraduate program director must approve any deviation from the full time enrollment pattern as outlined in the catalog. Once fully admitted to the program, the student must earn a minimum grade of “C-” or “Pass” in each required nursing course to remain in good standing in the nursing program. A grade of “D”, “F” or “Fail” is considered a failure. A student who for the first time receives a failure in a nursing course may, with school approval, repeat the course. A student who receives a failure in a second nursing course will not be permitted to continue in the program.

Other academic and related policies in effect for students in the nursing program are outlined on the school website.

R.N. to B.S.N. Program

The R.N. to B.S.N. program provides flexible online learning opportunity for students who are graduates of community college or diploma schools and are licensed registered nurses (R.N.). Classes are offered online to allow students to maintain employment while completing the B.S.N. degree. The program provides a foundation for professional practice and will equip students for further opportunities afforded through graduate study and advance practice.

JMU will award nurses up to 37 portfolio credits for their prior learning and work experience, as well as 40 transfer credits toward the General Education requirements for a B.S.N.

Thirteen additional general education credits will be required but may be taken concurrently at a local community college and transferred to JMU for credit. Students will complete 30 credits in the R.N. to B.S.N. program in three semesters of full time study or five semesters of part-time study, thus completing a total of 120 semester hours for the baccalaureate degree. Nurses can apply for admission to the R.N. to B.S.N. program once all prerequisite courses have been completed and this has been documented through an academic transcript submission/review process. Additional program eligibility criteria include:

Associate Degree or Diploma in Nursing from an accredited college/university.
Completion of the General Education courses required for the Bachelor of Science. May be taken concurrently with nursing course work but must be completed prior to graduation.
Cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better on a 4-point scale.
TOEFL scores greater than 570 for international applicants.
Completion of all prerequisite courses with a grade of “C-” or better.
Current unrestricted R.N. license in any state, Washington, D.C., or a U.S. possession or territory or an equivalent credential in another country.
Employment as an R.N. for a minimum of four months and/or plans to practice concurrently with course work.
Graduates of foreign nursing schools, who are licensed outside of the United States, are required to pass the Qualifying Exam of the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) prior to application and include the exam report with their application materials.
Ability to meet the school’s technical standards for nursing practice (posted on the nursing website).
Interested applicants must complete the transcript review process prior to submitting an application. The R.N./B.S.N. program admissions coordinator can be contacted to begin the transcript review process.

Admission to the program is contingent on admission to the university. An electronic application is sent to the applicant for completion once the official transcript review mentioned above is completed satisfactorily

Once fully admitted to the program, the student must earn a minimum grade of “C-” or “Pass” in each required nursing course to remain in good standing in the nursing program. A grade of “D”, “F” or “Fail” is considered a failure. A student who for the first time receives a failure in a nursing course may, with school approval, repeat the course. A student who receives a failure in a second nursing course will not be permitted to continue in the program.

Special Expenses

A differential tuition of $90 per credit hour is added to the standard charge for courses carrying the NSG prefix. This charge applies to all students, both in-state and out-of-state, at the undergraduate and graduate levels, with exception of students enrolled in the R.N. to B.S.N. program.