Additional Program Information
Program also offered online
Undergraduate Nursing Program Goals
The nursing major is designed to prepare a professional registered nurse who is:
- A provider of safe care who evaluates client changes and progress over time.
- A designer/manager/coordinator of care who participates on the interprofessional team, identifies system issues, manages care transitions, and delegates, prioritizes and oversees care.
- A member of the nursing profession through the process of evaluating one’s practice and supporting the profession.
- Prepared for graduate study in nursing.
Undergraduate Nursing Program Outcomes
Graduates of the Mercy College Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing will be expected to demonstrate the following program outcomes:
Program Outcome I
Integrate concepts from liberal arts and sciences as the basis for nursing education and the practice of professional nursing.
Program Outcome II
Demonstrate leadership strategies that promote quality improvement, client safety, and organizational effectiveness that promotes health.
Program Outcome III
Evaluate the levels of evidence that guide scholarship and evidence based practice in professional nursing.
Program Outcome IV
Explore ethical management of data, information, knowledge, and technology to facilitate professional nursing care.
Program Outcome V
Investigate healthcare policies and practices, finances, costs, and regulations that influence professional nursing and the general population while promoting advocacy and social justice particularly for the vulnerable.
Admission Criteria
- Conditional Acceptance
- Admission Criteria for conditional acceptance into the Nursing Major requires the following:
- Minimum High School GPA of 85%
- High School Science and Math grades B or higher
- Admission to Mercy College does not guarantee progression into the nursing program
- Full Acceptance – to be fully accepted as a BS in Nursing major the following conditions must be met:
- A grade of C or C+ (course dependent) or better in all science courses and a minimum overall GPA of 2.2 or above is required to be considered for acceptance into the Nursing major.
- Achieve a passing score on the Nursing Entrance Exam in January of their of Freshman Year.
- Accepted students will be subject to background checks and may be required to undergo drug testing.
Progression Criteria
Once fully accepted as a BS in Nursing major students are required to achieve a B- or better in all nursing and science courses and maintain an overall GPA as follows for non-nursing courses:
| First year |
GPA 2.2 or above |
| Second year |
GPA 2.4 or above |
| Third year |
GPA 2.4 or above |
| Fourth year |
GPA 2.4 or above |
| Nursing courses |
GPA must be at 2.67 or higher |
Students will not progress to the next level of the program if they do not meet the above criteria.
Organization of the Program
This program has been designed for the full-time student. Courses are scheduled for a combination of evenings and days. A variety of schedule patterns and teaching and learning community methods are utilized. All courses are offered at the Dobbs Ferry campus only. Upon acceptance to the nursing major, the student will be assigned a nursing faculty academic advisor. Upon successful completion of the program, students will be eligible to take the NCLEX-RN licensure examination.
Note: A record of a felony conviction may disallow licensure. Students are cautioned that graduation from the school does not assure licensure. The Office of Professional Discipline (OPD) will review each felony conviction on the grounds of remorse, retribution, and rehabilitation. The decision to grant licensure lies with the OPD and occurs after candidate passes NCLEX-RN.
Admission Procedures
- Applications to the Traditional BS in Nursing program are conditionally accepted once a year in the Fall. Application for Fall Semester entry will be accepted up until February 1st of the year the student plans to starting nursing courses in September. Applications received after February 1st will be considered only if there is space.
- Upon review of the standard Mercy College application, qualified applicants will be conditionally accepted into the Traditional BS in Nursing major.
- Qualified applicants will be admitted to the nursing major pending a passing score on the Nursing Entrance Exam in January of the Freshman year as well as successful completion of first semester courses.
Clinical Requirements
All students must complete the following before starting clinical. Copies of these documents/clearances must be submitted electronically to the Clinical Placement Coordinator by the specified due date.
No one is allowed to begin clinical without the following:
- Current CPR for Health Care Personnel
- Liability malpractice insurance
- Health clearance approval
- Immunization titers - MMR, Hepatitis B, Varicella
- Flu vaccine
- PPD or Quantiferon or chest x-ray (if PPD positive)
- *Criminal background check - Depending on agency requirements
- *Drug screen - Depending on agency requirements
- *Fingerprints - Depending on agency requirements.
Program Dismissal Review
In cases which a student has been dismissed from the Generic Nursing Program, the student may request a dismissal review when he/she believes that extenuating circumstances effected his/her academic performance in the program. The student must follow the SHNS Program Dismissal Review Policy detailed at the beginning of the School of Health and Natural Sciences section.
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