Program Information
Undergraduate Nursing Program Outcomes
Graduates of the Mercy University Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing will be expected to demonstrate the following program outcomes:
- Integrate concepts from liberal arts and sciences as the basis for nursing education and the practice of professional nursing
- Demonstrate leadership strategies that promote quality improvement, client safety, and organizational effectiveness that promotes health
- Evaluate the levels of evidence that guide evidence based on practice in professional nursing
- Explore ethical management of data, information, knowledge, and technology to facilitate professional nursing care
- 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
- Examine the implications of interprofessional communication and collaboration in improving health outcomes
- Examine the impact of clinical prevention on health promotion and disease prevention on population health
- Integrate the core values characteristic of professional nursing
- Integrate and apply knowledge, skills, and attitudes that lead to the improvement in health outcomes while recognizing the diversity of culture, spirituality, ethnicity, socio-economic status, gender, and sexual orientation of all clients
Admission Criteria
Acceptance into the Nursing Major requires the following:
- Minimum High School GPA of 85%
- High School Science and Math grades ‘B’ or higher
- High School Transcript
- Personal Statement (200-500 word statement about why you want to become a nurse)
- ACT or SAT
Admission Procedures
1. Applications to the Traditional BS in Nursing program are accepted once a year to begin in the Fall semester. Applications 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.
2. Students applying for acceptance to the Traditional Nursing program (BS in Nursing; 4-year program) applicants are able to apply with the Mercy University Undergraduate Application or the Common Application.
Progression Criteria
Once accepted as a B.S. Nursing major, students are required to achieve a ‘B-’ or better in all nursing (NURS) courses and a grade of ‘B-’ or better in prerequisite courses: BIOL 117, BIOL 130/BIOL 130A, BIOL 131/BIOL 131A, CHEM 140/CHEM 140A, BIOL 265/BIOL 265A, ENGL 111, ENGL 112, MATH 116. Students may only repeat one prerequisite course.
Students must 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 are permitted to repeat one prerequisite course and one NURS course. Students may only withdraw once from one course.
Students will not progress to the next level of the program if they do not meet the above criteria.
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 from American Heart Association
- COVID vaccination and Booster
- Liability malpractice insurance
- Health clearance approval
- Immunization titers - MMR, Hepatitis B, Varicella
- Annual 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
- Any other agency requirements
Organization of the Program
This program has been designed for the full-time student. All nursing and requisite science courses are offered at the Dobbs Ferry campus only.
General education requirements, may be taken at the Bronx and Manhattan campuses. General education courses may be taken online if the student meet the following requirements: 1) completion of first semester of first year, and 2) GPA of 3.0 or above. Upon successful completion of the program, students will have met the educational requirements to take the NCLEX-RN licensure examination.
Program Dismissal Review
In cases which a student has been dismissed from the Traditional Nursing Program, the student may request a dismissal review when they believe that extenuating circumstances affected their academic performance in the program. The student must follow the School Dismissal Review Policy found in the nursing student handbook.
Complaints That Fall Outside the Realm of Due Process
The School of Nursing is committed to meeting its mission as it relates to serving our students, potential students, staff, faculty, adjunct faculty, clinical faculty and the public consumer of nursing services. To that end, we are committed to ensuring that exceptional complaints for which there is no established University, School or program policy or procedure are considered and resolved in a timely, fair, consistent and equitable manner.
Procedure: Complaint to the Program: Complaints should be addressed to the Dean through the online form located here .
If the Dean is the subject of the complaint, the complaint should be addressed to the Provost.
Program Policies
Readmission Program Policies
- The reentry policy applies to students with Mercy University nursing credits who seek to reenter the Mercy University nursing program.
- The admission policy applies to students dismissed from other nursing programs.
- Reentry or admission is only offered once. If a student is dismissed a second time from the nursing program, they may not reapply.
- Readmission to the nursing program is not guaranteed.
Re-entry Policy: Mercy University Students
A student academically dismissed from the nursing program at Mercy University may apply for reentry. The student seeking re-entry must initiate the process within two semesters of leaving the nursing program.
Students must meet all the current admission criteria to be considered for re-entry to the nursing program.
Admission policy: Nursing transfer students
A student dismissed from another nursing program for academic reasons may apply for admission to the nursing program at Mercy University. Applicants must meet the current admission requirements at Mercy University.
Nursing courses must be a grade of B- or higher to transfer. The program will accept up to 6 credits in transfer for the courses listed below (courses must be taken within the last 5 years).
- Nursing Research
- Informatics
- Health Policy
Students dismissed from another nursing program will need to submit additional information, see below.
Where to apply
Students seeking re-entry will need to apply directly to the nursing program by emailing Maryanne Allis and Bryan Enriquez mallis2@mercy.edu and benriquez@mercy.edu
Students seeking admission as a nursing transfer student will need to apply to the Office of Admissions.
Admission Requirements
Students seeking reentry or admission as a transfer nursing student must submit additional information.
The applicant must:
- Submit a personal statement addressed to the Readmission Committee requesting re-entry or admission to the nursing program for a specific semester and year. The Readmission committee is composed of nursing faculty, an admissions counselor, and PACT advisor. The personal statement should contain all the following information:
- Detailed explanation of the factors that contributed to the nursing program dismissal.
- Discussion of your academic readiness to resume the nursing program.
- Outline of your plans to achieve academic success.
- Submit two letters of recommendation supporting admission to the program. If the applicant was dismissed from a nursing program that was not Mercy University, one letter of recommendation must be from the program from which you were dismissed. The letter should address the reason for dismissal.
Nursing Course Transfer
Mercy University will accept some nursing course(s) taken at accredited nursing programs and accredited colleges or universities. To evaluate courses, students must submit applicable course syllabi and have a grade of B minus or higher in the transfer course. The School of Nursing will only accept up to six transfer credits for the courses listed below. Courses taken must be within 5 years of starting the program and must be weighted at 3 credits or more.
- Nursing Research
- Informatics
- Health Policy
School of Nursing Withdrawal Policy
Students may withdraw from a Nursing (NURS) course as per the Mercy University Student handbook.
• Students must withdraw during the designated nursing withdrawal period.
• A student may withdraw from a NURS course only once throughout the nursing program.
• Students are required to withdraw from all components associated with a NURS course [i.e., didactic, clinical and/or lab]. The withdrawal from all components associated with an NURS course will be considered a total of one withdrawal.
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