Note(s):
Suggested Prenursing curriculum sequence .
Special considerations:
*These courses also serve as prerequisites to the nursing program and must be passed with a “C” or higher prior to admission to the Level I nursing courses.
**Elect two courses in the global literacy menu of the Liberal Arts Program . Since NURS 344 and 413 meet the requirements for global literacy, they are recommended for those interested in health missions. NURS 413 counts as a Bible or global literacy requirement, but not both. Students are strongly encouraged to take NURS 413 if they are planning to participate in an international health care mission trip.
***NURS 413 does not count as a textual Bible course. BDOC 354 is strongly recommended for the nursing degree.
****MATH 107 must be passed with a “B” or higher prior to admission to the Level I nursing courses.
Completion of Program
Following Level 1 Carr College of Nursing admission, nursing courses are to be completed within four consecutive years. Should a student not complete the nursing curriculum within four consecutive years following admission to the nursing program, the student’s progress will be evaluated by committee, and an individualized remediation plan will be developed to ensure competency and safety as a program graduate. This plan may include requiring the student to repeat courses.
Licensure Examination Eligibility
Following graduation, alumni are eligible to apply for the national licensure examination called the NCLEX- RN®. Test development and oversight is coordinated through the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. The test is administered in every state and U.S. territory, and successful passage enables a graduate to practice anywhere in the United States and U.S. territories. Final application approval through the Carr College of Nursing rests with the dean of nursing; final approval to be eligible to take the NCLEX- RN® rests with the Arkansas State Board of Nursing (or a like counterpart in the state in which a graduate seeks to pursue initial licensure).
Persons convicted of a crime are ineligible to take the NCLEX- RN®. Felony and/or FBI background checks and fingerprinting are required in the senior year as part of the nursing licensure application process.
Undergraduate Curriculum Tracks
Students are admitted into one of two curriculum tracks based on past educational experience.
Traditional Track: This track is for all nursing students except licensed nurses. The student may complete the degree in four academic years of full-time study; part-time study is available.
Students are enrolled in either sequence A or sequence B in Level I and Level II.
Note(s):
Many prenursing students take courses during the summer to lighten the regular semester course load. Students should see their advisers for information about summer courses.
The following legend of symbols relates to the various courses previously listed:
*Students considering international mission work take a foreign language to partially fulfill the global literacy requirement. Take the language courses during the first two freshman semesters, and take the history course during one of the semesters marked global literacy. This sequence is recommended to complete the degree in four years.
**University policy states that all full-time students must enroll in a Bible class each semester.
***Elect two courses from the global literacy menu of the Liberal Arts Program . NURS 413 is strongly recommended for those interested in health care missions. NURS 344 and 451 may be required for those doing international mission work.
+NURS 413 (Health Care Missions) will count as a Bible class the semester it is taken, and it will also serve as global literacy credit. NURS 413 is not considered a textual Bible class.
#NURS 321 and 362 are to be taken the first semester following admission. NURS 354 and MATH 200 are taken the second semester after admission.
##NURS 412 is planned for the first semester of Level II but may be taken the second semester of Level I; NURS 462 is taken the semester of graduation.
All non-nursing course transfer credit is approved through the registrar’s office personnel; prior approval is required.
Advanced Placement Track: The Advanced Placement Tracks (RN to BSN, LPN to BSN) are available to students who hold an unencumbered current Arkansas nursing license (licensed practical nurses, licensed psychiatric technical nurses, and registered nurses). The Carr College of Nursing has adopted the Arkansas articulation plan for advanced placement. Licensed nurses who have completed prerequisite courses are eligible for the Advanced Placement Track. Work experience is required for admission if the initial degree or diploma was obtained 12 or more months before admission to the Carr College of Nursing. NLN-Nursing Acceleration Challenge Exams (NACE) are required if the work experience criteria is unmet. All nursing courses are held in escrow until degree requirements are complete. Licensed nurses are to contact the assistant to the dean (501-279-4682) or e-mail nursing@harding.edu for review of prior clinical and educational experiences as well as development of an individualized degree plan.
Registered Nurses (RN to BSN): Registered nurse students may select a test-out option for NURS 203 and NURS 321 . Registered nurse students who have completed prerequisite courses are eligible for the Advanced Placement Track. For registered nurses this means taking NURS 315 and all required nursing courses to satisfy degree requirements. Prior to the semester in which the student enrolls in Level I nursing courses and during NURS 315 , if more than 12 months after graduation and if work experience criteria are unmet, the registered nurse student will need to successfully complete the NLN-NACE II tests. The fees for the student’s first writing of this exam is included in the NURS 315 course fee. Any subsequent writing of the exams will be an individual expense to the student. Once admission requirements are met and NURS 315 is completed, students may be awarded up to 32 hours of nursing course credit. This credit is held in escrow until graduation. Completion of the required upper division nursing courses involves nine courses totaling 23 credit hours and usually requires two semesters of full-time nursing study; part-time study is available. Registered nurse students who wish to complete the Traditional Track may elect to do so. Passing 8 hours of textual Bible classes is required for graduation.
Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN or LPTN): For licensed practical nurses, this means taking the Traditional Track except for the courses exempted by the following testing sequence to satisfy degree requirements. Testing may be omitted if work criteria experience is met or if admission is sought less than 12 months following graduation. After completion of prerequisite courses and prior to the semester in which the student enrolls in Level I nursing courses, the licensed practical nurse takes the following during scheduled testing sessions:
Skills Validation Test
Health Assessment Validation Test
Pharmacology Validation Test
Expenses related to each of these exams or validations are the responsibility of the student. Upon successful completion of the NACE exams and required validations, up to 12 hours of credit may be awarded. These credit hours will be held in escrow until graduation. The student then enters the Traditional Track after completion of prerequisite courses and NURS 315 .
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