Nursing

College of Health and Human Services
Dean: Don Taylor

School of Nursing
BH 371
415-338-1802
Director: Shirley Girouard

Associate Directors,
   Undergraduate Program: Marshall Alameida
   Graduate Program: Grace Hardie

Faculty

Professors—Baj, Ferretti, Girouard, Johnson-Brennan

Associate Professors—Boyle, Eaton, Fisher, Hardie, Nichols

Assistant Professors—Alameida, Carabez, Chou, Davis, deLeon, Landry, Orsi, Privé, Van Dam

Clinical Faculty/Lecturers—Amidi-Nouri, Bahr, Echaves, Freedman, Grillot, Kedrowski, Nilan, Sellin

Programs

Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Master of Science in Nursing
Master of Science in Nursing: Concentration in Family Nurse Practitioner
Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate

Program Scope

The mission of the School of Nursing is to (1) provide baccalaureate and graduate education in nursing for a diverse student body; (2) prepare graduates to provide quality nursing care, leadership, and advocacy to meet the health care needs of culturally diverse people in urban environments; and (3) to improve health care and nursing services through service to the community.

Goals

• To provide an environment that facilitates learning for students with diverse learning styles and needs.
• To develop clinicians, leaders, advocates and advanced practice nurses to function in evolving health care systems.
• To increase the numbers of nurses from groups underrepresented in nursing.
• To prepare nurses who integrate and apply research in clinical practice.
• To provide service to the community through faculty and student leadership, consultation, research, and clinical practice.

The program provides the basis for clinical nursing leadership and graduate education in nursing. The graduate of the Bachelor of Science program is prepared to practice in a variety of health care settings, including community health. The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) offers three emphases: Clinical Nurse Specialist, Nursing Administration, and Community/Public Health nursing. A concentration in Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) is offered with a terminal degree being a MSN. The MSN program is designed to meet the critical need for qualified nurse leaders and advanced practice nurses in primary care, acute and chronic care, long term care, home care, and community public health.

Career Outlook

Bachelor of Science in Nursing  The Bachelor of Science in Nursing prepares students for entry-level positions in professional nursing practice. The program provides the basis for clinical nursing practice. Graduates are prepared for staff nurse positions in maternity, pediatrics, medical-surgical nursing, gerontology, psychiatric/mental health, community health, long-term care, and home-care. Graduates are eligible for RN licensure upon completion of the program and Public Health Nursing Certification in California upon licensure. BSN graduates practice in a variety of settings including hospitals, community clinics, long term care, home care, and community health agencies. The program is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing and accredited by the American Association of Colleges in Nursing (AACN).

Master of Science in Nursing   Graduates of the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) emphasis seek positions in either adult, pediatric or women’s health. The CNS serves as an expert clinician for a specific client/patient population in both acute, chronic, inpatient and outpatient settings. Graduates of the Nursing Administration emphasis seek positions in nursing management, administration, and as entrepreneurs across a variety of health care settings. Graduates of the Community Public Health emphasis seek positions as managers, program planners, and case managers for specific at-risk populations in community and public health settings. Graduates of the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) concentration seek positions in a variety of primary care settings as well as within acute hospital settings. Graduates of all emphases are eligible for positions in program planning and evaluation, clinical faculty for schools of nursing, and the MSN curriculum meets the requirements for advanced study at the doctoral level.

Special Requirements:  All nursing students are required to carry professional liability insurance, personal health insurance, and to meet the health requirements of the school at the beginning of each academic year. Students are required to purchase specified equipment and pay laboratory fees for certain courses. A State Board Licensure Examination preparation program is incorporated throughout the nursing program for an additional fee. Students must have use of an automobile for the community health nursing experience.

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING

The School of Nursing reserves the right to make changes in the curriculum based on the evaluation process. Students will be advised and assisted in making adjustments to these changes.

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program allows students currently enrolled within the San Francisco State University and students with previous college/university education to apply for the nursing major. Students who wish to change their major or transfer into San Francisco State University, School of Nursing, must meet certain prerequisites in order to enter nursing clinical courses. Students must meet University admissions requirements.

Admission Requirements

Freshmen applicants are not admitted to the university as nursing majors. They can be admitted as undeclared, pre-nursing, or to an alternate major. The pre-nursing major does not guarantee admission to the nursing major.

Since fall 1992, the nursing major has had impaction status (more qualified applicants apply than can be accommodated). The admission application period for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at San Francisco State University is from October 1 through November 30 only. Applicants must submit a BSN admission application to the School of Nursing This application can be downloaded from the nursing website at www.nursing.sfsu.edu Please read and follow the instructions for the application process carefully, as incomplete applications will not be reviewed by the admissions committee. After the Committee reviews the application, the student will receive notification of her/his application status. Current SFSU students apply directly to School of Nursing. Transfer students must submit an additional application for admission to the university for undergraduate admission. The undergraduate admission application can be downloaded from the CSU mentor website at www.csumentor.edu

Prerequisites

Undergraduate students must be admissible to the university in accordance with existing criteria as stated in the undergraduate admission requirements section of the University Bulletin. In addition, students seeking to major in nursing must meet the following criteria and prerequisites:

Applicants must provide documentation for the following prerequisites:

1. California Resident.
2. An all-college total GPA of 2.8 or higher at the time of the application.
3. All nursing prerequisites completed with a minimum grade of C. Students may repeat prerequisites to achieve a grade of C or better but only as outlined in the University repeat policy. However, repeats decrease overall competitiveness.
4. Completion of General Education Basic Subjects and additional nursing prerequisite courses.
5. Prerequisites for specific nursing courses:
   • DFM 253 (3 semester units) is required before taking NURS 322 and PSY 200 (3 semester units) is required before taking NURS 444.
   • Courses in A) oral communications/speech; and B) sociology or anthropology are required for licensure.
   All students who need advice on course equivalency for the nursing prerequisite courses should visit the ASSIST website at www.assist.org. Please check the School of Nursing website at www.nursing.sfsu.edu for dates, times and locations of additional opportunities to learn more about the nursing program and its requirements.
6. In addition to GPA in the prerequisites, the following optional supplemental criteria will be considered for admission to the major and clinical courses:
1. Foreign language proficiency
2. Multicultural work/ volunteer experience
3. Health related work/ volunteer experience
7. Refer to the School of Nursing website for additional information about admission application deadlines and changes in the application process

Applicants to the Advanced Placement Option (APO) for Registered Nurses (RNs)

The Advanced Placement Option is a plan of study designed for Associate Degree and Diploma RNs interested in obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. The APO curriculum allows credit for some previous course work and has flexible scheduling to accommodate the working nurse. Students have the option to study part-time or full-time. If a student meets University general education and other degree requirements, it is possible to complete the course of study in one to one and a half years through full time study.

Admission Requirements

The admission application period for the Advanced Placement Option (APO) for Registered Nurse, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, is from October 1 to November 30 only. Applicant must submit an APO admission application to the APO Program Coordinator in the School of Nursing. Current SFSU students apply directly to School of Nursing. Transfer students must submit an additional application for admission to the university for undergraduate admission. When applying between October 1 and November 30 to the University Admissions Office, students should select the nursing major or if applying anytime, should select the undeclared major. The undergraduate admission application can be downloaded from the CSU mentor website at www.csumentor.edu. Not until students are formally advised of their admission status into the APO program by the APO Coordinator are they allowed to take nursing course work. Students are not allowed to take nursing course work until each APO applicant is evaluated by the APO coordinator and a curriculum plan is developed.

• RNs must identify themselves as RNs after their name on the application.
• RNs should attend an informational session offered by the School of Nursing APO Coordinator. Applicants may retrieve information regarding the informational meeting dates and the APO admission application is posted onto the nursing website at www.nursing.sfsu.edu.

Prerequisites

RNs must provide documentation for the following prerequisites:

1. Possession of a California Registered Nurse License prior to the fall semester admission.
2. Completion of an accredited Associate Degree program or Diploma in nursing by the end of spring prior to the fall semester admission.
3. Completion of an associate degree or diploma in nursing with a GPA of 2.5 or higher in all nursing courses at the time of application. This GPA will be verified with by official transcripts.
4. Completion of all college coursework GPA of 2.8 or higher at the time of application. This GPA will be verified by official transcripts.
5. Completion of all nursing prerequisites with a minimum grade of C by the end of spring prior to the fall semester admission. Prerequisites may be repeated until grades of C or better are attained.

The prerequisites are foundation courses and are part of graduation requirements for the BSN degree. Completion of these courses before embarking on the APO program will make the study load more manageable. These courses may be completed in community colleges or at SFSU.

All students who need advice on course equivalency for the nursing prerequisite courses should visit the ASSIST website at www.assist.org. For additional advising, please attend an informational meeting for potential nursing students. Dates, times and places for these meetings will be posted on the School of Nursing website at www.nursing.sfsu.edu.

Transfer Credit: RNs may receive credit for previous nursing education through the following mechanisms:

1. The maximum number of units transferable from a junior college is 70.
2. Challenge examinations for specific nursing courses.

PLAN FOR NURSING COURSES

Besides nursing course work, all APO students will need upper division coursework within the university to meet the requirements towards the degree. There are 120 units, minimum, to complete the BSN. A maximum of 70 units of course work is transferable from a community college. The number of units required for graduation is indicated in the Advanced Standing Evaluation (ASE) document or the Degree Audit Report (DAR) that students may request from the registrar's office. In addition to the required 9 units of Segment III General Education, additional upper division units will be required. Please refer to the undergraduate requirements section of this Bulletin. Graduates of diploma programs will be required to take additional units to satisfy the 120-unit minimum for a bachelors degree.

APO for RNs Challenge Procedures

Before the end of each semester, upon completion of the application and evaluation process, the APO coordinator will provide individual evaluation to applicants to design a curricular plan. Challenge exams will be held before each academic semester begins. Check with the School office regarding any fees for the challenge exams. The results will be posted. If the grade is 70% or higher, credit or a letter grade for the course will be recorded on the transcript. The student pays tuition and registers for the course, but does not need to attend class and will receive the grade at the end of the semester. If the score is less than 70%, the student must register for and take the course during that semester.

Please refer to the nursing website at www.nursing.sfsu.edu for further information regarding informational meetings and application procedures. The undergraduate admission application can be downloaded from the CSU mentor website at www.csumentor.edu. Students are not allowed to take nursing course work until formally advised of their admission status into the APO program by the APO Coordinator.

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN NURSING

The Master of Science in Nursing program prepares nurses for advanced practice nurse roles in acute and chronic care, ambulatory care, and community and home health settings. The M.S. in Nursing curriculum meets guidelines for graduate nursing education issued by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), the national accreditation organization. The core program includes courses in nursing theory, advanced practice nursing roles, physiology-pathophysiology, health care policy, and ethics for advanced practice nurses. Additionally, the core program requires students to complete two clinical courses and a culminating experience (thesis or field study). Units taken in addition to the core program are selected with graduate nursing faculty advisement. The program offers a pathway for non-nurse applicants with baccalaureates in other fields to enter graduate studies.

Admission Requirements and Application Process

There are three pathways for entry into the program: Non-nurse with baccalaureate or higher degree (generic master's program, accelerated option); R.N. with a B.S. in Nursing (RN-MSN program, RN-MSN FNP program); and R.N. with baccalaureate in another field (BARN program, see School for further information).

• Applicant must meet general requirements for admission to graduate study at San Francisco State University and must submit a separate application to the Division of Graduate Studies.
• Applicant must have graduated from an accredited institution of higher learning with a baccalaureate or higher degree and a GPA of 3.0 or above in the last 60 units.
• Applicant must complete the MSN School of Nursing application by downloading the most current application forms for a given academic year. The application forms are located at www.nursing.sfsu.edu. It is the responsibility of the applicant to download the most current application and to follow the guidelines outlined in those documents.
• RN-MSN applicant must be a graduate of a National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission and/or CCNE accredited baccalaureate nursing program or its equivalent and must have current licensure in the U.S.A. and be eligible for licensure in California. R.N.s with baccalaureates in other fields are evaluated for equivalency to the B.S. in Nursing. Non-nurse applicants meet the R.N. requirement for graduate study by completing undergraduate prerequisite and nursing foundation courses followed by R.N. licensure by the California Board of Registered Nursing Examination (NCLEX).
• Applicants must provide three references attesting to their qualifications as potential graduate nursing students from a work colleague or supervisor.
• A goal statement is required with the application. Specific instructions are outlined on the application form as to what is to be included within the goal statement.
• Students whose primary language is not English must earn a minimum of 550 on the paper Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or 213 on the computer-based TOEFL.
• Applicants must have completed the prerequisites/requirements listed below.
• Applicants must submit a complete set of official transcripts from previous colleges and universities (one set to the School of Nursing and another set to the Division of Graduate Studies of San Francisco State University).
• Applicants to the family nurse practitioner concentration must have at least one year (2,000 hours) of recent relevant nursing practice experience prior to their application. Refer to the Fact Sheet for Family Nurse Practitioner Program available in the School office.

Specific Generic MSN (accelerated option) Applicants Only

Chemistry with Lab	4
English Composition	3
General Psychology	3
Human Anatomy with Lab	4
Human Physiology with Lab	4
Inferential Statistics	3
Microbiology with Lab	4
Nutrition	3
Oral Communication/Speech	3
Sociology or Cultural Anthropology	3
Total	34

Specific RN-MSN Applicants

Recommended, but not required:
Inferential Statistics
Undergraduate Nursing Research course

NOTE: The GRE is not a requirement of admission.

Application Deadlines

Additional Requirements. All graduate nursing students are required to carry professional liability insurance, personal health insurance, and to meet the health requirements of the university at the beginning of each academic year. It is advisable to have an automobile for ease of transportation to practicum assignments. It is highly recommended to have or to have access to a computer with necessary hardware. An e-mail account is required, which can be provided through SFSU's Information Technology Account Services. All M.S.N. students must be licensed as RNs before enrolling in NURS 802.

Written English Proficiency Requirement

Level One: Students are certified by passing the Graduate Essay Test (GET) prior to entrance into the graduate program. The GET must be completed with a full passing score before enrolling in graduate nursing courses. Students who fail the GET must enroll in SCI 614, CA 514, EDUC 614, CHS 514, BUS 514, or obtain a private tutor to strengthen writing skills and retake the GET. Passing the GET or completion of remedial courses is required prior to enrolling in NURS 794. Level Two: satisfied by demonstration of English competency on the final paper for NURS 794.

Advancement to Candidacy

The student must resolve any admission conditions as soon as possible after beginning the graduate program. The Graduate Approved Program (GAP) should be completed and filed in the Division of Graduate Studies after the student has completed 24 units. The Proposal for Culminating Experience form must be completed and filed before he/she enrolls in the culminating experience course, either NURS 895 or 898.

General Information

Some of the prerequisite courses may be challenged or waived for those students who have extensive professional experience and have participated in mandatory continuing education programs for R.N. licensure. Because oral communication/speech and sociology or cultural anthropology are required to take the Board of Registered Nursing Examination, those courses must be on the student transcript for the Generic M.S.N. applicants. All students are assigned a nursing faculty adviser with whom they will meet each semester to discuss required course work and their progress in the program.

On-line course descriptions are available.

Generic Master of Science in Nursing

Qualified applicants are accepted into the MSN program conditionally. Students convert to classified standing in nursing upon completion of prerequisite courses, foundation courses in nursing, and a passing score on the Graduate Essay Test (GET). A passing score on the GET is required prior to enrollment in NURS 794. Foundation courses must be completed on a full-time basis. It is possible, through full-time study, to complete the seven semesters of study in three years (including two summer sessions). However, students may choose to study graduate-level courses on a part-time basis after completion of the foundation courses or after completing all of their semester five coursework. The terminal degree for the program for the Generic MSN students is the Master of Science in Nursing. Students are eligible for RN licensure after completing foundation nursing courses. All RN-MSN students must be licensed as RNs before enrolling in NURS 802. Students receive an MSN and are eligible for California Public Health Nursing certification upon completion of the program.

RN-Master of Science in Nursing

Qualified applicants are accepted into the MSN program conditionally. Students convert to classified status in nursing upon a passing score on the Graduate Essay Test (GET). A passing score on the GET is required prior to enrollment in NURS 794.

Concentration/Emphases

Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) This emphasis offers the graduate student the opportunity to take additional courses for certification by the California State Board of Registered Nursing (BRN). The CNS is an advanced practice nurse holding a master’s degree with a concentration in a specific area of clinical nursing such as adult and critical or chronic care, women’s health or pediatrics. The role of the CNS is defined by the needs of a select client population and clinical expertise of the nurse. The CNS, as an advanced practice nurse, is expected to have competencies in: expert clinical nursing practice, education, research, consultation, and clinical leadership. With adviser's guidance, the additional courses required for BRN certification include: NURS 730, NURS 731, NURS 711, and NURS 715. Please note that this option may require an additional semester of study.

Nursing Administration Emphasis

This emphasis enables nurse administrators to combine the nursing perspective and principles of business to become effective and successful . The following courses are recommended for this emphasis: MGMT 831, MGMT 832, MGMT 833, MGMT 851, and MGMT 861 and/or units selected with approval of the adviser.

Community Public Health Nursing Emphasis

This clinically-focused emphasis prepares nurses to develop, implement, manage, and evaluate health promotion programs and services for vulnerable populations in urban communities. Courses required in addition to the core include NURS 720, NURS 721, and/or elective units selected with approval of the adviser.

Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration

The family nurse practitioner (FNP) concentration requires 46 units for a total of 540 clinical hours and is designed to prepare FNPs for primary care practice. The following courses are required in addition to the core program.

FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONER CERTIFICATE

The Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Certificate allows masters and doctoral prepared nurses to change roles and attain certification as an FNP. Applicants must have a master's (or higher) degree in nursing to apply to the program. The certificate program requires 30 units of post-graduate work. Completion of the certificate verifies to the California Board of Registered Nursing that the students meet all requirements for licensure as family nurse practitioners. The program also provides documentation to professional organizations that all requirements for national certification examinations were completed. The certificate program includes the courses listed under the concentration in family nurse practitioner and additional courses selected in consultation with an adviser.

Graduates of the certificate program are eligible for positions as family nurse practitioners in primary care settings.

Admission Requirements

• Master’s or doctoral degree in nursing.
• One year or 2,000 hours of recent relevant clinical nursing experience.
• Current RN licensure in the U.S.A. or eligibility for licensure in California.