The Department of Nursing prepares individuals for the roles and responsibilities of professional nursing through an undergraduate program leading to the Bachelor of Science degree. This program is for the student who has obtained licensure as a registered nurse who has graduated from an Associate Degree or Diploma accredited program and is pursuing a baccalaureate degree.
In this program, you will learn to:
The nursing department has department-specific policies which are found in the Department of Nursing Undergraduate and Graduate Student Policy Handbooks. These policies include, but are not limited to, the following: progression and retention, classroom and clinical behavior, academic honesty, professional behavior, and CORI/drug screening/health requirements. The department reserves the right to modify policies and the curriculum during students’ enrollment. Sufficient notice of any change will be provided to students.
Progression in the program requires successful grade of C or above and completion of all pre and corequisite courses. A grade of 80 or above is required in all nursing (NU) courses and all clinical placement require a grade of “passing” (P).
The mission of the Dr. Lillian R. Goodman Department of Nursing is in keeping with the Worcester State University mission with the emphasis on developing the professional nurse who values lifelong intellectual growth and global awareness. The Department of Nursing fosters the professional growth of faculty and students through excellence in teaching and learning, rooted in scholarship and community service related to the discipline of nursing.
In compliance with policy of the Massachusetts State Board of Nursing, all applicants/students are informed that completion of the BS degree does not guarantee admittance to the registered nurse licensure examination. According to Board Licensure Policy 00-01, any individual convicted of a felony or misdemeanor conviction and/or who has been disciplined by a licensure/certification body must be evaluated by the Board to determine a licensure applicant’s compliance with the “good moral character” licensure requirement established at Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 112, section 74 and 74A. Any individual who has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor conviction, and/or who has been disciplined by a licensure/certification body, or whose ability to practice professional nursing is adversely affected by a physical or mental disability/illness that may endanger the health and/or safety of a person should seek special advising prior to enrolling in any professional nursing program in Massachusetts. Individuals convicted of certain criminal convictions are permanently excluded from nurse licensure in Massachusetts.
All students in the nursing program will be required to have periodic Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) checks requested by the department and/or clinical agencies. This background check is a computerized search to determine if an individual has any convictions, outstanding warrants or pending complaints. The information from these records is confidential and is destroyed when students graduate. Progression and mandatory clinical placements in the nursing program are contingent on a “no report” CORI check result. Clinical agencies may independently perform CORI checks on students and are not required to accept a student with a CORI report indicating that an offense exists. The department is not responsible for alternate clinical placements for students who cannot be placed in an agency related to a CORI offense report. Students have an obligation to inform the department chair if any legal issues arise while in the program that are reportable on a CORI. Read more.
All newly admitted students will be required to participate in an online documentation tracking system and provide the documentation listed below. Students are required to maintain compliance (updated documentation) for the entirety of the program. Information for accessing the online documentation tracking system will be provided by the clinical resource coordinator. Requirements that must be electronically submitted include:
B. Students who have been vaccinated with BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin) and are accustomed to obtaining chest x-rays are required to have a baseline TB screening. BCG is no longer considered to be a protective measure against TB or a contradiction to TB screening. Should the result be positive, a chest x-ray and a doctor’s note is required to rule out active disease
10. Tdap (Tetanus/Diphtheria/Pertussis) vaccine, if it has been 5 years or more since the last dose of Td
11. Flu Vaccine for current flu season or signed declaration (medical exclusion only)
Please note that Clinical facilities may stipulate additional requirements for which documentation must be provided. Also, many of these requirements need to be updated annually or biannually. It is students’ responsibility to submit updated records.
