Utica College Incorporated is registered with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, to do business in Florida as a non-profit corporation. Utica College is licensed by the Commission for Independent Education (CIE), Florida Department of Education, effective March 2013. Additional information regarding this institution may be obtained by contacting the Commission at 325 West Gaines Street, Suite 1414, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400, (888) 224-6684. Utica College President Todd S. Hutton is the administrator of the Florida campus. Students will be notified of any administrative changes.
The following are licensed by the CIE in the State of Florida:
- The Accelerated Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (B.S.) program
- The Residency component of Cybersecurity (M.S.)
Utica College’s Florida campus is headquartered at 9400 4th Street North, St. Petersburg, FL 33702, (866) 890-9340. The St. Petersburg facility is designed as a training facility for nursing students. The St. Petersburg facility houses all teaching and learning facilities serving 200-300 students and a full time staff of six to eight. This facility is 8000 sq. ft., housing one large classroom, one computer laboratory, and one large clinical laboratory, several smaller training rooms, general meeting areas, administrative offices, and abundant storage. The clinical laboratory is modeled after the main-campus nursing laboratory.
The transfer of credits received by Utica College from another institution, or transferred from Utica College to another institution, is solely at the discretion of the accepting institution; no guarantee of transfer is made or implied by Utica College.
Florida students dissatisfied with the outcome of their grievances may appeal to the Commission for Independent Education at 325 West Gaines Street, Suite 1414, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400, (888) 224-6684.
(Bachelor of Science Degree)
At Utica College, the nursing program is designed to provide students with a liberal education as well as a professional foundation that integrates nursing theory with skills required for nursing practice. The program leads to a bachelor’s of science (B.S.) in nursing. This accelerated second-degree track is designed to admit non-nurse baccalaureate graduates and provide education for generalist nursing roles. Students in this track must have a bachelor’s degree (non-nursing) from a regionally accredited university, and have completed all prerequisite courses prior to admission. Students will take the nursing courses outlined below in a hybrid delivery model. It is accelerated because the four semesters run consecutively concurrently with only small breaks between semesters.
Professional nurses are liberally educated practitioners who function as primary providers of health care services to individuals, families, groups, and communities. Nurses work collaboratively with physicians, social workers, therapists, and other health professionals. Graduates of the program have opportunities in a variety of settings including acute care, community agencies, home care, and schools. All students enrolled in clinical courses must hold current certification in CPR, Basic Life Support, have health and liability insurance, and meet the health requirements of the respective agencies. Transportation is the responsibility of the student. Details about these requirements are available from the program office.
The nursing program is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nursing (NCLEX-RN).
The program delivery is a hybrid format of online didactic delivery and hands-on clinical and skills lab instruction. Didactic courses include interactive exercises that can be finished at a location and time convenient to students with an Internet connection, and repeated as often as necessary. The Canvas learning management system allows for primarily asynchronous delivery of the curriculum, with additional features to allow for synchronous communication between staff, faculty, and students. A new student orientation is delivered at the start of the first semester and includes a training session to the learning management system. For didactic courses, students are assessed through proctored exams and written coursework. Students are assessed and evaluated separately for skills lab and clinical activities by expert instructors on-site.
Students are provided additional learning resources such as access to the Utica online library, and links to scholarly articles and video demonstration.
Hardware and software requirements are loaded into the introduction pages of every course, but can also be found through Canvas Guides online at the following website (http://guides.instructure.com/m/4214/l/41056-which-browsers-does-canvas-support). Technical support to both faculty and students is provided through 24/7 support services via phone, email, or online ticket submissions.”
Utica College offers confidential, goal-oriented counseling services, and has established the Utica College’s Academic Support Services Center where staff are prepared to help students address a variety of academic and personal concerns. The Support Services Center is a resource to help students achieve their goals. Students have access to a free online tutoring service called SMARTHINKING. This service provides tutoring in a variety of subjects, some of which are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Students are invited to contact the Center for questions about their academic program or if they need assistance with a personal concern. The Academic Support Services Center is able to provide you information and can offer certain counseling services or provide referrals to appropriate external agencies. They also have access to the Office of Learning Services where they can receive accommodations for a learning disability. Information about the Academic Support Services Center is located in Utica College’s academic catalog. Staff on-site at the Utica College St. Petersburg location will be able to address students’ questions or concerns. Students can also contact the Academic Support Services Center by phone or e-mail. Utica employs a full-time Dean of Student Success and Director of Student Development.
All ABSN students received a monthly newsletter which includes the following:
- A message from the Success Coaches
- Important dates and deadlines
- Site visit dates
- A message from Student Financial Services
- Kaplan webinars
- A research-based article
- BayCare Services (new for August 2015)
- Additional resources of interest found throughout the semester
Because Utica’s ABSN program in Florida only takes 16 months to complete, students need to meet certain criteria and have completed specific prerequisites to be eligible for the program.
Admissions Requirements
- Student has earned a minimum overall GPA of 2.8 on a 4.0 scale.
- Student has completed at least 60 credit hours in liberal arts courses, including the pre-requisites listed below.
- Student has completed 10 prerequisite courses with at least grade of “C” or higher, as long as overall GPA still meets requirements.
- Student has earned a minimum 2.8 GPA in natural science prerequisites (see below for details)
ABSN Prerequisites
Students seeking admittance to the Utica College Accelerated BSN program in Florida must complete the following prerequisites (34 credit hours).
Natural Science Prerequisites (Science prerequisites must be completed within 10 years of starting the program):
- BIO 101 - Anatomy & Physiology I with lab (0,4)
- BIO 102 - Anatomy & Physiology II with lab (0,4)
- BIO 203 - Microbiology with lab (0,4)
- CHE 211 - General Chemistry I with lab (0,4)
General Prerequisites:
- BIO 205 - Human Nutrition (3)
- PSY 101 - Introduction to Psychology (3)
- SOC 151 - Introduction to Sociology (3)
-
HLS 245 - Human Development Across the Life Span (3)
or
-
PSY 223 - Life Span Developmental Psychology (3)
or
or
- PSY 211 - Statistics in the Behavioral Sciences (3)
or
- SOC 211 - Statistics in the Behavioral Sciences (3)
Learning Objectives
- Assimilate theories and concepts from liberal education into generalist nursing practice.
- Practice leadership concepts to deliver of high quality health care
- Incorporate professional standards of moral, ethical, and legal conduct into practice.
- Provide safe, competent entry -level care across the life span.
ABSN - Special Requirement
The faculty at Utica College strive to provide a successful educational experience for every student. Each student is required to meet the following criteria in order to remain in the Nursing Program:
The student must:
- Achieve and maintain a minimum 2.8 cumulative G.P.A. throughout the entire nursing program.
- Demonstrate the professional and ethical behaviors required for successful performance of professional nursing practice as noted by faculty and clinical instructors.
- Adhere to established course sequence in nursing major.
- Adhere to Utica College academic rules and regulations. (See undergraduate catalog)
- Students are expected to be aware of prerequisite course requirements. Prerequisites will not be waived.
- A minimum grade of C+ (77%) will be required for all nursing courses. A student who achieves a grade of less than a C+ in a nursing course has one opportunity to repeat the course. A maximum of one nursing course may be repeated. Progression in the nursing program is based on seat availability in the course. Failure to achieve the minimum grade of C+ in the repeated course will result in academic dismissal from the nursing program. A student who withdraws from any nursing course jeopardizes their progression in the program.
- Students who are placed on academic probation by the College will be suspended or requested to withdraw from the nursing major.
- Students are expected to maintain standards of professional behavior within academic and clinical settings. The student who fails to meet these standards may be subject to dismissal from the ABSN program and the College. Expected behaviors include but are not limited to:
- Attend all labs, exams and clinical experiences and arrive on time. In the case of illness or an emergency, the appropriate faculty member must be telephoned prior to lab/exam/clinical.
- Prepare for class/lab/clinical according to course requirements identified in each course syllabus.
- Complete all assignments according to the time frame posted in the syllabus.
- Demonstrate respect and courtesy toward faculty, staff, and fellow students.
- Demonstrate honesty and integrity in all academic and clinical settings.
- Contribute to the educational growth of self and fellow students.
Clinical experiences are designed to provide support and integration of the academic coursework. A nursing faculty member will provide direct, on-site supervision for clinical experiences except for selected clinical courses.
- All students must provide their own transportation to clinical settings. Parking at clinical facilities is at the student’s expense.
- All students must meet orientation and health requirements for each clinical prior to clinical start date.
- NO cell phones allowed in the clinical setting.
- Excused student absences from clinical will be evaluated by the course instructor relative to meeting course objectives. Recommended remediation will be determined conjointly by faculty and the student. Initiation of remediation is the student’s responsibility.
- Clinical experiences are graded on a pass/fail (P/F) basis. Outcome criteria for clinical evaluation are clearly stated in the course syllabus and clinical evaluation tool.
- A student who is found to endanger the health/welfare of a client will be considered to have engaged in misconduct. The following constitute cause for immediate dismissal from the clinical setting and failure of the clinical course, as well as dismissal from the nursing program:
- Coming to clinical under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs.
- Emotional or physical jeopardy-Any action by the student toward a patient, family/significant other of patient, or staff member(s) such as, but not limited to the following: threat to emotional and/or physical well-being; willfully harassing; physically, verbally or emotionally abusing; use of intimidation.
- Students who commit acts judged by the clinical instructor to be unsafe may be dismissed from the clinical setting and/or course. Examples of unsafe acts include, but are not limited to:
- Error in medication administration.
- Administration of a medication without having knowledge of the drug.
- Inaccurate recording or failure to record, medication administration.
- Error in administration of intravenous fluids.
- Failure to report changes in patient’s condition.
- Failure to seek supervision when necessary.
- Failure to report and document nursing care.
- Compromising patient care by inadequate preparation for clinical experience.
- Breach of confidentiality.
- Neglecting personal safety.
- Creating or causing personal safety hazards.
- Sleeping in the clinical area.
Upon the incidence of an unsafe act by a student, the clinical instructor will:
- Inform the student immediately of the unsafe act.
- Provide the student with written documentation concerning the unsafe act.
- Review the incident and counsel the student, recommending remediation as needed.
- Place copy of incident report in student’s academic file.
- Follow the policy for reporting an incident as required by the clinical agency or institution.
Total hours required for degree: 127
Transfer Credits: 31 - 65 Credit Hours
The transfer of credits received by Utica College from another institution, or transferred from Utica College to another institution, is solely at the discretion of the accepting institution; no guarantee of transfer is made or implied by Utica College.
Major Course Requirements
(Pre-Licensure Baccalaureate)
- HLS 445 - Clinical Research (3)
- NUR 311 - Socialization to Professional Nursing (3)
- NUR 312 - Leadership and Informatics in Professional Nursing (3)
- NUR 321 - Foundations for Nursing Care (4)
- NUR 326 - Health Assessment (3)
- NUR 332 - Pathophysiology (3)
- NUR 333 - Pharmacology (3)
- NUR 346 - Care of Populations and Communities (3)
- NUR 365 - Care of the Obstetric Population (3)
- NUR 366 - Care of the Aging Population (3)
- NUR 371 - Medical/Surgical Nursing Care I (5)
- NUR 411 - Health Policy Management in Professional Nursing (2)
- NUR 412 - Trends in Professional Nursing (5)
- NUR 421 - Medical/ Surgical Nursing Care II (4)
- NUR 423 - Senior Nursing Care Seminar Lab I (1)
- NUR 444 - Care of Populations with Psychiatric Concerns (3)
- NUR 446 - Care of the Pediatric Population (3)
- NUR 465 - End-of-Life and Palliative Care Practice (2)
- NUR 471 - Advanced Medical/ Surgical Nursing (5)
- NUR 473 - Senior Nursing Care Seminar Lab II (1)
62 Credit Hours
Total Cost of the ABSN program (4 semesters) is $51,582.
ABSN Students |
Tuition and Fees |
Tuition - per semester |
$12,168.75 |
Program Fee - per semester |
$300.00* |
Book Charge - first semester only |
$1,707.0 |
*Fees include:
- Uniforms (1 sets of scrubs)
- Original Photo ID Badge
- Kaplan Testing
- General College Fees (technology fee, graduation fee, student activity fee, malpractice fees, lab fees. See Tuition and Expenses section of the undergraduate catalog for a breakdown of fees.)
What costs are NOT COVERED?
*Health Insurance (required to carry)
Shoes
Living and Personal Expenses
*Health insurance is required to carry. Utica College will charge your account to ensure the requirement. If you carry your own health insurance, this charge can be waived at www.cdphp.com/uticacollege
If you’ve never taken an online course before, this information will tell you what to expect in your course, help you get started, and provide answers to the most frequent questions that people have. If you have taken online courses before, this may provide helpful reference material.
Utica College’s ABSN students use Canvas as their Learning Management System (LMS.) This is a self-contained learning environment with all the tools to access course information, communicate with your instructor and other students, and complete and submit assignments.
Remember, if you ever have difficulty with your online course; please call:
Canvas Assistance Hotline (available 24/7): 1-855-495-9954 (Toll Free)
What to Expect in your Online Course
For some of you, this will be your first online learning experience. Others may be e-learning experts. We believe we’ve designed a unique learning opportunity, which makes the most of the convenience and the potential richness of online learning.
Budget Your Time
You should expect to spend approximately 8 - 12 hours per week on a course. That time may vary from week to week and student to student, but if you find you’re spending much more, or much less time, we suggest you check in with your instructor. We think you’ll have the best experience if you visit the course website several times during the week and log in every day to stay current with the material and participate actively in discussions. Your instructor will be actively involved in facilitating discussions and in leading the class through the course materials.
Interacting with Others
You will be expected to interact regularly with your instructor and fellow students through the online discussions. Your discussions will be enriched by studying all the course materials. You will also have the opportunity to communicate via the email system built into Angel Learning and possibly through live chat sessions.
The Role of the Instructor
Online courses involve much more than reading texts and writing papers. In particular, instructors can:
- tailor each session of a course to the particular needs, priorities and experience of the students.
- enrich the basic course material from their own expertise and experience.
- help students make the most effective use of their time.
Online Learning is Active Learning
For online learning in particular, you the student must drive your own learning experience. Your instructor functions as your primary resource and facilitator in this active, learner-controlled process. Your instructor also coordinates, synthesizes, summarizes, and comments on the work of the class as a whole.
Communicating with Your Instructor
You can always reach your instructor by course mail and you should receive a reply within 24 hours weekdays or on Monday for messages sent over the weekend. Many instructors have virtual office hours where they will be available for online chat sessions. You can access chat, email, and other communication tools from the course tools menu.
Organization of Course Materials
Inside your course, you will notice a series of tabs at the top in a horizontal layout. These tabs will help you navigate through your course. The Lessons tab serves as an organizer for all the content within a course. There is also a Student Resources tab where you will find pertinent resources to assist you with your online education.
The tabs will be your roadmap throughout the course. Be sure to explore the course tabs so you are familiar with their purpose.
When you first log in to the course, the content for the current week (and all previous weeks) will be active. You should begin each week by clicking on the lessons tab. You will see the organization of content by modules or by weeks depending on how your instructor has organized the material.
Discussion Boards
The Discussion Board is a special kind of online mail or bulletin board where messages can be read and/or replied to by everyone in the discussion group (usually your whole class); this is often referred to as a “threaded discussion.” Messages on the board are saved automatically.
The discussions form an integral part of the learning experience. In particular, by participating in the discussions you will:
- get your questions answered.
- see what other students think.
- learn about how the course material relates to a variety of people’s experiences.
- practice phrasing your questions, concerns, and explanations clearly.
- practice communicating with colleagues via computer tools.
- receive feedback and summary information from your instructor.
- have a record of every message that was posted available to refer back to.
Email
Course mail allows you to send, receive, reply to, and forward mail messages to others in the course. Please remember that this email only functions within the course, so you can only send email to your instructor or your classmates. You can also store drafts of mail messages, search your mail messages, and add mail folders.
Chat
Some of our courses include a Chat feature. Chat allows students and instructors to have real-time conversations with others in the course. Chat is also the tool your instructor may use to hold online office hours.
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