Nursing - Accelerated Second Degree in Nursing (B.S.) - Hegis Code 1203.00

(Bachelor of Science Degree)

At Utica University, 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 track is designed to provide education for generalist nursing roles. Students in this track must 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 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), and is approved by the New York State Education Department. Graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nursing (NCLEX-RN).

Utica University’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. 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. 

Utica University Incorporated is registered with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, to do business in Florida as a non-profit corporation. Utica University is licensed by the Commission for Independent Education, 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 University President Laura Casamento is the administrator of the Florida campus. Students will be notified of any administrative changes. The transfer of credits received by Utica University from another institution, or transferred from Utica University to another institution, is solely at the discretion of the accepting institution; no guarantee of transfer is made or implied by Utica University.

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.

The program is an online program with hands-on clinical and skills lab instruction. Didactic courses include interactive exercises that can be finished at a student’s convenience. 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 on using the learning management system. For didactic courses, students are assessed through multiple modalities including proctored exams, presentations, and written coursework. Students are assessed and evaluated separately for lab and clinical activities by expert instructors on-site and in the clinical setting.

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.

Program Goals

The program goals for the Nursing program are:

1. Apply contemporary nursing knowledge as well as knowledge from other disciplines, including a foundation in liberal arts and natural and social sciences in the care of diverse patients within a variety of settings.
2. Provide evidence-based person-centered care that is holistic, individualized, just, respectful, compassionate, coordinated, and developmentally appropriate across the lifespan.
3. Engage in population health care activities from prevention to the management of health care needs across diverse populations through partnerships with communities, public health, government entities, and others to promote social justice and close the gap for health inequity for the improvement of population health outcomes.
4. Evaluate and apply nursing knowledge to inform practice, improve patient outcomes, and influence health care.
5. Apply established and emerging principles of quality and safety in the delivery of care as core values of nursing practice, to enhance quality and minimize risk of harm to patients and providers through both system effectiveness and individual performance.
6. Collaborate across professions and with care team members, patients, families, and communities, to optimize care, enhance the healthcare experience, and improve outcomes.
7. Utilizes available resources to coordinate safe, quality, and equitable care across diverse populations within complex systems.
8. Utilize informatics and healthcare technologies to inform care and deliver safe, high-quality, and efficient healthcare services in accordance with best practices and professional and regulatory standards.
9. Cultivate a sustainable professional identity that includes accountability, integrity, perspective, collaborative disposition, respect for others, inclusivity, and ethical comportment that reflect nursing’s characteristics and values.
10. Participate in activities and self-reflection that foster personal health, resilience, and well-being, contribute to lifelong learning, and support the development of nursing expertise and leadership qualities.

ABSN - Special Requirement

The faculty at Utica University 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 University academic rules and regulations. (See undergraduate catalog)

Retention Criteria

1. Students are expected to be aware of prerequisite course requirements. Prerequisites will not be waived. Program courses are listed and scheduled in semester sequence, thus making them prerequisites for successive semesters.
2. 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. Failure to achieve the minimum grade of C+ in the repeated course will result in academic dismissal from the nursing program.
3. Students may withdraw from an individual course once. If a student chooses to withdraw from the same course two times, it will be considered as one course failure in the program.
4. Progression in the nursing program is based on seat availability. Student who withdraws from any nursing course or is unsuccessful in a course jeopardizes his or her progression in the program.
5. To achieve a passing grade, the student must meet the following criteria: a. Exam grade of 77% or higher based on weighted average of unit exams and final exam (321, 326, 371, 421, 471). b. Course grade of 77% or higher when all theory components are added to the exam 16 grade. c. Successfully pass clinical (when applicable) as outlined in the clinical evaluation measurement tool. d. Successfully pass lab (when applicable) as outlined in the lab course. e. Students who do not meet all of the above course requirements will receive a final course grade of C, unless the overall course grade is less than a C, in which case the final course grade will reflect the grade the student has earned.
6. Students must successfully complete all of the nursing courses in a semester before moving on the next semester of courses.
7. Students must adhere to established course sequence in nursing major.
8. Students who are placed on academic probation by the University will be suspended or requested to withdraw from the nursing major.
9. 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 University. Expected behaviors include but are not limited to: 

   a. Attend all labs, exams, and clinical experiences, and arrive on time. In the case of an emergency, the appropriate faculty member must be emailed prior to lab/exam/clinical.

   b. Prepare for class/lab/clinical according to course requirements identified in each course syllabus.

   c. Complete all assignments according to the time frame posted in the course and/or syllabus.

   d. Demonstrate respect and courtesy toward faculty, staff, and fellow students. e. Demonstrate honesty and integrity in all academic and clinical settings.

   f. Contribute to the educational growth of self and fellow students.

                            g. Wear appropriate attire for the course as identified by ABSN Handbook.​
10. It is the responsibility of the student to check Banner and make sure all requirements are met and posted.
11. For graduation requirements, students are encouraged to review the University Catalog and their individual degree evaluations

Rules and Regulations Pertaining to Clinical Experiences

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. Attendance is required at ALL scheduled clinical experiences.

1. All students must provide their own transportation to clinical settings. Parking at clinical facilities is at the student’s expense.
2. All students must meet health requirements for clinical upon admission to the program and maintain there after. All required documentation must be successfully uploaded to the designated health portal (e.g. Castlebranch/ ACEMAPP). Expiration and or lapse of health requirements at any point of the program is not allowed. Students whose health requirements lapse or expire during the program will lead to 23 clinical/course failure.
3. Clinical orientation attendance is mandatory. Failure to attend clinical orientation may result in clinical/ course failure. a. Students who have exemptions from required vaccinations due to religious reasons must present a form DH 681 from the County Health Department (CHD). Florida Certification of Immunization is used for all medical exemptions and requires a physician’s statement and signature. Form DH 681, Religious Exemption From Immunization is required for religious exemptions and is issued by the County Health Department (CHD). b. Students must understand that submitting the documentation to request exemption DOES NOT mean that it will be granted. It is at the sole description of the clinical partner to grant a petition for waiving ANY established requirement.
4. Fingerprinted Level II background checks are required. Students must understand that the results of the background check must be disclosed to the clinical partners. As such, background checks that indicate any criminal activity will be evaluated by the clinical partner directly. Clinical partners may refuse to allow students to participate in clinical studies based upon background check findings. Further, background checks indicating any criminal activity may result in program dismissal.
5. Students understand that an inability to meet all of the clinical partner requirements to be cleared for clinical use may result in an inability to continue in the program.
6. Clinical assignment may occur anywhere within a 60-mile radius of students’ assigned campus.
7. Cell phone use is prohibited at clinical sites unless directed otherwise by the clinical instructor. Cell phone use in instances other than authorized by the clinical instructor will be considered unprofessional and warrant further action such as the writing up of a clinical corrective action plan and/or a behavioral contract.
8. Clinical experiences are graded on a pass/fail (P/F) basis. Outcome criteria for clinical evaluation are clearly stated within the course and clinical evaluation tool.
9.  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: a. Coming to clinical practice under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs. b. Emotional or physical jeopardy. This includes 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. c. Student actions incongruent with Utica University Nursing Department policies, actions incongruent with clinical partner organizations, actions inconsistent with course objectives, and actions inconsistent with the principles of patient safety, professional behavior, and ethics. d. Actions and behaviors that demonstrate persistent disregard for client, colleague, religious, ethnic, and cultural practices.
10. 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:

a. Error in medication administration.

b. Administration of a medication without having knowledge of the drug.

c. Inaccurate recording or failure to record medication administration.

d. Error in administration of intravenous fluids.

e. Failure to report changes in patient’s condition.

f. Failure to seek supervision when necessary.

                         g. Failure to report and document nursing care.

                         h. Compromising patient care by inadequate preparation for clinical experience.

                         i. Breach of confidentiality.

                         j. Neglecting personal safety.

                         k. Creating or causing personal safety hazards.

                         l. Sleeping in the clinical area.

                         m. Disregard for clinical faculty instructions.

Upon the incidence of an unsafe act by a student, the clinical instructor will:

1. Inform the student immediately of the unsafe act.
2. Provide the student with written documentation concerning the unsafe act.
3. Review the incident and counsel the student, recommending remediation as needed.
4. Place copy of incident report in student’s academic file.
5. Place an Academic Alert regarding the incident.
6. Follow the policy for reporting an incident as required by the clinical agency or institution.

Policies Specific to Nursing

Nursing has additional policies that are unique to their program. Please visit the following link for the Nursing Program Handbooks: https://www.utica.edu/directory/nursing-department