Nursing Department

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The Bachelor of Science degree program with a major in Nursing is designed to provide pathways for nursing students to further their nursing education and career. This upper-division nursing program is designed to prepare students as baccalaureate generalists in nursing practice within the context of a liberal arts education. Using a caring science curriculum, this unique program focuses on educating students to work with individuals, families, groups and communities from a health promotion perspective and an ethic of caring. This program also recognizes the knowledge and education that students bring from past experiences and provides an opportunity to integrate these professional experiences into their academic program. The program supports lifelong learning to promote excellence in academic and professional practice for both baccalaureate nursing students and faculty.

Accreditation Statement

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing at Siena College is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org)

Tracks

Siena’s Nursing Department offers two tracks towards a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Nursing:

RN to BS Nursing Program (RN-BS)
The RN to BS Nursing program (established 2016), students will earn a Bachelor of Science degree within two years of full-time study or three years of part-time study. Sixty-one semester hours of credit beyond the associate degree are required. (The program length will vary for individuals as the conditions of transfer credits accepted and courses taken at the upper-division level create definite causes for variation.) This program is for licensed registered nurses with associate degrees in nursing who are seeking to further their education for professional nursing practice.

Dual Degree Nursing Program (DDNP)
The Dual Degree Nursing Programs established 2017 with Belanger School of Nursing, and 2019 with Maria College, are unique educational collaborations with local associate degree nursing programs. Students enter into nursing as freshmen and complete both an associates and bachelor’s degree over the four-year college experience.

Both tracks of the bachelor’s of science degree in nursing have been approved by the New York State Office of the Professions. The baccalaureate degree program in nursing at Siena College is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Our partner schools are accredited by Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). The nursing program at Siena is also a member of American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).

Baccalaureate Nursing Program Learning Outcomes

At the end of this program the Siena College Nursing graduate will:

Synthesize theoretical and empirical knowledge from liberal arts, nursing, scientific and humanistic disciplines to apply to professional nursing practice.
Provide human patient-centered caring for individuals, families, groups and communities in culturally diverse health-care settings across the lifespan.
Emerge as a leader in the evolving healthcare environment who influence healthcare policy and social justice efforts.
Effectively utilize informatics and technology to communicate with interdisciplinary teams and support strong clinical decision-making.
Partner with culturally diverse individuals, families and communities to deliver health promotion and disease prevention instruction.
Engage in effective communication with clients, communities, health care providers and inter-professional teams with mutual respect to improve health outcomes.
Critically evaluate and integrate evidence-based nursing practice (EBNP) in the delivery of optimal patient care.
Improve the quality and safety of healthcare systems through the knowledge and application of evidence-based nursing practice.
Demonstrate civic responsibility by engaging in professional and community service activities.
Explore and incorporate the moral, legal and ethical dimensions of nursing into the nursing profession based upon the NYS Nurse Practice Act and American Nurses’ Association Standards of Care and Code of Ethics.

Admissions Process and Criteria for Admission:

RN to BS Nursing Program Admission Criteria
Siena College will admit registered nurses who graduated from an Associate Degree nursing program who wish to pursue a baccalaureate degree. The RN student must meet all the general Siena College Transfer Admission requirements for admittance into the Baldwin Nursing Program. The requirements for admission of a transfer nursing student also include:

Official transcript(s) from an approved nursing program as well as official transcripts from all other colleges or universities attended.
Letter of recommendation from nursing faculty member or a nurse leader.
A cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher and a minimum of a “C” in all Nursing courses (this will award the student 29 credits in nursing from their lower-division associate degree nursing coursework).
A cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher and a minimum of a “C” in all other non-nursing courses will be accepted for prerequisite and elective transfer credits.
Candidates who have earned their Associate’s Degree in Nursing must present their current registration of the professional nursing license in order for their application to be considered complete. The license and registration must be maintained throughout the program. Candidates who anticipate earning their Associate Degree in Nursing in the term prior to matriculation at Siena College must present current registration of their professional nursing license prior to matriculation at Siena College.(Offers of admission for this group of students will be conditional pending documentation of current registration prior to matriculation. Siena College reserves the right to permit initial registration pending receipt of current registration of the professional nursing license, however students who fail to present current documentation by census day (the third week of the semester) will be unable to register for subsequent terms and unable to participate in clinical work during any term of enrollment at Siena College. The license and registration must be maintained throughout the program. All admission offers are conditional until the Registrar receives the official final transcript(s) and the current registration of the professional nursing license.)

Dual Degree Nursing Program Admission Criteria

A completed application including official high school transcript and counselor recommendation.
Highschool GPA of 86 or above.
Test scores are optional. However, to be accepted test optional you’ll need 19 academic units during high school, including four years of math (including pre-calculus) and four years of science (including chemistry and biology).
Essay (500 words) - Discuss activities, interests and/or volunteer experiences you have had in school or community organizations that will enhance your experience as a nurse.

*Note: Admission into the Nursing Program does not guarantee completion of the program.

Dual Degree Nursing Program Progression Criteria

In both DDNP nursing programs, there are standards and progression requirements to meet to continue in the programs.

Year One:

Students will be admitted to the Belanger School of Nursing (BSON) or Maria College (MC) Dual Degree Nursing program. Once admitted students cannot change between the two partner schools.
During the first year, students will take Siena College’s core coursework along with nursing prerequisites.
1. Nursing prerequisites:
  - SCDV 108 and 112 (A & P I and II)
  - ATDV 110 (Statistics for Social Science)
  - PSYC 100 (General Psychology)
  - PSYC 230 (Developmental Psychology)
2. Siena College’s core coursework:
  - Core Discipline English (CDE) is required during the first year.
  - Other core may include: CDP, CDH, CDA, CDR, CFH
Per Siena College policy, the minimum of a “D” is required for the College core coursework. However, nursing students must maintain a CGPA of 2.75 and have earned a grade of “C” or better for all of the nursing prerequisites by the end of the spring term to continue in the program. Students must earn a C or better in SCDV 108 to progress into SCVD 112.

Years Two and Three:

For academic progression to the sophomore year:
1. BSON DDNP: To be academically qualified to progress to BSON for year two of the curriculum, the student must have earned a grade of “C” or better for all of the nursing prerequisites and have achieved a minimum CGPA of 2.75 or higher by the end of the spring term. Representatives from both Belanger School of Nursing and the Baldwin Nursing Program will meet to approve all students entering the second year of the program.
2. MC DDNP: To be academically qualified to progress to MC for year two of the curriculum, the student must have earned a grade of “C” or better for all of the nursing prerequisites and have achieved a minimum CGPA of 2.75 or higher by the end of the spring term. Representatives from both Maria College and the Baldwin Nursing Program will meet to approve all students entering the second year of the program.
During year two, students take BIOL 195 (Microbiology for Health Studies)
During year two or three (depending upon partner school track), students complete a sociology class at Siena College.
Students will also take three upper-division nursing courses (NURS 300, NURS 305 and NURS 310).
For successful completion of the Associate Degree:

At BSON, students are required to earn a minimum of a “C” in all nursing courses, plus English (CDE), and obtain an overall CGPA of 2.0 or higher to graduate with an associate’s degree in Nursing. Upon graduation from the Belanger School of Nursing, students are eligible for the NCLEX RN exam.
At MC, students are required to earn a minimum of a “C+” in all nursing courses and obtain an overall CGPA of 2.5 or higher to graduate with an associate’s degree in Nursing. Upon graduation from Maria College, students are eligible for the NCLEX RN exam.

Year Four:

To progress to year four at Siena College, students will have earned an Associate Degree in nursing from Belanger School of Nursing OR Maria College and have successfully passed the NCLEX-RN® licensing exam to move into the fall semester in year four. If a student is unsuccessful in passing the NCLEX-RN® in the summer, they can appeal to the Academic Standards Committee for a waiver to continue in the fall nursing classes. In order to be considered for a waiver, a student must show evidence of having worked with their partner school mentor and completed NCLEX-RN® preparation. Successful completion of the second attempt will need to be attained by November 1st to continue in the nursing sequence. If unsuccessful by November 1st, the student cannot progress into the spring term nursing courses. Once successful at the NCLEX-RN®, they can reenter the program and take their final nursing courses.
To graduate from Siena College with a bachelor’s degree in nursing, students are required to have a minimum of “C” in all Siena nursing courses and a CGPA of 2.0 or higher

Criteria for Retention in the Nursing Program:

In order to remain in the Nursing Program, students in both tracks must meet the following academic, behavioral, and ethical expectations:

Academic Expectations:
- Nursing majors must attain a 2.75 cumulative GPA or better by the end of the spring term of the freshmen year to advance to the sophomore year.
- Nursing majors must attain a “C” (Siena, MC and BSON) or higher in all prerequisite nursing courses.
- Nursing majors must attain a “C” (Siena, BSON) OR “C+” (MC) or higher in all nursing courses to continue in the progression of the nursing sequence.
- GPA Requirement:
  1. BSON DDNP: Students must maintain a minimum cGPA of a 2.0.
  2. MC DDNP: Students must maintain a minimum cGPA of 2.5.
- If a student is unsuccessful in a nursing course, they may appeal to the Academic Standards Committee (Siena and/or partner school) to have the opportunity to repeat a nursing course to meet this requirement. Only one course in the nursing sequence (inclusive of our partner schools) may be repeated. Until the time of successful nursing course completion, students will not be able continue in the nursing sequence or take other nursing courses other than NURS 408 and SCDV 220 (which do not have prerequisites.) Students who fail to successfully complete the repeated nursing course will be removed from the program prior to the start of the next term and be notified in writing of any such changes. The appeal process for non-attainment of these expectations is per the Baldwin Nursing Program Appeal for Continuation Policy and the college policies are further outlined in the Siena College Student Life Handbook.
Transfers: Students can NOT transfer between partner schools.
Writing Proficiency: Demonstrated through APA styled written assignments in nursing courses.
Behavioral Expectations: As outlined in the Nursing Student Professional Conduct Statement and the Baldwin Nursing Program Handbook.
Ethical Expectations: As outlined in the Baldwin Nursing Program Handbook and the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses.

Programs

Bachelor of Science

Courses

Baldwin Nursing Program

Belanger School of Nursing

Maria College Nursing