Academic Catalog 2016–2017

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Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Program Objectives

The purpose of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is to

  1. offer a curriculum that has depth in the biomedical and nursing sciences and a broad base in liberal arts and sciences,
  2. provide interprofessional learning experiences in the classroom, clinical laboratory, and health care settings,
  3. foster in students an appreciation for the values that are the foundation of professional nursing practice,
  4. use innovative pedagogical approaches that enable students to integrate knowledge, skilled know-how and ethical comportment to plan, provide and evaluate patient care,
  5. prepare students to practice in a rapidly changing and complex health care environment, and
  6. promote the skills of scholarly inquiry and research to lay the foundation for life-long learning and graduate education in nursing.

Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program will be able to

  1. combine knowledge from liberal arts and sciences with knowledge of nursing and biomedical sciences to care for individuals, families, communities and populations,
  2. provide holistic, evidence-based nursing care to promote the health and well-being of individuals, families, communities and populations,
  3. base practice on the fundamental nursing values of accountability, advocacy, altruism, autonomy, human dignity, integrity and social justice,
  4. provide care that is respectful and sensitive to diversity in patients’ cultural traditions, religion, age, gender and socioeconomic circumstances,
  5. use biomedical and information technologies to deliver high quality care, support clinical decision making, communicate and mitigate error,
  6. show leadership through involvement in patient safety and quality improvement initiatives,
  7. partner with patients and members of the interprofessional team to achieve optimal outcomes of care,
  8. practice nursing with an awareness of the influence that economics, policy, regulation and changes in the environment have on the delivery of care and the nursing profession, and
  9. assume responsibility for life-long learning and professional development.

Admission Requirements

Students seeking admission to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program should contact the Admissions Office to complete the application process. Students admitted to LAU after completion of their secondary education are eligible to enroll in the nursing program. LAU freshman students who have completed the freshman requirements and students in other majors may seek admission to the nursing program by petitioning for a transfer of major.

Graduation Requirements

To qualify for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) degree, a student must earn 103 credits. Undergraduates must take 52 credits in residence. Transfer students must take 30 credits in residence. A student must

  • successfully complete all requirements including LAC, professional courses and prerequisite courses,
  • earn a grade point average of at least 2.0 in all professional courses,
  • earn a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0,
  • earn a pass grade (P) in the cooperative education experiences, and
  • complete the required courses within seven years from the time of first enrollment in NUR201.

Recommended Three-Year Plan

Year One

Fall (13 cr)

  • PED2xx Physical Education (1 cr)1
  • BIO200 Basic Biology (3 cr)1
  • CHM200 Essentials of Chemistry (3 cr)1
  • NUT201 Fundamentals of Human Nutrition (3 cr)1
  • PSY201 Introduction to Psychology (3 cr)1

Spring (17 cr)

  • ENG202 Advanced Academic English (3 cr)
  • NUT222 Microbiology, A Human Perspective (3 cr)
  • PSY234 Development across the Lifespan (3 cr)
  • BIO260 Human Anatomy and Physiology (3cr)
    / BIO261 / Lab (1 cr)
  • NUR201 Fundamentals of Nursing and Health Assessment (4 cr)

Summer (6 cr)

  • ENG203 Fundamentals of Oral Communication (3 cr)
  • NUR210 Professional Nursing Concepts I (3 cr)
  • NUR230 Nursing Cooperative Experience I (0 cr)

Year Two

Fall (17 cr)

  • NUR310 Pathophysiology for Nursing Practice (4 cr)
  • NUR312 Pharmacology for Nursing Practice (3 cr)
  • NUR320 Health and Illness Concepts I (4 cr)
  • NUR340 Core Nursing Practicum I (3 cr)
  • LAC Arabic Language or Literature (3 cr)1

Spring (16 cr)

  • STA205 Biostatistics (3 cr)
  • NUR321 Health and Illness Concepts II (4 cr)
  • NUR341 Core Nursing Practicum II (3 cr)
  • NUR342 Core Nursing Practicum III (3 cr)
  • LAC Humanities (3 cr) 1

Summer (3 cr)

  • NUR315 Health Care Research and Evidence-based Practice (3 cr)
  • NUR330 Nursing Cooperative Experience II (0 cr)

Year Three

Fall (16 cr)

  • NUR410 Professional Nursing Concepts II (3 cr)
  • NUR420 Health and Illness Concepts III (4 cr)
  • NUR441 Mental Health Clinical Intensive (3 cr)
  • NUR443 Promotion of Healthy Lifestyles Clinical Intensive (3 cr)
  • LAC Arts (3 cr)1

Spring (15 cr)

  • NUR411 Professional Nursing Concepts III (3 cr)
  • NUR444 High Acuity Clinical Intensive (3 cr)
  • NUR475 Nursing Synthesis (2 cr)
  • NUR480 Clinical Capstone (4 cr)
  • LAC Literature (3 cr) 1

1LAC: Students select from a list of options in each of the following areas: Arabic Language and Literature; Arts; Literature; Humanities; and Physical Education.

Extracurricular Activities

The Nursing Club at the Alice Ramez Chagoury School of Nursing was founded in 2012. It organizes activities on campus to raise awareness about health related topics, and participates in off-campus events to promote the nursing profession within the community. It also organizes lectures and presentations on topics of interest to its members.

Career Opportunities

With the shortage of professional registered nurses (RN) in Lebanon and worldwide, graduates of LAU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) program may take the National Examination offered by the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education (Colloquium) to be licensed as an RN. They can also apply to take RN licensure examinations in other countries.

Graduates with a B.S.N. can seek employment as registered nurses in any clinical setting; many nurses who earn a B.S.N. move into management and leadership positions in health care.

Graduates can attend graduate school to earn master’s and doctorate degrees in nursing, public health, health administration and other related fields and with graduate degrees they can become faculty members at nursing schools.