Mission of the School of Nursing

The mission of the University of Mobile School of Nursing is to provide quality education incorporating Christian beliefs to prepare competent, caring practitioners of nursing. The school aspires to the highest standards of educational excellence, blending a professional perspective with a liberal arts and science foundation. The school is committed to the development of its students into knowledgeable, caring, responsible, and self-directed individuals who meet the health care needs of a diverse and complex society. The University of Mobile School of Nursing emphasizes quality teaching while encouraging and valuing scholarly activity and research to support the teaching role.

General Information for School of Nursing

Admission Requirements for School of Nursing

Students entering the University of Mobile to attain a nursing degree complete the admission requirements of the University. However, admission to the University does not assure the student admission to a nursing program. Admission to the School of Nursing must be approved by the BSN nursing admission committee. Specific requirements for the School of Nursing include:

1. File the appropriate application for clinical nursing with the School of Nursing admissions coordinator. The application deadline is March 1 for fall admission. Applications are available November 1.
2. Attain at least a 2.75 (possible 4.00) GPA in all college/university courses specified within the nursing curriculum.
3. Achieve a minimum ACT composite score of 21 with a minimum math score of 18. Applicants 25 years of age or older, or students who have earned 24 or more acceptable semester hours at regionally accredited colleges or universities with GPA’s of 3.00 or higher are exempt from this requirement. Students who have earned a bachelor’s or master’s degree are exempt from the ACT requirement. A pre-entrance exam is required for admission to clinical nursing for all prospective nursing students.
4. Present a completed medical history and be free from inhibiting physical or emotional handicaps. Applicants must have the ability to perform necessary psychomotor skills normally associated with bedside nursing without assistance. Specific requirements are delineated in School of Nursing Handbook.
5. Maintain current specified immunizations and tuberculin skin test.
6. Perform satisfactorily on a written and spoken English competency examination or its equivalent, upon request.
7. Have absence of criminal conviction.
8. Have current CPR certification including infant, child, and adult.
9. Applicants will be required to be screened for use of illegal chemical substances or abuse of prescription drugs. This can be prior to admission or following admission as required by clinical agencies with whom the University has a contract, or on a “for cause” basis. Any required drug screens are conducted at the student’s expense. The drug testing policy may be found in the School of Nursing Student Manual.
10. Clinical agencies may require criminal background checks. This may be prior to admission or following admission. These are conducted at the student’s expense.
11. Students admitted to the School of Nursing are required to comply with the Alabama Infected Health Care Worker Management Act. This legislation mandates that any health care worker infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or the hepatitis B virus (HBV) who performs invasive procedures shall notify the State Health Officer, or his or her designee, of the infection.
12. If a student fails two nursing courses, or is dismissed from another school, the student is not eligible to attend the University of Mobile School of Nursing.
13. Science courses (anatomy and physiology and microbiology) must be repeated if more than 5 years have elapsed since completion of these courses.

Additional Requirements for Specific Nursing Programs:

BSN

The student must:

1. Complete a minimum of 55 semester hours of specified courses including successful completion (C or better) of: BIO 201 , BIO 202 , BIO 301 , MA 107  or MA 110 , MA 211 , NU 151 , NU 252 , PSY 301 , and PSY 315  or their equivalent prior to entering clinical nursing.

RN to BSN

The student must:

1. Be currently licensed to practice as a registered nurse with an unrestricted Alabama license.
2. Actively practice nursing or have practiced nursing for three of the last five years.
3. Be free from inhibiting physical or emotional handicaps, including the ability to perform necessary psychomotor skills normally associated with bedside nursing without assistance.
4. Maintain current immunizations.
5. Have current CPR certification in infant, child, and adult.
6. Have absence of criminal conviction.

These are minimum admission standards. Since admissions may be limited and competitive, achievement of these minimum standards does not guarantee admission to the clinical component.

Students who have completed all of the prerequisite courses at the University of Mobile are given priority consideration for admission to the clinical sequence. It is the responsibility of the applicant to verify with the office of enrollment services and the registrar’s office that all necessary materials for consideration for admission are in his or her application file. These records are NOT maintained in the School of Nursing.

Progression in Nursing Courses

1. A passing grade of C or better must be achieved in all nursing courses. A student may not progress to the next clinical nursing course until the current course is completed with a C or better.
2. Dismissal from the nursing program will result if the student fails two nursing courses. If a student fails one nursing course twice, this is considered two nursing course failures.
3. A second withdrawal in the same course or a single withdrawal from a course previously failed will be treated as a failure in the course concerned.
4. Clinical nursing students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 throughout the program.
5. Students must maintain active CPR certification including infant, child, and adult.
6. All immunizations and the tuberculin test must remain current in order to progress through the program.
7. Students are required to pass a medication dosage test with no more than three attempts at the beginning of each academic period (semester) in which clinical nursing courses are taken. The student must score 80% or better on the test given in the first clinical year. The student must score 90% or better on the test given the first academic period (semester) of the second clinical year and 100% on the test given the academic period (semester) of graduation. If the student fails to make the accepted score, he/she must withdraw from the course.
8. Students are required to take selected specialized standardized tests at the end of each course. If the student does not achieve the benchmark score of 900, the student will be required to remediate and repeat the exam.
9. All students must pass a comprehensive exit examination in order to be recommended for graduation. This examination is given in NU 434 . If the student does not pass the comprehensive examination, the student receives a failing grade in the course. The student may repeat the course one time. If NU 434  is failed a second time, the student must satisfactorily complete a one (1) hour directed study, NU 461 Nursing Review . The grade for this course will be “satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory.” When the grade is “satisfactory,” the student will be assigned a grade of “C” to replace the grade of “F” in the last attempt of NU 434 . Should the student receive an “unsatisfactory” in NU 461 , the student will be dismissed from the nursing program.
10. If a clinical agency refuses to allow the student to participate in clinical activities, the student will be unable to continue in nursing and will be requested to select a new major.
11. Students should see the School of Nursing Student Manual for further explanation of policies.
12. Students must complete all curriculum requirements prior to taking NU 414 , NU 416 , and NU 434 .

Readmission to a Nursing Program

1. A student requesting to repeat a course must complete an Application for Readmission form. If a student is out of the nursing program for no more than one year, he/she may return with a 2.0 or better residential and overall GPA.
2. If a student requesting to return to a program has been out for over one year, he/she must complete an Application for Readmission and meet all current admission criteria. Students seeking readmission with advanced standing in nursing courses must be aware that nursing knowledge changes constantly with new findings. Therefore, if three or more years elapsed since the previous nursing educational experience, all nursing courses must be repeated.
3. Readmission to nursing courses is based on space available and is not guaranteed.

Additionally, science courses (anatomy and physiology and microbiology) must be repeated if more than five years have elapsed since completion of these courses.

Transfer Credit for School of Nursing

Credit may be granted to transfer students who meet all admission requirements of the School of Nursing who have had a similar course in a regionally accredited college or university in the United States of America or its territories. If a student fails two nursing courses at another school or is dismissed for any reason, the student cannot be accepted into the University of Mobile School of Nursing program. All transfer students must have a minimum GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale. Course equivalency is determined by the dean of the school.  The University of Mobile does not accept transfer of clinical nursing courses. Transfer students must complete at least 35 hours of course work or validated nursing courses and at least one half of the nursing curriculum at the University of Mobile. Once admitted to the University, the student must complete all remaining courses at the University of Mobile. No transient study will be permitted.

Testing in the Nursing Program

All students participate in a specified standardized testing program. The cost of the program is the responsibility of the student and the non-refundable testing fee must be paid through the business office at the beginning of each academic period (semester) in which the student is enrolled in a clinical nursing course. Any cost for additional testing or repeat testing will be the responsibility of the student.

Alabama Board of Nursing Regulations

The nursing student must comply with legal, moral, and legislative standards which determine acceptable behavior of the nurse and shall avoid those behaviors which may be cause for denial of license to practice as a registered nurse, in accordance with the Alabama Law Regulating Practice of Registered and Practical Nursing and the Alabama Board of Nursing Administrative Code. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH ANY OF THE STIPULATIONS OF THIS LAW WHILE IN THE NURSING PROGRAM CONSTITUTES GROUNDS FOR DISMISSAL FROM THE SCHOOL OF NURSING.

It is important for nursing students to be familiar with the Alabama Board of Nursing regulations on the review of candidates for eligibility for initial and continuing licensure. There will be questions on the Application for Licensure as a Registered Nurse by Examination such as “Have you ever been arrested or convicted of a criminal offense other than a minor traffic violation? Have you within the last five years abused drugs/alcohol OR have been treated for dependency to alcohol OR illegal chemical substances? Have you ever been arrested OR convicted for driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol? Have you within the last five years received inpatient OR outpatient treatment OR been recommended to seek treatment for mental illness? Have you ever had disciplinary action OR is action pending against you by any state board of nursing? Have you ever been placed on a state or federal abuse registry? Have you ever been court-martialed/disciplined OR administratively discharged by the military?” Application to write the examination may be denied on the basis of this review. Although these policies refer specifically to Alabama, other states have similar stipulations regarding licensure.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

Baccalaureate nursing education prepares a nurse who is capable of functioning in beginning professional positions in all types of health care facilities, and with experience, may be a leader on the health care team. The baccalaureate graduate is prepared for graduate study in nursing.

Credit for Advanced Standing in the RN-to-BSN Career Program

The policy of the University is to allow advanced standing for selected students. Consistent with this policy, the student who wishes to earn advanced standing in nursing must be enrolled as a full-time, part-time, or special student at the University of Mobile. All students must take a minimum of thirty-two hours at the University of Mobile to be eligible for the baccalaureate degree.

Programs

• Nursing, B.S.N.
• Nursing, R.N. to B.S.N.