Requirements for the Nursing Program
A. Admission Requirements
In addition to the general college recommendations for admission, minimally a 3.0 GPA* is required from high school. However, the middle 50% of students accepted to the program are between a 3.7 and 4.0 GPA (3.88 GPA average). Test scores (either SAT or ACT) will be optional for admission to the Nursing program due to the challenges surrounding testing during COVID 19. A grade of “C” or higher in all high school science courses is required minimally for admission. All applicants will be given full consideration if an application is submitted for the Early Decision, Early Action or Nursing Priority Deadlines. Nursing applications submitted after the Nursing Priority Deadline, will be evaluated on a space-available basis.
*GPA is a recalculated weighted grade point average, based on a 4.0 grading scale. Applicants are evaluated holistically.
B. Current CPR Certification, Immunization, and TB Clearance.
American Heart Association CPR for the Healthcare Provider (Level C) is required of all students prior to beginning each clinical course. Students are required to be certified in infant, child, and one-person and two-person adult CPR. The college follows the immunizations required by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for all undergraduate students in a health science program who may be in contact with patients. Proof of two measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccinations, completion of the Hepatitis B vaccination series, documentation of a varicella (chicken pox) antibody titer or two immunizations with varivax, a tetanus/diphtheria booster within ten years, and proof of tuberculosis non-infectivity must be documented and on file in the student’s Castlebranch account and with College Health Services. Other vaccines as required by clinical sites, state and college policies.
C. National Criminal Background Check and Drug/Alcohol Screening
Clinical agencies require students and faculty to have an annual National Criminal Background check, MA COR, and/or agree to be subject to drug/alcohol screening each semester prior to participation in a clinical education experience at their agency.
D. Essential Functional Abilities
Certain functional abilities are essential for the delivery of safe, effective nursing care during clinical education activities. Therefore, the School of Nursing has determined that certain functional abilities are required for admission, progression, and graduation from the nursing programs.
The College will consider an applicant who demonstrates the ability to perform, or to learn to perform, the skills listed here. An applicant is not required to disclose the nature of a disability, but an applicant with concerns about these academic standards is strongly encouraged to discuss the issue with the Associate Dean of Nursing. If appropriate, and upon request from the applicant, reasonable accommodations for a qualified individual with a disability will be provided.
An individual must be able to independently, with or without reasonable accommodation, meet the following academic standards:
- (1) General abilities
- (2) Observation
- (3) Communication
- (4) Motor
- (5) Intellectual, conceptual, and quantitative abilities
- (6) Essential behavioral and social attributes
- (7) Ability to manage stressful situations
Individuals unable to meet these academic standards, with or without reasonable accommodation, will not be able to complete the program. Please see the Baccalaureate Nursing Program Policy & Information Booklet for more information.
E. Transportation to Clinical Sites
Students are responsible for their own transportation to clinical experiences.
F. Full-time Status
All students, except RNs, must be enrolled as full-time students.
Note: Students who may be qualified for part-time enrollment will be reviewed on an individual basis. It is mandatory that the nursing courses required for each semester all be taken simultaneously within that semester.
G. Relationship of Credits to Class Hours
One credit of class is equivalent to one 50-minute class per week.
One credit of laboratory is equivalent to two or three, 50-minute laboratory sessions per week, depending on the course.
One credit of clinical is equivalent to three, 60-minute sessions of clinical experience per week.
H. Promotion and Graduation
Students must achieve a “C+” or better in all nursing courses and a “C” or better in sciences to remain in the Nursing major. To obtain a “C+” in a nursing course requires an average of 77 or better. Students must also maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 each semester in order to progress in the program and be recommended for graduation from the nursing program. Nursing students may repeat one science course (once) and one nursing course (once), and remain in the nursing major.
I. Eligibility for Licensure as a Registered Nurse
Any applicant for initial licensure as a registered nurse who has a criminal conviction(s) and/or past or pending disciplinary action against a professional/trade/license/certificate should contact the Board of Registration in Nursing in the state in which he/she plans to practice to determine if his/her court record or disciplinary action will be a barrier to eligibility for licensure as a registered nurse. Applicants planning to apply for initial licensure in Massachusetts should review the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing “Good Moral Character Information Sheet for First Time Nurse Licensure in Massachusetts.” The information sheet is available in the nurse license application packet, from the dean of the School of Nursing or at http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/dph/quality/boards/good-moral-info.pdf or by calling 617-973-0800. The Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing is located at 239 Causeway Street, Boston, MA 02114. Applicants should review the information sheet carefully since it contains important details about the convictions that permanently exclude individuals from nurse licensure. All other nurse licensure applicants must be conviction free for a minimum of five years before submitting an application for nurse licensure (unless the applicant meets the exception criteria) and all matters related to criminal convictions or disciplinary action must be closed before the Board will evaluate the applicant’s compliance with the “good moral character” licensure requirement specified at General Law, Chapter 112, Section 74.
Please note: a previous court conviction does not automatically preclude someone from eligibility for licensure as a registered nurse. However, if someone falsifies a statement concerning a felony or misdemeanor conviction on the license application, and it is later discovered, the individual could be denied from practicing in nursing for the remainder of his/her life.
J. Professional Nursing Licensure Disclosure
The Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program at Endicott College has full approval by the Massachusetts State Board of Registration in Nursing (MA BORN). The BSN Program is in compliance with 244 CMR 6.05: Procedures for the Establishment and Continuing Operation of Nursing Education Programs, and will prepare students to take the national licensure examination for registered nurses (NCLEX-RN®). Individuals graduating from the program will meet the requirements for licensure in the state of Massachusetts and will be able to take the NCLEX-RN®.
Passing the NCLEX-RN® is a requirement for licensure in all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories. Additional licensure requirements may vary widely from state to state including, but not limited to, the number of required clinical hours, specific coursework, documentation verifying citizenship (i.e. social security number) as well as criminal background checks/fingerprinting. Endicott College has not yet made a determination of whether the nursing program’s curriculum meets educational requirements for licensure in the remaining 49 states, District of Columbia or U.S. territories.
It is the student’s responsibility to contact the agency in the state in which they wish to pursue licensure to determine/confirm whether Endicott College’s BSN program meets requirements for professional licensure in that state.
To obtain the contact information for the nursing professional licensing boards, please go to the following link:
https://www.ncsbn.org/contact-bon.htm
If you wish to review your state’s Board of Nursing Professional Licensure Requirements please visit NCSBN.org.