University of Pikeville

RN to BSN Program

Student Handbook

Fall 2014

Representation of Accreditation Status
The University of Pikeville is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate, baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of the University of Pikeville. All other inquiries should be addressed to the University of Pikeville at 147 Sycamore Street, Pikeville, Kentucky 41501 or call 606-218-5250.
The University of Pikeville RN-BSN program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, GA 30326; telephone 404-975-5000,
The University’s program for the Associate Degree in Nursing is fully approved by the Kentucky Board of Nursing, and programs in Teacher Education are approved by the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board. The University’s degree program in Social Work isfully accredited with the Council on Social Work Education. The University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine has been granted accreditation by the American Osteopathic Association’s Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation. This body is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the accrediting agency for colleges educating osteopathic physicians.

Rev. 8/13
Table of Contents

Introduction...... 3

Mission - UPIKE ...... 5

Institutional Goals - UPIKE...... 6

Mission and Goals – RN to BSN ...... 7

Philosophy – RN to BSN...... 7

Curriculum Framework ...... 9

Student Learning Outcomes...... 11

Curriculum...... 13

University General Education Requirements...... 14

RN-BSN Curriculum...... 15

Sample Curricular Options...... 16

Course Descriptions...... 18

Admission Criteria...... 20

Transfer Credit...... 20

Academic Policies–Nursing Courses...... 22

  1. Attendance...... 22
  2. Grades...... 22
  3. Progression in the RN to BSN Program...... 23
  4. Academic Withdrawal, Dismissal, and Readmission...... 24
  5. Repeating a Course...... 24
  6. Technology/Computer Requirements...... 24

Academic Policies – Nursing Practicum...... 26

  1. Health-related Requirements...... 26
  2. Identification Badge...... 27
  3. Uniform...... 27
  4. Professional Appearance...... 27
  5. Drug Testing and Criminal Background Check...... 28
  6. HIPAA...... 28
  7. Student Health ...... 28
  8. Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure...... 28
  9. Minimal Functional Abilities...... 28
  10. Practicum Guidelines...... 29

Academic Policies – University Wide...... 29

  1. FERPA...... 29
  2. Academic Honesty...... 29
  3. Impairment Policy...... 30
  4. Sexual Harassment...... 30
  5. Statement of Non-Discrimination...... 30
  6. Student Grievances...... 31
  7. Academic Due Process – Grade Appeal...... 31

Scholarship and Financial Aid...... 32

FAFSA...... 32

  1. K4C$...... 32
  2. Other...... 32

Appendices...... 33

Statement of Understanding...... 37

Introduction

Welcome to the University of Pikeville (UPIKE) School of Nursing. This handbook has been prepared by nursing faculty to provide information that you will need to function effectively within the RN to BSN Program. Because it contains policies, procedures, and guidelines that apply to you, please read it thoroughly and remain familiar with its contents throughout your career within the RN to BSN Program.

The RN to BSN Program Student Handbook has been developed to supplement the information contained in the UPIKE Student Handbook. Please review the UPIKE Student Handbook which can be accessed at:

Information related to the University of Pikeville as a whole, including general education requirements, can be found in the University catalog which can be accessed at:

If you should have questions after reviewing these resources, feel free to ask your advisor, any of the RN-BSN faculty, or the School of Nursing Administrator. You will find that we are very interested in helping you to meet your goal of completing your baccalaureate degree in nursing.

NOTE:

University of Pikeville and the School of Nursing reserve the right to change any section or part of this Handbook and to make such changes applicable to students currently enrolled, as well as to new students. Any new or revised policies, procedures, or guidelines will be posted, discussed with all students, and incorporated into the next edition of the Handbook.

Any exception to the contents of this Handbook will be determined on an individual basis within the School of Nursing.

University of Pikeville ADA Policy

University of Pikeville works to ensure that students with disabilities receive appropriate accommodations in accordance with the requirements of the American Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Students with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact the Disabilities Resources Office located in the Student Services Counselor’s Office. Accommodations are made on an individual basis according to documented need. Additional information can be found in the University Catalog and the Student Handbook.

University of Pikeville

Statement of Mission

Commitment to Christian Tradition

The University of Pikeville is an independent institution affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Founded by Presbyterians in 1889, the University stands as an opportunity for quality higher education in the heart of Appalachia. Maintaining its commitment to Christian principles, the university recognizes the infinite worth of each person, respecting and accepting a variety of religious expressions.

Commitment to Students

While the University remains primarily committed to serving students from Appalachia, it encourages and welcomes students from all regions and cultural backgrounds. University of Pikeville provides an opportunity for students to receive a quality education that focuses on the development of the whole person, including the intellectual, spiritual, social, and physical dimensions.

Commitment to Education

University of Pikeville offers associate, baccalaureate, and graduate degree programs that prepare students for a variety of professions or careers. The undergraduate curriculum rests on a broad liberal arts foundation, emphasizing communicative and quantitative skills; independent thinking; tolerance of diverse points of view; cultural, historical, and ethical awareness; and preparation for leadership, civic responsibility, and lifelong learning. The University Of Pikeville School Of Osteopathic Medicine provides graduate students with an osteopathic medical education that emphasizes primary care, encourages research, promotes lifelong scholarly activity, and produces graduates who are committed to serving the health care needs of communities in eastern Kentucky and other Appalachian regions.

Commitment to Community and Region

University of Pikeville is committed to enhancing the educational, cultural, and economic opportunities for Appalachia through quality academic and continuing education programs as well as involvement in community service and humanitarian efforts.

University of Pikeville

Institutional Goals

The University has set the following ten general goals for carrying out its mission:

I.To maintain a sense of community which stresses ethical and moral values, fosters an appreciation for diversity, and provides an atmosphere that accepts and respects a variety of backgrounds and modes of religious expression within a Christian context.

II.To offer each undergraduate student the opportunity to receive a liberal arts education, emphasizing the value of intellectual development through the promotion of independent and creative thinking as well as the development of basic communication and problem-solving skills.

III.To assist each student in acquiring competence in a chosen professional or career-oriented field based on a broad liberal arts foundation which encourages lifelong learning.

IV.To enhance each student’s sense of self-worth, self-discipline, and personal integrity while developing social responsibility and leadership potential through a comprehensive co-curricular program.

V.To provide each medical student the personal and professional skills necessary to improve health care services in the Appalachian region.

VI.To maintain a community of high-quality faculty, staff, administrators, and trustees who are dedicated to meeting the individual needs of students and who promote a caring and supportive environment conducive to learning.

VII.To provide necessary resources for a quality education through instructional materials, information technology, library and physical facilities.

VIII.To promote the growth and development of the community at large by encouraging faculty, staff, students, and alumni to serve the community and by encouraging members of the community to serve the university.

IX.To maintain efficient and effective administrative services for institutional and educational support programs.

X.To secure support from private, state, and federal sources to strengthen the University’s viability through sound fiscal policy.

RN to BSN Program

Mission and Goals

Mission

The School of Nursing seeks to fulfill the University of Pikeville’s commitment to Christian tradition, students, education, and community and region. The mission of the University’s RN-BSN program is to provide a quality, educational program within a Christian context for RNs to advance to baccalaureate-generalist nursing practice in the promotion of health and service among the people of central Appalachia and the region-at-large.

Goals

The RN-BSN program aims to prepare a baccalaureate-generalist nursewho demonstrates knowledge, skills, and core values to:

  1. Provide safe, patient-centered, evidence-based care to diverse populations in a variety of settings, as a provider of care. (Institutional Goal I, II, III)
  1. Promote leadership in the collaboration, design, and improvement of care in an evolving healthcare environment, as a manager/coordinator of care. (Institutional Goal II, III, IV)
  1. Exhibit a professional identity grounded in ethics, essential values, and a commitment to lifelong learning, as a member of the profession.(Institutional Goal I, III, IV, VIII)

RN to BSN Program

Philosophy

The School of Nursing is an integral part of the University of Pikeville. The faculty believes that education is best achieved within institutions of higher education and accepts accountability for the academic functions of teaching, scholarship, and service within a comprehensive, private institution of liberal arts and sciences. The faculty seeks to prepare a baccalaureate-generalist nurse based on a broad liberal arts foundation which emphasizes ethical and moral values, social responsibility, and respect for a diversity of backgrounds and religious expressions. (Institutional Goals I-IV; VI-IX)

Person

Persons are unique, complex holistic beings of infinite worth who develop across the lifespan within physical, psychological, spiritual, social, and culturaldimensions. Persons are viewed as individuals, families, communities and populations functioning at independent, interdependent, or dependent levels at any given time. Inherent in each person is a capacity toward fulfillment of human potential within a unique set of values, beliefs, and rights of informed choice.

Environment

Environment is viewed as the total context of circumstances in which persons as individuals, families, communities, and populations function, interact, and respond in unique ways that affect health. The environment and its context at regional and global levels include: the physical environment such as housing, sanitation, air and water quality, and the geographic community-at-large; the personal environment such as physical, psycho-socio-cultural and spiritual dimensions of persons; the social environment such as significant others, support systems, and educational systems; and the healthcare environment such as nurses, other providers, healthcare systems, and political, economic, and technical forces on healthcare delivery.

Health

Health is ever-changing through the lifespan along a continuum of wellness, illness, and end-of-life.Health is self-perceived, self-determined, and influenced by the interaction of beliefs, values, and experiences within the context of environment. As a response to this interaction, health patterns are manifested within and across physical, psychological, spiritual, social, and cultural dimensions.

Individuals, families, communities, and populations have a varying capacity toward fulfillment of health potential. Because health patterns are ever-changing, the recognition, identification, and promotion of health potential require collaboration and periodic assessment of persons interacting within the healthcare environment.

Nursing

Professional nursing is patient-centered with a unique set of knowledge, skills, and core values grounded in liberal education. The professional nurse is prepared with a minimum of a baccalaureate in nursing to enter generalist nursing practice and graduate nursing education. Generalist nursing practice is characterized by complexity and diversity in the delivery of safe, quality, evidenced-based and technologically appropriate care to persons across the lifespan in evolving healthcare environments.

The recipient of professional nursing care is the client at the individual, family, community, and population level. Engaging in the interrelated roles of provider and manager/coordinator of care, the nursing process is utilized with clients in the recognition of health patterns and in the identification, implementation, and evaluation of responses facilitating health. As a member of the profession, the nurse assumes a responsibility to standards of care, a code of ethics, and a focus on continuous self-evaluation and lifelong learning.

RN to BSN

Curriculum Framework

The framework for the University’s RN-BSN curriculum flows from the beliefs of the nursing faculty, as stated in the RN-BSN mission, goals, and philosophy. The curriculum is designed to advance the RNto a professional nurse for generalist nursing practice, building upon the technical knowledge of the RN’s pre-licensure nursing program. The curriculum provides a solid liberal education to provide a broad knowledge base from which to apply to nursing practice and the profession of nursing.

The core concepts in the RN-BSN program are consistent with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice (2008), Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) (2011), and National League for Nursing (NLN) Outcomes and Competencies for Graduates of…Programs in Nursing (2010).

Thus, as derived from AACN Essentials, QSEN, and NLN Outcomes and Competencies, the core concepts of the RN-BSN program are:

  • Patient-Centered, Culturally Competent Care
  • Healthcare Systems and Policy
  • Evidence-Based Practice
  • Information Management
  • Quality Improvement and Safety
  • Teamwork and Interprofessional Collaboration
  • Health Promotion and Disease and Injury Prevention
  • Professionalism and Professional Values
  • Relationship of Student Learning Outcomes, Core Concepts, and Standards of Nursing Education and Practice (AACN Essentials, QSEN, & NLN Competencies)

Definitions of Core Concepts

Patient-Centered Care

The patient and designated others are recognized as full partners in the delivery of caring and coordinated care built upon respect for the patient’s integrity, preferences, values, and needs.

Culturally Competent Care

Professional nursing is accountable to developing a self-awareness and ability to practice with advocacy, compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and uniqueness of each person.

Healthcare Systems and Policy

Policies impact nursing practice and healthcare environments. Principles of policy, economics, and regulatory processes are included in baccalaureate education to prepare the professional nurse to apply such concepts in a variety of healthcare environments.

Evidence-Based Practice

Professional nursing is grounded in the integration of the best current evidence with clinical expertise and patient preferences and values for the delivery of optimal health care.

Information Management

Professional nursing requires competence in navigating, planning, and coordinating care using high quality electronic sources of healthcare information.

Quality Improvement and Safety

Professional nursing recognizes the role of quality improvement processes to monitor the outcomes of care. All nursing practice must minimize the risk of harm to patients and providers through individual performance and input into standardized practices that support safety and quality.

Teamwork and Interprofessional Collaboration

The professional nurse must function effectively within nursing and interprofessional teams to foster open communication, mutual respect, and collaborative decision making for the delivery of optimal health care.

Health Promotion and Disease and Injury Prevention

An essential aspect of professional nursing is the application of the concepts of health promotion and disease and injury prevention across the lifespan with individuals, families, communities, and populations.

Professionalism and Professional Values

Baccalaureate nursing education includes processes to foster the development of values, attitudes and behaviors that are inherently related to the practice of nursing as an art and a science. Core values essential for the professional nurse are altruism, autonomy, human dignity, integrity, and social justice.

Bibliography

American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). (2008). Essentials of baccalaureate education for professional nursing practice. Retrieved from

American Nurses Association (ANA). (2001). Code for nurses with interpretive statements. Washington, D.C.: Author.

National League for Nursing (NLN). (2010). Outcomes and competencies for graduates of practical/vocational, diploma, associate degree, baccalaureate, master’s, practice doctorate, and research doctorate programs in nursing. New York, NY: Author.

Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN). (2011). Retrieved from

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the University of Pikeville baccalaureate degree for registered nurses, the graduate will:

  1. Synthesize knowledge, theories, and methods of a variety of disciplines from liberal education into nursing practice.
  1. Employ knowledge and skills of leadership, quality improvement and client safety in the provision of system-wide improvements for health-care delivery to diverse populations.
  1. Integrate theory, clinical judgment, and inter-professional perspectives in communicating and applying current evidence-based practices.
  1. Apply knowledge and skills in information management and patient care technology in the delivery of quality patient care.
  1. Examine the impact of basic processes of healthcare policy, finance, and regulatory environments on access, equity, and affordability in healthcare delivery.
  1. Utilize knowledge and skills of health promotion, disease, and injury prevention across the lifespan to improve health in individual and diverse populations.
  1. Apply the professional standards of moral, ethical, and legal conduct to practice dilemmas and one’s own clinical practice.

Curriculum Framework: Relationship of Student Learning Outcomes, Core Concepts, and Standards

Student Learning Outcomes / Core Concepts / Standards
(AACN Essential, QSEN, NLN)
  1. Synthesize knowledge, theories, and methods of a variety of disciplines from liberal education into nursing practice.
/
  • Pt. Centered, Culturally Competent Care
  • Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)
  • Teamwork and Interprofessional Collaboration (TIPC)
/
  • AACN I: Liberal Education for Baccalaureate Generalist Nursing Practice
  • QSEN: Pt. Centered CC Care, EBP, TIPC
  • NLN: Human Flourishing

  1. Employ knowledge and skills of leadership, quality improvement and client safety in the provision of system-wide improvements for health-care delivery to diverse populations.
/
  • Healthcare Systems and Policy
  • Information Management (IM)
  • Quality Improvement and Safety (QIS)
  • Teamwork and Interprofessional Collaboration (TIPC)
/
  • AACN II: Basic Organizational & Systems Leadership for Quality Care Patient Safety
  • QSEN:IM, QIS, TIPC
  • NLN: Professional Identity

  1. Integrate theory, clinical judgment, inter-professional perspectives in communicating and applying current evidence-based practices.
/
  • Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)
  • Quality Improvement & Safety (QIS)
  • Teamwork and Interprofessional Collaboration (TIPC)
/
  • AACN III: Scholarship for Evidence-Based Practice
  • QSEN: EBP, QIS, TIPC
  • NLN: Nursing Judgment, Spirit of Inquiry

  1. Apply knowledge and skills in information management and patient care technology in the delivery of quality patient care.
/
  • Information Management (IM)
  • Quality Improvement and Safety (QIS)
/
  • AACN IV: Information Management Application of Patient Care Technology
  • QSEN: IM, QIS

  1. Examine the impact of basic processes of healthcare policy, finance, and regulatory environments on access, equity, and affordability in healthcare delivery.
/
  • Pt. Centered, Culturally Competent Care
  • Healthcare Systems and Policy
  • Health Promotion and Disease and Injury Prevention
/
  • AACN II: Organizational & Systems Leadership
  • AACN V: HC Policy, Finance, Regulatory Environments
  • AACN VII: Clinical Prevention & Population Health
  • QSEN: Pt. Centered CC Care

  1. Utilize knowledge and skills of health promotion, disease, and injury prevention across the lifespan to improve health in individuals and diverse populations.
/
  • Pt. Centered, Culturally Competent Care
  • Healthcare Systems and Policy
  • Health Promotion and Disease and Injury Prevention
/
  • AACN V: HC Policy, Finance, & Regulatory Environments
  • AACN VII: Clinical Prevention Population Health
  • QSEN: Pt. Centered CC Care

  1. Apply the professional standards of moral, ethical, and legal conduct to practice dilemmas and one’s own clinical practice.
/
  • Pt. -Centered, Culturally Competent Care
  • Quality Improvement and Safety (QIS)
  • Teamwork and Interprofessional Collaboration (TIPC)
  • Professionalism (Prof)
/
  • AACN VIII: Professionalism & Professional Values
  • QSEN: Pt.-Centered CC Care, QIS, TIPC
  • NLN: Prof. Identity, Human Flourishing

CURRICULUM