Program Details

Bethel’s post-baccalaureate nursing program offers top-notch nursing education, preparing students to provide holistic care with compassion, integrity, and excellence. Upon graduation, you’ll be equipped for entry-level nursing positions and eligible to apply for the NCLEX® licensure examination. This program requires that you already possess a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field. Depending on your chosen cohort, you'll be able to finish your program in as few as 15 months (summer cohort) or 20 months (fall cohort).

Total credits

51

Finish in as few as

15-20 months

Courses

• Examining Crucial Questions (CORE330H)

  Summary of the Christian biblical narrative. Identification of the roles of scripture, history, experience, and reason, as they form convictions related to social and ethical issues. Examination of selected theological concepts using the Wesleyan Quadrilateral, as well as the application of those concepts to real life situations.

  4 credits

• Practicum I: Fundamentals of Nursing Practice (NURS305)

  Provision of holistic care for individuals in various health/illness states. Utilization of beginning clinical judgment skills to implement the nursing process in healthcare settings.

  1 credits

  Corequisite Course: NURS310;NURS326

• Practicum II: Adult Nursing (NURS306)

  Provision of holistic care for adults and older adults in various health/illness states. Application of clinical judgment, liberal arts knowledge, and professional communication in adult acute care settings. Integration of evidence-based and culturally sensitive care with a Christian worldview consideration.

  3 credits

  Corequisite Course: NURS311;NURS350;NURS351

• Practicum III: Mental Health Nursing (NURS307)

  Provision of holistic care for individuals with mental health needs. Application of clinical judgment skills, liberal arts knowledge, and professional communication in mental health settings. Integration of evidence-based and culturally sensitive care with a Christian worldview consideration.

  1 credits

  Corequisite Course: NURS331

• Skills I: Health Assessment & Fundamentals of Nursing Practice (NURS310)

  Development of beginning nursing skills to promote health and manage illness, within the context of the nursing process. This course is a laboratory course.

  4 credits

  Corequisite Course: NURS305;NURS326

• Skills II: Adult Nursing (NURS311)

  Development of nursing skills to promote health and manage illness for adults and older adults, within the context of the nursing process. This course is a laboratory course.

  3 credits

  Corequisite Course: NURS306;NURS350;NURS351

• Pharmacology for Nursing (NURS326)

  Exploration of the principles of pharmacotherapy to promote health and manage illness from a patient-centered perspective for diverse populations across the lifespan.

  2 credits

  Corequisite Course: NURS305;NURS310

• Mental Health Nursing (NURS331)

  Exploration of the nursing care of adults experiencing mental health issues within the context of families and communities. Application of the ethical, legal, and evidence-based practice considerations associated with mental health nursing.

  2 credits

  Corequisite Course: NURS307

• Adult Nursing I (NURS350)

  Examination of the nursing care related to adults and older adults experiencing selected acute, chronic, and/or potential health issues. Application of theoretical frameworks and evidence-based practice considerations to holistic nursing care.

  3 credits

  Corequisite Course: NURS306;NURS311;NURS351

• Adult Nursing II (NURS351)

  Examination of the nursing care of adults and older adults experiencing selected acute, chronic, and/or potential health issues. Application of theoretical frameworks and evidence-based practice considerations to holistic nursing care. This course is a continuation of NURS 350.

  3 credits

  Corequisite Course: NURS306;NURS311;NURS350

• Nursing Ethics (NURS405)

  Application of ethical inquiry and utilization of language needed to discuss relevant ethical healthcare issues. Analysis of current ethical issues faced in healthcare settings, including potential outcomes for patients experiencing ethical issues in the healthcare environment, the role of the nurse, and application of ethical perspectives. Fosters the development of empathy for, respect of, and insight into differing ethical opinions, including Christian and other faith perspectives.

  3 credits

• Pediatric Nursing (NURS433)

  Examination of the nursing care of pediatric patients and families. Application of theoretical frameworks and evidence-based practice considerations to holistic nursing care.

  2 credits

  Corequisite Course: NURS438

• Maternity Nursing (NURS437)

  Examination of the nursing care of maternity patients and families. Application of theoretical frameworks and evidence-based practice considerations to holistic nursing care.

  2 credits

  Corequisite Course: NURS439

• Practicum IV: Pediatric Nursing (NURS438)

  Provision of holistic care for pediatric patients and families. Application of clinical judgment skills, liberal arts knowledge, and professional communication to provide care in pediatric settings. Integration of evidence-based and culturally sensitive care with a Christian worldview consideration.

  1 credits

  Corequisite Course: NURS433

• Practicum V: Maternity Nursing (NURS439)

  Provision of holistic care for maternity patients and families. Application of clinical judgment skills, liberal arts knowledge, and professional communication to provide care in maternity settings. Integration of evidence-based and culturally sensitive care with a Christian worldview consideration.

  1 credits

  Corequisite Course: NURS437

• Population-Based Nursing (NURS440)

  Exploration of population-focused nursing care with an emphasis on diverse and underserved populations. Includes epidemiological consideration.

  3 credits

  Corequisite Course: NURS446

• Practicum VI: Population-Based Nursing (NURS446)

  Provision of population-based nursing care with an emphasis on diverse and underserved populations. Application of public health competencies and theories in population-based settings.

  2 credits

  Corequisite Course: NURS440

• Practicum VII: Capstone (NURS447)

  Provision of comprehensive nursing care to patients with complex health needs. Synthesis of clinical judgment skills, liberal arts knowledge, leadership skills, and professional standards to manage care and improve health outcomes. Integration of evidence-based and culturally sensitive care with a Christian worldview consideration.

  3 credits

  Corequisite Course: NURS450;NURS460

• Leadership Development (NURS450)

  Application of the leadership role in preparation to enter the professional nursing workforce. Integration of clinical judgment, evidence, leadership and management principles, and professional standards in professional practice.

  3 credits

  Corequisite Course: NURS447;NURS460

• Skills III: Nursing Synthesis (NURS460)

  A focus on the transition from the student role to the role of the professional nurse. Synthesis of critical thinking, leadership skills, evidence, and professional standards to manage care in complex clinical situations. This course is a laboratory course.

  3 credits

  Corequisite Course: NURS447;NURS450

• Introduction to Statistics (PSYC335)

  Introduction to descriptive, correlational, non-parametric, and inferential statistics. Description of the uses of research and statistical concepts in society today. Perform and interpret statistical analyses from existing data sets. Interpret statistical analyses in published research articles.

  4 credits

During the program’s seven practicum courses, students complete over 500 clinical hours at clinical agencies in the Twin Cities area. This includes hospital units, transitional care units, and population/community settings. Students work with diverse patients across the lifespan—maternal/newborn, pediatrics (infants to teens), adults, and older adults—and care for individuals, families, and communities, addressing holistic needs including health promotion/disease prevention and acute and chronic illnesses. Simulation and on-campus clinical experiences are also a part of the practicum courses.

Mission and values

The mission of the nursing department is to provide leadership through outcomes of nursing education, scholarship, and practice that reflect a Christ-like presence in the preparation of nurses who serve, with excellence, a diverse and changing society. We value:

• The liberal arts context as the foundation for nursing education and practice.
• The perspectives of a Christian worldview that emphasizes caring, service, integrity, the pursuit of excellence, and the inherent worth of all life.
• Nursing as a profession that fulfills multiple roles and requires a unique and expanding body of knowledge and skills for the purpose of promoting the health of diverse individuals, families, communities, and systems.
• Nursing leadership that influences the quality of healthcare within changing local and global healthcare systems.
• Education that is relational and active and that promotes critical thinking and lifelong learning.

Nursing department goals

1. To prepare nurses with skills in critical thinking, with the ability to function in both structured and unstructured nursing positions, and with the background necessary for advanced education.
2. To prepare students for lifelong learning with a theoretical foundation based on Judeo-Christian principles and the liberal arts and sciences.
3. To demonstrate within the nursing profession Christian values and leadership through excellence in professional practice, scholarly endeavors, and community service.

Baccalaureate program outcomes

1. Integrate nursing knowledge, the liberal arts, and a Christian worldview to fulfill nursing roles.
2. Promote client health in a culturally relevant manner through collaborative processes.
3. Provide competent care and meaningful comfort to clients who are healthy, ill, or dying.
4. Use critical thinking, health care information technology, and evidence-based findings to make decisions that promote safety and quality and improve client health outcomes.
5. Communicate through verbal, non-verbal, and technological means with individuals, families, communities, and systems to achieve mutually determined health outcomes.
6. Advocate to increase access to health care and to promote justice for underserved clients.
7. Conduct self as a member of the nursing profession by integrating Christian values, professional standards, and ethical perspectives.
8. Demonstrate collaborative leadership to enhance the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice.

Accreditation

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing at Bethel University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (ccneaccreditation.org). 

Licensure 

Bethel University cannot confirm whether courses or programs meet requirements for professional licensure in states outside of Minnesota. Students should contact their program's licensing bureau to determine whether Bethel's program meets requirements for licensure in their state.