Admission Requirements: Nursing | Nursing

The Department of Nursing awards a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. Students who successfully complete the program are qualified to take the NYS National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). The nursing program consists of 127 credits. The program consists of two phases the Pre-Clinical Phase (freshman and sophomore years consisting of prerequisite courses) and the Clinical Phase (junior and senior years consisting of nursing core courses and clinical components). The program is based on a strong transcultural model and focuses on caring for patients of many cultures.

Admissions Requirements

Admission into the pre-professional clinical phase is competitive. The number of students accepted depends upon available resources, class limits, and college GPA. Students must meet the requirements for admission into New York Institute of Technology first before they can be considered for the nursing major. Current NYIT students will follow notice instructions posted on the nursing website during the fall and spring semesters. In addition, all applicants to the nursing program are required to have the following general requirements:

A personal essay detailing the candidate's reasons for choosing nursing as a career;
Two letters of reference;
Official transcripts from all schools attended

It is recommended that recent high school graduates or students with a Graduate Education Diploma (GED) and college transfer students with less than 24 transferable credits must have:

A minimum combined SAT score of at least 950;
One year each of math, biology and chemistry; and
A grade of C+ or better in each identified science and math courses. Science and math courses are identified as: TMAT 135; CHEM 105, CHEM 215; BIOL 210, BIOL 260, BIOL 270, BIOL 310, BIOL 330/345; FCSC 101; PSYC 101, PSYC 210, PSYC 221.

College transfer students with 24 or more transferable credits are recommended to have:

Official transcripts from all schools attended
A cumulative college GPA of 2.75
Minimum grade of C+ in all required prerequisite courses identified as followed (freshman and sophomore): TMAT 135; CHEM 105, CHEM 215; BIOL 210, BIOL 260, BIOL 270, BIOL 310, BIOL 330/345; FCSC 101; PSYC 101, PSYC 210, PSYC 221.
- Students may repeat only two (2) of the above required pre-requisite courses in which they earned a grade of C or below; these courses may be repeated only once. This requirement includes courses taken at other colleges. Students who fail to achieve this requirement are not admissible to the nursing program.
- All prerequisite course work taken at other institutions must be on your NYIT Transfer Equivalency Report with the appropriate NYIT course evaluation equivalencies prior to applying to the nursing program. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure all required admission forms/ documents are on file with the admissions department. The Admissions Department will review all transfer evaluations for International Students and refer to the nursing department.

Admission Deadlines¹

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program has specific admission application deadlines; however you are welcomed to submit your application before the dates listed below. The undergraduate nursing admissions committee starts reviewing files after the set deadlines. All new applicants must meet the requirements for admission into NYIT before applying to nursing program.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

March 1

Fall Admission: Open to all (Freshman, New Transfers, NYIT Students)

November 1

Spring Admission: NURS 102 Review (Open Only to NYIT Students and New Transfers who fully meet the nursing criteria and are ready to begin the Professional (Clinical) Phase of the Nursing Program)

Applicants to the School of Health Professions should be aware that certain legal issues and/or convictions may preclude student from being accepted by clerkships, internships and/or fieldwork and impact the student’s ability to complete the required program courses and qualify for graduation, certification and/or licensure.

Academic Criteria for the Professional (Clinical) Phase (Junior and Senior Years)

The professional phase of the nursing program encompasses the junior and senior years. Students are required to meet the established nursing criteria listed below for progression into the professional phase. Students should be advised nursing requirements may change during the program. Students are held accountable to meet current requirements regardless of date of admission to the Clinical Phase of the program into the program. The number of students that progress to the professional phase depends upon available resources, class limits, college GPA, and meeting all nursing requirements.

All nursing students must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 or better for admission and continuation in the professional clinical phase.
Completion of all required prerequisite courses listed as freshman and sophomore courses.
A grade of C+ or better in all required prerequisite courses identified as: TMAT 135; CHEM 105, CHEM 215; BIOL 210, BIOL 260, BIOL 270, BIOL 310, BIOL 330/345; FCSC 101; PSYC 101, PSYC 210, PSYC 221
- Students may repeat only two (2) of the above required pre-requisite courses in which they earned a grade of C or below; these courses may be repeated only once. This requirement includes courses taken at other colleges. Students who fail to achieve this requirement are not admissible to the nursing program.
Recommendation by Program Chair or Designee.
Recommendation by the Nursing Department Academic Review Committee.

Pre-Professional (Pre-Clinical) Requirements

In order to start the clinical phase of the nursing major (junior year) and to progress to the second clinical year (senior year), students will be required to provide evidence of the following. All students are required to complete the above requirements by August 1¹ (prior to the fall semester entry into the Professional (Clinical) Phase of the Nursing Program). Students who do not fulfill these requirements and provide copies of the documentation for their student file will not advance to the professional phase.

Health Evaluation Form
Annual physical, required lab work and PPD are required (only prior PPD is negative). Proof of immunizations must include date, titer and results
Pre-Clinical Checklist
This form will be maintained in the student's file to serve as verification that all the necessary items are completed.
Infection Control Class
This class will be arranged during the semester the students are taking NURS 102 - Introduction to Nursing. A certificate of attendance will be awarded to students upon completion of this class.
HIPAA/Patient Health Information Confidentiality
This class will be arranged during the semester the students are taking NURS 102 - Introduction to Nursing. A certificate of attendance will be awarded to students upon completion of this class.
Child Abuse Prevention
This class will be arranged during the semester the students are taking NURS 102 - Introduction to Nursing. A certificate of attendance will be awarded to students upon completion of this class.
Patient Safety Information
This class will be arranged during the semester the students are taking NURS 102 - Introduction to Nursing. A certificate of attendance will be awarded to students upon completion of this class.
Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS)
A copy of the student's provider status will be maintained on file. Student is responsible for keeping the card current.
Uniforms
Students are required to purchase and wear the official NYIT Department of Nursing uniforms from the designated uniform company.
Student Nurse Lab Package
The student is required to purchase a Lab Nurse Pack (approximate current cost $60.00) to be used throughout the curriculum for clinical practice lab.
Total Curriculum Support and Tutorial Program
Each student is required to enroll in this on-line support protocol each semester (5 semesters) beginning in NURS 102 and ending with a comprehensive NCLEX-RN Review Course. The approximate cost is $100 per semester.
Certified Background Check by Designated Agency
Students may be required as part of the requirements for clinical rotations to have a background check performed by a designated agency. Applicants to the School of Health Professions should be aware that certain legal issues and/or convictions may preclude student from being accepted by clerkships, internships and/or fieldwork and impact the student’s ability to complete the required program courses and qualify for graduation, certification and/or licensure.

Policy: Progression in the Nursing Major

In order to continue in the Nursing major, students must receive minimum grades of C+ in (NURS 102, 301, 310, 315, 351, 360, 430, 401, 410, 421, 451, 461, 470, and 480) and maintain a minimum CGPA of 2.75. Students who receive a grade of C or lower in a nursing course or who fail any nursing course segment (didactic or clinical: NURS 102, 301, 310, 315, 351, 360, 401, 410, 421, 430, 451, 461, 470, and 480) will be allowed to repeat the specific failed course (didactic or clinical) only once. Only one nursing course may be repeated. Students who fail to achieve a B or better in a required nursing course (didactic or clinical) for a second time will be dismissed from the Nursing Program. Given the nature of nursing practice, students will not be permitted to use a withdrawal from a course to avoid failure. Withdrawal from a course is only permitted in the case of a documented illness, personal emergency or unusual circumstance and not because of a course/clinical/ lab rotation failure or anticipated failure.

Repeating a Course

Identified Prerequisite Courses- Students may repeat only two (2) indentified prerequisite courses in which they received a grade of C or below; these courses may be repeated only once. This requirement includes courses taken at other colleges. Students who are required to repeat an indentified prerequisite course must achieve a grade of C+ or better in the repeated course. Students who fail to achieve this requirement are not admissible to the nursing program.
Nursing Courses- Students who receive less than a C+ in a nursing course (clinical or didactic) may repeat the course only once. Students may repeat only one (1) nursing course. Students who are required to repeat a nursing course must achieve a grade of B or better in the repeated course. A grade of B-, C+ is not acceptable as a grade for the repeated course and constitutes a course failure. Failure in more than one nursing course constitutes grounds for dismissal from the Nursing Program.

Time Limit for Completion of Professional Phase

Students are accepted as a cohort into the professional phase of the nursing program in the spring semester of the sophomore year (fourth semester) beginning with the first nursing course NURS 102. The professional phase of the nursing program consists of 5 consecutive semesters. A student must complete the curriculum within 3.5 years. If a student needs to take a leave from the program, extenuating circumstances will be considered by the department and upon department approval, a student who is deemed eligible to return must take and pass competency exams for all prior completed coursework. If passed successfully, the student may then progress forward in the curriculum. If unsuccessful in meeting course competencies, the student must repeat the competencies; the student must repeat the coursework.

Re-applying to the Professional Phase

Students who have withdrawn, failed to return from a leave of absence at the designated time of 3.5 yrs or have successfully repeated a failed course, may be considered for readmission with departmental approval and if:

They left in good academic standing.
Financial obligations to NYIT have been met.
There is space available in the professional courses of that particular year.
Demonstration of Competency: Absence in the Clinical Area for more than 6 Months
- Students returning to the clinical courses after an absence 6 months or more are required to demonstrate the level of theoretical and clinical competency required for the course they are entering. This includes, but is not limited to physical assessment, medication administration, competency skills, set competency, documentation, etc. Students are required to demonstrate skills in both the nursing laboratory and participate in the patient simulation experience, select documentation and take scheduled exams. [This policy supports the Nursing Department’s commitment to patient safety.]

Grading, Testing, Attendance and Progression Policies: Academic Grading System

Grades for all courses are based on the standards outlined in the college-wide Student Handbook. The grading system for the nursing courses is based on the listing cited below. At the end of each semester, the grade point average (GPA) and cumulative grade point average (CGPA) are computed. The following information describes the process for calculating the GPA.

Quality Point Equivalent multiplied by # of Credits/Course = Course Quality Points

Example:

Course	Grade	Value x Credit = Quality Points
Psychology	B+	3.3	3	9.9
English	B	3.0	3	9.0
Math	C+	2.3	3	6.9
Anatomy	B-	2.7	4	10.8
Total Credits = 13 Total Quality Points = 36.6 Total Quality Points (36.6) divided by Total Credits (13) = Grade Point Average (2.82)

Grade Numerical Average Quality Points/Credits

A	96 - 100	4.0
A-	90 -95	3.7
B+	87 - 89	3.3
B	84 - 86	3.0
B-	80 - 83	2.7
C+	77 - 79	2.3
C	74 - 76	2.0
I	Incomplete	0.0
W	Withdrawal	0.0
WF	Withdrawal failing	0.0
F	Failure	0.0
IF	Failure from an incomplete	0.0

Academic Probation

Students must adhere to the standards specified in the college-wide Student Handbook. Students are placed on academic probation if their CGPA falls below 1.7 as a freshman, 1.90 as a sophomore, or 2.00 as a junior or senior. However, a nursing student cannot enter the professional phase with a CGPA less than 2.75. In addition, a nursing student who does not maintain a CGPA of 2.75 in his/her freshman or sophomore year will be evaluated by the Academic Review Committee for dismissal from the nursing program.

Grievance or Appeal Procedure

Refer to College-Wide Student Handbook. Students are required to follow the step-wise protocol as outlined in the handbook.

Dismissal/Failure
The student may be dismissed from the Nursing Program if the grade point average and/or the cumulative grade point average fall below 2.75. Students may also be dismissed from the Nursing Program by exhibiting improper behavior or professional misconduct to include, but not limited to: rude behavior toward faculty, fighting on campus or institutional grounds, plagiarism, striking a client, compromising the safety of a client, unsafe nursing care and not adhering to the Department of Nursing Policies and the Policies of the Clinical Agency Partners.

Withdrawal
Application for voluntary withdrawal from the Nursing Program must be submitted to the Nursing Chairperson, in writing, with a copy to the Dean of Health Professions. Withdrawals from a course are only permitted in the case of a documented illness, personal emergency or unusual circumstance and not because of a course/clinical/lab rotation failure or anticipated failure. Given the nature of nursing practice, students will not be permitted to use withdrawal from a course to avoid a failure. In addition, withdrawals are permitted only for students who have no academic or disciplinary proceedings or financial obligations to NYIT. Letters of "Good Standing" will be written for students who meet the above criteria.

Estimated Program Costs²

Students are required to purchase equipment/supplies that are essential for their performance. In addition to college tuition and other related college fees the estimated cost of books, equipment, and supplies is $350-$1000/ year.

Equipment/Supplies:

Black penBlack Pen
Small writing pad
Penlight
Wrist watch with second hand
Stethoscope & Sphygmomanometer
Nurse pack (est. cost $65)
Identification card (ID)
Nursing Bag (Community Health Clinical Course)

There are also costs associated with graduation, tutorial and online support program (approximately $125 per semester, X 5 semesters; licensure fees, pinning ceremony, background check, On-line NYS Infection Control, Child Abuse Prevention, HIPAA and Patient Safety required courses) and student uniforms (estimated cost $150).

Student Uniforms:

Students will be required to order their uniforms towards the end of the NURS 102 course. Students will be notified in advance about the times and dates for uniform orders. All student uniforms are ordered through Dove Professional Apparel. For company information visit www.doveapparel.com.

Required uniform for all students:

(2) Uniscrub Top- Sailor Blue
(2) Unisex Pants- White
(2) Patch- NYIT (for top and jacket)
Straight Skirt- White (optional for women)
V-Neck Cardigan- White
Name Pin

Disclaimer: The Department of Nursing Student handbook outlines policies pertaining to the Nursing Major. The contents, information, policies, requirements of students herein this handbook may change related to additional accreditation criteria, added student requirements and or changes in Nursing department policies and procedures. Such changes would be effective immediately upon student notice and would be required of all nursing students enrolled in the major. Students will be held accountable to meet current requirements regardless of date of admission to the Nursing Program. Students are advised to visit the Nursing Website at www.nyit.edu/nursing, for current information regarding the nursing program.

[1] Submission deadline subject to change

[2] Program costs are subject to change