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Nursing: Pre-Licensure
Compassion to Competence: Direct-Admit BSN
In the direct-admit nursing program at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, you’ll learn how to combine the art of caring and compassion with the science of health care.
Here, the BSN program is influenced by the Careful Nursing Philosophy and Professional Practice Model©. Within this unique community, you won’t just care for patients; you’ll delve into the essence of the inherent dignity of the human person. Embracing a vibrant, caring community, you’ll learn the art of self-care, fostering compassion not only for others but also for yourself.
Our B.S. in Nursing program opens doors to a healthcare career with a sense of self-assurance and a holistic vision of compassionate nursing. Steeped in the Catholic tradition of healthcare, our program imparts values that transcend the clinical realm.
Distinguished by its innovative structure, our program ensures an immersive nursing experience right from the start. Commencing with the Introduction to Professional Nursing in your initial semester, you’ll advance to foundational nursing courses in your sophomore year, encompassing classroom, clinical, and simulation lab learning. The initial two years focus on fulfilling general education and prerequisites, establishing a robust foundation for your nursing expedition.
Spanning four years, the Nursing: Pre-Licensure major demands successful completion of general requisites and specialized nursing coursework. Your journey through this comprehensive curriculum delves into vital themes and crucial subjects, including pathophysiology, pharmacology, health promotion, chronic and acute care, mental health, ethics, leadership, and management. Armed with this diverse knowledge, you’ll be well-equipped to flourish in the nursing profession.
From day one, you’ll be an integral part of a nursing cohort on the Winona campus, fostering relationships with future colleagues and esteemed faculty. Our distinctive approach integrates Lasallian Catholic values, ensuring your growth as both a skilled nurse and an empathetic caregiver. Together, you’ll explore not only where your path leads but also who you aspire to become.
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Program Highlights
- Enhance your nursing skills in Aquinas Hall’s dedicated nursing space, equipped with a state-of-the-art Skills Lab and Simulation Space. You’ll have the opportunity to hone your expertise through hands-on training in essential procedures such as foley catheter insertion, nasogastric tube placement, administering injections, and managing intravenous medications. We also have medium-fidelity manikins that replicate lifelike patient scenarios, providing you with a realistic hospital environment to apply your skills and build confidence.
- You’ll complete over 500 hours of practical, hands-on learning throughout the program in clinical and simulation learning experiences. We have several partnerships with clinical healthcare partners across Minnesota and Wisconsin, because we focus on preparing you for tomorrow’s workforce.
- Personalize your journey with 19 different minors. Learn more.
Approvals and Licensure
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
Saint Mary’s received approval by the Minnesota Board of Nursing for its Bachelor of Science in Nursing program on June 3, 2021. Board approval of the program is required for graduates to be eligible for professional nursing licensure as a registered nurse in Minnesota.
Through the Licensure by Examination process, BSN graduates who pass the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX-RN) obtain an unrestricted RN license. The NCLEX-RN is a national exam administered by individual states and jurisdictions throughout the United States and its territories and Canada. Each individual governing body issues authorization to test based on specific requirements which allows a student to take the NCLEX-RN.
All students intending to take the NCLEX-RN outside the state of Minnesota should direct their questions to Sister Agnes Mary Graves, director and Inaugural Jack and Mary Ann Remick Chair of Nursing.
Visit our Professional Licensure Disclosures and Resources page for additional information about this program and nursing licensure.
What You'll Learn
- In-depth study of scientific principles of nursing
- Evidence-based decision making and clinical reasoning
- Recognize and uphold the inherent dignity of every patient, respecting their worth and individuality, as a fundamental principle in nursing practice.
- Therapeutic and professional written and oral communication
- Ethical leadership with a focus on character and virtue
- Adaptation to the changing healthcare environment
Nursing Program Facilities and Resources
Support Facilities
- Control Rooms: Experienced faculty oversee and manage simulations to ensure a seamless learning experience.
- Debriefing Rooms: Students and faculty reflect on and discuss simulation experiences to enhance learning outcomes and clinical judgment.
Manikins and Training Equipment
Our nursing skills lab and simulations rooms are furnished with high-fidelity manikins and training equipment to support comprehensive clinical training:
- Juno Adult Manikins: Perform injections; insert Foley catheters and nasogastric tubes; care for tracheostomies, ostomies, and wounds; administer medications; and many other essential nursing skills.
- Victoria Manikin: Specialized OB manikin for obstetric training, simulating childbirth and related procedures.
- Pediatric HAL Manikin: Pediatric training manikin for practicing child-specific medical care.
Advanced Simulation Suite
Our nursing program is equipped with a state-of-the-art simulation suite designed to provide hands-on experience in a controlled, safe environment. The suite includes:
- Medical and Surgical Room: Practice a range of procedures and techniques in a realistic hospital setting.
- OB Delivery Room: Specialize in obstetrics with simulations that cover prenatal to postnatal care.
- Outpatient/Pediatric Room: Gain experience in outpatient and pediatric care scenarios.
What is holistic nursing?
“We’re looking at the whole person and so we have to form you as a whole person to be a good nurse. We have to let you learn how to see your patients in that full broad context.”
– Sister Agnes Mary Graves, RSM, DNP
Admissions
Your journey towards a brighter future starts here. Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is committed to empowering you with knowledge, fostering personal growth, and nurturing the leaders of tomorrow.
Course Information
Careers that look to the future.
Over the next eight years, RN jobs will grow by 177,400 or 6%. The median annual salary for an RN in 2023 was $86,070.1 With so much flexibility in nursing, whether you decide to work in a remote hospital or your community as a public health nurse, you'll make a difference wherever you go.
Registered Nurse
$86,070FAQs
All incoming first-year students can apply to Saint Mary’s online using the Saint Mary’s application or The Common Application. Application materials will be reviewed and letters of acceptance to the nursing program sent on a rolling basis beginning in August. Each cohort has 50 seats and to accept a seat in the cohort, you must submit an admissions deposit.
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
Our Nursing: Pre-Licensure major is unique because you begin nursing courses your very first semester with Introduction to Professional Nursing and gradually build up to more advanced nursing courses in the junior year with classroom, clinical, and simulation lab learning experiences. General education and prerequisite courses are mostly completed in the first two years.
During this four-year program, you will pay Saint Mary’s tuition and fees. Nursing students in their sophomore, junior and senior year will have additional student fees and costs related to the program.
Of course! You may qualify for Saint Mary’s scholarships and financial aid during your time in the program.
Nursing students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and pass science and nursing courses with a C or better to remain in the nursing program. Qualifications to begin nursing clinical rotations in the sophomore year include providing documentation of all required immunizations, negative tuberculosis screening, Basic Life Support certification, passing criminal background checks, and passing a drug screen.
If requirements are not met during the program, a review meeting will be held with the nursing student, Director of Nursing, and faculty advisor to assess remediation or dismissal from the nursing program. If dismissed from the nursing program, the Director or Nursing will help the student explore other degree options at Saint Mary’s.
The Baccalaureate Degree Program in Nursing at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Saint Mary’s received approval by the Minnesota Board of Nursing for its Bachelor of Science in Nursing program on June 3, 2021. Board approval of the program is required for graduates to be eligible for professional nursing licensure as a registered nurse in Minnesota.
Registered nurses are already in high demand, and the world needs even more. Over the next eight years, RN jobs will grow by 177,400 or 6%.2 What’s causing such an astounding employment growth? The need to care for the aging baby boomer population, longer life expectancies, and more patients with chronic conditions all require experienced and compassionate care.1
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1U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Registered Nurses at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm (visited May 29, 2024).
2U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Registered Nurses at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm (visited May 29, 2024).