Nursing is the nation’s largest health care profession. More than 2.5 million registered nurses are at the fore front of health care in the United States.
Most health care services involve some form of care by nurses. With more than four times as many Registered Nurses in the United States as physicians, nurses deliver an extended array of health care services in hospitals, private practices, health maintenance organizations, public health agencies, home health care, primary care clinics and nursing homes. Advanced practice nurses with graduate degrees may practice as nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, nurse anesthetists, administrators, case managers, educators and clinical specialists.
The Brigham Young University College of Nursing was established in 1952 following the closure of the LDS Hospital School of Nursing. Since the first class graduated in 1956, alumni of the College of Nursing have made significant contributions to the health of their communities through excellent practice and nursing leadership.
Graduates of the College are expert clinicians, administrators and educators. A significant number of nursing’s alumni have also served the LDS Church internationally through the Health and Welfare missionary programs. Graduates of the College have consistently passed the national licence exam with rates exceeding national and state averages.
The College of Nursing offers a baccalaureate program leading to a Bachelor of Science degree. All students completing the Bachelors of Science program are eligible to sit for the National Council Licensing Examination necessary to become an RN.
Students are admitted to the program after completing three to four semesters of prerequisite courses. The baccalaureate curriculum is built upon a foundation of courses in the sciences, humanities and religious studies, and includes a broad array of courses that provide students with a university education.
Students in nursing learn in classroom, clinical and laboratory settings. A fully-equipped interactive simulation laboratory enables students to achieve an acceptable level of proficiency in patient care before entering the clinical setting.
Critical thinking and psychomotor skills are developed as students work through actual patient situations. The Learning Resource Center, with reference and media materials, is available to assist students in gaining nursing knowledge and skills.
Students acquire clinical practice skills in the finest acute care hospitals, community agencies, public health departments, clinics and home health agencies in Utah. Students also have the opportunity to participate in international or cross-cultural nursing experiences in Jordan, Guatemala and with Native American Indians in Utah and Arizona. A research center and computer laboratory are also available to support student learning.
The College of Nursing also offers a masters degree with specializations as a Family Nurse Practitioner or in Health Care Systems Administration.
The College of Nursing is located on the fourth and fifth floors of the Kimball Tower and in the Smith Family Living Center. Students may find more information regarding the nursing program in the College Advisement Center in 500 SWKT.
