Nursing

Nursing is a scholarly, altruistic profession that focuses on the practice of holistic, multidimensional care to promote the optimal health of persons, within the context of the Christian faith. The goal of the department is to prepare professional nurses with essential knowledge, competencies, attitudes and values necessary for effective nursing practice.

About The Program

The Hope College Nursing Department will provide a baccalaureate nursing program of excellence within the context of the Christian faith that is recognized for its innovation in the preparation of professional nurses. Faculty will establish a collaborative teaching-learning environment to promote critical thinking, scholarship and professional development. Students will engage in the scholarly art and science of nursing and provide multidimensional, compassionate and culturally sensitive care for individuals, families, groups, communities and populations.

Student Outcomes: Upon completion of the program, the Hope College Department of Nursing graduate will:

Provide value-based nursing care within the context of the Christian faith.
Engage in the roles of the professional nurse to promote the optimal health of persons across the lifespan.
Practice evidence-based professional nursing care using critical thinking to provide safe, quality patient care.
Utilize the nursing process to provide complex, multi-dimensional, holistic care.
Engage in effective intraprofessional and interprofessional communication and collaboration to advocate for the optimal health of persons.
Assume accountability for planning and/or providing community-based nursing care for individuals, families, groups, communities, or populations.
Provide culturally competent care for individuals, families, groups, communities, or populations.
Engage in continuous professional development through advanced education and/or activities of lifelong learning.

Students enrolled in the nursing program engage in a wide variety of practicum nursing experiences. Students have learning experiences in a fully equipped nursing laboratory. Practicum experiences occur in acute care and community sites. These sites include, but are not limited to:

Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital
Holland Hospital
Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital
Ottawa County Health Department
Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services
Spectrum Health

The research practicum will occur in the location where the research study is taking place. Students are responsible for their own transportation for all practicum experiences.

The Hope College Nursing Program is approved by the Michigan Board of Nursing (P.O. Box 30018, Lansing, MI 48909). It is approved by the Illinois Board of Nursing (100 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60601) to utilize in collaboration with the Chicago Semester internship program. The Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing at Hope College is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001,202-887-6791, ccneaccreditation.org

Upon completion of all requirements, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is awarded. The program meets the requirements for licensure in Michigan. The Hope College Nursing Department has not made the determination as to whether the program’s curriculum meets the requirement for licensure in other states. Students seeking licensure in other states are responsible to verify the existence of special requirements for that particular state. Students should be aware that the State Board of Nursing reviews the records of all graduates who have completed a nursing program to determine eligibility to take the licensing examination (NCLEX-RN®). The State Board of Nursing retains the right to deny a graduate permission to complete the licensure examination (NCLEX) if they have been convicted of a crime.

Majors

The nursing major can begin as early as fall of the sophomore year. A student who wishes to pursue a degree in nursing should begin prerequisite courses in the freshman year. If possible, students should indicate their interest in nursing on the application for admission to Hope College. A secondary admission to the nursing major is required.

Application to the nursing major is generally done in the spring semester of the freshman year to begin nursing courses in the fall of the sophomore year or application can be made in the fall of the sophomore year to begin nursing courses in the spring of the sophomore year.

The nursing application includes a nursing program student admission application form and references from professional people (non-family), one of which must be from a Hope College professor. In a proctored environment at Hope College, all applicants will write an essay and take the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS). Students will pay a fee for the pre-nursing exam. Consideration is given to the applicant’s personal characteristics of leadership, caring and critical thinking, in addition to cumulative grade point average, grade point average in prerequisite courses, ACT and SAT scores, TEAS score, mid-term grades and achievement in individual courses.

Applications will be accepted at any time. Items described above must be received by the Department of Nursing by February 1 or October 1 of each year to receive a response prior to registration for the following semester.

Information concerning admission criteria, procedures, application forms and a sample program plan are available in the Department of Nursing or on the department website. All nursing major applicants must be enrolled at Hope College and be in good standing. The nursing major declaration form is completed after acceptance to the nursing program.

To be eligible for admission to the nursing program, students must have successfully completed one prerequisite natural science course. At the time of program application, students must also be enrolled in or have completed an additional prerequisite natural science course and one prerequisite social science course. To be eligible for admission to the nursing major, a minimum overall cumulative grade point average of 3.2 is required and a minimum grade of C (2.0) is required in each of the prerequisite courses. Admission is selective and completion of prerequisite courses does not assure acceptance into the nursing major. Preference will be given to students who have completed a minimum of 12 credits at Hope. Students desiring to transfer to Hope for the nursing major will be considered on a space available basis after being admitted. Transfer students must complete 12 credits at Hope before applying to the program, including at least one prerequisite natural science course. The number of transfer students will be limited to 10% per semester. Transfer students that have been dismissed from another nursing program are not eligible for the nursing major at Hope.

Acceptance into the nursing program and continuation in the nursing program are contingent on passing a criminal background check, drug screening, and meeting clinical agency requirements. Students will be charged a fee for the background check and drug screening.

Programs

Majors

Nursing, BSN

Courses

Nursing