The Nursing Programs
Established in 1933 as the first baccalaureate program in nursing in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the School of Nursing at Spalding University remains a leader in assuring excellence in nursing practice through innovation in nursing education. The rich heritage of seven decades of nursing education coupled with high educational standards and a commitment to learning and service with others has positioned its more that 2,600 graduates for serving the well and the sick in hospitals, special care facilities, schools, community agencies and the military, to name just a few. The School of Nursing has placed graduates as managers and leaders in health care, health care ethics, public policy, and health care systems, as well as advanced practice nurses, throughout the state of Kentucky, across the United States and abroad.

The School offers the Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing (BSN) and the Master's Degree in Nursing (MSN). Two program options are available for students interested in pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Nursing: an Upper Division Pre-licensure BSN Program for students seeking their first degree in nursing and a FAST TRACK Second Degree BSN option for students with a baccalaureate degree in another discipline.

The Master's Degree Program offers three tracks for study: Nurse Practitioner (Adult, Family, and Pediatric), Nurse Educator, and Leadership in Nursing and Health Care and Post Master Certificate as a Nurse Practitioner (Adult, Family, and Pediatric) and Nurse Educator.

A specially designed RN-MSN Bridge Option is tailored for RNs with a bachelor's degree in another field who wish to advance directly into the MSN Program.

The BSN and MSN programs are fully accredited by the Southern Association of College and Schools and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and hold agency membership in the American Association of Colleges and Schools, the Kentucky Association of Baccalaureate and Higher Degree Nursing Programs, and the National Association Nurse Practitioner Faculties. The pre-licensure programs are approved by the Kentucky Board of Nursing. The School of Nursing is also an approved provider of continuing education programs for registered nurses.

Mission Statement of the School of Nursing
The School of Nursing embraces the Mission statement of Spalding University. Building on liberal education competencies, the Mission of the School is the following:

• To prepare graduates to competently appraise wellness-illness and apply the concept of change in nursing practice;
• To prepare graduates who demonstrate competence in leadership, communication, critical thinking, research, cultural competence, teaching/learning, and health care management for persons in a variety of health care settings;
• To foster caring as a characteristic of graduates;
• To promote professionalism and ethical behavior as an individual responsibility of the graduate.

School Outcomes
The following outcomes are applicable to all degree programs offered in the School of Nursing. These outcomes will have varying emphases as required by the specified degree and are defined further in term of overall competencies and program specific outcome competencies and are used to guide content levels and course outcomes and competency evaluation processes.

Upon completion of the BSN and MSN Nursing Programs at Spalding University, all graduates will be able to:

1. Implement the professional nursing role in collaboration with health team members to provide safe, effective care based on knowledge from nursing, health-related disciplines, and arts and sciences;
2. Communicate effectively using oral, written, and information technology in a variety of settings, with diverse individuals and groups;
3. Integrate critical thinking skills in the practice of professional nursing in diverse settings using knowledge from nursing, health-related disciplines, and arts and sciences;
4. Participate in research development and utilization, using relevant methods of scientific inquiry to explore problems and advance knowledge in nursing and healthcare;
5. Integrate caring and respect for human dignity in professional nursing practice to individuals, families, and communities in diverse populations;
6. Make decisions consistent with the professional nursing role and the diversity of others with a relevant ethical framework;
7. Influence change that promotes justice for diverse and vulnerable persons and promotes healthcare;
8. Incorporate effective teaching-learning principles and skills in professional nursing practice;
9. Manage client care using accessible human and material resources effectively;
10. Integrate leadership skills in a variety of professional and scholarly activities that promote the professional nursing practice role;
11. Engage in ongoing professional development through focused self-reflection within a specified framework;
12. Engage in responsible citizenship and service to community.

Admission
Admission requirements for each of the programs offered in the School of Nursing are discussed under the program descriptions.

Programs in the School of Nursing

BSN Program

Pre-Licensure Traditional Option
Pre-Licensure Fast-Track Option

MSN Program

Nurse Practitioner Track

Adult Nurse Practitioner

Family Nurse Practitioner

Nurse Educator Track
Leadership in Nursing and Health Care Track