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Accelerated Bachelor of Science (ABSN)
in Nursing Degree Program

Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) Degree Overview


If you're eager to dive deep into the world of nursing, pave the way for an outstanding career with Nebraska Methodist College's 12-month accelerated bachelor of science in nursing degree program (ACE/ABSN).

Graduates don't just embark on nursing careers as skilled practitioners; they also step into leadership roles within the healthcare sector. Completing an accelerated BSN degree at NMC enables you to swiftly take up positions like nurse manager, nursing director, public health nurse, and registered nurse, serving in diverse settings such as hospitals, home healthcare services, physician's offices, and even the military.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the nursing profession is witnessing significant growth. Anticipated job growth for the sector is 6% from 2022 to 2032 (average growth rate is 5%), with a median salary for nurses pegged at $81,220 annually ($39.05 per hour).

Thanks to the dedication of our staff and the community, accelerated BSN students boast an impressive 96%-100% success rate on the NCLEX exam over the past few years.

Interested in more insights? Tune into our latest Virtual Information Session.

ABSN Program Perks
  • Designed to wrap up in just 12 months for individuals holding a non-nursing degree.
  • Tailored academic assistance.
  • State-of-the-art labs paired with comprehensive clinical experiences.
  • Cohort system ensures camaraderie and support during the intensive program.
  • Knowledgeable and fervent faculty.
  • A whopping 100% of Accelerated BSN graduates aced the NCLEX on their first try in 2019.
  • 96% of ACE graduates secure a job within half a year post-graduation.
  • CNA is not a prerequisite for entry.
CCNE

Accreditation & Licensure

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing/master's degree program in nursing/Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Nebraska Methodist College is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.

Graduates must pass NCLEX exam, and apply for licensure in state of practice.

Admissions Information

Criteria

In order to be eligible for admission into our Accelerated BSN program, you must meet all of the following criteria:

  • Completion of the general education prerequisite courses prior to August enrollment.
  • Earned associate or bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution.
  • A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75.
  • Success in previous math and science coursework.
  • Ability to meet the technical standards of nursing practice.

Requirements

To be considered for admission, the following items must be submitted through Nursing's Centralized Application Service:

  • NursingCAS application
  • Admissions essay
  • Program/career awareness questionnaire
  • Official transcripts from all colleges attended
  • Completion of the general education prerequisite courses prior to August matriculation.
  • Please review the ACE 2023 Information Packet for more information regarding prerequisites, application process, scholarships and frequently asked questions.

We strongly suggest that you begin working on your application as early as possible and submit no later than two weeks before the published deadline. This will allow time for NursingCAS to verify transcripts and other submitted documents.

Deadlines

The application for Fall 2024 is now open.

Starting Term - Fall 2024

Standard Deadline - 4/1/2024

Costs & Financial Aid

NMC is committed to helping you find every avenue to finance your education. View the Tuition by Program & Degree page for a comprehensive list of all fees.

Cost Per Credit Hour

$623

NMC Scholarships

NMC Scholarships consist of funds generously provided by the Methodist Hospital Foundation to assist our students.

Student Grants or Loans

Visit our Financial Aid page to learn more about what's available and how to apply.

Employee Education Benefits

Employees of Methodist Health System can find details on the MHS Intranet.

External Scholarships

Visit our Scholarships page to learn more.

Calculate Your Net Price

Nebraska Methodist College Net Price Calculator.

Curriculum

NMC’s accelerated BSN program is designed for students with a non-nursing degree and can be completed in 12 months. New cohorts begin in August. 

The program requires a minimum of 124 credit hours (including prerequisite courses and program hours). All accelerated nursing degree students are required to complete specific coursework. 

First year - First Semester

BIO 315
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
DETAILS
The course begins with a major focus on cellular functions and pathology, including inflammation, infection, immune response, metabolism, and fluid disequilibrium. These concepts serve as the foundation for the course as alterations in various bodily functions are examined. Alterations in body fluid and electrolyte homeostasis, fluid acid-base balance, gastrointestinal, urinary, respiratory, cardiac, endocrine, neurological, mobility and sensory-perceptual functions are emphasized.

Prerequisites: BIO 226, BIO 281, CHE 101

NRS 102
POPULATION BASED HEALTH I
DETAILS

This introductory course provides a foundation for population health nursing along the continuum of well being emphasizing healthy individuals. Students will be introduced to population health focused on improving health outcomes across systems at the local, state, and national level. Students will examine the fundamental concepts of safety, health promotion, health disparities, pain, caring, development, nutrition, determinants of health, and evidence.

The clinical practicum offers students opportunities to practice clinical judgement while providing nursing care focused on primary and secondary interventions. Students will demonstrate fundamental nursing skills while providing compassionate and culturally respectful nursing care. Students will identify components of research and
evidence based practice to meet the needs of diverse populations.

Prerequisites & Corequisites: View here

NRS 102C
POPULATION BASED HEALTH CLINICAL I
DETAILS

This introductory course provides a foundation for population health nursing along the continuum of well being emphasizing healthy individuals. Students will be introduced to population health focused on improving health outcomes across systems at the local, state, and national level. Students will examine the fundamental concepts of safety, health promotion, health disparities, pain, caring, development, nutrition, determinants of health, and evidence.

The clinical practicum offers students opportunities to practice clinical judgement while providing nursing care focused on primary and secondary interventions. Students will demonstrate fundamental nursing skills while providing compassionate and culturally respectful nursing care. Students will identify components of research and
evidence based practice to meet the needs of diverse populations.

Prerequisite: Pre-requisites are all first, second, and third semester arts and science courses or by permission of BSN Director.

Corequisites: Co-requisite courses are enrollment in NRS 105 Professionalism in Nursing and NRS 110/110L Health Assessment Across the Lifespan.

NRS 105
PROFESSIONALISM IN NURSING
DETAILS
In this professionalism in nursing course, students are introduced to the NMC Core Values and standards expected of a nursing professional including the nursing code of ethics. Personal behaviors required of the profession such as appearance, etiquette, language and communication are also introduced. This non-clinical course introduces the concepts of Professional Identity, and Culture.

Prerequisites & Corequisites: View here

NRS 110
HEALTH ASSESSMENT ACROSS THE LIFESPAN
DETAILS
This health assessment course familiarizes students with normal and abnormal health assessment of clients across the lifespan. The course utilizes Gordon’s structural framework as the primary means to organize assessment data and prioritize nursing diagnoses. The student will identify and utilize the principles of diagnosis, reasoning, and
critical thinking to practice the application of health assessment findings to nursing practice. During this nonclinical lab, the student will analyze data collected during a complete health assessment. The health assessment data collected consists of a complete health history and physical assessment including laboratory values, level of wellness, environment, health practices and goals, psychosocial, mental, nutritional, and transcultural considerations.

Prerequisites & Corequisites: View here

NRS 200
POPULATION BASED HEALTH II
DETAILS
This course expands on population health focusing on nursing care addressing low risk and/or chronic conditions. Students will integrate concepts and skills used in the delivery of care with an emphasis on primary, secondary and tertiary interventions, to mitigate health disparities and improve access to health care. Concepts introduced in this course include perfusion, gas exchange and cognition while expanding on concepts previously introduced. The clinical practicum offers students opportunities to implement caring and communication with individuals, families, and aggregates. Students will apply evidence based practice and research findings in planning and evaluating care.

Prerequisites & Corequisites: View here

NRS 200C
POPULATION BASED HEALTH II CLINICAL
DETAILS
This course expands on population health focusing on nursing care addressing low risk and/or chronic conditions. Students will integrate concepts and skills used in the delivery of care with an emphasis on primary, secondary and tertiary interventions, to mitigate health disparities and improve access to health care. Concepts introduced in this course include perfusion, gas exchange and cognition while expanding on concepts previously introduced. The clinical practicum offers students opportunities to implement caring and communication with individuals, families, and aggregates. Students will apply evidence based practice and research findings in planning and evaluating care.

Prerequisite: Pre-requisites are all first, second, third semester arts and science courses, and NRS 102/102C, NRS 110/110L, and NRS 105 or by permission of BSN Director.

Corequisites: Co-requisite course is enrollment in NRS 201 Public Health Nursing

SCI 320
INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACOLOGY
DETAILS
This course is designed to introduce students to pharmacological principles. The various drug classifications and general characteristics of drugs within a class are examined. The course also focuses on complete analysis of pharmacokinetics and drug interactions.

Prerequisites: CHE 100, BIO 225, BIO 226 Pre/Corequisite: BIO 315

First year - Second Semester

COM 255/252/262
Language and Culture in Healthcare
DETAILS
LANGUAGE & CULTURE IN HEALTHCARE: Access to healthcare is greatly affected by one's command of language. Students in this course engage in the exploration of language and culture then apply these concepts to the healthcare environment through service-learning and community engagement. Students develop practical communication skills that enable effective cross-cultural work with health professionals and clients with backgrounds different from their own. This course lasts over the entire semester. CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN HEALTHCARE: This one-credit course is designed for students who transfer in at least three credit hours of college-level sign language or international language coursework. Students engage with concepts of culturally competent care and effective cross-cultural communication for the optimal care of patients from diverse backgrounds.

NRS 201
PUBLIC HEALTH SCIENCE
DETAILS
Description pending final approval.

Prerequisites & Corequisites: View here

NRS 300
POPULATION BASED HEALTH III
DETAILS
This course builds on population health nursing concepts focusing on care management for the moderate risk individual with multiple chronic health conditions. Students will demonstrate professional role development, clinical judgement, and the use of humanistic/scientific principles and research as the basis of compassionate and culturally respectful nursing care. Students learn to manage disease care, conduct interdisciplinary practice, and provide patient education and advocacy through secondary and tertiary care interventions for individuals, families, and aggregates. The clinical practicum offers opportunities to practice health promotion and restorative nursing care. Experiences promote integration of the nursing process, including prioritization, professional communication, delegation, advocacy, and leadership. Students will analyze research and evidence based practice.

Prerequisites & Corequisites: View here

NRS 300C
POPULATION BASED HEALTH III CLINICAL
DETAILS
This course builds on population health nursing concepts focusing on care management for the moderate risk individual with multiple chronic health conditions. Students will demonstrate professional role development, clinical judgement, and the use of humanistic/scientific principles and research as the basis of compassionate and culturally respectful nursing care. Students learn to manage disease care, conduct interdisciplinary practice, and provide patient education and advocacy through secondary and tertiary care interventions for individuals, families, and aggregates. The clinical practicum offers opportunities to practice health promotion and restorative nursing care. Experiences promote integration of the nursing process, including prioritization, professional communication, delegation, advocacy, and leadership. Students will analyze research and evidence based practice.

Prerequisites & Corequisites: View here

NRS 301
HEALTHCARE POLICY
DETAILS
In this online course, the focus is on legislation of healthcare. Professional activism is introduced. Students learn about the nurse’s role in health care advocacy and policy development both individually and through professional organizations. Based on the social determinants of health at the local, state, and national level, students select an area of interest to develop health-care policy to implement change.

Prerequisites & Corequisites: View here

NRS 400
POPULATION BASED HEALTH IV
DETAILS
This advanced population health nursing course focuses on caring for individuals requiring close monitoring and timely interventions. Students will expand on the role of the professional caregiver through nursing theory, knowledge, and concepts. The clinical practicum offers students varied experiences with high risk populations across the lifespan with a focus on secondary and tertiary interventions. Progressive clinical judgement will promote ongoing synthesis of complex concepts in nursing care management across the continuum. Experiences foster prioritization, leadership, autonomy and interdisciplinary collaboration. Evaluation of evidenced based practice and research findings will be applied to high acuity populations.

Prerequisites & Corequisites: View here

NRS 400C
POPULATION BASED HEALTH IV CLINICAL
DETAILS
This advanced population health nursing course focuses on caring for individuals requiring close monitoring and timely interventions. Students will expand on the role of the professional caregiver through nursing theory, knowledge, and concepts. The clinical practicum offers students varied experiences with high risk populations across the lifespan with a focus on secondary and tertiary interventions. Progressive clinical judgement will promote ongoing synthesis of complex concepts in nursing care management across the continuum. Experiences foster prioritization, leadership, autonomy and interdisciplinary collaboration. Evaluation of evidenced based practice and research findings will be applied to high acuity populations.

Prerequisites & Corequisites: View here

NRS ___
Non-Clinical Nursing Elective
DETAILS

Prerequisites & Corequisites: View here

First year - Third Semester

NRS 402
TRANSITION TO PRACTICE
DETAILS
During this non-clinical course, students prepare to transition to the profession of nursing. Using the framework of the nursing code of ethics, students synthesize the concepts of quality, healthcare finance, leadership, professionalism, safety, informatics, and performance improvement.

Prerequisites & Corequisites: View here

NRS 405
HEALTHCARE COLLABORATION & LEADERSHIP/GLOBAL HEALTH
DETAILS
Description pending final approval.

NRS 410
NURSING CARE OF SPECIALIZED POPULATIONS
DETAILS
This course focuses on synthesis of population health in the continuum of care for individuals, families, and aggregates in a variety of settings. Students will personalize their professional nurse role through nursing theory, knowledge, and concepts. Students will integrate clinical judgement to create holistic health solutions and optimal outcomes. Students will examine professional roles in accordance with regulatory and accrediting processes. The extended clinical practicum offers students diverse experiences with varied populations across the lifespan while building on skills of advocacy, prioritization, leadership, autonomy and interprofessional collaboration. Students will critique evidence based practice and research findings to improve population health outcomes.

Prerequisites & Corequisites: View here

NRS 410C
NURSING CARE OF SPECIALIZED POPULATIONS CLINICAL
DETAILS
This course focuses on synthesis of population health in the continuum of care for individuals, families, and aggregates in a variety of settings. Students will personalize their professional nurse role through nursing theory, knowledge, and concepts. Students will integrate clinical judgement to create holistic health solutions and optimal outcomes. Students will examine professional roles in accordance with regulatory and accrediting processes. The extended clinical practicum offers students diverse experiences with varied populations across the lifespan while building on skills of advocacy, prioritization, leadership, autonomy and interprofessional collaboration. Students will critique evidence based practice and research findings to improve population health outcomes.

Prerequisites & Corequisites: View here

NRS 471
SENIOR SYNTHESIS
DETAILS
Students INTEGRATE concepts of the professional role into a personal philosophy of nursing. Students will use Population Health Concepts and Evidence Based Practice to critically evaluate and refine decision-making skills, in the care and management of clients across all populations. Population health, clinical judgement, leadership/management and legal/ethical principles provide a framework for classroom activities. Students experience the role of the practicing nurse in an applied learning environment. Students are assigned an RN preceptor to promote the development of confidence and competence in applying the skills and knowledge expected from a novice. Through the synthesis of prior knowledge, students apply management and communication skills to foster interdisciplinary collaboration. Students demonstrate responsibility and legal/ethical accountability in their professional role as caregiver, teacher, and manager of care to individuals, families and aggregates.

Prerequisites & Corequisites: View here

NRS 471P
SENIOR PRECEPTOR PRACTICUM
DETAILS
Students INTEGRATE concepts of the professional role into a personal philosophy of nursing. Students will use Population Health Concepts and Evidence Based Practice to critically evaluate and refine decision-making skills, in the care and management of clients across all populations. Population health, clinical judgement, leadership/management and legal/ethical principles provide a framework for classroom activities. Students experience the role of the practicing nurse in an applied learning environment. Students are assigned an RN preceptor to promote the development of confidence and competence in applying the skills and knowledge expected from a novice. Through the synthesis of prior knowledge, students apply management and communication skills to foster interdisciplinary collaboration. Students demonstrate responsibility and legal/ethical accountability in their professional role as caregiver, teacher, and manager of care to individuals, families and aggregates.

Prerequisites & Corequisites: View here

SSC 465
CAPSTONE: THE EDUCATED CITIZEN
DETAILS
This course is based in the social sciences and is designed to assist students in the integration of their roles as healthcare professionals and educated citizens. The focus of the class is on deepening students’ understanding of and facility with social and political systems that impact the health and wellbeing of the community. Students demonstrate their preparation to act as educated citizens through the presentation of their portfolio within the context of this capstone course.

Meet the Faculty

Our nursing faculty are highly experienced and credentialed in their own fields, giving you constant real-world insight you can use. While any instructor can recite from a textbook, ours go a step further and draw from vast personal and professional experiences. Instructors here care as deeply about their students as they do the subject matter and it shows.

Meet the Faculty

Additional Information

Nursing Program Mission

The philosophy of the Baccalaureate Program of the Division of Nursing is reflective of the beliefs from which the NMC Mission and Core Values were formulated.

Human Being

The nursing faculty believe that human beings are holistic and diverse. Each human being has dignity and lives within a cultural context of values, religious/spiritual beliefs and social support systems. Human beings interact with the environment in which they reside through language, lifestyle and individual responsibilities. Human beings function in independent, interdependent, and/or dependent roles and may seek or receive nursing care related to disease prevention, illness care, health promotion and/or maintenance through the continuum of life.

Environment

Environment is viewed as the place where people live, grow, work, play, and experience optimal wellness of self and personal wholeness. The caring environment encompasses an obligation to both the local and global communities. The focus of the environment is also the cultivation of healing relationships, diversity, social justice, financial awareness and stewardship of resources for an ecologically healthy planet.

Health

Health is a human right and nurses promote equitable health care to maximize positive health outcomes and minimize health disparities. Overall well-being of individuals encompasses the mind, body, and spirit. Health enables human beings to live in and interface with global communities.  

Nursing

Nursing is a learned and specialized profession built on applied knowledge that reflects both art and science and the culture of health. Nursing is a creative, collaborative, and interactive process steeped in the art and science of caring that require sound judgement and skills based on principles of biological, physical, behavioral, and social sciences while respecting individual views, philosophies, and spirituality. The focus of nursing is to perform preventative, supportive, and restorative actions while helping individuals, families, and communities achieve health and wellbeing. Nursing respects inherent dignity, worth and unique attributes of all people. The profession of nursing integrates knowledge gained from assessments, uses critical thinking to provide care and continually evaluates the effectiveness of nursing practice, seeking optimal outcomes.

Nurses advocate for the well-being, comfort, dignity, and humanity of all individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations. Nurses minister to human beings’ universal needs and intentional care of the spirit, by providing preventative healthcare, educating for self-care, facilitating adaptation or recovery from illness, or creating an environment supportive of a dignified death. Nurses deliver holistic individualized care throughout the lifespan and across the health illness continuum within the human’s environmental context. Nurses use interdisciplinary collaboration, technology, and scientific evidence to advance the field of nursing. Nurses advocate for social justice through creating equitable health care policies that protect human rights, promote health diplomacy, and reduce health disparities. Nurses have an ethical and social responsibility to sustain human caring where it is threatened and to be the guardians of human compassion, respect, dignity, and advocacy for the marginalized and vulnerable.

Education

The educational process is an active, collaborative partnership promoting teamwork among learners, educators, health care systems, and the broader community. The nursing faculty serve as role models in mentoring students in the role of professionalism and ethical practice. Students develop attributes of the Educated Citizen and the NMC Core Values through focused and meaningfully applied learning experiences.

Nursing Education

The nursing faculty view teaching as an interactive process empowering students to see human needs manifested in diverse beliefs, values, resources, and environments. The nursing faculty believe nursing education should nurture the students’ ability to think critically and creatively. As the world of nursing is continually evolving and rapidly changing, it is important to the nursing faculty that students learn to transfer knowledge from theory into clinical practice from one situation to another while making decisions based on critical thinking and sound clinical judgement specific to each human being.

The nursing faculty believe the curriculum is inclusive in developing students who are culturally respectful and competent practitioners able to address the health care needs of a diverse world through civic engagement. The nursing faculty emphasize excellence in integrity, accountability, courage, respect, and professional communication. As accomplished practitioners, educators, learners, researchers, and specialized professionals, nursing faculty serve as role models of self- reflection and life-long learning. The curricular framework incorporates a population-based approach that prepares students to build connections between knowledge and action in an increasingly interdependent world.

BSN Program Outcomes

Graduates of the BSN program will:

  1. Integrate culturally respectful and compassionate professional nursing care with human beings while incorporating mindful practice to promote autonomy, altruism, human dignity, integrity, and social justice (BSN Essential VIII).
  2. Analyze holistic care solutions based on scientific and humanistic rationale for diverse situations encountered in professional nursing practice (BSN Essential III).
  3. Employ effective and professional communication in interactions with individuals, families and community members (BSN Essential VI, IX).
  4. Synthesize scientific evidence and technological information derived from theory and research to improve health outcomes and advance professional nursing practice. (BSN Essential III, IV).
  5. Evaluate evidence based practice for patient centered care using clinical judgment and the nursing process to meet the diverse health needs of human beings (BSN Essential III, VII, IX).
  6. Collaborate with human beings and community partners as an agent of change to facilitate a culture of quality, safety, and inclusiveness within a population based health care environment (BSN Essential I, II, VI, VII, IX).
  7. Advocate for socially just health care policies, including financial awareness which protect human rights and promote health diplomacy to eliminate health inequities and disparities (BSN Essential I, V).
  8. Implement leadership concepts and skills grounded in accountability within ethical and professional standards (BSN Essential II, V, VIII, IX).
  9. Commit to self-reflection for life-long learning to enhance personal and professional growth (BSN Essential I, VIII).

Philosophy and New Program Outcomes Incorporate:

  • NMC Educated Citizen and NMC Core Values (2018)
  • Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice (2008)
  • NE State Board of Nursing Regulations (2011)
  • CCNE Standards for Accreditation (2013) 
  • ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses (2015)
  • Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice (2015)
  • QSEN Competencies (2018)

Program Handbook

Accelerated Nursing Written Statement

Please develop a thoughtful and organized response to each of the numbered prompts below. Use this as a chance to let the admissions committee get to know you, what your motivation to become a nurse is, and what excites you to be a part of the field of nursing.

The admissions committee is looking for responses that are well supported and use appropriate style and grammar.

Your complete statement should not exceed 1,000 words. If you use any references in the following answers, it is expected that you follow APA formatting guidelines.

All application materials should be submitted via NursingCAS.

Instances of plagiarism within an applicant's written statement will disqualify them for acceptance to Nebraska Methodist College due to the College's commitment to academic integrity and stringent plagiarism policies.

  1. An NMC graduate is an educated citizen who exhibits breadth of learning through the liberal arts and sciences traditions in concert with professional education. Our goal as an institution is that graduates of NMC will be able to articulate and demonstrate growth in the following areas: as reflective individuals, as effective communicators, and as change agents. Considering the educated citizen goals, describe how you would envision using these characteristics as a nurse.
  2. Provide an example of a difficult situation or a dilemma and describe how you demonstrated resilience and maintained a positive attitude during this time.
  3. Outline the steps you will take to ensure your success in this academically rigorous and time-intense program. Specifically discuss how you will balance other roles and responsibilities in your life during this time. Please consider addressing relationships, employment, financial obligations and any additional priorities in your response.
  4. Describe your support system and outline specific areas you anticipate needing support in. Briefly outline a plan for obtaining that support.
  5. Address any D's F's, W's or other discrepancies on your transcripts.

Nursing Technical Standards

The student must communicate effectively verbally and non-verbally to obtain information and explain that information to others. Each student must have the ability to read, write, comprehend and speak the English language to facilitate communication with patients, family members, and other members of the healthcare team. The student must be able to document and maintain accurate records, present information in a professional manner and provide patient instruction to effectively care for patients and their families.

Motor Ability

The student must be able to perform gross and fine motor movements with sufficient coordination needed to provide complete physical assessments and provide safe effective care for patients. The student is expected to have psychomotor skills necessary to perform or assist with procedures, treatments, administration of medications, and emergency interventions including CPR if necessary. The student must have sufficient levels of neuromuscular control and eye-to-hand coordination as well as possess the physical and mental stamina to meet the demands associated with extended periods of sitting, standing, moving, and physical exertion required for safe patient care. Students must be able to bend, squat, reach, kneel or balance. Clinical settings may require that students have the ability to carry and lift loads from the floor, from 12 inches from the floor, to shoulder height and overhead. The student must be able to occasionally lift 50 pounds, frequently lift 25 pounds, and constantly lift 10 pounds. The student is expected to be able to maintain consciousness and equilibrium and have the physical strength and stamina to perform satisfactorily in clinical settings.

Intellectual—Conceptual Ability

The student must have the ability to develop problem-solving skills essential to professional nursing practice. Problem solving skills include the ability to measure, calculate reason, analyze, and synthesize objective and subjective data, and to make decisions, in a timely manner that reflect thoughtful deliberation and sound clinical judgment. The student must demonstrate application of these skills and possess the ability to incorporate new information from peers, instructors, and the nursing and healthcare literature to formulate sound judgment to establish care plans and priorities in patient care activities.

Behavioral and Social Attributes

The student is expected to have the emotional stability required to exercise sound judgment, and complete assessment and intervention activities. Compassion, integrity, motivation, and concern for others are personal attributes required of those in the nursing program. The student must fully utilize intellectual capacities that facilitate prompt completion of all responsibilities in the classroom and clinical settings; the development of mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients and other members of the healthcare team. The ability to establish rapport and maintain interpersonal relationships with individuals, families, and groups from a variety of social, emotional, cultural and intellectual backgrounds is critical for practice as a nurse. Each student must be able to adapt to changing environments; display flexibility; accept and integrate constructive criticism given in the classroom and clinical settings; and effectively collaborate in the clinical setting with other members of the healthcare team.

Ability to Manage Stressful Situations

The student must be able to adapt to and function effectively in relation to stressful situations encountered in both the classroom and clinical settings, including emergency situations. Students will encounter multiple stressors while in the nursing program. These stressors may be (but are not limited to) personal, patient care/family, faculty/peer, and or program related.

Background Check/Drug Screening

Clinical facilities require that Nebraska Methodist College perform drug testing and background checks on all students before they are allowed to participate in clinical experiences. Therefore, students will be required to have a background check performed and submit to drug screening before being allowed into clinical practice.