Bethel College

Nursing Programs Offered

ADN Program Details

The purpose of the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program at Bethel College is to prepare graduates in a Christian liberal arts setting to provide therapeutic nursing care to individuals and families within a community context. The ADN graduate is prepared to function in the roles of provider of care, manager of care and member within the profession of nursing. Care is provided in various structured health care settings. The ADN graduate is expected to demonstrate respect for life, a loving concern for individuals and an appreciation of the need for ongoing education. Therefore, the ADN graduate is prepared to:

Student Learning Outcomes:

-Demonstrate critical thinking when making effective decisions while providing care for individuals, families and groups.
-Communicate effectively with individuals, families and groups.
-Modify safe therapeutic nursing interventions for culturally diverse individuals and families within a community context to achieve optimal functioning on the wellness-illness continuum.
-Integrate the nursing process as a basis for nursing care and health promotion for individuals and families throughout the life span in structured health care settings.
-Demonstrate an awareness of and respect for the spiritual dimensions of self and others in providing compassionate nursing care.
-Demonstrate professional behaviors of leadership, accountability and professionalism according to the legal and ethical standards of the nursing profession.
-Participate in self-development activities and organizations that advance, promote and improve nursing and health care.
-Apply principles of teaching and learning to promote the health of individuals and their families.
-Integrate knowledge from concepts of nursing, nursing research, the humanities and the social, biological and physical sciences when making nursing practice decisions and providing nursing care for individuals and families throughout the life span.
-Collaborate with members of the health care team in the management of nursing care for individuals, families and groups.

The ADN program is available on the Bethel College campus or at Grace College in Winona Lake, IN. The program consists of 72 hours of course work, which includes 35 hours of nursing courses, 18 hours of special cognates and 19 hours of general studies courses. Credits maybe transferred from accredited colleges or universities and by standardized national exams. The program may be completed part time over more semesters. However, the nursing courses must be completed in 5 years. A physical examination, immunizations, criminal background check, drug screen and completion of a CPR course are required prior to beginning clinical courses. Nursing courses are usually offered in a day time format.

RN to BSN Program Details

Bethel's BSN Completion Program consists of 126 hours of course work. A portion of this may be completed by transfer credit from accredited colleges or universities. Another portion may be completed by standardized national examinations and/or validation of active practice. The 31 credits of required nursing courses may be taken at Bethel College, Lakeland Health Care Systems in St. Joe Michigan, or Grace College and meet the requirement for hours that must be taken from Bethel College. Required general education courses may be taken prior to, concurrently with, or after nursing courses. Nursing courses are taught in a seven week adult format. Elective credit is available for recognized nursing certification programs. Students are required to have a physical examination, immunizations and a CPR course upon admission.

The program is comprised of general education courses, required cognates, and lower and upper nursing courses. General education courses and required cognates may be completed on the Bethel Campus, at Grace College in Winona Lake, IN, by transfer of credit from an accredited college or university, by standardized national exams or by Bethel College instructor exams.

General Education Courses Include:

Written Communication II 3 hrs.
General Psychology 3 hrs.
Sociology 3 hrs.
Speech 3 hrs.
Basic Probability & Statistics 3 hrs.
Bible / Religion Courses 6 hrs.
Economics/History/Social Science Elective 3 hrs.
Arts/Literature/Music/Drama Elective 3 hrs.
Human Anatomy and Physiology I 4 hrs.
General Electives 8 hrs.

Required Cognates Include:

Life Span Development 3 hrs.
Anatomy & Physiology II 4 hrs.
Microbiology 4 hrs.
Computer Elective 3 hrs.
Nutrition 3 hrs.
Pharmacology 3 hrs.

Lower and Upper Level Nursing:

Actively practicing nurses with a satisfactory employer verification of current practice and competency will be granted up to 33 hours of credit for lower level nursing courses.

The Upper Level Nursing courses may be taken at Bethel College, Lakeland Health Care Systems in St. Joe Michigan, or Grace College.

BSN Program Details

The purpose of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program is to prepare graduates in a Christian liberal arts setting with a broad foundation in the sciences and humanities who are able to provide therapeutic nursing interventions to individuals, families, groups and communities in diverse health care settings. The BSN graduate is prepared to synthesize theory and research-based knowledge in the provision of primary, secondary and tertiary care to function in the roles of provider of care, designer/manager/coordinator of care and member within the profession of nursing. Integral components of baccalaureate nursing education are the development of critical thought processes including creative problem solving when making clinical decisions, integration of leadership concepts and skills in the delivery of care to individuals and groups, evaluation of research for use in nursing practice and implementation of health promotion in planning health care for individuals, families, groups and communities. The BSN graduate is expected to demonstrate respect for life, a loving concern for individuals and an appreciation of the need for ongoing education in nursing. The BSN graduate has a foundation for graduate education in nursing. Therefore, the BSN graduate is prepared to:

-Apply critical thinking when making effective decisions and engaging in creative problem solving with individuals, families groups, and communities.
-Communicate effectively with individuals, families, groups and communities while using a variety of methods.
-Evaluate safe therapeutic nursing interventions for individuals, families, groups and communities from culturally diverse populations to achieve optimal functioning on the wellness-illness continuum.
-Integrate the nursing process as a basis for nursing practice and health promotion in primary, secondary and tertiary care settings with individuals, families, groups and communities.
-Incorporate Christian principles while providing compassionate holistic nursing care to individuals families, groups and communities.
-Demonstrate professional behaviors of leadership, accountability and professionalism according to the legal and ethical standards of the nursing profession while providing care to individuals, families, groups and communities.
-Participate in self-development activities as well as individual, group, community and societal endeavors to improve health care.
-Incorporate principles of teaching and learning to promote health and direct learning of individuals, families, groups and communities.
-Evaluate research findings for use in nursing practice.
-Synthesize knowledge from concepts and theories of nursing, the humanities and the sciences while making nursing practice decisions and providing nursing care for individuals, families, groups and communities.
-Foster interdisciplinary relationships while designing, managing, and coordinating nursing care in primary, secondary and tertiary care settings.

Bethel's BSN program consists of 126 hours of course work. A portion of this may be completed by transfer credit from accredited colleges or universities and by standardized national exams. The program includes two semesters of preparatory work, at the end of which the student applies to the nursing program. The nursing portion of the program is six semesters in length. A physical examination, immunizations, criminal background check, drug screen and completion of a CPR course are required prior to beginning clinical courses.

MSN Program Details

The purpose of the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) for Nurse Educators / Administrators is to facilitate career preparation in a Christian liberal arts setting at the graduate level of nursing, enabling experienced nurses to develop skills for nursing education or administration. The graduate will be able to integrate concepts from the practice of nursing, nursing theory, research and professional role behaviors in the educational or administration setting. Knowledge of information processes, financing and human resources, health care organizations, ethical, legal and regulatory issues in health care, educational pedagogy, curriculum development and evaluation processes will be synthesized in the educational and administrative settings. The purpose of the postmasters certificate track for nurse educators and nurse administrators is to facilitate the professional nurse who already has a master of science in nursing for career preparation in a specialty area.

The Master of Science in Nursing program was accredited by the NLNAC in March of 2008, next site visit will be in 2013.

Program Core Objectives for Educators and Administrators Track

-Integrate critical thinking when making effective decisions and solving problems creatively with students, colleagues, administrators, and members of the interdisciplinary team.
-Communicate efficaciously and collaboratively with students, colleagues, and administrators through interpersonal skills and technological media.
-Appraise therapeutic nursing interventions of students and or employees to facilitate their role development in the delivery of patient care for health promotion and disease prevention.
-Evaluate the nursing process in the delivery of patient care for health promotion and disease prevention in nursing and nursing settings.
-Integrate Christian principles while interacting with patients, students, colleagues, administrators, and members of the interdisciplinary team.
-Analyze professional, scholarship, and leadership skills and behaviors that foster improvement and innovation within health care and nursing education environments.
-Correlate ethical, political, economic, legal, and regulatory issues that impact nursing and nursing education.
-Appraise self-development or growth activities to enhance professional career and role expansion and be knowledgeable of health trends at the local, state, and national level.
-Utilize the research process to optimize nursing care delivery in clinical and academic settings.
-Provide leadership as an advocate for health programs and services in the advancement of health care policy, finances, and delivery to meet the needs of at-risk, underserved and/ or culturally diverse students and patients.

Additional Objectives for Educators Track:

-Critique, evaluate, and utilize concepts and theories of nursing, educational pedagogy, and curriculum development when assisting students to meet educational objectives through innovative teaching.
Integrate teaching learning theories and educational objectives in nursing education and clinical settings.

Additional Objective for Administrators Track:

-Critique, evaluate, and utilize concepts and theories of nursing, health care delivery, financing and regulatory issues related to health care organizations.