Pennsylvania State University

Nursing Programs Offered

ADN Program Details

The Associate Degree program has a role in providing nurses to medically underserved regions of the state. This is a concentrated two-year program that includes a combination of science, liberal arts, and focused nursing courses. After earning an associate degree, students are eligible to take the national examination for licensure as registered nurses (NCLEX). The School of Nursing supports the national movement toward the baccalaureate degrees for entry-level nurses and encourages associate degree graduates to pursue a baccalaureate degree or higher.

Upon completion of the Associate of Science Program in Nursing the students will be able to:

-Evaluate the wellness-illness status of the individual, family, and groups within the community in relationship to life span, development,
-communications, relationships, multiple health needs, adaptation and
diversity.
-Appraise environmental factors, which influence the health and health care of clients in a variety of settings.
-Support optimal levels of wellness of individuals, families and groups within the community.
-Integrate concepts related to the role of the associate degree nurse
as provider of care, manager of care, and member within the discipline of nursing.
-Relate interpreted research findings to nursing practice situations.
-Value the nursing process as means of providing a comprehensive plan of care for select clients, families and groups within the community.

RN to BSN Program Details

The Accelerated Bachelor of Science (A.B.S.) Nursing program is a newly-implemented fast-track R.N. to B.S. completion program available at two campuses: Penn State Altoona and Penn State Fayette. A three-year, $841,514 grant received by Dr. Raymonde A. Brown from the U.S Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) facilitated the program’s launch in July 2008.

The primary purpose of the program is to increase the number of baccalaureate-prepared registered nurses (B.S.-R.N.'s) in under-served rural areas of Pennsylvania with a special emphasis on creating a nursing workforce better prepared to assume the direct care of this vulnerable patient population.

The National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice supports the goal of having all registered nurses prepared at the baccalaureate level or higher, to improve quality and safety in U.S. healthcare.

The A.B.S. program enables associate-degree-prepared registered nurses to obtain a baccalaureate degree in one year—less than half the time it usually takes to complete a typical R.N.-to-B.S. completion program.

BSN Program Details

The general B.S. program began in 1965 and is a four-year program that includes a broad liberal arts and science foundation, and an extensive range of nursing courses. The B.S. program prepares nurses to provide nursing care in varied settings, which include hospitals, private practice, long-term care, clinics, and other health care and community agencies. Students gain experience in diverse settings, which include Hershey Medical Center, rural hospitals, community health agencies, and other health care settings (e.g., Rockview Prison). After earning a BS, students are eligible to take the national examination for licensure as a registered nurse (NCLEX).

Upon completion of the Bachelor of Science Program in Nursing the students will be able to:

-Evaluate principles, models, and theories from nursing and related disciplines for applicability in clinical practice.
-Apply the nursing process with individuals, families, and groups of diverse cultural, ethnic, and racial backgrounds in a variety of health care settings.
-Collaborate with colleagues from nursing, other disciplines, and consumers to facilitate desirable outcomes in clinical practice.
-Critically analyze research studies and apply to clinical practice.
-Demonstrate accountability in the delivery of professional nursing care.
Participate in activities that advance nursing as a profession and self as a professional.

Accelerated BSN Program Details

The Second Degree program is an intensive sixteen-month program open to individuals who already have a bachelor’s degree in another field. Students will complete 120 credits, comprised of 60 credits in general education and prerequisite courses (completed in the first degree program, prior to admission) and 60 credits in nursing in the second degree program.

The required general education prerequisites include the following:

Anatomy (4 credits)
Physiology (4 credits)
Microbiology (4 credits)
Chemistry (3 to 4 credits)
Statistics (4 credits)
Nutrition (3 credits)
Intro to Psychology (3 credits)
Intro to Sociology (3 credits)
Human Development or Developmental Psychology (3 credits)
General Arts (6 credits)
General Humanities (6 credits)
English Composition (3 credits)
English with a writing emphasis (3 credits)
Effective Speech (3 credits)
Quantification Elective (3 credits)
General Electives (4 to 5 credits)

For students beginning the Second Degree program in the fall, all general education prerequisites must be complete by the end of the preceding spring semester. These can be taken at any Penn State campus or other college or university.

The program prepares nurses to provide nursing care in varied settings, which include hospitals, private practice, long-term care, clinics, and other health care and community agencies. Students gain experience in diverse settings, which include trauma centers, rural hospitals, community health agencies, and other health care settings.

Because the program is intensive, it is recommended that students be able to go without outside employment for the duration of the program. At the completion of their course work, graduates will be eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) and begin new careers in professional nursing.
Career Opportunities