Trauma patient talking with nurse
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

The Health Sciences - Pre-nursing major concentration is the required curriculum for those who wish to pursue nursing at Limestone. The first two years provide the pre-requisite courses for applying to the BSN clinical cohort. Students who are accepted into the BSN clinical cohort will have a major change to BSN and will complete the nursing curriculum.

Young nurse working at the hospital
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.)

The nursing program provides the RN-BSN completion curriculum online to Registered Nurses (RNs) who wish to earn the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. The curriculum builds on previously acquired knowledge and skills by adding coursework in social sciences, nursing research, leadership, communication, professionalism, information management, genetics, populat

male nurse with stethoscope - nursing bsn
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.)
The pre-licensure, traditional BSN program trains students to become nurses through didactic coursework and clinical practice. Our curriculum prepares students to take the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX) and become a Registered Nurse (RN).

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HC620 - Healthcare Ethics / Legal Issues

Course Description

In this course, students will explore how ethics and legal issues impact corporate decision-making in the health care industry.  Students will identify, analyze and apply ethical and legal principles to resolve health care-related case studies.  Topics covered in this course include ethical principles in health care, health care regulatory and licensing laws, patient and staff protection laws, informed consent, end of life care and fraud/abuse.

Credits:
3
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NU101 - History and Evolution of the Nursing Profession

Course Description

This course will survey the history of the nursing profession, particularly in the United States, as influenced by societal needs and events throughout history, and follow the evolution to present contemporary nursing practice, environments, and roles.   

Credits:
3
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NU201 - Nutrition for Health Professional

Course Description

Foundational nutrition concepts will be explored and applied to human disease processes and treatment. Nutrition counseling is part of a nurse's role in effectively educating patients across the lifespan.  

Credits:
3
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NU250 - Microbiology for Nursing and Health Science

Course Description

This course will focus on significant microorganisms related to human welfare and their control. Emphasis will be on portals of entry and exit, modes of transmission, pathogenic mechanisms of infection and tissue damage, control of medically significant microorganisms, and our host defenses. The laboratory will focus on isolation, culture, identification, and control of medically-important microorganisms.

Credits:
4
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NU300 - Professional nursing roles

Course Description

This course examines the evolution and future of professional nursing roles, nursing theories, nursing science and nursing processes. The course also examines health care systems, factors influencing nursing practice, interprofessional communication and collaboration and current trends.

Credits:
3
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NU301 - Healthcare genetics and genomics

Course Description

This course emphasizes the mechanisms and manifestations of disease and disorders, recognition of symptomatology, and recommended nursing and pharmacological interventions through a conceptual approach.

Credits:
3
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NU302 - Pathophysiology for RNs

Course Description

This course emphasizes the mechanisms and manifestations of disease and disorders, recognition of symptomatology, and recommended nursing and pharmacological interventions through a conceptual approach.

Credits:
3
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NU305 - Health assessment and promotion for RNs

Course Description

This course focuses on the comprehensive health and physical assessments of diverse clients across the lifespan, communicating findings, and promoting health and wellness to individuals, families, and communities.

Credits:
3
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NU307 - Professional Nursing Roles and Trends

Course Description

This course examines the evolution and future of professional nursing roles, introduction to nursing theories, nursing science, and nursing processes. The course also examines factors influencing nursing practice, interprofessional communication and collaboration, as well as current trends. This course is designed for the pre-licensure nursing student.

Credits:
3
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NU308 - Critical and Conceptual Thinking

Course Description

This course will outline how nursing students learn to think critically. It also introduces nursing concepts that will guide nursing diagnoses, planning, interventions, and evaluation throughout practice

Credits:
2
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NU310 - Information Management in Nursing Practice

Course Description

This course examines the concepts of information management, in all its forms, and the use of technology in safe and effective nursing practice.

Credits:
3
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NU311 - Information Management and Healthcare Technologies

Course Description

This course will explore information and communication technologies and informatics processes utilized in the provision of nursing care and decision making.

Credits:
3
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NU312 - Pathophysiology

Course Description

This course emphasizes the mechanisms and manifestations of disease and disorders, recognition of symptomatology, and recommended nursing and pharmacological interventions through a conceptual approach. This course is designed for the pre-licensure nursing student.

Credits:
3
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NU313 - Pharmacology Foundations

Course Description

This course introduces students to foundational pharmacology concepts including pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, classification of drugs, and basic medication calculations. This is a core nursing course.  

Credits:
1
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NU314 - Pharmacological Interventions

Course Description

This course provides a continuation of pharmacological concepts across the lifespan to treat medical conditions, including medical calculations for specific populations & delivery methods

Credits:
1
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NU315 - Physical Assessment and Health Promotion

Course Description

This course focuses on the comprehensive health and physical assessments of diverse clients across the lifespan, communicating findings, and promoting health and wellness to individuals, families, and communities. A practicum is included.

Credits:
3
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NU321 - Foundational Nursing Concepts

Course Description

This course examines foundational nursing concepts and skills necessary for beginning nursing practice. This course includes a 1 credit hour clinical component. Clinical will consist of 1 day/week lab or clinical facility experience. Successful completion of the didactic portion with a C or better and successful completion of clinical.   

Credits:
4
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NU331 - Concepts of Health and Illness with Individuals

Course Description

This course will delve into nursing concepts, skills, and attitudes necessary for providing effective patient centered care to individuals. This course includes a clinical component.

Credits:
5
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NU332 - Concepts of Health and Illness with Families

Course Description

This course will explore concepts and skills pertinent to caring for childbearing families and their children; and will explore application of nursing knowledge, skills, and attitudes to provide patient-centered and effective nursing care. There is a clinical component to this course.   

Credits:
4
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NU400 - Leadership in nursing practice

Course Description

This course focuses on principles of leadership, management, power, ethics, organizations, and change within healthcare as related to the role of professional nurses.

Credits:
3
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NU401 - Research and evidence-based nursing practice

Course Description

This course explores the nursing research process and models as a basis for an understanding of research evidence as a guide to informing practice decisions.

Credits:
3
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NU402 - Health policy and nursing practice

Course Description

This course emphasized the role of nursing as advocates for health, the politics of healthcare, and the influence health policy has on nursing practice. It also discusses the role of government, the processes of law making, policy development, implementation, and regulation.

Credits:
3
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NU410 - Population health nursing for RNs

Course Description

This course focus is the population, considering diverse individuals, families, and aggregates. The emphasis is assessment, health promotion, and population-based care and management. A practicum allows students to build on the knowledge and apply community health concepts. Learning experiences are individualized and guided by the preceptor and course faculty.

Credits:
3
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NU415 - Complex Pharmacological Interventions

Course Description

This third pharmacology course continues exploring pharmacological interventions for more complex pathology and disease. This is a core nursing course.

Credits:
1
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NU420 - Quality and patient safety for RNs

Course Description

This course explores the concepts of quality and patient safety in today’s healthcare environment. This course includes a practicum in which the student will build on theoretical knowledge by applying quality and safety competencies to a workplace project. Learning experiences are individualized and guided by the preceptor and course faculty.

Credits:
3
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NU423 - Complex Adult Concepts

Course Description

This course will present concepts applicable to adults with complex care needs and will explore application of nursing knowledge, skills, and attitudes to provide patient centered and effective nursing care. There is a clinical component to this course.  

Credits:
5
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NU424 - Mental Health Concepts

Course Description

This course will explore mental health concepts across the lifespan and apply nursing knowledge, skills, and attitudes to provide effective, patient centered mental health. There is a clinical component to this course. Students will participate in multiple experiences in a variety of settings.  

Credits:
4
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NU425 - Concepts of Health and Illness with Communities

Course Description

Population concepts, considering social determinants of health, diverse individuals, families, and aggregates, are the focus of this course with emphasis on assessment, health promotion, and population-based care and management. A service project allows students to build on knowledge and apply community health concepts. Learning experiences are individualized and guided by the preceptor and course faculty. 

Credits:
3
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NU431 - Quality and Safety Concepts in Health Systems

Course Description

This course explores the concepts of quality and patient safety in today’s healthcare environments as well as the role of nurses as advocates for quality and safety practices in health systems.

Credits:
3
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NU432 - Complex Adult Concepts

Course Description

This course will present concepts applicable to adults with complex care needs and will explore application of nursing knowledge, skills, and attitudes to provide patient centered and effective nursing care. There is a clinical component to this course. 

Credits:
4
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NU434 - Nursing Capstone

Course Description

This is a culminating course where nursing students apply nursing knowledge, skills, and attitudes learned throughout the program to patients under the supervision of a qualified preceptor. Students will gain an in depth understanding of the practice environment through an intensive clinical experience. This also includes a 2-day NCLEX review and ATI training modules  

Credits:
6
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NU500 - Advanced Professional Role Development & Theory

Course Description

The purpose of this course is to introduce the advanced professional role to nurses as well as integrate an understanding of nursing science & theory to the role development of advanced practice nurses.  Complementary content includes communication, teamwork, interprofessional relationships, and leadership theories as these are also integral to the role development of professionals within healthcare systems.

Credits:
3
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NU501 - Scholarship and Research Methods

Course Description

The purpose of this course is designed to further develop the student’s clinical decision-making process in a manner that integrates clinical experience, patient values, and the best available evidence to resolve practice issues and improve practice and outcomes. The course will cover topics related to the evidence-based practice process, framing clinical questions to enhance clinical decision-making, searching the literature, critical appraisal, integration, and evaluation of the evidence, grading levels of evidence and strength of recommendations, patient values, and statistical terminology related to evidence-based practice.

Credits:
3
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NU502 - Healthcare Informatics and Technology for Advanced Practice

Course Description

The purpose of this course is to provide the healthcare provider with a survey of relevant concepts, tools, and systems of healthcare informatics and technology. An understanding of informatics concepts and the skills related to the use of technology have been identified as critical for all modern healthcare professionals. Moreover, informatics and technology provide several distinct advantages to the modern healthcare system, including, but limited to cost savings, error detection, quality improvement, and improved patient outcomes.

Credits:
3
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NU503 - Population Health

Course Description

This course has nurses apply culturally appropriate, client-focused or broad, varying levels of prevention, care, management, and evaluation to individuals, families, aggregates, or communities to improve health.

Credits:
3
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NU504 - Leading Quality & Safety

Course Description

The course prepares advanced nurses with the leadership knowledge and skills necessary for promoting quality, providing safe patient care, effective decision-making, working in teams, utilizing a systems approach, and applying quality principles tools, methods, and performance measures within health systems and communities.

Credits:
3
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NU600 - Nursing Administrative Foundations

Course Description

Knowledge of the healthcare environment, systems thinking, foundational leadership skills, communication skills, business skills, and professionalism combined with clinical experience and evidence are the bedrock of effective administrators. This course delves into these competencies specifically related to the administrator role.

Credits:
3
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NU601 - Leading & Managing in Complex Healthcare Organizations

Course Description

This course provides further exploration into the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for leading and managing in complex healthcare organization, combined with healthcare economics, policy, and managerial knowledge, to effectively identify and plan a change project.  This course includes a practicum.

Credits:
3
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NU602 - Nursing Leadership Practicum

Course Description

This is a practicum course.  Students work in a precepted partnership with a nurse executive to continue the identified change project planned in NU601 through planning, implementation, and evaluation.

Credits:
3