About Nursing Science
Vision
Educate nurse leaders for the 21st century.
Mission
To educate caring nurse professionals committed to excellence, who will serve the health needs of diverse communities throughout Minnesota and the region.
Senior Capstone Experience
The final semester of the nursing curriculum includes a one month capstone experience, where students are immersed in active, integrated, applied and reflective learning. SCSU has partnered with clinical agencies throughout the state to create rich and diverse clinical learning experiences for our students. Find out more about these exciting developments by following the link below!
Creating Collaborative Nursing Partnerships in Tribal, Rural and Urban Communities
Nursing Science Laboratory
For more information about our Nursing Science Laboratory, including pictures of the lab and our nursing students working in simulation models, please follow this link.
General Program Information
Degree Information
The nursing major requires 127 credits for graduation. Students complete 53 credits of prerequisite and general education courses and are admitted to the nursing major in the second semester of the sophomore year. Seventy-four of the credits are nursing courses taken over five semesters and organized into three levels. The baccalaureate program builds on the general education program that emphasizes the development of skills in communication, research methods, critical thinking, analyzing and synthesizing information.
The program is approved by the Minnesota Board of Nursing and accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Graduates obtain a baccalaureate degree with a major in nursing and are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) as a registered nurse (RN). A student is eligible to apply for public health nursing certification through the Minnesota Board of Nursing. A school nurse licensure may be obtained by completing additional teaching courses required by the State Department of Education.
Historical Overview
Planning efforts for a nursing program at St. Cloud State University began informally in 1997. A needs assessment in the region was conducted to determine the resources and requirements for various nursing science education programs. Local, regional, and national nursing scholars, along with nursing directors and administrators from regional hospitals, provided feedback in order to address diverse regional health needs. Dr. Susan Johnson Warner was hired as Director of the Nursing Sciences Initiative. The program received approval from the MnSCU Board of Trustees in May 2001, and Minnesota Board of Nursing approval in December 2001.
Following this approval, the Department of Nursing Science was created, which included eight faculty. Dr. Warner was elected by the faculty as the first Department Chair in fall 2002. The SCSU Department of Nursing Science was fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education in April 2004. The charter class of 20 nursing students graduated on May 9, 2004.
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