Nursing (B.S.N.)

Department Specified General Education Requirements (26 hours)

• ENGL 101 - Composition I (C) [SGR #1, HSDC]
• ENGL 201 - Composition II (C) [SGR #1, HSDC]
• PHGY 220 - Human Anatomy and Integrated Physiology I [SGR #6, HSDC]
• PHGY 220L - Human Anatomy and Integrated Physiology Laboratory I [SGR #6, HSDC]
• PHGY 230 - Human Anatomy and Integrated Physiology II [SGR #6, HSDC]
• PHGY 230L - Human Anatomy and Integrated Physiology II Laboratory [SGR #6, HSDC]
• PHIL 220 - Introduction to Ethics (C) [SGR #4, HSDC]
• PSYC 101 - General Psychology (C) [SGR #3, HSDC]
• SOC 100 - Introduction to Sociology (C) [SGR #3, HSDC]
• SPCM 101 - Fundamentals of Speech (C) [SGR #2, HSDC]

General Education requirements (6 hours)

• Fine Arts SGR Goal #4  (3 cr.)
• Mathematics SGR Goal #5  (3 cr.)

Foundational Course Requirements for the Major (20 hours)

• CHEM 106 - Chemistry Survey (C) [SGR #6, HSDC]
• CHEM 106L - Chemistry Survey Laboratory (C) [SGR #6, HSDC]

• OR

• CHEM 112 - General Chemistry I (C) [SGR #6, HSDC]
• CHEM 112L - General Chemistry I Laboratory (C) [SGR #6, HSDC]

•  

• HLTH 422 - Nutrition (C)
• MICR 230 - Basic Microbiology
• MICR 232 - Basic Microbiology Lab
• PSYC 321 - Human Development: Lifespan (C)
• PSYC 451 - Psychology of Abnormal Behavior (C)

•  

• Select one of the following (3 cr.):

• HSC 250 - Healthcare Terminology in the Clinical Setting
• CLHU 101 - Medical Terminology

Nursing Requirements (59 hours)

• NURS 119 - First Year Seminar (C) (1 credit hour required)
• NURS 311 - Professionalism, Values, & Interprofessional Communication
• NURS 315 - Pathophysiology
• NURS 320 - Designer, Coordinator & Manager of Care I
• NURS 321 - Designer, Coordinator, & Manager of Care Clinical Experience I
• NURS 330 - Designer, Coordinator & Manager of Care II
• NURS 331 - Designer, Coordinator, & Manager of Care Clinical Experience II
• NURS 350 - Research & Evidence-Based Practice
• NURS 352 - Pharmacology
• NURS 383 - Physical Assessment Across Lifespan
• NURS 415 - Organizational Systems Leadership & Informatics
• NURS 440 - Designer, Coordinator & Manager of Care III
• NURS 441 - Designer, Coordinator, & Manager of Care Clinical Experience III
• NURS 471 - Clinical Prevention and Population Health *
• NURS 484 - Transition to Practice *
• NURS 486 - Transition to Practice Clinical Immersion
• NURS 487 - Health Care Policy, Finance & Regulatory Environments

Electives (9 hours)

• Electives 9 credit hours

Four-Year Program Guides and Costs

USD encourages students to take 15 credits per semester or 30 credits within the year in order to graduate in 4 years. To help students complete their academic degree program in four years, we provide a sample academic plan. Please work with your academic advisor to confirm your plan. 

• Nursing, B.S.N. 4-year plan guide  
• Community College for Sioux Falls Nursing, B.S.N. 4-year plan guide   

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Students will comprehensively explore issues, ideas, artifacts and events before accepting or formulating an opinion or conclusion, and combine or synthesize existing ideas, images or expertise in original ways reflecting a high degree of innovation, divergent thinking, and risk taking.
2. Students will be able to assess their own ethical values and the social context of problems, recognize ethical issues in a variety of settings, think about how different ethical perspectives might be applied to ethical dilemmas and consider the ramifications of alternative actions.
3. Students will design, evaluate, and implement a strategy to answer an open-ended question or achieve a desired goal.
4. Students will interact with other students and evaluate the effort put into team tasks, interactions with others, and the quantity and quality made to team discussions.
5. Students will connect ideas and experiences in order to synthesize and transfer learning to new, complex situations within and beyond the campus. 
6. Students will intentionally engage with diversity in ways that increase awareness, content knowledge, cognitive sophistication, and empathic understanding of the complex ways individuals interact within systems and institutions leading to opportunities for equal access to participation in educational and community programs for all members of society.
7. Integrate leadership and communication (written, verbal, nonverbal and technological) skills to effectively implement patient safety and quality improvement initiatives within the context of Interprofessional team.
8. Relate how finance and regulatory environments shape responses to organizational, local, national, and global issues of equity, access, affordability and social justice in health care.
9. Collaborate with other health care professionals for improving health through clinical prevention in national, international and global societies.
10. Integrate evidence, clinical judgment, Interprofessional perspectives, and patient preferences in planning, implementing, and evaluating outcomes of care.
11. Manage holistic, safe patient-centered care that reflects an understanding of the arts and sciences in the nursing and medical management across the lifespan for individuals and populations in all health care settings.
12. Demonstrate accountability for individual actions and behaviors, including civility, professional engagement, practice and lifelong learning.

Courses or Programs Leading to Professional Licensure or Certification

The University of South Dakota as of July 1, 2020, cannot confirm whether any particular course or program meets educational prerequisites for professional licensure or certification in states other than South Dakota. If you are planning to apply for licensure/certification in a state other than South Dakota after completion of your program, contact the academic department offering your major or CDE at 605.658.6152 or by email at cde@usd.edu. USD is working to comply with these requirements and will provide up-to-date information as it becomes available.

If your learning placement course (internship, externship, clinical, rotation, practicum, independent study, study away, etc.) or your online course will be taken outside South Dakota, please reference the State Authorization webpage below.

Information about State Authorization & Professional Licensure