The Calvin College Department of Nursing, in sharing the mission of Calvin College, seeks to engage in professional nursing education that promotes lifelong Christian service. Students will be prepared to be entry-level professional nurses. The objectives of the nursing curriculum are to assist the student to acquire the knowledge, the competencies and abilities, and the commitments necessary to practice as a Christian professional nurse. The context for nursing education includes the learning community of the college as well as the health care community, the professional nursing community, and the world community in which Christian service takes place. Health promotion and health rotection with individuals, families and communities will be the major focus of the program. Challenging practicum experiences will occur in a variety of settings such as communities, clinics, schools, hospitals, and rehabilitation centers. Graduates of the program will receive a BSN and be prepared to take the National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Satisfactory scores on the NCLEX-RN will enable a student to become a Registered Nurse (RN). The Department of Nursing is approved by the Michigan State Board of Nursing and accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
Program Overview
The two-year pre-nursing curriculum requires nine courses in the natural and social sciences that provide the foundation for professional nursing. These courses include Biology 141, 205, 206, 207, Chemistry 115, Health Education 254, Psychology 151, 201, and Sociology 151. In addition, twelve to fourteen liberal arts courses are required.Foreign language may be a component of the liberal arts core. Students are required to have either two years of high school foreign language with grades of “C” or better or one year of college level foreign language. If a student needs to take a foreign language at Calvin, it should be taken during the first or second year.
The upper division nursing major is a twoyear sequence normally taken in the junior and senior years. It consists of thirteen courses distributed over four semesters with 12 semester hours of course work required each semester. While students taking only nursing major courses are considered full-time during those four semesters, elective courses may also be taken during these semesters.
Those interested in nursing should indicate this at the time they begin their studies at Calvin. They will then be assigned to an academic advisor from the nursing department.
