Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

The goals of the University of Bridgeport School of Nursing (UBSN) are to prepare the graduate nurse for entry level practice in a variety of health care settings, to provide the foundation for graduate education and/or continued education as a life-long learner, and to contribute to quality patient outcomes. The Traditional BSN program is a career-oriented program that provides numerous opportunities for professional and personal growth. Nursing, as a profession, requires true commitment of service to others. While providing care, nurses encounter patients across the lifespan, across cultures, and across the globe. The Traditional BSN program is designed to prepare a nurse generalist for entry into professional practice. The Traditional BSN Curriculum is comprised of a total of 120 credits. The 8-semester curriculum provides 52 credits in general education and 68 credits in the nursing major. The nursing program builds on a foundation of the liberal arts and sciences and integrates four major concepts: Patient-centeredness Spirit of inquiry Nursing judgment Communication within inter-professional practice in a variety of health care settings The UBSN baccalaureate graduate is prepared through a teaching-learning environment that values reciprocal lifelong learning processes that nurture personal and professional growth. Building nursing leaders for quality practice is facilitated through the development of critical reasoning necessary for complex problem-solving, the ability to use a variety of technologies and resources essential to the practice of nursing, and the introduction to the limitless possibilities of the nursing profession. The Traditional BSN program prepares nursing graduates for the NCLEX-RN licensure examination and for entry into professional practice. Student learning outcomes for the Traditional BSN program enable the graduate to: Synthesize knowledge from a liberal education in communication, human experience, scientific literacy, analysis, and global society. Communicate using an ongoing interactive process that builds therapeutic interpersonal and inter-professional relationships for an increasingly interconnected healthcare environment. Apply the nursing process to provide patient-centered, evidence-based, clinically competent, contemporary professional nursing care. Apply critical thinking skills to support excellence in nursing practice and to provide comprehensive, compassionate, evidence-based nursing care across the life span. Promote healthy lifestyles through health education, health promotion strategies and population-focused interventions. Comprehend system-based practice and its impact on safe, quality patient care within the scope of professional nursing practice. Apply leadership and management skills in the provision of safe, quality and cost-effective care in the continuum of healthcare environments. Exercise innovative inquiry in the use of information and patient care technology with knowledge based on research for the improvement in patient outcomes. Practice within the values, ethics, and legal standards of professional nursing.