THIS WEBSITE IS FOR CSU STUDENTS PURSUING CAREERS AS NURSES – CSU DOES NOT HAVE A NURSING PROGRAM

Overview

Nurses make up the largest single group of health care professionals. There are four times as many nurses as physicians in the United States.

Registered nurses (RNs) work to promote health, prevent disease, and help patients come to terms with illness. They are advocates and health educators for patients, families, and communities. When providing direct patient care, they observe, assess, and record symptoms, reactions, and progress; assist physicians during treatments and examinations; administer medications; and assist in convalescence and rehabilitation. The RN is a license earned after passing the N-CLEX examination.  This examination is only open to students who have graduated from an accredited nursing program at either the Associates or Bachelors (BSN) level.  Any student interested in a nursing career is strongly encouraged to earn the BSN degree in order to be competitive and prepared for the demands of the workforce.

*Important NoteColorado State University in Fort Collins does not offer a BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) degree or any nursing degree. Health Professions advisors at CSU work with students interested in pursuing nursing to explore their options.

Students who have already matriculated at CSU who are interested in earning a BSN degree to enter the field of nursing have three options:

  • Transfer to a BSN-granting institution
  • Complete nursing pre-requisites at CSU and then apply to nursing clinical programs at BSN-granting institutions
  • Earn a non-nursing bachelor’s degree while completing nursing pre-requisites, and then pursue an accelerated BSN program after graduation

Most traditional BSN programs require two years of coursework sciences, math, composition, writing, and social sciences before students are admitted to their clinical program.  Additionally, some of CSU’s science courses are more rigorous than nursing programs require, and our courses do not always articulate easily with a nursing curriculum. Few nursing schools in Colorado admit large numbers of transfer students into their clinical programs (the last two years of the BSN), and prospective students should consider their options carefully and consult with an advisor before deciding to prepare for nursing school at a college or university that does not itself offer a nursing program.  Accelerated programs are, as the name suggests, intensive and quick-paced programs ranging from 12 months to 20 month in which students will earn a second Bachelors Degree – this one in Nursing.

Please checkout this resource from the AACN (American Association of Colleges of Nursing) comparing the many nursing degree options.

CSU Recommended Coursework

These courses are provided as GENERAL pre-requisites and may not represent a complete list of requirements.  It is the student’s responsibility to check with each professional school in order to determine specific pre-requisites courses and equivalencies for each institution.
Requirement Recommended CSU Course(s)
General Biology, 1 semester w/ lab LIFE 102
General Chemistry, 1 semester w/ lab CHEM 107/108 or CHEM111/112
Human Physiology, 1 semester w/ lab BMS300/302
Human Anatomy, 1 semester w/ lab BMS301
Microbiology, 1 semester LIFE 205/206 or MIP300/302
Nutrition, 1 semester FSHN150 or FSHN350
Statistics, 1 semester STAT201, 301, 307, 311
Developmental Psychology/Human Development, 1 semester HDFS101
Psychology, 1 semester PSY100
Strongly Recommended Pathophysiology (BMS460) & Biochemistry (BC351) – can also be taken at a community college

Programs and Preparation

Admissions Tests

HESI or Contact individual schools/programs for information on tests or exams.

Application Services

NursingCAS or Contact individual schools/programs for information on application services.

Associations

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