Bachelor of Science in Nursing

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at Elon University is a pre-licensure program that provides students with the knowledge, skills, experiences and global thinking to succeed and thrive in today’s ever-changing health care landscape. Students will demonstrate mastery of all aspects of the nursing process; communicate therapeutically to clients, their families and within the health care setting; and provide safe, culturally appropriate, and sensitive care while adhering to the policies and procedures of the nursing profession and the health care system.

This program will provide students with a foundational knowledge base, enabling client-centered care across the lifespan and the health-wellness-illness continuum. Coursework will be closely aligned with clinical experiences in multiple settings, including the opportunity for hands-on learning in diverse and international settings. Graduates will guide the transformation of health care towards a value-based model centered in communities. Agile in population-level data and fiscally minded, Elon nurses will optimize health care quality and outcomes.

Program Highlights

  • Coursework and clinical experiences dedicated to excellence in nursing practice and patient-centered care for all people throughout their lifespan and across the health-wellness-illness continuum.
  • Intensive simulation experiences, including high-fidelity manikins and standardized patients, with embedded formative and summative evaluations.
  • Focus on community health nursing with emphasis on health promotion, health maintenance, and disease prevention among populations.
  • Commitment to health equity, with comprehensive analysis of the impact of disparity and diversity within health care.
  • Community-driven, health-related service learning in collaboration with a local or global community partner/organization.
  • Development of effective and empathetic communication skills, including strategies for sharing difficult news, engaging in difficult conversations, listening actively, and being emotionally present.
  • Pursuit of evidence-based nursing practice, including the location, critical appraisal, translation, and contributions to the scholarly foundation of nursing as a discipline.
  • Responsibility towards professionalism and management of nursing practice, including nursing policy and regulation, communication and teamwork, quality improvement, safety, and the use of informatics/technology to optimize outcomes.
  • Creation of personal wellness habits in health care providers, including development of resiliency and commitment to life-long self-care.

Simulation

Simulation has been part of the educational model in nursing for over a hundred years.  Advancement in high-fidelity mannequins, task trainers, virtual reality, and the utilization of standardized patients has enhanced the realism and clinical preparation of future nurses.  Simulation provides an opportunity for hands-on engagement in a safe and controlled environment, allowing students to practice skills and transition towards mastery of competencies.

Nursing students in the School of Health Sciences will benefit from engaged and experiential learning activities in our Interprofessional Simulation Center, which includes high-fidelity mannequins that cover the entire life span; task trainers that allow students to master every task from taking vitals to drawing blood; medical carts filled with simulated medicines that mirror those found on hospital wards; and patient rooms equipped with supplies needed for care. Our simulation and clinical skills labs include recording equipment that allows faculty and students to capture student performance for review, evaluation, and continuous improvement. As current nursing regulation allows simulation hours to account for a portion of the required, traditional, clinical practical hours, a state-of-the-art simulation lab is an invaluable resource in the preparation of nursing students.

Department of Nursing Organizational Chart

Nursing Dept Organizational Chart

2023-2024 Student Handbook

2023-2024_FINAL_ Student Handbook (1)