LPN to BSN Program

LPN-BSN Program admission eligibility requirements

1. Attain admission in good standing to the University.
2. Submit the completed BSN application and required supporting documents to the College of Nursing and Health Sciences by the published deadlines.
3. Complete all general education/ core curriculum courses prior to entering the nursing program. (Must lack no more than one three-hour course (cannot be one of the 11 classes used to calculate the nursing GPA.) Admissions must have final transcripts for Transfer students before nursing classes begin.
4. Must have a grade of C or higher in Written Communication; Math, Math & Quantitative Reasoning; Art, Humanities & Ethics; Literature; Tech, Science & Math; and Field of Study.
5. Anatomy & Physiology I and II, and Microbiology, must be within 5 years of admission to the program.
6. Earned a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.80/4.0. Calculation of GPA is based on grades in the following 11 courses: ENGL 1101; ENGL 1102; MATH 1001, 1101, 1111, 1113, or 1120; ENGL 2110, 2120, or 2130; MATH 1401; 8 hours in a Science Lab Sequence of BIOL, CHEM, or PHYS; BIOL 2251K; BIOL 2252K; BIOL 2260 K; and PSYC 2103. If any of the applicable courses have been repeated, all attempts within 5 years are included in this calculation.
7. Must have completed 3 science courses toward the degree major, Area A, and English literature course before applying.
8. The School of Nursing will allow one science forgiveness in Impacts Core: Tech, Science, & Math for the first course in a science sequence (BIOL 1107 or 2107, CHEM 1151 or 1211; PHYS 1111 or 2211) and lab since this course is usually taken in the first year and often the first semester. Upon retake of the first course in a science sequence and lab at GSW, we will accept the passing grade and not count the first fail in the nursing GPA.
9. Must take HESI A2 and score a minimum of 75 total composite score--two attempts within two years. If you do not take your HESI at GSW, please note that different schools offer different parts of the HESI and you must have all the parts we require.
10. Must not have been excluded from this or any other nursing program for any reason, including but not limited to, academic misconduct, disruptive behavior, or program failure within 5 years prior to the application date to the program. A nursing course failure in another institution counts as a course failure at this institution.
11. Must submit a copy of active, unencumbered LPN license. (An unencumbered license means a license that is not currently on probation, monitoring, suspension, and/or does not have any other type of limitation including current participation in an alternative to discipline program.)

*Admission is competitive. It may not be possible to admit all students who meet the minimum requirements for admission. If there are more qualified applicants than positions available in a nursing class, selection for admission will be based upon the following:

• Grade Point Average - greater than the minimum of 2.80 [using the 11 courses referenced above in #7.
• Grades in Science courses - minimum of B is preferred.
• HESI Admission Assessment A2 - minimum score of 75% ---two attempts within two years.
• Patterns of withdrawal from courses/schools
• Grades of Ds and/or Fs
• Written communication ability
• Availability of space in clinical sites
• Availability of faculty resources

HESI Admission Assessment

The HESI (Health Education Systems, Inc.) Admission Assessment (A2) is a computerized exam designed to assess prospective students entering the health science fields. The HESI A2 consists of eight different exams, seven of which are required by the Nursing program at Georgia Southwestern State University.

• HESI Information and Study Guide
• HESI Registration & Additional Information

Students must receive a 75 total composite score as a requirement and the HESi exam can only be taken 2 times within two years.

TOEFL

The official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) test scores are required for applicants whose first language is not English.  Exemption from the TOEFL requirement is allowed for undergraduate students who complete courses equivalent to English Composition I and II at a regionally accredited United States college or university and earn at least a “C” on the courses.

• Upon applicant’s acceptance to GSW, a letter of acceptance and transcript evaluation will be available to the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.  These documents must be on file in GSW office of admissions and are required before the Admission & Progression Committee can review the College of Nursing and Health Sciences application.
• If applicant is taking or in progression of courses at other institutions during the admission process, applicants must make note of what courses they are taking on their nursing application.
• Applicant must submit an official transcript verifying final course grades to Registrars office and an unofficial transcript verifying final course grades to the College of Nursing and Health Sciences Student Services Coordinators office ASAP after completion.

Transfer applications will require a transcript evaluation so be sure to apply early so this document can be completed before the deadline.

Once admitted to the School of Nursing, the student may be eligible to take content and/or clinical proficiency examinations and credit may be awarded for the following courses: NURS 3003 Fundamentals of Nursing, and NURS 3100 Nursing of Adults I. A student who wishes to take the proficiency examinations should request a meeting with the BSN Associate Dean to discuss eligibility and to review the student’s education and background. An examination date will be determined and the student will receive the necessary preparation tools to prepare for the examinations. The student is responsible for the cost of the examinations, test materials, and preparation for the examinations.

The student will be given a maximum of thirty days to prepare for the examinations. The proficiency examinations will cover NURS 3003 and NURS 3100, and will cover content in both courses. NURS 3100 will also consist of three components: 1) medical-surgical content, 2) clinical proficiency via simulation, and 3) a dosage and calculation content requiring 100% accuracy.The student will receive credit to the separate courses based on their ability to be successful with each proficiency examination. The student must take the proficiency examinations the semester prior to starting the nursing program. The student may elect not to take the proficiency examinations and may follow the LPN-BSN course of study.

The School of Nursing admits pre-licensure nursing students fall and spring semesters. Students anticipating qualifying for entrance must apply by either the preferred deadline of February 15 preceding the fall entry semester or October 15 preceding the spring entry semester. Students should contact the School of Nursing Student Services Coordinator for more information, or see Student Forms for application instructions and required forms.

• Application Instructions & Checklist
• LPN-BSN Application Form (Requires CanesNet Credentials)
• BSN Reference Form