The Loyola University New Orleans School of Nursing, provides nursing education grounded in Jesuit values for nurses who lead change and translate science into practice in a dynamic global healthcare environment. Since 1979 the School of Nursing faculty and staff have been preparing students for their critical leadership role in the healthcare industry. The School of Nursing offers an undergraduate program with two entry pathways. For more information about the School of Nursing, faculty and staff, and opportunities for students, please visit the School of Nursing website.
The Pre-Nursing program requirements are listed in the College of Arts and Sciences, Interdisciplinary section of the Undergraduate Bulletin.
- Academic Programs
- Academic Regulations for Undergraduate Nursing Programs
- Accreditation
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
The School of Nursing offers a Traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, and an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program.
The School of Nursing also offers graduate programs. There is an accelerated RN to Master of Science in Nursing (RN-MSN) program designed for students who are already registered nurses, who have a bachelor's degree in a field other than nursing, and wish to pursue nursing as a career at the Master's level. In this program, students complete two designated undergraduate nursing courses, which when completed alongside the Master of Science in Nursing fulfills the requirements for a BSN equivalency recognized by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing. See the School of Nursing Graduate Bulletin for program requirements.
- Traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- University Honors Program
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Traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing
The Traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is an on-ground 120 semester credit hour academic program. This BSN program leads to eligibility to apply for licensure as a registered nurse. Students complete the first year of their enrollment in Pre-Nursing courses. Admission to the Nursing major courses requires a Pre-Nursing first-year Loyola GPA of 2.5, which includes a grade of C or better in the science prerequisite courses. Beginning in the second academic year a grade of C or better is required in all nursing courses, a C or better in all non-Loyola Core courses, a 2.5 GPA in major coursework, and a Loyola cumulative 2.5 GPA.
- Overview of requirements: 120 credit hours (crs) required for completion
- Modified Loyola Core: 39 crs
- Nursing major: 69 crs
- Prerequisite Sciences: 12 crs
- Students begin in Pre-Nursing courses before enrolling in Nursing
- Pre-Nursing Year
- Students will begin pursuing their Bachelor of Science in Nursing in their 2nd year. In their 1st year, a student is considered Pre-Nursing. They will spend their Fall and Spring semesters taking prerequisites. Upon completing the required prerequisite courses with a C or better and maintaining a minimum of 2.5 cumulative GPA the Pre-Nursing students will be placed in the Nursing program. They will then begin taking Nursing courses in the Fall of their 2nd year.
- More information about the Pre-Nursing program is outlined in the College of Arts and Science, Interdisciplinary section of the Undergraduate Bulletin.
- Loyola Core. All Traditional BSN students complete a modified Loyola Core with 39 crs in Loyola Core requirement areas. Modifications include:
- Foundations - First-Year Seminar is satisfied by NURS T121 Introduction to Healthcare
- Foundations - Mathematics is satisfied by MATH T122, MATH A110 College Algebra, or higher MATH, or can be exempted through exam scores:
- ACT Math - 29 or above
- SAT Math - 690 or above
- ALEKS Math placement score - 76 or above
- Investigating Nature requirement is satisfied with BIOL A110 Anatomy & Physiology I which must be completed with a grade of C or better.
- Natural Science requirement is satisfied with BIOL A112 Anatomy & Physiology II which must be completed with a grade of C or better.
- Philosophy II requirement is satisfied by PHIL W234 Medical Ethics
- Social Science requirement is satisfied by PSYC A100 Introduction to Psychology with a grade of C or better.
- Students will complete only one of the following Loyola Core requirements for 3 crs. If granted an exemption from Mathematics requirement, both courses for 6 crs are required.
- History II
- Religious Studies - World Religions
- Nursing Major. Complete 69 crs of Nursing major courses. All Nursing major courses must be completed with a grade of C or better. Requirements include:
- NURS G200 Foundations of Nursing Practice I (3 crs)
- NURS G201 Foundations of Nursing Practice II (3 crs)
- NURS G210 Foundations of Nursing Practice I Clinical/Practicum (2 crs)
- NURS G211 Foundations of Nursing Practice II Clinical/Practicum (2 crs)
- NURS G230 Pathophysiology (3 crs)
- NURS G350 Pharmacology (3 crs)
- NURS G355 Genetics and Genomics (3 crs)
- NURS G362 Adult Health Nursing Clinical/Practicum (3 crs)
- NURS G363 Adult Health Nursing (3 crs)
- NURS G372 Child Health Nursing (3 crs)
- NURS G373 Child Health Nursing Clinical/Practicum (2 crs)
- NURS G374 Women's Health Nursing (3 crs)
- NURS G375 Women's Health Nursing Clinical/Practicum (2 crs)
- NURS G379 Nursing Leadership: Quality and Patient Safety (3 crs)
- NURS G430 Mental Health Nursing (3 crs)
- NURS G431 Mental Health Nursing Clinical/Practicum (2 crs)
- NURS G452 Nursing and Evidence-Based Practice (3 crs)
- NURS G454 Introduction to Statistics (3 crs)
- NURS G460 Nutrition and Health Care (3 crs)
- NURS G463 Adult Health II Nursing (3 crs)
- NURS G464 Adult Health Nursing II Clinical/Practicum (3 crs)
- NURS G482 Issues in Professional Nursing (3 crs)
- NURS G483 Population Health (3 crs)
- NURS G484 Population Health Clinical/Practicum (2 crs)
- NURS G485 Information Management and Patient Care Technology (3 crs)
- Pre-requisite Sciences. Students complete the following courses for 12 crs (in addition to the course credits that are already counted in the Loyola Core above as noted), which must be completed with a grade of C or better:
- BIOL A110 Anatomy & Physiology I (Fulfills Investigating Nature Science requirement in the Loyola Core)
- BIOL A111 Anatomy & Physiology Lab I (1 cr)
- BIOL A112 Anatomy & Physiology II (Fulfills Natural Science in Context requirement in the Loyola Core)
- BIOL A113 Anatomy & Physiology Lab II (1 cr)
- BIOL A114 Microbiology for Nursing (3 crs)
- BIOL A115 Microbiology Lab for Nursing (1 cr)
- CHEM A102 Introduction to Organic & Biochemistry (3 crs)
- PSYC A100 Introduction to Psychology (Fulfills Social Science requirement in the Loyola Core)
- PSYC A230 Developmental Psychology (3 crs)
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Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN)
The hybrid Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) degree pathway is targeted for students who have a previous bachelor’s degree or higher in a field other than nursing, and wish to pursue nursing as a career. Due to the nature of this program as a second Bachelor's degree, the total credit hours completed at the undergraduate level will exceed the 120 credit hour minimum required for a bachelor's degree. This 54 credit hours, full-time, accelerated program is a year-round program that includes the summer semester, and requires a significant time commitment from students due to the accelerated nature. For that reason, working full-time while completing the ABSN is not feasible.
Students receive credit for their previously completed degree coursework after a transcript review by the ABSN Program Director. Synchronous, online Nursing theory courses are combined with required, in-person attendance for skills verification at various times throughout the program. Clinical practicum hours are completed through placements with our numerous partner healthcare organizations in the Greater New Orleans area.
- Overview of requirements: 54 credit hours (crs) required for completion
- Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree or higher in any field of study
- Nursing Major: 54 crs
- Bachelor’s degree. A bachelor’s degree is the minimum requirement for entry into the ABSN program. A bachelor’s (or higher) degree in a field other than nursing fulfills requirements for most Loyola core courses. Students will not be eligible to receive credit for individual courses in the previous bachelor’s degree, only the completed degree. In order to prepare for admission to nursing courses, students must successfully complete the prerequisite courses with a grade of C.
- BIOL A110 Anatomy & Physiology I for Nursing (3 crs)
- BIOL A111 Anatomy & Physiology I Lab for Nursing (1 cr)
- BIOL A112 Anatomy & Physiology II (3 crs)
- BIOL A113 Anatomy & Physiology Lab II (1 cr)
- BIOL A114 Microbiology for Nursing (3 crs)
- BIOL A115 Microbiology Lab for Nursing (1 cr)
- CHEM A102 Introduction to Organic & Biochemistry (3 crs)
- PSYC A100 Introduction to Psychology (3 crs)
- PSYC A230 Developmental Psychology (3 crs)
- Nursing Major. Complete 54 crs of Nursing major courses. All Nursing major courses must be completed with a grade of C or better. Requirements include:
- NURS G202 Foundations of Nursing Practice (3 crs)
- NURS G212 Foundations of Nursing Practice Clinical/Practicum (2 crs)
- NURS G230 Pathophysiology (3 crs)
- NURS G350 Pharmacology (3 crs)
- NURS G362 Adult Health Nursing Clinical/Practicum (2 crs)
- NURS G363 Adult Health Nursing (3 crs)
- NURS G372 Child Health Nursing (3 crs)
- NURS G373 Child Health Nursing Clinical/Practicum (2 crs)
- NURS G374 Women's Health Nursing (3 crs)
- NURS G375 Women's Health Nursing Clinical/Practicum (2 crs)
- NURS G430 Mental Health Nursing (3 crs)
- NURS G431 Mental Health Nursing Clinical/Practicum (2 crs)
- NURS G432 Health in Mind, Body & Spirit (2 crs)
- NURS G452 Nursing Research and EBP* (3 crs)
- NURS G460 Nutrition and Health Care (3 crs)
- NURS G463 Adult Health II Nursing (3 crs)
- NURS G464 Adult Health Nursing II Clinical/Practicum (3 crs)
- NURS G482 Issues in Professional Nursing (3 crs)
- NURS G483 Population Health (3 crs)
- NURS G484 Population Health Clinical/Practicum (2 crs)
*An Introduction to Statistics is required as a prerequisite to NURS G452 Nursing Research and EBP. Students may transfer in a previously completed statistics course.
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Bachelor of Science in Nursing - University Honors Program
Participation in the University Honors Program is available to any eligible student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing - Traditional undergraduate program. Students who meet Honors Program admission requirements can complete their program with the Honors Curriculum taking the place of the Loyola Core and adding a required Honors Thesis to the overall program. Because of these changes, the Honors Curriculum impacts the number of credits required in the General Elective area. Completion of this academic program requires a 3.3 GPA in the student’s Loyola cumulative curriculum.
Academic Regulations & Policies for Undergraduate Nursing Programs
School of Nursing undergraduate programs follow university-wide Academic Regulations as set forth in the University Bulletin, with the following program-specific addendums:
- Admissions Requirements
- Minimum Acceptable Grade
- Length of Time to Complete
- Nursing Student Handbook
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Admissions Requirements for Undergraduate Nursing
- A completed application to the program
- Prior to beginning any clinical work, all pre-licensure students regardless of program of study are required to apply for a certified background review, and drug screen/test at their own expense, as directed by invitation from a third-party vendor contracted by the School of Nursing. All results are reported to Loyola University New Orleans School of Nursing. Students must be fully compliant with all items through the entire program, including:
- Louisiana State Board of Nursing Student License Application & Background Check
- School of Nursing Background Check
- Physical Exam - within the past 12 months
- Drug screen/test
- Basic Life Support (BLS) Healthcare Provider (must be in accordance with American Heart Association or American Red Cross guidelines)
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Immunizations
- Measles (2 doses)
- Mumps
- Rubella
- Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis
- Polio
- Influenza- annually
- Varicella (Chicken Pox)
- Hepatitis B
- COVID-19 – as per CDC guidelines
- Tuberculosis testing or risk assessment as per CDC and practicum site guidelines
- In addition to the School of Nursing requirements, some practicum sites may have additional requirements with which students must comply. See the Nursing Student Handbook for more details.
Minimum Acceptable Grade
The minimum acceptable grade in an undergraduate nursing course taken at Loyola University New Orleans is a C. Undergraduate nursing students must maintain a cumulative Loyola GPA of 2.5 or above. If their cumulative Loyola GPA falls below a 2.5, they will be placed on academic probation with the following conditions:
- They will have up to 3 semesters to bring their cumulative Loyola GPA up to 2.5.
- Students must achieve a cumulative term GPA of at least 2.5 while on academic probation.
- Students who do not remove the academic probation in the allotted time frame will be academically dismissed from the program. Refer to the Student Handbook for policies related to progression and academic dismissal.
Length of Time to Complete the Program
Undergraduate students must complete all coursework within 6 years of initial enrollment. Students who find it necessary to drop out of school for a period of time must request a formal leave of absence and complete the relevant paperwork. An approved Leave of Absence form guarantees the student the right to return to the program within one year, after which the formal leave expires. The approved Leave of Absence for one year is included in the 6-year requirement. The student will work with the Academic Advisor and/or Program Director to develop an alternate plan of study to accommodate the curriculum in effect at the time of reentry. Undergraduate nursing courses will “time-out” after 6 years and will need to be retaken.
Nursing Student Handbook
All enrolled nursing students will be held to the applicable policies in the Nursing Student Handbook.
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Accreditation
The bachelor’s degree program in nursing, master's degree program in nursing, and Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Loyola University New Orleans are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791. https://www.aacnnursing.org/CCNE
Additionally, all School of Nursing programs are approved by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing, 17373 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70810, 225-755-7500 https://www.lsbn.state.la.us/
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