Jeanie Flood, Director, Ph.D., RN, IBCLC
Engineering Building, Room 101
505-426-2203
E-mail: nursing@nmhu.edu
For enrollment inquiries, please e-mail hboudreau@nmhu.edu
Mission of the Department of Nursing
The mission of the Department of Nursing is to prepare quality nurse health care providers through excellence in education, scholarship and service. This program builds on the strength of the licensed registered nurse and challenges the individuals enrolled in this program to expand their critical thinking for new professional nursing roles, methods of health care delivery and approaches to health care practice issues.
Faculty
Beatrice Hurtado, RN, MSN
Siri Gurunam Kaur Khalsa, Ph.D. (c), MSN, BSN
Sandra Gardner, Ed.D., RN, MA, MS
Jeanie Flood, Director, Ph.D., RN, IBCLC
Resources and Facilities
The Department of Nursing is located in the Engineering Building. Offices of the department and a classroom used by the department are available in the building. The Department of Nursing cooperates with other academic areas within New Mexico Highlands University to allow for students to take courses besides nursing to meet the general education core requirements of the baccalaureate degree.
Nursing (BSN)
The RN-to-BSN Program of study is specifically designed for the registered nurse student to earn a baccalaureate degree. The RN-BSN Program is only available to students with a valid license to practice as a registered nurse and who hold an associate degree or diploma in nursing. Baccalaureate nursing education prepares professional nurses who have a strong foundation in liberal education. The RN-BSN Program allows registered nurses to build on core nursing knowledge and experience, but through their program, expand their knowledge base as leaders in the profession. Upon completion of the program, graduates will be prepared for positions in patient care, leadership, and community health and will be qualified to apply for advanced work in nursing at the master’s level. This is an on-line program, and practicums will be done in the student’s state of residence.
Requirements for Admission to the RN-BSN Completion Program
Graduate of an approved associate degree or diploma program in nursing.
Valid unencumbered U.S. RN license prior to program start date.
Cumulative minimum GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.
As long as the student meets the nursing program required prerequisites listed below, and the majority of general education core courses, selected general education core courses can be taken along with upper division nursing courses.
Applicant must apply for undergraduate admission to New Mexico Highlands University and apply to the RN-BSN Program. Acceptance to New Mexico Highlands University does not guarantee acceptance into the RN-BSN Program.
Have official transcripts sent from all previously attended colleges and universities to the RN-BSN program. Even if you only took one class or credits are displayed on another transcript, we need official transcripts sent from all institutions.
Students may be admitted Fall, Spring, or Summer semesters
Nursing program required prerequisites:
Microbiology
Anatomy and Physiology I
Anatomy and Physiology II
Life Span Developmental Psychology
Introduction to Psychology
Nutrition
Introduction to Sociology or Anthropology
Statistics
Majority of general education core
Only college courses completed with a grade of C or better will transfer, including general core courses.
Nursing (BSN)
Major Course Requirements: 32 credit hours
NMNC 3100 RN-BSN Bridge Course (3)
NMNC 3200 Evidence Based Applications in Health Assessment (3)
NMNC 3320 Introduction to Nursing Informatics (2)
NMNC 3400 Advancement of Professional Nursing (3)
NMNC 3600 Cultural Competencies and Health Care (3)
NMNC 3700 Nursing Research and Evidence Based Practice (3)
NMNC 4310 Community Health Nursing (3)
NMNC 4320 Health Care Policy (3)
NMNC 4470 Community Health Practice (3)
NMNC 4510 Seminar on Professional Nursing Leadership (3)
NMNC 4520 Nursing Leadership Practicum (3)
Major Total: 32 credit hours (nursing upper division)
Core Requirements: 21 credit hours
Flex Requirements: 10 credit hours
Extended Requirements: 8 credit hours
Proficiency Requirements: 11-17 credit hours
General Electives to 120 (if needed): 32-38 credit hours
Total for degree: 120 credit hours
*A minor is not required. Nursing prerequisites may apply to the core total but credits are only counted once. The number of proficiency credit requirements will vary based on student placement scores. New Mexico Highlands University requires a minimum of 45 upper-division units for the degree.
**Nursing students who have earned an RN from a New Mexico Nursing Education Consortium (NMNEC) partner school may transfer up to 9 required NMNEC approved Nursing credits into the NMHU RN to BSN program and have these credits count towards the NMHU residency requirement. The specific NMNEC courses are NMNEC 1235, NMNEC 2320, and NMNEC 1220 which correspond to NMHU’s NMNC 3200, NMNC 4510, and NMNC 4310.
Nursing (NMNC), Courses in
NMNC 3100. RN-BSN Bridge Course (3); Fa, Sp
This course brings together knowledge, and concepts, that are basic to nursing curriculum: Critical thinking, problem solving, and the spirit of inquiry. Nursing literature will be discussed regarding the reasons for completing the BSN program for nurses. Nursing scholarly writing, APA formatting, electronic reference databases and literature review are discussed to assist the student with developing professional writing skills. The course highlights how to use the NMHU learning management system for nursing courses, and other computer skills needed for this curriculum. Student expectations in the RN-BSN program are presented. Previous NMHU NURS 310.
NMNC 3200. Evidence Based Application in Health Assessment (3); Fa
This course focuses on expanding the basic health assessment skills necessary for critical thinking in professional nursing. Emphasis is on identification of normal findings, with developmental and cultural variations. The course is designed to assist the student to differentiate between normal and abnormal findings, as well as furthering the development of the students’ assessment skills. Lab practice of assessment skills will be included within this course. Prerequisite: NMNC 3100. Previous NMHU NURS 320.
NMNC 3320. Intro to Nursing Informatics (2); Su
This course focuses on the role of the importance of information systems and technology to nursing practice, education, research, and administration. Students will understand the importance of becoming knowledge workers, and develop skills for information literacy. The emphasis of the course is to provide the student with the expertise and knowledge to function effectively in the modern health care information technology environment. Prerequisite: NMNC 3100. Previous NMHU NURS 332.
NMNC 3400. Advancement of Professional Nursing (3); Fa, Sp
This course focuses on nursing practice foundations for continuing development of the student’s knowledge essential for functioning in a rapidly changing health care system. Content includes professional issues, quality improvement, safe practice, interdisciplinary collaboration, and influences of socio-cultural-political-economic factors on health care delivery systems. Prerequisite: NMNC 3100. Previous NMHU NURS 3400.
NMNC 3600. Cultural Competencies and Health Care (3); Fa
This course explores the role of the nurse practicing in culturally diverse health care delivery systems. Students will learn how to increase their skills in providing culturally competent care for patients across the lifespan. Skills needed to work collaboratively with health care workers from diverse backgrounds will also be emphasized. Prerequisite: NMNC 3100. Previous NMHU NURS 360.
NMNC 3700. Nursing Research and Evidence Based Practice (3); Sp
This course teaches skills to increase the student’s sense on inquiry essential to evidence based practice in nursing. Skills will be taught in scholarly literature search, and the process of evaluating material for the application in the clinical setting to obtain better patient care outcomes. Prerequisite: NMNC 3100. Previous NMHU NURS 370.
NMNC 4310. Community Health Nursing (3); Sp
This theory course focuses on the knowledge needed for community/public health nursing practice. Concepts presented discuss the nursing care of families, groups and communities with an emphasis on community assessment, health promotion, risk reduction, disease prevention and health maintenance. Special emphasis will focus on community health nursing in diverse cultures and rural communities. Prerequisite: NMNC 3100. Previous NMHU NURS 431.
NMNC 4320. Health Care Policy (3); Su
This course is designed to introduce students to health policy, and the regulatory environment for health care. Health care policies that directly or indirectly influence nursing practice as well as the functioning of the healthcare system will be presented. Discussion about how healthcare policy shapes the quality and safety of the practice environment and healthcare provided in different practice settings. Explanation of how the regulatory agencies define the boundaries of nursing practice and the role of these agencies will be identified. Prerequisite: NMNC 3100. Previous NMHU NURS 432.
NMNC 4470. Community Health Nursing Practicum (3); Sp
This course provides clinical experience in community and public health nursing focusing on the application of community health nursing principles for the care of families, groups and communities. Clinical experiences will have an emphasis on community assessment, health promotion, risk reduction, disease prevention and health maintenance. Special emphasis will focus on community health nursing in diverse cultures and rural communities. Prerequisite: NMNC 3100. Previous NMHU NURS 447.
NMNC 4510. Seminar on Professional Nursing Leadership (3); Fa
This course focuses on leadership and management principles and functions essential to the practice of professional nursing. Political, social, cultural, legal and ethical issues are explored from a leader’s viewpoint. Nursing leaders from diverse health care settings will be studied to determine their influence on the nursing profession. Prerequisites: NMNC 3100. Previous NMHU NURS 451.
NMNC 4520. Nursing Management Practicum (3); Fa
This clinical course facilitates the application of the leadership and management principles from course NMNC 4510 through leadership projects and activities with health care settings in the community. Prerequisite: NMNC 3100. Previous NMHU NURS 452.