Nursing, BSN

Nursing Mission Statement

The mission of the Westminster College RN-BSN/Post-licensure Program is to provide a high quality, innovative RN-BSN education grounded in academic rigor and the science of Nursing.

This Mission promotes the professional skills of leadership, inter-professional teamwork, compassion, and cultural competence within all healthcare practice settings and is aligned with the Westminster College Mission of assisting individuals in developing the competencies, commitments, and characteristics to function at their personal best.

The Vision of the Westminster College RN-BSN/Post-licensure Program is to be the most academically respected, innovative RN-BSN Program in the region by preparing baccalaureate nurses who excel in the rapidly changing world of healthcare.

Learning Outcomes

The professional nursing graduate will:

1. Incorporate into professional nursing practice, the intellectual perspectives obtained from the liberal arts and science underpinnings of the Westminster College nursing education program.
2. Employ knowledgeable leadership skills and quality improvement practices to provide safe, high quality patient care.
3. Maintain a commitment to inquiry by appraising the most recent health care research and advances for the provision of safe, high quality care.
4. Integrate current evidence to inform clinical decision making in professional nursing practice.
5. Apply knowledge and skills of information management and healthcare technology to facilitate high quality patient care.
6. Recognize in professional nursing practice, the importance and influence of healthcare policy, finances and regulations as support for quality improvement and safety in the healthcare setting.
7. Effectively communicate and collaborate with all members of the healthcare team to assure high quality, safe care for individuals and groups.
8. Incorporate knowledge of health promotion and disease prevention in all nursing practice encounters from the individual to the population level.
9. Demonstrate professional behaviors that reflect the values of altruism, autonomy, human dignity, integrity, and social justice as the foundation for professional nursing practice.
10. Provide professional nursing care for individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations that is culturally responsive and reflective of patient needs and preferences, as well as the increased use of healthcare resources in meeting those needs.
11. Engage in life-long learning and professional development to maintain practice relevancy and competency to further inform professional nursing practice.

Four-Year Collaborative Nursing Plan

Nursing students at Westminster College embark on a four-year journey of preparation for entry into a rewarding, high-demand profession. Through a collaboration with the UPMC Jameson School of Nursing, enrolled students are provided with a high quality liberal arts education leading to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree (BSN) from Westminster College and a Diploma in Nursing from UPMC Jameson School of Nursing. 

At Westminster College, nursing students prepare for their careers in the health field beginning day one. Through completing general science courses and other first year requirements, year one of the Collaborative Nursing Plan is dedicated to preparing students for acceptance into the UPMC Jameson School of Nursing and getting them adjusted to the Westminster RN-BSN program curriculum.

In year two, nursing students complete various experiential learning opportunities such as nursing courses, lab experiences and clinical placements within the UPMC Jameson School of Nursing. Students also complete additional liberal arts courses required for the BSN degree at Westminster. 

At the end of the third year, successful graduates of the UPMC Jameson School of Nursing are eligible to complete the NCLEX-RN exam the summer before returning to finish their last year at Westminster College. With active RN licensure, students continue in the College’s RN-BSN/post-licensure program in year four to complete upper-level nursing coursework and fulfill remaining requirements needed for graduation. 

The RN-BSN/Post-licensure Program at Westminster College is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.