Minimum criteria for generic or traditional 4-year curriculum applicants, seeking admission to the junior nursing courses are:

1. Meet the NWOSU Admission requirements. Must provide a copy of official transcript(s) from all colleges/universities attended to the Northwestern Registrar's office. ​Transcripts may be submitted by the student in person or by mail. The Registrar’s office also will accept transcripts sent electronically as official if they are sent via email to Sheri Lahr or Teri Warren directly from the issuing institution or the institution’s third party company (E-Script, Parchment, National Student Clearinghouse, etc.).  These transcripts must be on file in the Northwestern Registry Office on the Alva campus.

2. Completion of all courses listed as prerequisites to the nursing major with a minimum of “C” before entering the junior nursing courses, maintaining the RGPA requirement of 2.50. Applicants completing prerequisite coursework during summer session may be admitted conditionally pending attainment of the specified RGPA, and a minimum grade of “C” in the following prerequisite courses prior to beginning the junior nursing courses in the Fall.

• CHEM    1105    Chemistry for Non-Majors OR CHEM 1115 General Chemistry I

• BIOL       3115    Introduction to Microbiology

• BIOL       3184    Human Anatomy

• BIOL       3194    Human Physiology

• NURS     3033    Pathophysiology for Nurses OR BIOL 4503 Pathophysiology

• ENG       1113    Comp I

• ENG       1213    Comp II

• HED       1820    Nutrition (3 hours)

• MATH    1513    College Algebra

• MATH    1313    Statistics OR PSYC 4213 Statistics

• PSYC     1113    General Psychology

• PSYC     3123    Human Life-Span Development

• SOC       1113    Introductory Sociology

• SCOM    1113    Intro to Speech Communication

3. Science GPA of 2.5.  Applicants cannot repeat a science course more than one time. A withdrawal counts as a repeat. Exceptions may be made at the discretion of the faculty as a group.

4. Complete application and submit to the Division of Nursing, with references and a copy of all college transcripts. Generic Track Applications are reviewed by the Division of Nursing Admissions Committee beginning in February each year.

5. Must complete Kaplan Nursing Program Admission Test. Applicant must pass the Kaplan Nursing School Admission Test with an overall score of 73% or higher with a science score of 65% or higher. The test is given every winter during the admission cycle, and schedules will be posted to this web page.

Please contact Pam Hess at (580) 327-8493 or prhess@nwosu.edu for more information about this exam.

6. Successful completion of a federal background check through Certified Background. For more information visit the Nursing Background Check web page.

Completed applications (including references and transcripts) are submitted to the Division of Nursing and are reviewed by the Admissions Committee in February. Upon acceptance into the program, students will be required to complete a History and Physical Exam and obtain CNA certification if not already certified.

LPN students may receive credit for the Introduction to Nursing Concepts and may receive additional credit based upon any articulation agreements that may exist with the Career Tech programs. (Consult a faculty advisor for further information).  

LPN students will enter the nursing program during fall semester of the junior year and be able to complete required nursing courses in four semesters, if attending as full-time students.  Students will take the Role Transition Course* (3 hrs online) the summer prior to starting the nursing program.

The LPN to BSN Program track application process and requirements are the same as the Traditional (Generic) student process/requirements listed above.

RN students may complete their BSN degrees through the Online RN-to-BSN Program at NWOSU. Please see the link on the Nursing homepage for the program.

The BSN graduates of NWOSU Division of Nursing are able to:

1. Integrate transpersonal human caring into own clinical practice.  (Caring)
2. Practice safely as a nursing generalist, utilizing the nursing process.  (Safety)
3. Assess the effects of clinical practice through reflection.  (Reflection)
4. Integrate the principles of holistic nursing into own clinical practice.  (Holistic Care)
5. Systematically appraise and utilize the approach to nursing research with evidence based practice principles to provide multi-dimensional, high quality, and cost-effective care in the provision of nursing care in a changing environment.

(Evidence Based Practice)

6. Incorporate an awareness of the dignity, worth and uniqueness of each person into nursing practice by developing skills, knowledge and attitudes that enable them to provide culturally competent health care.  (Cultural Competence)
7. Utilize effective communication skills to engage in therapeutic nurse/client relationships.  (Communication)
8. Synthesize theories and principles from nursing, the natural and behavioral sciences, and the liberal arts into nursing practice based on sound clinical reasoning.  (Clinical Reasoning)
9. Collaborate with consumers, health team members, and communities to restore, evaluate, promote, and maintain optimal health.  (Leadership)
10. Integrate principles of teaching-learning to develop, coordinate, implement, and evaluate teaching plans designated to promote, restore, and maintain optimal outcomes.  (Leadership)
11. Facilitate problem solving to resolve ethical, moral, and legal dilemmas using sound clinical reasoning and the standards of nursing practice.

(Clinical Reasoning)

12. Assimilate principles of leadership and management in planning and providing safe, effective health care to clients, families and communities.  (Leadership)
13. Integrate the importance of service learning in professional nursing practice.

(Holistic Care)

14. Evaluate and implement the use of informatics as a means of communication and as a resource for the delivery of health care. (Technology)

All Division of Nursing students must have access to a computer for assignments and testing. Students in the traditional BSN program must have access to a laptop computer for classroom testing.

Minimum Technology Requirements:

Broadband Internet Access- Hard-wired access preferred

• 2 GB RAM (minimum)
• 2.9 GHz Processor (minimum)
• 20 GB hard drive (minimum)
• Windows 7 or higher
• Web Browser (IE 8.0 or higher, Firefox Stable Channel Release, Chrome Stable Channel Release)
• Micorsoft OFfice 2003 Suite or higher
• Adobe Reader 9 or higher
• Windows Media Player 7 or higher

Additional program-specific applications may be required.