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    2013    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. Must have a Science GPA of 2.5.  Applicants cannot repeat a science course more than one time. A withdrawal counts as a repeat. 
4. Complete and submit the following Charles Morton Share Trust Division of Nursing BSN Program Application components online:

• University Application

• BSN Program Application (Includes college and/or technology center transcript submission)

• BSN Applicant Reference Form (List three references from teachers or employers)

• Online submissions from the three references listed on Applicant Reference Form

• Background Check

5. All students who have decided to enter the Nursing Program must complete the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS), at a required level to be admitted into the program. The 170-question test is designed to test basic academic skills in the areas of Reading, Math, Science, English, and Language. A strong knowledge in these areas correlates to a higher probability of success in the Nursing Program.

   A composite TEAS score equal to or greater than 68% and a Science benchmark of 58% is required for admission to the Nursing Program.

   Recommended Study Resources:

• All resources may be purchased through the ATI website at http://www.atitesting.com/teas.
  • Smart Prep tutorial
  • Study Manual
  • Comprehensive Study package
  • Basic student package
  • Practice Assessment package

Official TEAS exam scores are sent directly to NWOSU Division of Nursing from the ATI website. If more than one exam was taken, an unofficial printout of previous or subsequent exams must be included with the application.

Scheduling

• All tests will be a remote version of the ATI TEAS exam with Proctorio (virtual proctor). Please purchase the “TEAS Online at Institution” option at http://www.atitesting.com/teas
• ATI does not offer refunds or permit rescheduling of the TEAS exam if an applicant is not able to test as scheduled. All TEAS registrations are final, no exceptions.
• If you cannot make the purchased session and have a documented emergency, please contact: email comments@atitesting.com, and they can let you know where to send documentation. If you miss the original purchase date, it will not count against you as an attempt, however, you will have to pay for an additional session.
• Applicants will register for the exam online through ATI after creating an ATI user account. Once an ATI account is established applicants can register for the TEAS test date of their choice. No rescheduling is permitted once registration is completed.
• The fee for the ATI TEAS exam with Proctorio for the NWOSU Division of Nursing is $120.00 per testing and is paid directly through registration with ATI.

The NWOSU Division of Nursing will accept the highest TEAS score with the requirement that each test is taken after a MINIMUM of 30 days following the previous test attempt. A TEAS taken before the 30-day period will not be accepted. In this case, the score from your previous TEAS test will be the one considered as part of the application process.  TEAS scores are only valid from October 11 to January 15 for the upcoming admission cycle, i.e. for 2024-2025 admission cycle, validity of TEAS results are from October 11, 2023 to January 15, 2024.

If your score on the first TEAS test is less than 68% and/or a Science benchmark of <58%, you must complete remediation as outlined in the “Remediation” section below. There must be a MINIMUM of 30 days between each TEAS test attempt. One retake is allowed.  The first attempt or the 2^nd attempt will only be accepted.  A combination of the two attempts will not be considered. 

Procedures for Remediation

For applicants with a composite score less than 68% and/or less than 58% on the Science section must complete remediation as outlined below.

The following remediation must be followed to apply to the NWOSU Division of Nursing Program:

• Remediation is required for those scoring less than 68% on the TEAS composite score and less than 58% on the Science section.

• Evidence of completion of a remediation program must be provided with your application
to the Nursing Program.

• You may use one of the following methods for remediation:

• Attend a TEAS prep course.  To purchase a complete package or single products option go to http://www.atitesting.com/teas. These include options of Smart Prep tutorial, Study Manual, Comprehensive study package, Basic student package, Practice Assessment package.
• Documentation of one of these packages MUST be submitted with application packet.
• This remediation must occur after the unsuccessful attempt and within the 30-day period of retaking the test

In addition to proof of completion of a remediation program, you must submit a written
statement answering the following questions:

• Why do you think you were unsuccessful in your first attempt at the TEAS?
• What steps have you taken to improve your TEAS test score?
• How did you study/prepare for the TEAS?
• What resources did you use to prepare for the TEAS?

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

Effective January 1, 2022, the NWOSU Charles Morton Share Trust Division of Nursing will no longer require the Certified Nurse’s Assistant (CNA) certification as an entry requirement into the BSN Nursing Program.  While the Division acknowledges the importance of the CNA role and will continue to recommend it to students, the cost of the course is an issue for many.  We will be including pertinent content into our nursing courses and increase skills time for students to ensure their knowledge and respect for this role.  If you have any questions about this change, please contact your Academic Advisor or Mrs. Pam Hess.

Completed applications (including references and transcripts) are submitted to the Charles Morton Share Trust Division of Nursing and are reviewed by the Admissions Committee to be presented to the faculty in February. Upon acceptance into the program, students will be required to submit the following:

• Complete History and Physical
• Immunization Records/Current TB Test
• Health Insurance
• Transcripts to courses completed during the Spring and Summer semesters following acceptance

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 Charles Morton Share Trust Division of Nursing are able to:

1. Integrate transpersonal human caring into own clinical practice.  (Caring)
2. Use the nursing process as a foundation for safe nursing practice.  (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 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 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. Effectively implement the use of informatics as a means of communication for the delivey of health care. (Technology)

All Charles Morton Share Trust 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

• 4 GB RAM (minimum) 
• 2.9 GHz Processor (minimum) or faster with two or more cores
• 64 GB hard drive (minimum)
• Windows 10 or higher
• Web Browser (Firefox or Chrome Stable Channel Release)
• Microsoft Office 2019 Suite or higher
• Adobe Reader 9 or higher
• Graphics Card: Compatible with DirectX12 or later
• Display: 1280 x 768 screen resolution, 9" or greater monitor
• Internet Connection: Internet connectivity is necessary

Additional program-specific applications may be required.