Bachelor of Science in Nursing

The program provides education and training for pre-licensure nursing students to receive a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and be eligible, upon graduation, to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) required for registered nurse (RN) licensure.  The curriculum is based on requirements of the Tennessee Board of Nursing (TBON), as well as the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The program includes standard core content (pathophysiology, pharmacology, health assessment, foundational nursing skills, evidence-based practice), nursing and clinical content across the lifespan (maternity/OB, newborn, pediatrics, adult, older adult) and across settings (acute care, ambulatory care, population and community health), and content on the profession (mental health, professional nursing, leadership and management, ethics, policy, and transition to practice).

Accelerated students achieve a second bachelor’s degree that includes four semesters of courses in the nursing major (60 credits).

The baccalaureate program at LCON prepares the graduate to: 

1. Provide safe, compassionate, inclusive, high-quality nursing care across the lifespan and continuum of healthcare settings.  
2. Use evidence-based research, informatics, and technologies in nursing practice to improve the health of diverse populations.  
3. Explore the impact of social determinants of health, legal factors, and political factors that shape healthcare delivery and professional nursing practice. 
4. Communicate and collaborate effectively as a leader and member of interprofessional teams to impact healthcare delivery. 
5. Implement clinical prevention and health promotion strategies to improve patient and population health outcomes. 
6. Integrate personal and professional values and ethical principles into the design and delivery of person-centered care. 
7. Demonstrate practices that foster personal health, resilience, well-being, and lifelong learning to support the acquisition of nursing expertise and leadership.

Application and Admission Requirements for the Nursing Major

Students must first have received admission to the University of Memphis prior to application to the nursing major. To be eligible for admission into nursing, students must have achieved the following.

1. Completion of a baccalaureate degree in any field of study from an accredited institution.
2. Minimum overall cumulative GPA of 3.0 in previous degree.
3. Minimum grade of “C” and an overall nursing prerequisite GPA of 3.0 for the equivalent of the following courses: Microbiology with lab (BIOL 1230, BIOL 1231), Anatomy and Physiology I and II with lab for each (BIOL 2010, BIOL 2011, BIOL 2020, BIOL 2011), General Chemistry with lab (CHEM 1010, CHEM 1011), Development Across the Lifespan (EDPR 2111), Statistics (MATH 1530) or equivalent, and Nutrition (NUTR 2202 or NUTR 3202). One nursing prerequisite course may be repeated only once; if repeated, the second earned letter grade of the repeated course will be used in the nursing prerequisite GPA calculation (regardless of if grade is higher or lower).

4. For BIOL 1230/1231, BIOL 2010/2011, BIOL 2020/2021, and CHEM 1010/1011, in person classes are preferred, as students who take these in person demonstrate greater success in the nursing program.

5. AP credit (score of 3 or higher), will be accepted for CHEM 1010/1011 and MATH 1530.”

The following are required for application to the nursing major.

• Transcript (an official transcript is required)
• Resume
• Letter of Interest - To learn about resumes/letter of interest, visit Career Services
• Recommendation Letter - Can be written by anyone that can speak to your academic ability (i.e., professor, counselor, advisor, etc.)

All application decisions will be sent to the student’s memphis.edu email addresses six (6) weeks after the application deadline has passed. For students in the process of completing pre-nursing coursework during the semester of application, acceptance to the nursing major will be on a provisional basis. At the completion of that final term, the student must satisfy all the requirements in 1-5 above. After receipt of final grades, if the student fails to satisfy all requirements, the acceptance will be rescinded, and the student will have to reapply in a future application cycle once those requirements are met.

Students transferring to the university from another accredited nursing program must also include in their application a letter of good standing from the Dean/Director of the previous Nursing program.

The Nursing Major (60 hours)

Students will complete 60 credits in the nursing major to complete the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.

Nursing Curriculum

In the nursing curriculum, students must successfully complete all courses in a semester prior to progressing to the next sequence. Students must enroll in all courses at the start of the sequence. If a student withdraws from a course or does not achieve a grade of “C” or better, the course must be retaken in the following semester. The student can then progress to the next sequence once the course is successfully completed.

Students may only repeat a nursing course once. Failure to achieve a grade of “C” or better on the second attempt results in academic disqualification from the nursing major. Failure to achieve a grade of “C” or better in more than one nursing course also results in academic disqualification.