Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Program Intents
Graduates will meet the entry-level competencies of the professional regulatory body, the College of Registered Nurses of Saskatchewan (CRNS) and the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN). Graduates will be eligible to write the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).
Graduates of our program contribute to the scholarship of the nursing profession. The Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) defines scholarship as "a full range of intellectual and creative activities that may include the generation, validation, synthesis and/or application of knowledge to advance the teaching, research, and practice of nursing" (CASN, 2001). Unique to a practice discipline, such as nursing, CASN expects educational programs address the scholarship of service thus requiring graduates to use their specialized knowledge and experience outside the work setting to shape and advance the profession and its values, and contribute to social efforts that benefit humans and society (CASN).
Upon completion of their degree, graduates with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) are expected to function as generalists in a variety of practice settings, in partnership with individuals, families, groups and communities. They will provide safe, competent quality care in accordance with the standards of professional practice. Consistent with CASN's expectations for scholarship in a practice discipline, graduates will demonstrate a strong sense of confidence, passion and an attitude of curiosity for the profession and the practice of nursing. Graduates will enter a knowledge intensive environment of health care and service delivery. Our program will position them to work collaboratively within an interprofessional team and to contribute to health maintenance by their ability to use critical thinking, reflection, analysis and synthesis for evidence-informed practice. Graduates will be accountable for professional behaviour as guided by the Canadian Nurses Association's Code of Ethics and CRNS provincial regulatory competencies and standards. At the time of graduation, students will be able to articulate a clear sense of the professional nursing role and scope of practice.
The College of Nursing values integrity, social justice, unconditional positive regard and achieving potential. These values are inherent in our teaching and programs of research. Learning occurs within an environment where faculty demonstrate our beliefs of "being open and honest, in keeping our commitments, in taking responsibility for our lives and learning, and in operating in a transparent manner.” Students are taught the "value of human life, the inherent worth of the individual, the right of each individual to the attainment of a high standard of health and will work with communities to achieve these rights and that each person has a right to be treated with respect regardless of his or her life circumstances or culture." The BSN is the beginning stage in achieving potential. Our faculty members share with CASN the understanding of scholarship of application as a means to maintain competencies throughout one's career. Graduates understand nursing as a profession requires "life-long learning, risk taking, and advancing one's knowledge base leads the way for empowerment" (College of Nursing, 2008). Graduates are taught that leadership is a fundamental competency for nursing practice. Exhibiting qualities of leadership in the delivery of care, in both formal and informal roles, and an ability to be comfortable with uncertainty and change are expected competencies.
The BSN nursing curriculum is designed for students to progress from basic understanding of nursing approaches to the ability to show adaptation and innovation from simple to complex skills. Nursing practice in every term will solidify learning and increase confidence in the students. The intent is to seek at least one interprofessional experience per term. Curricular chairs in the health sciences colleges are always reviewing options for these opportunities. Currently there are a number of teaching projects that students are a part of. These will continue to be offered and additional options will be developed.
Experts in disciplines for courses that are part of the nursing curriculum will teach those courses (i.e., microbiology, pharmacology, and anatomy and physiology). Application of the knowledge from the support disciplines to nursing practice will be integrated in the nursing courses in the same terms these courses are taught. For instance, assessment skills are taught in the same terms as anatomy and physiology, so learning is relevant and will be more likely to be retained. To demonstrate more relevance, the assessment skills are taught in conjunction with nursing interventions appropriate to those assessment skills.