Department of Nursing

Welcome

The Department of Nursing at Metropolitan State University of Denver offers a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing with two options.

Baccalaureate Registered Nurse Completion Option (BRNCO)

Designed for students who have graduated from an associate degree or diploma nursing program and wish to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. Students must have a current unencumbered Colorado RN License prior to beginning the first nursing course. Students are admitted once a year in the fall semester and can choose between full-time or part-time completion options. This program allows working RNs to complete their BSN at a pace that allows full employment.

Accelerated Nursing Option (ANO)

Designed for individuals with a non-nursing Bachelor’s Degree who wish to enter the nursing profession. Upon acceptance and completion of the 17 month program, graduates receive a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and are eligible to take the RN licensing exam (NCLEX-RN).

Mission

The mission of the Department of Nursing is to provide a high quality, accessible, enriching education to students pursuing a baccalaureate degree in nursing.  Our learning community cultivates graduates who are prepared with the knowledge, skills and competencies to advance professional nursing practice in a diverse, global and technological society.   The Department of Nursing is committed to academic excellence, collaborative community involvement and promotion of scholarly achievement.  The mission of the Department of Nursing is congruent with the missions of Metropolitan State University of Denver and the School of Professional Studies. 

Purpose

  • Advance the health of diverse communities through nursing.
  • Influence the area in which registered nurses practice.
  • Promote open-mindedness and receptivity to change, growth and diversity.
  • Encourage critical thinking and examination of controversy, research, intuitive knowledge and other ways of knowing.
  • Provide preparation for graduate school.
  • Stimulate continuous personal and professional growth and development.

Philosophy

The nursing faculty believe that nursing education is a dynamic, intellectual process that prepares students for professional nursing practice in a changing healthcare delivery system.  Baccalaureate nursing education incorporates knowledge from the natural sciences, social sciences and nursing.  The goal of the nursing program is to prepare a generalist professional nurse to practice in current and future healthcare delivery systems. 

The nursing faculty believe in promoting educational mobility by offering the following nursing educational options:  the Baccalaureate Registered Nurse Completion Option (BRNCO) and the Accelerated Nursing Option (ANO). The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice published by The American Association of Colleges Nursing, and the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) competencies are used as foundational documents for curriculum development. 

The nursing faculty plan and implement a nursing education program using the four concepts of the nursing paradigm (Patient, Nursing, Health and Environment).  The following statements describe the beliefs of the nursing faculty about these concepts:

Patient - Individuals, families, groups, communities or populations that are the recipients of nursing care.  Patients are diverse and complex with unique characteristics and health needs.  Patients may function in independent, interdependent or dependent roles and may seek or receive nursing care related to disease prevention, health promotion, or health maintenance as well as illness and end of life care (AACN, 2008).

Nursing - An interactive process involving the provision of care to patients by nurses.  Nursing is a professional discipline that integrates both theory and clinical practice.  Nursing is both an art and a science.  The science of nursing is based upon an evolving body of knowledge that is derived from evidence-based practice.  The art of nursing is evidenced by nursing care that is ethical, person-centered, compassionate and caring (Chinn & Kramer, 2004).

Health - A dynamic state defined by the patient at any given point in time.  Health is influenced by a constantly changing environment.  Health encompasses the physical, psychosocial, cultural and spiritual dimensions of the patient.    

Environment - The external and internal physiological, psychological, sociocultural and spiritual factors affecting patients.  Patients are in constant interaction with the environment.  Professional nurses consider the impact of the local, regional, national and global environment when nursing care is delivered.