Nursing Department

Chairperson: Dr. Yvonne N. STRINGFIELD
Professor: WATKINS
Associate Professor: ADEPOJU, SHEFFLER, STRINGFIELD
Assistant Professor: GAMEL-McCORMICK, RICHARDSON
Clinical Practitioner: ARENSON, CEBRICK, DAMPEER, EVANS-MITCHELL, GWANMESIA, HOOPER, JOHNSON

Online Clinical Progression Applications will no longer be accepted for Fall 2008 Clinical Admission. The application deadline was May 25, 2008. Please check back on this website for the Fall 2009 Clinical Progression Application. If you are a transfer student or a new freshmen, you may still be admitted to the University as a pre-nursing student in Fall 2008. Please visit the DSU Admissions homepage at http://www.desu.edu/admission/index.php for more information about the undergraduate application procedure.

So you want to become a nurse? Whether you’re a beginning student in nursing or a nurse returning to school, the Nursing Program at Delaware State University has a course of study to meet your needs.

This NLNAC accredited baccalaureate degree nursing program is grounded in the concept of academic excellence. Students seeking professional preparation for nursing practice are admitted to the program. Preparation for professional nursing practice demands a knowledge of the humanities, natural and social sciences and nursing theory with correlated laboratory and clinical practice.

The faculty of the Department of Nursing subscribe to the philosophy and mission of DSU and SPS. Its mission is to provide meaningful and relevant education that emphasizes the liberal arts, scientific and professional aspects of higher education for a multicultural student population. The nursing program provides educational opportunities for students of diverse backgrounds and prepares knowledgeable, entry-level practitioners for meeting present and future health needs of individuals, families, groups and communities. The nursing program develops an educational base for graduate study and fosters professionalism.

The primary purposes of the program are (1) to prepare competent professional practitioners, (2) to meet the needs of a culturally diverse student population, and (3) to develop an educational base for future specialization and/or graduate study.

The nursing curriculum is four academic years and leads to the bachelor of science degree with a major in nursing. Upper division nursing courses include both nursing theory and relatedlaboratory and clinical study. Health agencies including hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, and other community health settings, and schools in the Delaware area provide settings for laboratory study in nursing. Practica are also provided in the simulated laboratory in the Department of Nursing.

Students who meet nursing admission criteria may be admitted to the nursing program. Students are admitted as pre-nursing until they have met the prerequisite requirements of program. Additionally, nursing students are responsible for their own transportation to all clinical experiences beginning in the sophomore year of the nursing program. All nursing students are eligible to become members of the Delaware State University Nursing Club. Students may also apply for membership in the Delaware State University Nursing Honor Society after successful completion of the junior year of the Nursing Program.

Graduates of the program are eligible to take the examination for licensure as registered nurses administered by The National Council of State Boards of Nursing. They are broadly prepared for employment in entry level positions in professional nursing in a variety of health care agencies.The nursing program is approved by the The National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) Accreditation Commission, Delaware Board of Nursing and has preliminary approval by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

Necessary Skills in a Nursing Student

• High academic achievement, ability to persevere and process information efficiently.
• Critical thinking ability. Ability to apply lecture theories to patient care in the clinical setting.
• Problem-solving skills
• Independency & Leadership
• Teamwork and loyal service
• High level of morale and ethical values
• Desire to work with people and as part of a healthcare team.

Future Career Opportunities in Nursing

• Staff RN, Doctor's Office, Clinics. Staff RN positions through Employment agencies.
• Nursing Specialty (Pediatrics, Operating Room, Obstetrics & Gyn, Cardiovascular, Neurology, Psychiatry, oncology, ER, ICU, NICU, Outpatient Surgery, Gerontology, Orthopedic)
• Traveling Nurse
• Home Health Nurse, Hopsice; Nursing Home Educator
• Public Health
• Supervisor RN
• Graduate School opportunities to purse Master's Degree in Nursing (NP, Nurse Anesthetist, Faculty of College/University, Chairperson, Dean, Vice President, etc.)
• Clinical Research Monitors
• Insurance Companies & Pharmaceuticals

Special Nursing Policies
When admitted to clinical nursing, students must have a GPA of 2.8 or higher and a student must maintain a minimum grade of 2.0 (74% or "C" average) in nursing courses in order to progress in the nursing program. Students who fail to maintain at least a 2.0 in nursing will not be permitted to register for the next scheduled nursing course.

The grading system in the Department of Nursing is as follows:

"A student enrolled in the nursing program who fails any two nursing courses, clinical and/or non clinical, shall be dismissed from the nursing program." This includes: failure of the same course twice, failure of any two different nursing courses in the nursing program.

Please Note: A nursing course once failed still counts as 1 failure even after the course has been successfully repeated.

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