Nursing

Description of the Profession

Registered nurses (RNs) work with patients, families, physicians, and other health care professionals to help patients recover from illness and be restored to good health, as well as to prevent future illness and disease. Following from these overarching responsibilities, nurses must function as effective advocates and educators for patients and families, and for the community at large. RNs closely observe, record, and assess patient symptoms and progress. They collaborate with physicians and other health care professionals in administering exams, treatments, and medications, and may also help during a patient's recuperation and rehabilitation.

If possible, undertake job shadowing as part of your process of confirming whether or not nursing is the profession you wish to pursue.If you are a high school student, try to undertake shadowing now - do not delay it until you enter college. If you can, also do additional shadowing during the summer before you enter college. While job shadowing is not specifically required for admission, the IU School of Nursing expects that applicants will have undertaken substantial career research before applying, and doing so is good practice in any case.

In addition to trying to garner shadowing experience, utilize the web resources at the bottom of this page. You could also look through some academic or professional journals associated with the nursing profession. The IU main library subscribes to such resources, and some local public libraries may also have similar resources.

Skills and Characteristics Important to this Profession

Technology and general science skills; strong critical thinking and problem-solving abilities; patience and empathy; public speaking, interpersonal communication, time management, and leadership skills; assertiveness; strong multitasking abilities, attention to detail, and the ability to manage large quantities of detailed information; the ability to work under pressure and time constrains, and with a variety of personalities; the ability to work both independently and as part of a team of caregivers.

Description of Indiana University Nursing Programs

General Information

IUB (Bloomington) and IUPUI (Indianapolis) each offer a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). The programs have identical admission requirements and are generally governed by the same sets of policies. Together, the programs are referred to as the Bloomington-Indianapolis nursing "core." (There may be some policy exceptions, so students should direct specific policy questions to the individual programs.)

Ideally, prenursing students pursuing an IUB or IUPUI BSN spend one year completing the prerequisite courses and the other admission requirements. Usually students apply to both programs simultaneously (they appear on the same application) to cast a wider net. If admitted, students complete the degree over three additional years (summer coursework is not required), after which they take the licensure exam to become a registered nurse.

Because admission to nursing programs is competitive, and admission to IUB and IUPUI is extraordinarily competitive, students should apply to as many programs as possible. It's fine to have IUB as your first choice, but you owe it to yourself to cast a wider application net; you have nothing to lose! Out-of state students for whom IUB is the only Indiana program in which they are interested should research other nursing programs from their home state and try to apply to some of these programs when they apply to IUB (assuming you wish to earn your nursing degree in any case, even if the IUB program doesn't work out). Current IUB students are encouraged to meet with a HPPLC prenursing advisor or School of Nursing advisor to discuss options.

Admission Information

In addition to 29-31 credit hours of prerequisite courses, admission requirements include a minimum 2.5 cumulative grade point average (GPA) and 2.7 GPA on application courses (although considerably higher GPAs are needed in order to be competitive for admission). Service work and a personal essay are also required, and an admissions interview is granted to qualified applicants. To strengthen their essay and interview, students must also have undertaken rigorous research of the nursing profession, including job shadowing. In addition, prenursing students will need to demonstrate that they have interacted with diverse populations (different age groups, ethnicities, and so on). Refer to the resources listed at the bottom of this page for further details about prerequisite courses and the other admission requirements.

Admission to the IUB Nursing Program is Very Competitive

Each year about 170 qualified applicants apply for the 60 spots available in the Bloomington program; so about one of every three qualified applicants is offered admission. Fall admission to the IUPUI program tends to be just as competitive. Because admission to the corridor programs is so competitive, HPPLC advisors strongly urge prenursing students to work with their academic advisor to formulate a back-up plan at the very start of their prenursing track.

Note that there are approximately 56 RN programs in Indiana. Admission to all programs is competitive, but some programs are far less competitive than the IU corridor programs. See the Other Accredited Programs section of this page for research resources.

IU Nursing Degrees

A "BSN" is a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing; an "ASN" is a two-year Associate of Science in Nursing. Either type of degree prepares students to take the licensure exam to become a registered nurse (RN).

The following Indiana University branches offer nursing degrees: IU Bloomington (BSN), IU East (BSN, ASN no longer offered), IU Kokomo (BSN, ASN no longer offered), IU Northwest (BSN), IUPUC (Columbus - BSN)), IUPUI (Indianapolis - BSN, Accelerated BSN), IU South Bend (BSN, Accelerated BSN), IU Southeast (BSN). IPFW (Fort Wayne) also offers BSN and ASN degrees. All are accredited programs. (Remember that IUB, IUPUC, and IUPUI are "corridor" programs, having identical admission requirements and sharing the same application.)

Some IU branches also offer "mobility" programs (e.g., LPN to ASN or ASN to BSN - IUB offers an RN to BSN program), accelerated programs, and graduate-level nursing degrees.

Refer to program web sites for further details, including admission requirements.

Other Accredited Programs

To research other accredited nursing programs in the state of Indiana, refer to the list at Nursing 2000 (click the "Nursing Education" dropdown menu). Note that if an Indiana program is not listed on the Nursing 2000 site, it probably means it is not accredited. Non-accredited programs should generally be avoided.

Also refer to the Indiana State Board of Nursing listings.

Because there is more than one way for nursing programs to become nationally accredited, one complete list of all accredited US nursing programs does not exist. If you wish to research nursing programs beyond those offered in the state of Indiana, you may need to combine information from more than one list of programs. For instance, you could refer to the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission listings, and then do further research through the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

Each state will also have an entity similar to the Indiana State Board of Nursing that is likely to have lists posted on the internet.

An internet search for "accredited nursing programs" yields plentiful results, but remember that lists will vary in thoroughness and quality, and that many lists are merely comprised of programs that have paid to be listed.

Additional Notes and Recommendations

Have a Parallel Plan, or Plan B

Because the nursing programs at IUB and IUPUI are so competitive, it is wise to develop a parallel plan ("Plan B") in case you are not admitted to either program the first time you apply. Some students plan to take measures to become stronger applicants and then re-apply to the programs. Others research less competitive ASN and BSN pogroms (out-of-state students sometimes research additional programs in their home state). Some explore other health professions, and look for programs for which they feel they can become competitive applicants. Some consider entirely different majors and careers, not necessarily healthcare-related, including programs with non-competitive admission. Still others decide to pursue a different undergraduate degree and plan to apply later to an RN program. What Plan B will be appropriate for you depends entirely on your priorities, aptitudes, and specific circumstances, all of which you should discuss in detail with your academic advisor. Having a specific and well thought out safety net can alleviate much of the anxiety pre-nursing students sometimes feel.

Strategies for Re-Applying for Admission

Sometimes students who apply but are not admitted to nursing will consult with their academic advisor and then determine that nursing is their definite career choice, and that re-applying to the IUB and IUPUI BSN programs is a viable plan. Re-applying might thus become a part of their overall strategy. In this situation, strategic course selection is crucial to making the most out of the new application. Work closely with your advisor to choose courses which offer you the greatest advantage.

Note that spring admission to IUPUI has historically been less competitive than fall admission to IUB and IUPUI, so many prenursing students include a spring IUPUI application in their re-application strategy.

If you do decide to re-apply, then you ought to also undertake rigorous research into other ASN and BSN programs. Under these circumstances, make it your goal to decide upon several alternative nursing programs for which you feel you could become a competitive applicant and then apply for admission to these programs at the same time you re-apply to the IUB and IUPUI programs (in many cases, during spring of sophomore year).

As part of your research, look into not only BSN but also ASN programs. These two-year degrees can shorten your time in school, and there are many RN-to-BSN (or "mobility") programs, through which someone with an ASN can go on to complete their BSN.

It is important to research other programs early because some may have late fall or winter application deadlines. It is also extremely important to learn what you need to do to become truly competitive and not merely eligible for admission to these alternative programs. For example, see if they will disclose what kind of GPA or grades in prerequisite courses are generally competitive, and ask if there is anything additional you can do to increase your competitiveness. Also, other programs may have additional admission courses that you would need to work in during the year in which you are re-applying to IUB and IUPUI. Once you have gathered this information, meet with your advisor to plan out a specific course of action.

Students for whom re-applying is a viable path, and who plan in any case to earn a degree at IUB, should seriously consider developing a parallel plan, a different major that could serve as a Plan B - a plan they can implement if they are still not admitted or if they decide they no longer wish to pursue a career in nursing. This additional safety net could involve any of the options already noted, or whatever makes the most sense given your priorities, aptitudes, and specific circumstances. It's best that this alternative plan center upon non-competitive majors, or programs for which you will clearly be very competitive for admission.

As always, discuss your situation in detail with your academic advisor.

Join the Prenursing Email List

If you are enrolled at Indiana University and are interested in the nursing program, you can email Debbie Hrisomalos, the IUB School of Nursing Assistant Director of Student Services, and ask her to add you to the prenursing email list. You will receive important admission, application, and policy information, as well as occasional announcements about professional development opportunities.

If you are interested in other health professions that are advised through HPPLC, we encourage you to sign up for the HPPLC email list associated with your program(s) of interest. Feel free to sign up for more than one list. Also refer to the HPPLC handout, Health Professions Descriptions.

Further Information

Refer to the HPPLC Prenursing handout for more detailed information about prerequisite courses and admissions, as well as important web resources. The curricular information contained in this handout pertains exclusively to the IUB and IUPUI programs. Note also that HPPLC materials are not a substitute for School of Nursing publications. See below.

It is extremely important that Bloomington students pursuing a BSN from IUB or IUPUI become familiar with the information in the IU Bloomington School of Nursing Pre-Nursing Handbook, located on the IUB School of Nursing homepage. Consult the handbook consistently and often.

• American Nurses Association (ANA)
• International Council of Nurses (ICN)
• American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)