Nursing careers are鈥痥nown鈥痜or being rewarding and in demand. Being able to make a meaningful impact in people鈥檚 lives every day is鈥痙efinitely appealing, but that doesn鈥檛 make it easy. Nursing school is intentionally challenging鈥痶o鈥痯repare graduates for the rigors of the profession. Learning to balance compassionate service with precise science takes hard work, hands-on training, and real-life practice.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

If you have your sights set on becoming a nurse,鈥痽ou鈥檙e鈥痯robably curious about the road ahead. What do you learn in nursing school? What skills will you learn? What types of training can you expect?鈥� 

Whether you are鈥痜resh out of high school or considering a career change, there鈥檚鈥�. Our nursing program exists to prepare you for success in the field. Keep reading to gain a better understanding of what to expect from your nursing training at Bellarmine.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;


What do you learn in nursing school? Breaking down the BSN 

There are several paths to becoming a registered nurse (RN). Some choose to devote two years to earning an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), but most healthcare employers agree that a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is the preferred credential for RNs.鈥�� 

So鈥�, what can you expect to learn in a BSN program?鈥疶he鈥��(AACN), through The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education, provides a framework for preparing individuals as members of the discipline of nursing, reflecting expectations acrossMthe trajectory of nursing education and applied experience (AACN, 2021).  This includes:  

  • Competency-Based Education 

  • Community Education鈥� 

  • Nurse management and leadership鈥� 

  • Patient Education鈥� 

  • Clinical and scientific skills鈥�� 

  • 贰迟丑颈肠蝉鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

  • 顿别肠颈蝉颈辞苍-尘补办颈苍驳鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

  • Humanistic values鈥� 

When it comes to exact curriculum, it will vary from school to school. To get a sense of what to expect, consider the following structure of the 农夫导航 traditional BSN program:

  • Year 1:鈥� 

Students participate in鈥痝eneral education requirements, and didactic learning (lectures and classwork).  Students are offered introductory nursing classes as an elective.  The Lansing School of Nursing at Bellarmine strives to engage first-year nursing students in the culture and activities available to all nursing students in our Bellarmine community.   

  • Year 2:鈥� 

Students participate in鈥痝eneral education requirements, didactic learning (lectures and classwork).  Students are offered introductory nursing classes as an elective.  The Lansing School of Nursing at Bellarmine strives to engage sophomore nursing students in the culture and activities available to all nursing students.   

  • Year 3:鈥� 

Students begin core fundamental courses and鈥痵tart clinical rotations鈥痑nd simulations.鈥疭tudents continue clinicals鈥痑nd simulations in the second semester in addition to advanced nursing classes.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

  • Year 4: 

In addition to completing additional advanced nursing courses, students complete several clinicals (including a professional nursing course with a leadership clinical rotation with a nurse leader in a hospital setting) and prepare for the鈥��.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;


What are some BSN courses you can expect? 

Exact course names and curriculums鈥痺ill vary by program, but to give you a taste of the types of鈥痗lasses鈥痽ou鈥檒l likely encounter in nursing school, here is a sampling of鈥�痮ffered at 农夫导航 Lansing School of Nursing:鈥� 

  • Intro to Nursing鈥�(Elective for freshman and sophomore students) 

  • 狈耻迟谤颈迟颈辞苍鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

  • Foundations of Nursing鈥疌oncepts 

  • Health Assessment Across the Lifespan 

  • Professional Nursing I, II and III with Evidence-Based Practice鈥痑nd Nursing Leadership and Management鈥� 

  • Applied Pharmacology鈥� 

  • Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing & Wellness Across the Lifespan鈥� 

  • Population Health I and II 

  • Complex Nursing Care of Adults I and II 

  • Nursing Care of Childbearing/Childrearing Families 

  • Nursing Practice Immersion 

  • Comprehensive Nursing Review 

  • Nursing special topic electives are also available 

As you can see, BSN students can expect to be exposed to a diverse range of subject matter. This training and exposure help prepare graduates to make an immediate impact upon entering the field.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;


What skills are developed during nursing school? 

Nurses have a unique role as healthcare providers. They are responsible for鈥痶he majority of鈥痙ay-to-day patient care and communication, in addition to technical and administrative tasks. In the modern American healthcare system, nurses are also increasingly responsible for understanding the business side of nursing.鈥�� 

To get a better idea of the actual skills taught in nursing school, we enlisted Bellarmine University鈥疉ssistant鈥疨rofessor of Nursing鈥疍r.鈥疞eslie Leffler, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC.鈥疉s a seasoned nurse and鈥痠nstructor, she has seen firsthand how the field has evolved in recent years.鈥�� 

鈥淎 Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program is a more advanced and comprehensive nursing education compared to other nursing programs. Here are the specific skills and knowledge areas that are typically taught in a BSN program:  

  • Clinical Assessment 

  • Medication Administration 

  • Comprehensive Patient Care 

  • Intravenous (IV) Therapy 

  • Documentation 

  • Patient Education 

  • Critical Thinking and Problem Solving 

  • Communication Skills 

  • Ethics and Legal Issues 

  • Infection Control 

  • Psychosocial Support 

  • Cultural competence 

  • Lan and Diagnostic Testing Interpretation 

  • Teamwork 

  • Evidence-Based Nursing Practice 

  • Leadership and Management Skills 

  • Emergency Response 

  • Palliative and End of Life Care 

  • Community and Public Health 

BSN programs typically have a longer duration and include additional coursework in areas such as nursing research, public health, and healthcare policy. Clinical experiences and practicum rotations are also an integral part of BSN programs, providing students with a broad range of clinical experiences to prepare them for diverse nursing roles. Graduates of BSN programs are often well-positioned for leadership, management, and specialized nursing roles in healthcare.鈥� 

Professional values in nursing 

According to the AACN,鈥�痑nd embody the following professional values for nursing practice:鈥� 

  • Altruism:鈥痙eep and authentic concern for the welfare and well-being of others鈥�� 

  • Autonomy:鈥痶he right to self-determination on the behalf of patients鈥�� 

  • Human dignity:鈥痳espect for the inherent worth and unique individuality of all people and populations鈥�� 

  • Integrity:鈥痑cting in accordance with the accepted code of ethics and standard of practice for professional nurses鈥� 

  • Social justice:鈥痑cting in accordance with fair treatment of all people, regardless of economic status, race, ethnicity, citizenship, disability, or sexual鈥痮rientation

     

What else should you know about nursing school?

For those who are interested in becoming a nurse because they have a genuine passion for helping others but are apprehensive about the science and math requirements, take note. According to Dr. Lindsay, you shouldn鈥檛 write yourself off right away. She recommends seeking out resources and mentorship and seeing if you can improve in your weaker subject areas. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of work, a lot of sacrifice, a lot to learn, but it鈥檚 the best decision you could ever make. You get to help people, advocate for patients, connect them with resources, and improve the quality of their lives,鈥� Dr. Lindsay shares. 鈥淚 often say a BSN degree is like a golden ticket 鈥� you can work in hospitals, schools, private companies, or elsewhere.鈥� 

 

Take the next step on your path to becoming a nurse 

You now have a much better understanding of what you learn in nursing school. If this鈥痠nformation鈥痟as you excited at the prospect of pursuing this rewarding profession, take the next step. Your skills and compassion are needed now more than ever!鈥�� 

Learn more by visiting our traditional Lansing School of Nursing鈥�BSN program page. Or, if you already hold a bachelor鈥檚 degree in another field, take advantage of鈥痮ur鈥疞ansing School of Nursing Accelerated BSN鈥痶rack.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

 

Reference: American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2021). The essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing education.  https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/0/PDFs/Publications/Essentials-2021.pdf