Program

The Siena Heights University Nursing Program is respectful of the dignity and worth of all people. SHU nurses are prepared to provide high-quality nursing care in ever-changing health care systems. Based upon a liberal arts foundation, the faculty and students collaborate in a dynamic teaching and learning environment that embraces caring, diversity, and creativity.

As a Catholic institution in that Dominican tradition, we believe in the dignity and worth of every human being. That philosophy is embedded into every aspect of SHU’s Nursing Program. When designing the Pre-Licensure Nursing program, Siena nursing faculty drew upon years of teaching expertise and wisdom, as well as national nursing standards. That means the courses are practical and relevant to today’s health care professional.

Siena Heights Nursing offers students an opportunity for small class sizes that allow for true faculty/student collaboration.

• Siena Nursing is approved by the Michigan Board of Nursing and by the Higher Learning Commission for the North Central Association.
• The baccalaureate degree programs in nursing at Siena Heights University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.

• Call for Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Third Party Comments   Learn More

Requirements for the Pre-Licensure Program

• GPA 3.0 or higher
• Completion of a Background Check
• Negative drug screen
• Compliance with clinical partner health requirements

Students applying to the nursing program much complete the following courses, or equivalents, prior to applying for acceptance into the nursing major:

• English through 102.
• PSY 111 OR SOC 111.
• Math – statistics or higher.
• NUR 104.
• BIO 121- Anatomy and Physiology I.
• BIO 122 – Anatomy and Physiology II.
• CHE 110 – Introduction to General, Organic, and Biochemistry.

Requirements Specific to Science Courses

1. Student must have a C or better in all 3 science courses. Only one C is permitted among the three courses.
2. Only one of the three science courses can be repeated for a higher grade
3. Science courses must have been completed within the past five year.

• Siena Heights Nursing 2022 graduates achieved a 100 percent first-time pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) exam. This far exceeds the standards set by the Michigan Board of Nursing and the AACN-CCNE accrediting body.
• The Direct Entry Program offers high school seniors with high academic achievements an opportunity to be guaranteed a seat in the program after their second semester at SHU, if the student meets all admission criteria.

THREE PATHWAYS TO NURSING

1. High School Direct Entry
   Direct entry into the nursing program is available to high achieving high school students. Students must have a high school GPA greater than 3.5. Please contact your admission advisor or Dr. Erin Horkey, Interim Director of Nursing (ehorkey1@sienaheights.edu) for more information.
   
   
2. Siena Heights Student Applicants
   •  Complete an application to the nursing program during winter semester first year.
   •  Complete all pre-requisite courses.
   •  Maintain an overall GPA of 3.0.
   
   
3. Transfer Student Applicants
   •  Complete an application to the nursing program at the time of transfer.
   •  Complete all pre-requisite courses.
   •  Maintain an overall GPA of 3.0.

General Information

• Admission to the nursing major is limited and therefore, competitive. Admission to Siena Heights University does not guarantee admission to the nursing major. 
• Students are selected for the nursing major each year based upon state regulations and student-to-faculty ratio in the clinical setting.
• Applicants will be selected for the nursing major based upon a set of criteria intended to identify those most likely to succeed in nursing.
• An admission assessment (standardized test) may be used as part of the criteria for selection.
• Application preference will be given to qualified applicants who have been Siena students for at least one semester.

The Mission of the Siena Heights University Division of Nursing is to educate prospective and practicing health professionals at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Based upon a liberal arts foundation, the faculty and students collaborate in a dynamic teaching and learning environment that embraces caring, diversity, and creativity. Siena Heights University health professionals continually strive to become more competent, purposeful, and ethical in all interactions with individuals, groups, and communities while providing health care. Respectful of the dignity and worth of all people, graduates of the Siena Heights University Division of Nursing are prepared to provide high-quality care in the ever-changing healthcare systems.

The Philosophy of the Siena Heights University Division of Nursing is congruent with the mission and philosophy of its parent institution. The nursing faculty is committed to the scope, practice, and ethics of the nursing profession and to the traditions of the Adrian Dominicans.

The purpose of the Siena Heights Division of Nursing is to provide a curriculum of academic excellence that will prepare competent, purposeful, and ethical professional nurses. Built upon a strong foundation in the liberal arts, the sciences, and nursing knowledge, Siena Heights faculty are professionals who are committed to the nursing profession and to nursing education. The following beliefs are the philosophical framework of the Siena Heights University Division of Nursing.

The faculty believes that all life is sacred. We believe in the dignity and worth of every human being, uniquely created by God. Dominican values of prayer, study, community, and ministry/service are the foundation of both the University and the Division of Nursing. The faculty incorporates these beliefs and values in interactions with each other, our students, our campus colleagues, our patients, and all members of the healthcare community and in pursuit of knowledge within the discipline.

The faculty believes that health is a continuum, and the goal of nursing is to assist persons, families, groups, and communities toward optimum health. The faculty believes the health needs of local and global societies are affected by and altered through environment. Health care requires a systems approach, focusing upon the diverse intellectual, environmental, interpersonal, spiritual, ethical, and technical aspects of nursing in relation to individual or society.

The faculty believes nursing education occurs best in a teaching and learning environment utilizing critical thinking and reflective writing as key to knowledge development. The faculty recognizes various roles as foundational to nursing practice: caregiver, teacher, counselor, leader, scholar, and advocate. The faculty embraces an awareness of ethics and spirituality in all roles of the nursing profession. Faculty commit to lifelong learning as well as to the importance of scholarly endeavors for extending the existing body of nursing knowledge.

The Vision of Siena Heights University Division of Nursing is respectful of the dignity and worth of all people. Siena nurses are prepared to provide high-quality nursing care in ever-changing healthcare systems. Based upon a liberal arts foundation, the faculty and students collaborate in a dynamic teaching and learning environment that embraces caring, diversity, and creativity.

NURSING DIVISION GOALS

• To facilitate fulfillment of the Mission of the Siena Heights Nursing Program through educating responsible, caring, professional nurses.
• Maintain an environment that supports faculty and students in educational and scholarly endeavors in nursing.
• Provide for continuing growth to meet enrollment needs of students, with awareness of diversity and equality in achieving excellence.
• Encourage collaborations with healthcare systems that promote professional nursing practice through purposeful, personal interactions.

At the completion of the Siena Heights nursing program, graduates must demonstrate the following learning outcomes:

Outcome 1: Critical Thinking Ability – A critical thinker demonstrates intellectual curiosity, problem-solving skills, rational inquiry, reflective thinking, creativity, and the use of logic. Both quantitative and qualitative data are utilized in critical thinking.

Outcome 2: Communication Competence – A competent communicator creates, accepts, processes, and sends information in understood formats. Communication modes may include listening, speaking, seeing, and writing. Communication competency may also be demonstrated through electronic formats or through the use of technology in nursing care. Communication may be appropriately demonstrated in a variety of levels, for varied purposes, and with a mixture of audiences. Communication may occur with individuals, families, and communities of diverse cultures, backgrounds, and experiences.

Outcome 3: Ethical Integration – An ethical nurse demonstrates abilities to weigh the ethical sides of a situation to make rational decisions. Ethical integration incorporates values, beliefs, and morals and is a key principle in nursing practice.

Outcome 4: Scientific Literacy – A graduate demonstrates competency in natural, behavioral, and nursing science through the use of various principles, theories, and concepts in problem-solving applications.

Outcome 5: Aesthetic Awareness – Aesthetic awareness is experienced in subjective, creative, expressive interactions with people and/or objects. A graduate achieves competency through the communication of these aesthetic experiences.

Outcome 6: Political Dynamics and Health Care Systems– A graduate demonstrates an understanding of health care systems including legal issues, social concerns, and health care policies. The graduate understands the global environment in relation to providing health care in diverse communities.

Outcome 7: Professional Role Model – A graduate demonstrates positive values of nursing, including caring, advocacy, integrity, social justice, and respect for human dignity. Professionalism in nursing includes the ability to understand and implement the change process.

Outcome 8: Leadership and Management of Resources – A graduate demonstrates responsibility in balancing human, fiscal, and material resources through health promotion and in the delivery of health care.

Outcome 9: Spirituality and Religious Traditions – A graduate demonstrates spirituality through personal expression, incorporating spirituality into appropriate nursing interactions. Religious traditions of all faiths are recognized and respected in delivery of health care.