Mount St. Mary's College offers a dynamic learning experience in
the liberal arts and sciences to a diverse student body. As a
Catholic college primarily for women, we are dedicated to
providing a superior education enhanced by an emphasis on
building leadership skills and fostering the desire to serve
others. Our measure of success is graduates who are committed to
using their knowledge and skills to better themselves, their
local environments and their world.
The Department of Nursing functions within the philosophy of the
college and has developed a curriculum based on the Roy
Adaptation Model of Nursing. This model recognizes that a person
is a bio-psycho-social-spiritual being in constant interaction
with a dynamic and complex world. The promotion of adaptation in
the direction of health depends upon an educational program which
prepares the student to understand the person as a total being,
to recognize and respect human values, and to utilize a
scientific process within the framework of the adaptation model.
The goal of nursing is directing, maintaining, and reinforcing
the adaptation of individuals, families, and groups toward
optimal health. Students enrolled in the BSN program at Mount St.
Mary's College are trained to meet this goal as they use
knowledge, critical thinking skills, and practical skills
obtained from both nursing and liberal arts courses to provide
professional nursing care in a variety of settings. Upon
completion of the baccalaureate program, the student is eligible
to take the California State Board examination for registered
nurse (RN) licensure, and is qualified for Public Health Nursing
Certificate issued by the Board of Registered Nursing.
The RN-to-BSN Program
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The RN-to-BSN program has been designed to allow graduates of
Associate degree nursing programs to enhance their knowledge of
current nursing theory and practice and advance their careers.
Applicants must have completed a Registered Nurse program and be
licensed to practice in the state of California. The length of
the program is determined by the number of transferable units and
successful completion of all the required course work, but the
student must complete all the nursing courses within five years
from the date of admission into the Nursing Department.
The Accelerated BSN Program (AccBSN)
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The AccBSN program offers the BSN program to students holding a
Bachelor's degree in a different field. The curriculum,
philosophy and objectives of the AccBSN program are the same as
those of the regular BSN program, but the AccBSN program is
designed to be completed within a one-year (May to May) time
frame. The AccBSN student completes a three semester course of
study, beginning with the first Summer session, followed by a
Fall semester, and ending with a final Spring semester. At the
completion of the final semester, graduates are eligible to take
the Registered Nurse licensure examination and to qualify for the
California Public Health Nursing Certificate. The AccBSN program
is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing.
The LVN Mobility Option Program
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LVN students who enter into the Mobility Option are given one
opportunity to take the National League for Nursing Mobility
Exam. A minimum score of 75 percent is the requirement to
continue in the Mobility Option. Students achieving the 75
percent minimum score will be able to complete the BSN program in
three years. Students not achieving the minimum score will
continue in the basic (ADN degree) Nursing program.
The ADN Program
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In addition to its BSN programs, Mount St. Mary's College offers
students the opportunity to take part in the two-year Associate
Degree in Nursing program. Accredited by the Board of Registered
Nurses this program effectively prepares health care
professionals to work in a culturally diverse society while
building leadership and ethical decision-making skills through a
proven foundation in the liberal arts. This professional breadth
and educational balance occurs at every level of the ADN program
because of the unusually supportive environment provided by the
Mount St. Mary's faculty renowned for excellence and caring.
One measure of these qualities is the strong accommodation made
to working adults in our program. Those working full time, or who
are otherwise unable to attend school during the traditional
daytime hours, find the Mount St. Mary's program to be
particularly attractive (in fact it is the only one of its kind
in Los Angeles). Courses are offered only on evenings and
weekends in four 8-week sessions a year. Lectures are scheduled
for evening hours and clinical assignments are completed on
weekends.
The ADN-to-MSN Program
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The ADN-to-MSN Program offers a career mobility option allowing
nurses with an Associate Degree in Nursing to achieve a
Bachelor's and a Master's degree in as little as 2 ½
years. Applicants for this program have graduated from an
Associate Degree Nursing Program and are licensed to practice
nursing in the state of California. The ideal candidate will have
a minimum of one-year professional nursing experience before
applying. Registered Nurse graduates of diploma programs will
need to discuss curriculum options with the Director of the MSN
Program as additional course work may be necessary.
At the end of the ADN-to-MSN Program, the students will be able
to:
- Demonstrate awareness for the ethical quality of one's own
practice
- Utilize research to initiate evidence based practice in
patient care
- Ask research questions and conduct research under the
guidance of a researcher
- Promote the public health of communities
- Demonstrate ability to manage the health care team by
delivering patient-focused care with a progression to more
advanced levels of leadership
Leadership is evident in appropriate delegation, conflict
resolution, and coordination of team assignments based on unit
need, and develop skills of negotiation, open communication, and
collegial collaboration with multidisciplinary care providers.
The MSN Program
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The Master of Science in Nursing program prepares nurses in
advanced nursing theory and provides them with experience in
advanced practice roles within the changing patterns of health
care. Graduates are equipped to assume leadership roles in
multidisciplinary health groups and conduct independent nursing
research or clinical projects. Students may select a course of
study from one of the following tracks: educator, executive
leadership/nursing administration, clinical nurse specialist,
community health and post-MSN clinical nurse specialist. The MSN
is offered at the Doheny Campus, near downtown Los Angeles.
