Mount St. Mary's College

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

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 BSN Program

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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.

Information

If you are interested in this school and would like to find out more, please Request Information from Mount St. Mary's College.