Revised Fall 2015
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The tips on the next few slides should be helpful
to you in your nursing educational journey.
o Remember to seek the advice of your nursing advisor as
she will be your guide through your individual Model
Plan of Study beginning with enrollment the first
semester after your acceptance to the program in NURS
3005 and NURS 3010 right through to graduation.
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Registration:
o Locate the academic calendar on the GSW Homepage link
and make a copy. Check the dates on the academic
calendar for pre-registration, semester start and end
dates. Contact your advisor during pre-registration for
advising and registration.
Ms. Dreena Hoffman
School of Nursing Advisor
1-229-931-2662
dreena.hoffman@gsw.edu
Teresa Teasley, DNP, RN
Undergraduate Program Chair and Professor
Fuller E. Callaway Professorial Chair
School of Nursing
1-229-931-2289
teresa.teasley@gsw.edu
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RN-BSN Nursing Student Handbook
◦ Read this valuable document!
◦ It contains important information for you as it
explains policies that pertain to you as a nursing
student at Georgia Southwestern State University.
◦ Policies do change; however, a current copy of the
RN-BSN Nursing Student Handbook is available on
the School of Nursing website:
www.gsw.edu/nursing
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Certain requirements must be met upon acceptance to the
program, and kept up to date in order to progress through
the program.
◦ RN students must purchase the CertifiedBackground.com tracker
package code GE06rn consisting of the following:
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Immunization record (some tests/vaccines required annually)
CPR certification
RN licensure
Liability insurance coverage for nursing students (renewed annually)
Physical exam (required annually)
Background Check (required annually)
Drug/Alcohol Screening (required annually)
(Health Insurance-either private or through GSW-is required for off-site clinical courses but is
not recorded on CertifiedBackground tracker program)
◦ Contact Mrs. Jo Ann Davis, Student Services Coordinator, if additional
information is needed - joann.davis@gsw.edu
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Required Nursing courses for the RN-BSN
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5 Non-Clinical Courses and 3 Clinical Courses
Clinical Courses:
◦ Require a precepted clinical experience
 The student is responsible for arranging their precepted
experiences with guidance from the Clinical Services
Manager.
 The Clinical Services Manager will facilitate this process by
ensuring that required contracts are in place between
facilities.
 It is imperative to contact the Clinical Services Manager well
in advance of taking a clinical course if there is a possibility
that a new contract must be initiated. (New facility contracts
may take up to 8 weeks to finalize.)
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Clinical Services Manager:
◦ Ms. Heather Kemp, RN
 heather.kemp@gsw.edu
 1-229-931-4303
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If relocating outside the state of Georgia while
enrolled at GSW, you must notify the
Undergraduate Department Chair, Dr. Teresa
Teasley, teresa.teasley@gsw.edu . This is a federal
requirement.
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Clinical Course Notes
Preceptor should be BSN prepared and have worked
in area of nursing where preceptorship occurs for
one year.
◦ NURS 3200 Health Assessment: 30 hour lab
component. Will have to demonstrate a head to toe
exam. Student will record and submit video as well
as documentation of the history and exam.
◦ NURS 4400 Community Health: May occur in
facilities such as public health, school health,
occupational health, correctional care, rural health,
or migrant health care
◦ NURS 4900 Practicum: Taken AFTER all core & GSW
requirements completed.
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Textbook Information:
◦ To find textbook/required course material
information go to GSW Home Page and look under
RAIN, semester class schedule, current semester
(i.e. Fall 2015). Look approximately one third down
page to locate link titled “required course
materials.” Click on link. To locate text book for
nursing course click on “N” and find appropriate
course (i.e. NURS 3010).
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Testing in the School of Nursing
◦ Online exams will be proctored using ProctorU.
◦ Information will be provided by the course faculty.
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Be familiar with the most current edition of APA.
This is the required format for class papers.
US History and US Constitution requirements
must be met – a Georgia Board of Regents Policy.
These requirements must be met before taking NURS 4900.
This tip is especially important for those of you who did not
receive your ASN degree in the state of Georgia.
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Graduation
◦ Application for graduation takes place approximately
two semesters in advance of projected graduation date.
• The application fee must be paid before the application is
reviewed.
• Contact GSW Student Accounts to pay fee.
◦ Deadlines for graduation applications are posted on the
University Academic Affairs Calendar and GSW Student
Handbook.
◦ Nursing pins, caps, and gowns may be ordered
through the GSW bookstore one semester before the
student plans to graduate.
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Uniforms for Clinical Courses
◦ Uniform
 Depending on the clinical area
 Scrubs with name tag
 In Community Health, it may be appropriate to wear a
labcoat with name tag.
◦ Nametag – must state:
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Name, RN
GSW BSN Student
White nametag with black lettering
GSW Student ID tag may also be used as nametag
More information is available in RN-BSN Nursing Student
Handbook.
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Email reminders:
 Check
your radar email frequently – radar
email is the official email of the GSW campus.
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Your faculty of instruction may contact you prior to
course beginning through your radar email
address.
We hope that these tips will be helpful to you
in your educational journey. Please do not
hesitate to contact us for more information.
Thank you!