Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s bachelor of science degree in nursing has been ranked as one of the “best prelicensure bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) programs in the state” by Nursing Schools Almanac.
To be selected for the ranking, editors reviewed the success of the graduates of the program in the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). IUP’s graduates hold a 94.49 percent first-time passing rate on this exam. Annually, more than 130 nursing students graduate from IUP’s Nursing and Allied Health Professions program, which holds accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
Nursing and Allied Health students at IUP spend the first year of studies completing required science and liberal studies courses. Nursing courses and clinicals begin in the first semester of the sophomore year. Clinical sites utilized in the program include a variety of agencies within approximately a 60-mile radius of Indiana, Pennsylvania, including Greensburg, Latrobe, DuBois, and occasionally the Pittsburgh area. Throughout the last six semesters, clinical experiences in patient care are provided in acute and long-term care facilities as well as community settings.
IUP has state-of-the-art simulation laboratories for nursing students, which includes equipment to provide experience and preparation for students interested in working in home health care. The simulation laboratory also provides hands-on training for students in the use of electronic medical records. IUP has an innovative program combing nursing and theater, with student actors serving as patients to give nursing majors experience in a diverse variety of health-care situations.