School of Health Professions
Nursing Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- 4 years
- On campus · clinical placements from year 1
- September intake
- 120 seats per intake, clinical groups of 8
Caldwell nursing students meet their first patients in first year, in supervised community placements, because confidence at the bedside is built by being there. By fourth year you'll have logged over 1,400 clinical hours across acute care, community health, and a senior preceptorship you help choose.
Why this program is built this way
- 1,400+ clinical placement hours across the four years
- Simulation wing with adult, pediatric, and maternity suites
- Clinical groups of 8, so your instructor knows your work
- Senior preceptorship: a full term embedded with one unit and one mentor
The four years, year by year
Year 1
Foundations of care, and your first placement
- NURS 101: Foundations of Professional Nursing
- BIOL 110: Human Anatomy & Physiology I
- NURS 120: Health Assessment
- PSYC 115: Lifespan Development
- NURS 130: Community Placement I (90 hours)
Year 2
Acute care fundamentals
- NURS 210: Medical-Surgical Nursing I
- PHAR 220: Pharmacology for Nursing
- NURS 230: Acute Care Placement (225 hours)
- MICR 215: Microbiology & Infection Control
Year 3
Specialty rotations
- NURS 310: Maternal-Child Nursing
- NURS 320: Mental Health Nursing
- NURS 330: Specialty Rotations (350 hours: peds, maternity, psych)
- NURS 340: Research & Evidence-Informed Practice
Year 4
Leadership and preceptorship
- NURS 410: Complex & Critical Care
- NURS 420: Nursing Leadership & Systems
- NURS 430: Senior Preceptorship (450 hours, one-to-one mentor)
- NURS 440: Licensure Exam Preparation Seminar
What it takes to get in
- High-school diploma with senior-level biology, chemistry, and math (example minimum: 75% average)
- Supplementary application: two short essays on why nursing (assessed blind)
- CPR certification and a clear vulnerable-sector check before first placement (after admission)
- Immunization record required before clinical placement, not before applying
Straight talk: Nursing is the faculty's most competitive program. Meeting the minimum average does not guarantee a seat; recent cycles saw roughly 3 applicants per seat (illustrative).
Full requirements by applicant type (transfer, mature, international) are on the admissions page.
Where graduates actually land
- Registered nurse in acute care (medicine, surgery, emergency)
- Community & public health nurse
- Long-term care and rehabilitation nursing
- Graduate study toward nurse practitioner roles
Reported starting salary (example) $62,000 to $71,000 Typical first-year RN pay in our region, set by regional wage grids, Class of 2024.
94% of the Class of 2024 who wrote the RN licensure exam passed on the first attempt (of those who reported results). Regional wage grids set RN pay. Figures are illustrative.
Outcomes are what graduates reported, not a promise of a job or a salary. See how we survey graduates on the student outcomes page.
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