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 — your instructor knows your work
- Senior preceptorship: a full term embedded with one unit, 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 (minimum 75% average — illustrative)
- 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. Roughly 3 applicants per seat in recent cycles (illustrative).
Full requirements by applicant type — transfer, mature, international — on the admissions page.
Where graduates actually land
- Registered nurse — acute care (medicine, surgery, emergency)
- Community & public health nurse
- Long-term care and rehabilitation nursing
- Graduate study toward nurse practitioner roles
Reported starting salary $62,000–$71,000 typical first-year RN range in our region
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 illustrative.
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