The Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies offers an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree for individuals who hold a bachelor's degree in a field other than nursing. The program begins in May and continues through graduation in August of the following year: a total of 15 months. 

The Accelerated Second Degree BSN Program (ASDNU) is designed to draw on your prior education and experience while allowing you to earn a second bachelor's degree in an accelerated format.  This previous knowledge serves as a foundation for nursing courses and helps you develop the social awareness, critical thinking skills, aesthetic sensibility and values that prepare you to sit for the NCLEX licensing exam. The program will empower you to become a leader in the nursing field.  

Upon successful completion of the program, students receive a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Nursing graduates are qualified to take the NCLEX examination for licensure as a registered nurse. The nursing program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and approved by the Connecticut Department of Higher Education and the Connecticut State Board of Examiners for Nursing.

Baccalaureate in Nursing Program Competencies

1. Synthesize and apply knowledge from the discipline of nursing into professional practice, guided by a social justice lens, a liberal humanistic approach, and the natural and social sciences.
2. Plan and provide holistic, person-centered care that is equitable, respectful, compassionate, coordinated, evidence-based, and developmentally appropriate for diverse individuals.
3. Engage in the planning and implementation of initiatives that span the public health continuum from prevention to disease management through community partnerships and collaboration with local government entities and others to improve equitable population health outcomes.
4. Translate, apply, and disseminate knowledge from nursing scholarship to improve and transform health care.
5. Use established and emerging principles of safety and improvement science to enhance quality and minimize risk of harm to patients and providers through both system effectiveness and individual performance.
6. Collaborate with individuals, families, care team members, and communities, demonstrating professional communication and respect, to enhance the healthcare experience and improve outcomes.
7. Participate in the coordination of health care delivery by organizing resources to provide safe, cost-effective, and equitable care to diverse populations.
8. Use information, communication, and healthcare technologies to gather data, inform decision making, and manage and improve the delivery of safe, high-quality, efficient healthcare services in accordance with professional and regulatory standards.
9. Cultivate a sustainable professional identity that encompasses accountability, ethical principles, empathy, teamwork, and behaviors that reflect nursing's characteristics and core values of altruism, autonomy, and human dignity.
10. Participate in activities that support holistic well-being through self-care, reflection, and discernment to foster personal health, professional growth, lifelong learning, acquisition of nursing expertise, resilience, and leadership qualities.

Disability Statement

Consistent with its mission and philosophy, Fairfield University Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies does not discriminate on the basis of disability. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the University evaluates requests for accommodations and determines appropriate and reasonable accommodations for otherwise qualified students with disabilities, provided that such accommodations do not fundamentally alter the essential requirements of the program. Candidates for the Nursing program must be able to meet minimum standards for clinical practice, with or without reasonable accommodations.  To initiate the accommodation process, students should register with the Office of Accessibility and provide current and relevant documentation to support their request.  Once registration and documentation steps are completed, students must meet with an Accessibility Coordinator as part of the interactive process.  During the intake meeting, the Student Accessibility Coordinator will work with the student to discuss the functional impact of their disability and disability-related barriers to determine reasonable and appropriate accommodations that support equal access to the programs, services, and activities at Fairfield Universtiry.

Additionally, because clinical accommodations often involve coordination among multiple faculty members and components, it is recommended that these accommodations be requested and initiated as early as possible to allow sufficient time for effective planning and implementation.

Students are responsible for communicating any and all accommodation requests in the clinical, lab, and/or classroom setting to ensure the appropriate supports are in place.  Engagement with the interactive process may be ongoing throughout the semester, and additional accommodation requests can be submitted at any point in the program. However, accommodations are not retroactive, meaning they cannot be applied to past assignments, exams, or clinical experiences prior to the submission and approval of the accommodation request. If a requested accommodation cannot be granted, the student will work with the Office of Accessibility to explore and identify reasonable alternative accomodations.

The decision regarding appropriate accommodations will be determined on a case-by-case basis.  An accommodation will not be made in those situations where the acommoodation itself would fundamentally alter the nature of the program, impose an undue hardship on the school, or jeopardize the health or safety of others.  For further information refer to the Fairfield University website for "Policies for Students with Disabilities and Temporary Impairments."

Eligibility Requirements

The curricula leading to degrees in nursing from Fairfield University requires students to possess essential non-academic skills and functions required to engage in clinical practice. It is within the sole determination of Fairfield University and the Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies to assess and determine whether a student meets these skills and functions. Eligibility requirements for participation and completion in the nursing program shall include, but are not limited to, the following six capabilities:

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking ability sufficient for clinical judgment; student must be able to examine, interpret, analyze, and synthesize material for problem solving and evaluation of patient situations and own performance.

• Ability to assess, plan, establish priorities, implement and evaluate patient outcomes.
• Ability to calculate appropriate dosages for specific medications.
• Ability to use good judgment in establishing priorities and making appropriate decisions in client care.
• Sophisticated problem-solving skills, including calculation, reasoning, analysis, and synthesis: ability to learn through a variety of modalities, including classroom, simulation, and clinical settings, individual and team-based learning, preparation of oral and written reports, and use of technology to support academic work.

Interpersonal and Communication

Relationship and communication abilities appropriate for interacting sensitively with individuals, families, groups and inter-professional team members from a variety of social, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds. Ability to accurately and clearly communicate appropriate information regarding evidence-based practice, patient status and response to care, both orally and in writing.

• Interpersonal skills to communicate effectively with patients/families and members of the (inter-professional) healthcare team.
• Ability to gather and record patient data concerning history, health status and response to care.
• Ability to follow and give verbal and written reports, presentations and directions to patients, families, and members of the inter-professional health care team.
• Capacity to use data for demonstrations and oral presentations, and use visual images, sounds, and verbal and non-verbal communication to inform patient care.
• Ability to demonstrate proficiency in documentation methods and ability to maintain accurate records..
• Ability to perceive and interpret nonverbal communication.

Sensory Abilities

Ability to observe, identify, and obtain information in order to assess, plan, provide and evaluate nursing interventions; student must possess adequate sensory abilities or be able to demonstrate appropriate and safe compensation for deficits.

• Student has the ability to perceive signs of disease or infection through a physical examination by observing, monitoring, assessing and responding to any physical changes in the patient's health status. This information is derived through auditory information (patient voice, heart sounds, bower, and lung sounds), visual information, and palpable changes in organs and tissues.
• Cognitive ability sufficient to read and understand directions, assignments, and patient documents.

Motor Skills and Mobility

Sufficient mobility, including the gross and fine motors skills needed to provide safe and competent nursing care, both routine and emergency.

• Sufficient motor skills necessary to perform or assist with physical care such as ambulating, positioning, and assisting with activities of daily living as needed.
• Fine motor skills needed for basic assessment such as palpation, auscultation, and percussion.
• Mobility sufficient to carry out patient care procedures such as suctioning, positioning, and drawing up medication into a syringe.

Behavior and Emotional Attributes

Emotional stability for providing care safely to patients and their families within a rapidly changing and often stressful healthcare environment; the ability to monitor, identify, and manage one's own and others' emotions, and use the information to guide thinking and actions.

• Integrity needed to make ethical decisions and honor the professional code of nursing.
• Ability to adjust and respond appropriately to stressful situations in the classroom or clinical setting.
• Ability to develop mature relationships with the health care team and modify behavior in response to constructive feedback.

Standards for Admission and Progression in the SDNU Curriculum

Admission is competitive and all students must have a minimum GPA of 3.00 to enter as a nursing major. Students must complete an application to begin nursing courses. Admission is done on a rolling basis.

Residency Requirement

All 60 credits of nursing course work must be completed at Fairfield University.

Application Requirements- Accelerated Second Degree Nursing (ASDNU)

ASDNU programs in both Fairfield, CT and Austin, TX are on a rolling admissions basis and encourage application submissions well in advance of the official application deadlines.

• Completed Online Application Form: Complete the online application. After you have submitted your application, you can use this site to track the status of your application and check if your supporting documents, such as transcripts and recommendations, have been received.
• Professional resume: Applicants are required to submit a current resume that includes employment and education history.
• Personal statement: All ASDNU applicants are required to write a 700-1000 word statement (approximately two pages) from a prompt posted in the application portal.
• Official transcripts verifying completion of an undergraduate bachelor's degree. (All foreign transcripts must be evaluated by an approved evaluating service.) All official transcripts must be sent either electronically to ASDNUadmiss@fairfield.edu or via U.S. mail from the college/university applicants attended, directly to Fairfield University.
• Two recommendation forms and letters, one of which must be, preferably, from a current employer or supervisor. Recommendations are completed online and you will need to enter the email address of your recommender.

After completed online applications have been received (with all required support materials), the ASDNU Admission Committee will send out admission notifications in approximately two weeks.

Applicants with International Coursework

Please note, our accelerated second degree nursing programs in both Fairfield, CT and Austin, TX cannot support applicants seeking to study on an F visa. If you are a permanent resident or U.S. citizen who has completed college-level credits outside the U.S., you must submit an official course-by-course evaluation for all international coursework. The evaluation must be submitted by an approved NACES member. WES or ECE are preferred transcript evaluation services.

Prerequisite Courses and Admission Requirements

ASDNU applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree with a GPA of 3.0 or higher from an accredited institution before enrolling in the ASDNU program. Any courses (and labs) not completed during the applicant’s previous undergraduate program may be taken at a regionally accredited university, community college or any accredited online course/distance learning provider.

ASDNU Course Requirements

Applicants must have completed all six of the following science and math prerequisites with a grade of B or higher within the last 10 years, prior to matriculation.  

• Human Anatomy & Physiology with lab - 4 credits
• Human Anatomy & Physiology II with lab - 4 credits
• Chemistry with lab - 4 credits
• Microbiology with lab - 4 credits 
• Developmental Psychology - 3 credits
• Statistics - 3 credits

Humanities Requirements

Applicants must have completed four humanities courses or 12 credits, in any combination, in these subject areas with a grade C or better:

• English
• Ethics
• Philosophy
• Religion
• History
• Languages
• Visual & Performing Arts

General Elective Requirements

The ASDNU Selection Committee will select up to 36 credits (typically equivalent to 12 three-credit courses) from any previously completed subject areas, provided a grade of C or better was earned.

Nursing Courses

Nursing courses are sequential, beginning with foundational courses and progressing to increasing levels of complexity and challenge throughout the program. As students move through the curriculum, new content is integrated and builds upon previously learned material. Thus, all students must earn the minimum grade of C+ (77) in all nursing courses to progress to the next semester and continue in the program.

Further, students may not progress to the next semester with an incomplete in any nursing course. Students who do not obtain a grade of C+ or better in a nursing course may repeat the course once. A grade of less than C+ in two nursing courses (including a repeated course) will result in dismissal from the Egan School. The clinical component of all clinical nursing courses is graded on a pass/fail basis. Students must pass the theory and clinical component of a course to pass the entire course, regardless of their grade in the theory component. Students who fail to earn the minimum grade in either component of a clinical course must repeat the entire course. In clinical courses (Geriatrics, Medical Surgical I & II, Mental Health and Pediatrics), an average of 77 on theory tests and final exams (quizzes not included) is needed in order to pass the course.

If a student withdraws from a course due to it being impossible to mathematically pass the course, this would count as a failure of a nursing course. Withdrawals based on health/personal issue would to be counted against a student.

Fairfield University is committed to providing accommodations to students with disabilities in order to ensure equal access to its programs, services and activities. Students with disabilities can begin the accommodation request process by contacting the Office of Accessibility.

Health and Professional Requirements 

All clinical agencies require documentation of various professional and health information. Nursing students must be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) before starting clinical and remain certified throughout the nursing program. Students must receive their certification through either the Health Care Provider course offered through the American Heart Association or the Professional Rescuer or CPR/AED for Lifeguard Certification course offered through the American Red Cross. All health requirements and OSHA training requirements must be met each year prior to clinical practice.

To attend clinical, students must have an annual physical examination and comply with all health requirements of the clinical agencies and submit to the clinical tracking system used by Fairfield University nursing students. Students are responsible for uploading information and keeping all required information updated throughout their clinical experience. Students unable to comply with agency requirements will be dismissed from the program. All costs associated with agency requirements are the responsibility of the student.

Student Background Checks and Drug Testing

Nursing programs at Fairfield University requires the successful completion of the clinical component of the curriculum.  Most clinical sites require students to complete health screenings, criminal background checks and drug screenings before participating in clinical placements.  In addition, national certification agencies may determine that persons with criminal convictions are not eligible to sit for national certification examinations and state laws may restrict/prohibit those with criminal convictions from acquiring a professional license to practice following graduation.  Therefore it is the policy of the Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies that all admitted students must satisfactorily complete compliance requirements, including a background check and drug screening, prior to participating in the clinical component of the curriculum.  These will be completed at the student's expense at a location designated by the University, and may be required more than once depending on the agency.  Fairfield University and the Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies have no obligation to refund tuition or otherwise accommodate students in the event that a criminal background check or drug screening renders the student ineligible to complete required courses or clinical placement(s).

Continuous Assessment

All nursing students participate in a comprehensive nationally standardized assessment program. This total testing program allows close monitoring of student progress and serves as the basis for individualized advisement. A testing fee will be included for all nursing students in appropriate semesters.

Licensure

All nursing students graduate with a bachelor of science degree. To obtain initial licensure as a Registered Nurse, students apply to the State Board of Nursing in the state in which they plan to practice. In addition, students register to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) at a conveniently located testing center.

All students are expected to pass the licensure exam on the first attempt. Application procedures vary by state. Information may be obtained on the National Council of State Boards of Nursing website: http://www.ncsbn.org.

Graduation from the nursing major does not ensure eligibility for state licensure. A candidate who has been convicted of a felony or another crime in any state may be required to submit documentation about this conviction to the State Board of Nursing in which licensure is sought. Each State Board of Nursing reserves the right to make a decision on whether to grant licensure to practice as a registered nurse.

Internal Transfer to Nursing (ITNU): Full Time Non-Nursing Major Internal Transfer Process

Fairfield University students from any major may now transfer into the Nursing program through a designated pathway. The Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies offers full-time undergraduate students who meet admission requirements and have completed the University's core curriculum opportunity to transition into Nursing.  Coursework begins in the summer between the junior and senior years.  Students continue as full-time undergraduates and graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in August following their senior year.

Admission requirements:

• Overall GPA of 3.0
• Completion of Magis core curriculum, including ALL Signature Elements
• All prerequisite classes must have a course grade of B or Better
• Meeting with Second Degree Nursing Program Director every semester leading up to transfer
• Students must not have any violations of Conduct/Academic Integrity at Fairfield University

Prerequisite Classes:

All prerequisite courses must be completed prior to transfer (by May of junior year). Prerequisite courses in Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology, also require approval from the respective department chairs.

Courses Include:

• BIO 1107 Anatomy and Physiology 1 + Lab
• BIO 1108 Anatomy and Physiology 2 + Lab
• BIO 1151 Microbiology + Lab
• CHEM 1184 Chemistry for Health Sciences + Lab
• MATH 1017 Introduction to Probability and Statistics or MATH 2217 Statistics I
• Calculus – any of the following courses: MATH 1016, 1121, 1172
• PSYC 1110 Developmental Psychology for non- Psychology majors or PSYC 2110 Developmental Psychology for Psychology majors.
• One Applied Ethics course

Admission:

Students will be admitted to the ITNU pathway upon successful completion of all prerequisite courses and with approval from the Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Nursing and the Director of Second Degree Nursing.

Tuition:

Students will continue to pay undergraduate tuition during the fall and spring semesters. The two required summer sessions are billed on a per-credit basis, with applicable nursing fees.

Scholastic Honors

Sigma Theta Tau, International Honor Society

The Mu Chi Chapter of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing was established at Fairfield University in 1992. Since then, the Chapter has grown to nearly 1000 members. The Society is committed to fostering nursing leadership, research and creativity. Standards for membership include demonstrated excellence in scholarship and/or exceptional achievement in nursing.