Western Illinois University: Macomb Campus

Admission to the School of Nursing

Acceptance into the Nursing major involves three stages.  The first stage involves admission to the University.  Upon admission to the University, a letter of intent to study nursing is filed with the Nursing Program Director. Prospective RN-BSN Completion students can also indicate pre-BSN on the admission form. The third stage involves formal application to the Nursing major.

Admission to Western Illinois University

Prospective nursing students must apply for and be granted regular admission to the University. Students should indicate they want enroll in the pre-BSN program.

Admission to the Pre-BSN Program

Students who wish to enter the pre-BSN program must make an appointment with the Nursing adviser to make a plan for completing the course requirements for general education and nursing support courses. All general education courses and nursing support courses must be satisfactorily completed by July 1 for fall semester admission into the nursing major. Exceptions will be considered. Students should contact the Nursing Program Director to request an exception.

A total of 60 s.h. will transfer to WIU from an associate’s degree or diploma. Students must demonstrate a minimum cumulative grade of C (2.0 on a scale of 4.0) on all post-secondary work.

Admission to the Nursing Major (RN-BSN Completion Program)

Students who wish to apply for admission to the Nursing major as an RN-BSN Completion nursing student must:

1. Have a completed application on file with the Nursing Program Director no later than July 1 for admission for the next fall semester. Students will be considered pre-BSN until all the Nursing Major admission requirements are met or permission is granted by the Director.
2. Submit a current copy of the Illinois License to practice nursing as a Registered Professional Nurse.
3. Have a minimum cumulative grade of C (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) for all post-secondary coursework. The following nursing support courses (or comparable courses) must have a grade of C (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) or better.
   1. All nursing courses taken for the associate degree or diploma in nursing.
   2. Eng 180, Eng 280, Comm 241, Psy 100, and Soc 100.
   3. Nursing support courses equivalent to:
      Zool 230 Human Anatomy and Physiology I
      Zool 231 Human Anatomy and Physiology II
      Chem 101 General Chemistry I
      Chem 102 General Chemistry II
      FSC 109 Introduction to Nutrition
      FCS 121 Introduction to Life Span Development
      Micro 200 Introduction to Microbiology
      Stat 171 General Elementary Statistics
      Note: Only one of these courses may be repeated if a grade of C (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) was not achieved. A student may repeat one course one time. Admission will be denied to any student who received a second grade of less than C (2.0 on a 4.0 scale).
4. Submit all official transcripts with the application for admission. Failure to submit all post-secondary transcripts will result in a denial of admission.
5. Secure letters of reference from two professional references: one academic (i.e., instructor or professor) and one clinical (i.e., supervisor).
6. Provide documentation to Beu Health Center that all health requirements have been met by August 1 before fall semester admission. (Students are responsible for all costs incurred for admission as well as ongoing health requirements.) See form for a complete list of requirements.
   Employer Verification for Currently Employed Individuals: Many of the clinical requirements necessary for enrollment in the Nursing Program also may have been required and documented by a current employer. To expedite verification of these requirements, the Nursing Program has developed a form that can be provided to an employer and completed by the employee or occupational health office at the place of employment. The form will be available at the Nursing Program Overview session. Random verifications will be performed, and falsification of information will result in dismissal from the Nursing Program. If an agency does not maintain records, an individual may obtain the required immunizations, titers, and TB test through a health care provider, public health department, or Beu Health Center.
7. Provide documentation to the Nursing Program Director that all safety requirements have been met by August 1 before fall semester. (Students are responsible for all costs incurred for admission as well as ongoing safety requirements.) See form for a complete list of requirements.
   1. Current CPR for Basic Life Support for the Professional provider.
   2. HIPAA, blood borne pathogens/standard precautions (document from employer).
   3. Malpractice insurance.
   4. Criminal background check. All applicants are required to submit a criminal background check. Details will be given to the student upon admission to the program.
   5. Drug screen (random drug screen every semester). All applicants are required to be drug tested on admission with random drug screen thereafter. Applicants with a felony conviction or a positive drug screen may be denied entry into the clinical facility for clinical practice. If a student is denied entry into a clinical facility due to a felony conviction or positive drug screen, the student must withdraw from the program.

This program is highly competitive. Meeting or exceeding the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.