Loyola University > School of Nursing > Academics > Degree Programs > Undergraduate Degrees > Four-Year BSN
Four-Year BSN
Preparing the next generation of nurses
Loyola's traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program is the ideal choice for high school graduates ready to embark on their journey to a nursing career. As a direct-entry program, students are guaranteed a spot in the nursing program upon their acceptance to the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing.
Our BSN nursing students have the opportunity to take part in a traditional college experience at the Loyola University Chicago's Lake Shore Campus, while getting hands-on experience at world-class clinical sites in the Chicago area. Under the mentorship of our top-notch faculty, you will learn to think critically, analyze complex situations, make sound clinical decisions, and deliver safe nursing care. Beyond the requisite nursing competencies you need to care for patients, Loyola's BSN program truly prepares you to learn, adapt, and grow in your nursing career. As a Loyola Nursing graduate, you will join the ranks of health care providers known for their compassion, professionalism, and dedication to patient care.
Not a graduating high school senior? Loyola also offers an Accelerated BSN program.
Our Commitment to You
Graduates of Loyola Nursing's four-year BSN program will gain the following knowledge, skills, and professional values to begin their nursing career.
Knowledge
You will understand:
- Historical and current trends and issues in nursing
- Principles of population-focused and culturally-sensitive care
- Concepts of professional nursing practice
- Care concepts and practices for chronic and complex health conditions
- Foundations of pharmacology
- Principles of ethics in nursing
- Regulatory, financial, legal, and technological influences on health care and the delivery and management of patient care
- Public health and health promotion concepts
- The research process and the use of evidence to inform practice
- Leadership and management principles and theories to inform nursing practice
Competencies
You will be able to:
- Provide compassionate, high-quality nursing care to patients across the life span
- Work effectively with health care teams to contribute to positive patient outcomes
- Evaluate research-based evidence for planning, implementing, and evaluating care outcomes
- Apply ethical principles in decision-making
Professional Values
The BSN program seeks to instill and reinforce the nursing profession's core values:
- An obligation to promote health and prevent harm
- A commitment to social justice and cura personalis, care for the whole person
- A focus on communities and community-wide outcomes
- A belief in evidence-based practice underpinned by scientific reason
- An adherence to the highest professional standards
- A celebration of diversity and respect for the rights, dignity, and worth of individuals
Curriculum
BSN students complete courses in four main areas of nursing: general, medical/surgical, maternal/child, and community/mental health/administration. Students also will have the opportunity to learn, practice, and develop patient care skills in Loyola’s Clinical Simulation Learning Lab. After establishing a solid foundation of theory and clinical skills, students complete seven clinical rotations, culminating in the Clinical Role Transition capstone.
Courses:
BSN students complete a blend of nursing and general education courses as part of their Loyola education. Below is a list of nursing-specific courses as well as course schedules for current students.
Total Credit Hours: 123 credits
- GNUR 102: Intro to Professional Nursing Practice
- GNUR 155 and 155L: Human Anatomy (Lecture and Lab)
- GNUR 156 and 156L: Human Physiology (Lecture and Lab)
- GNUR 160 and 160L: Chemistry for Health Professionals (Lecture and Lab)
- GNUR 203: Microbiology for Health Professionals
- GNUR 207: Concepts of Professional Nursing Practice
- GNUR 238 and 238L: Foundations of Clinical Practice in Nursing (Lecture and Lab)
- GNUR 290: Concepts of Older Adult Health
- GNUR 293: Pathophysiology
- GNUR 294: Foundations of Pharmacology
- GNUR 297: Clinical Nutrition for Nursing Practice
- GNUR 360: Nursing Research
- GNUR 361: Nursing Ethics
- GNUR 383: Leadership for Professional Nursing Practice
- GNUR 384: Leadership for Professional Nursing Practice Clinical/Clinical Role Transition
- MSN 277 and 277L: Medical/Surgical Nursing (Theory and Clinical)
- MSN 377 and 377L: Advanced Medical/Surgical Nursing (Theory and Clinical)
- MCN 273 and 273L: Family Health Patterns I (Theory and Clinical)
- MCN 374 and 374L: Family Health Patterns II: Care of the Child and Family (Theory and Clinical)
- CMAN 272 and 272L: Mental Health Patterns (Theory and Clinical)
- CMAN 380 and 380L: Community Health (Theory and Clinical)
Explore full course schedules:
Clinical Rotations:
Students complete seven clinical rotations at a variety of health care organizations. Learn more about clinical experiences at Loyola Nursing.
Clinical Role Transition (CRT):
Through preceptor-based learning and seminars, this experience focuses on assimilating the role behaviors of a professional nurse as a provider, designer, manager, and coordinator of care in health care systems. Clinical reasoning, critical thinking, prioritization, and the integration of knowledge are emphasized in this experience, focusing on the provision of patient-centered, evidence-based care as a member of an inter-professional health care team.
Admission
Admission to Loyola University Chicago and Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing is competitive and based on a variety of factors. The BSN program does not accept internal or external transfer students into the program of study. However, a student who is admitted to the BSN program may transfer credits into the BSN program, subject to the Loyola University Chicago transfer credit policy. Courses to be considered for acceptance as transfer credit must be in the areas of arts, sciences, and humanities. Nursing major courses are not accepted for transfer credit.
Submit your online application today or schedule a campus tour by visiting the Office Undergraduate Admission.
By The Numbers
94.88% of Loyola's 2019 BSN graduates passed the NCLEX-RN® on their first attempt the first time
What are the next steps after getting your BSN?
BSN graduates from the four-year program are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), a standardized exam that each state board of nursing uses to determine if a candidate is prepared for entry-level nursing practice. Learn about the NCLEX at the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
HOW ARE CLINICAL ROTATIONS ASSIGNED?
Loyola Nursing assigns clinical placements randomly. Each student will receive a clinical placement/s based on their current theory course. Clinical groups are fluid and often change from semester to semester.
Tuition and Financial Aid
The Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing and Loyola's Financial Aid Office are committed to helping students secure the financial resources to make their education at Loyola affordable.
Accreditation
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing (BSN) at Loyola University Chicago is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791. The BSN program has approval from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation.
