College of Nursing

Victoria Niederhauser, Dean
Sadie Hutson, Executive Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Tami Wyatt, Associate Dean for Research
Nan Gaylord, Associate Dean, Practice & Global Affairs
Shelia Swift, Assistant Dean, Undergraduate Programs
Terri Durbin, Assistant Dean, Graduate Programs [Interim]

https://nursing.utk.edu/

Professors
Beebe, L., PhD – Kentucky
Brewer, T., DNP – Ohio (Case Western Reserve)
Brown, M.L., PhD – Tennessee
Gaylord, N., PhD – Tennessee
Hardesty, P., PhD – North Carolina (Barry)
Hutson, S., PhD – Pennsylvania
Myers, C., PhD – Tennessee
Niederhauser, V., DrPH – Hawaii
Thomas, S., PhD – Tennessee
Thompson, K., PhD – Maryland
Wyatt, T., PhD – Virginia

Associate Professors
Anderson, J., PhD – North Carolina (Wake Forest)
Bonom, J., DNP – Tennessee
Carter-Templeton, H., PhD – Tennessee
Cornette, R., DNP – Kentucky
Elliott, L., DNP – Tennessee (Vanderbilt)
Gunther, M., PhD – Tennessee
Harris, R., PhD – Tennessee
Lasater, K., DNP – Tennessee
Lindley, L., PhD – North Carolina
Mixer, S., PhD – Northern Colorado
Swift, S., PhD – Tennessee

Assistant Professors
Abdoli, S., PhD – Iran (Shadid Beheshti)
Ahn, S., PhD – Minnesota
Alberding, J., DNP – Tennessee
Bailey, C., PhD – Tennessee
Beeler, L., PhD – Tennessee
Berg, T., PhD – Tennessee
Brown, K., DNP – Tennessee
Davenport, L., PhD – Tennessee
Durbin, T., DNP – Tennessee
Dutra, S., PhD – Florida
Embler, P., PhD – Tennessee
Fishbein, C., DNP – Ohio (Wright State)
Helton, S., MSN – Texas Woman’s
Hessock, M., DNP – Tennessee
Huffman, C., DNP – Tennessee
Hurt, M., DNP – Tennessee (Vanderbilt)
Johnson, M., DNP – Tennessee
Kojima F., PhD – Nebraska
Merritt, L., DNP – Ohio (St. Louis)
Moore, P., DNP – Tennessee
Morgan, K., PhD – Tennessee
Newnam, K., PhD – Virginia
Roberson, P., PhD – Tennessee
Sagherian, K., PhD – Maryland
Shearer, J., PhD – Tennessee
Smith, J., PhD – Kentucky
Taylor, S., DNP – Tennessee
Tourville, J., DNP – Tennessee (Vanderbilt)
Vitori, T., PhD – Kentucky

The College of Nursing at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, was established in July 1971 in response to a long recognized and well-established need for nurses prepared at the collegiate level. The undergraduate program at The University of Tennessee partners with multiple health care agencies in a manner that enables both faculty and students to participate fully in all facets of the health care delivery system. The program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education at One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036, phone (202) 887-6791. The program is also unconditionally approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing.

The baccalaureate nursing program has as its central foci the person, health, environment, and nursing. General education courses, nursing courses, and electives are organized in a manner designed to promote and develop creative thinking and other cognitive, affective, and psychomotor processes that are essential for effective nursing practice and for full and meaningful involvement as a contributing member of society. A broad base of general education, a thorough study of human behavior, an emphasis on health maintenance, health promotion, and health restoration, and a strong family and community orientation are essential components of baccalaureate education in nursing. By maintaining a high-quality, relevant program that is responsive to the increasing complexity of health care delivery, the ever changing health needs of society, and the changing and expanding role of the nurse, graduates of the program are able to assume beginning leadership positions in nursing in a variety of settings; work collaboratively with other health professionals; function as socially conscious and contributing citizens; and pursue advanced education on either a formal or an informal basis.

General Requirements

Students enrolled in the Traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing (TBSN) program are required to successfully complete eight semesters of full-time study or the equivalent in part-time study, of prescribed coursework, for a total of 123 semester hours. The minimum number of credits required for graduation is 123 hours.

All upper-division courses are restricted to students who have been approved for progression. (See Progression Policies and Procedures.) Second degree students enrolled in the Accelerated BSN (ABSN) program are required to successfully complete 47 credit hours after completing all prerequisite requirements. The program also offers a completely on-line degree completion program for registered nurses (RNs) who hold an associate degree in nursing or who are graduates of diploma nursing programs. RN students starting upper division coursework will receive proficiency credit for select clinical nursing courses and then must complete 34 credit hours of coursework. 

Nursing Substitutions

CFS 210 * or PSYC 300 ;  CHEM 102 * and CHEM 103 *, CHEM 112 * and CHEM 113 * or CHEM 122 * and CHEM 123 * or CHEM 128 *, CHEM 132 * and CHEM 133 * or CHEM 138 *;  MICR 210 * or BIOL 220  with BIOL 229  lab.

Freshman Admission

Selection is highly competitive and based primarily on academic achievement at the high school level and scores on the ACT and/or SAT, as well as interest in and commitment to nursing. Students admitted into the College of Nursing must (1) achieve a minimum 3.20 grade point average at the conclusion of all required lower-division work, (2) achieve a minimum grade of C or better in all courses, (3) maintain full-time study at UT in order to begin upper-division nursing coursework, and (4) submit an intent to progress by January 20 of the sophomore year.

Change of Major or Transfer Students

Students currently enrolled at the University of Tennessee in another college/major may apply for an open position in the nursing program. Students will be selected on the basis of the following criteria:

• Cumulative GPA for courses completed (minimum 3.20 GPA required to be eligible)
• Cumulative GPA for required science, social science, math, and English courses
• Number of course withdrawals and repetitions
• Grade improvement over time
• Probability of completing all required courses in the freshman and sophomore curriculum prior to fall semester
• Interest in and commitment to nursing
• Availability of space

The admissions process is highly selective, with more qualified applicants than spaces available. In recent years, the number and competitiveness of applicants have increased dramatically; therefore, students are encouraged to continue to progress in their current major while completing prerequisite courses.

If a student is selected for admission but then fails to successfully complete all required courses in the freshman and sophomore curriculum (with exception of Arts and Humanities and Cultures and Civilizations) with a grade of C or better prior to the fall semester, the student will not progress and must submit another application the following year.

For admission into the upper division nursing courses (which only begin each fall semester), students must:

• Complete all required courses in the freshman and sophomore curriculum prior to the fall semester.
• Submit a BSN Application to UT’s College of Nursing Student Services Office by January 20.
• Attach transcript(s) of all college/university coursework to application.
  • UTK Students: Attach an Academic History Report (available via MyUTK)
  • Transfer Students: Attach official or unofficial transcript(s)
  • Complete the nursing essay
• Applicants who fail to submit a required application item by the deadline or fail to schedule will be ineligible for consideration.

Accelerated Track Admission

Students will be selected on the basis of the following criteria:

• Cumulative GPA for all courses completed.
• Cumulative GPA in required prerequisite courses.
• Number of course withdrawals and repetitions.
• Grade improvement over time.
• Probability of completing all required prerequisite courses prior to fall semester.
• Interest in and commitment to nursing.
• Availability of space.

The admission process is highly selective, with more qualified applicants than spaces available. If a student is selected for admission but then fails to successfully complete all required prerequisites with a grade of C or better prior to beginning the nursing sequence, the student will not progress into the accelerated BSN program.

Readmission

Students enrolled in upper-division nursing courses who left in good standing may be readmitted to the nursing major. An Intent to Return form must be submitted to the College of Nursing Student Services Office by designated deadlines. Dismissed students may not continue in the nursing program. Policies and procedures regarding academic dismissal and readmission are found in the College of Nursing Undergraduate Student Handbook. 

Students who were enrolled in lower-division nursing courses when they left the University in good standing will be eligible for readmission into the nursing major. Dismissed lower-division students may no longer pursue a major in the College of Nursing.

uTrack Requirements

Universal Tracking (uTrack) is an academic monitoring system designed to help students stay on track for timely graduation. In order to remain on track, students must complete the minimum requirements for each tracking semester, known as milestones. Milestones include successful completion of specified courses and/or attainment of a minimum GPA. uTrack requirements only affect full-time, degree-seeking students who first entered Fall 2013 or later. uTrack does not apply to transfer students who entered prior to Fall 2015.

Progression Policies and Procedures

Current standards are available from the Director of Student Services, College of Nursing, Room 203.

1. If a student is selected for progression but then fails to successfully complete all lower division requirements (except for arts and humanities and cultural civilizations electives) prior to the fall semester, the student will not progress and must submit another application the following year.
2. Prior to the start of upper division 300 level courses, students must successfully complete a criminal background check, drug screen, and specific health requirements.
3. Students in the RN to BSN Track must be licensed to practice in the state of residence and/or employment prior to enrollment in clinical courses.

Grading and Continuation Policies

1. The minimum acceptable grade for all courses in the curriculum is a C.
2. Satisfactory/No Credit grading option is not permitted to meet degree requirements in nursing unless that is the only way the course is offered.
3. No nursing course may be repeated more than once.
4. Any student who receives a grade of C–, D, F, or NC for more than one nursing course will be required to withdraw from the program even if the previous course for which C–, D or F was awarded has been repeated with a grade of C or higher.
5. If a student receives an Incomplete (I) in a nursing course, the I must be removed prior to enrolling in any course for which the uncompleted course is a prerequisite.
6. For undergraduate nursing students, 75% is the passing average grade in all nursing courses. If a student fails to achieve the minimum 75% average on course examinations, the final course grade will be either C– (70-74), D+ (68-69), D (62-67), D– (60-61), or F (59 and below). The following grading scale applies to all undergraduate nursing courses.

7. If a student’s clinical performance for any nursing course is found to be unsatisfactory, the student will fail the Clinical Immersion course regardless of grades earned. If the unsatisfactory clinical performance is characterized by unethical, unprofessional, or unsafe behavior, behavior that actually or potentially places the client in jeopardy, the student will be required to withdraw from the program.
8. Requirements for competence in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation are included in the Undergraduate Student Handbook.
9. At periodic intervals specified by the faculty, students must take comprehensive examinations designed to predict success on the NCLEX (licensure) examination.

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is designed to fulfill The University General Education Requirements. Please see the current catalog for courses acceptable in the arts and humanities and cultures and civilizations categories.

College of Nursing Honors Program

The Nursing Honors Program will complement the Chancellor’s Honors Program and provide for the 2+2 design of the university program. Students can continue in the Nursing Honors Program after their first two years in the Chancellor’s Honors Program. Students entering upper division who have not been in the Chancellor’s Honors Program can apply for acceptance into the Nursing Honors Program for their junior and senior years. In addition to continuing Chancellor’s Honors students, a maximum of 10% of the junior class may be admitted to the Nursing Honors Program through an application/acceptance process. Students will be able to take 10-11 credits in upper division nursing honors courses, depending on the courses they select. The difference in the total will allow for student options depending on the number of credits completed toward the 25 credits required for the Chancellor’s Honors Program during their first two years as freshmen and sophomores. For the Nursing Honors Program only, a student must complete a minimum of 11 credits in honors courses.

Insurance Requirements

Students must meet specific physical examination and immunization requirements as specified by state law and by the rules and regulations set forth by the various clinical agencies. All students must participate in the university’s group professional liability insurance program. Specific information concerning these requirements will be provided to the students at appropriate times by the nursing faculty and/or the Director of Student Services.

Course Load

The maximum credit hours per semester for which a nursing student may register without special permission is 19.

Academic Programs