Grant Available for ASN Degree
Salem University is pleased to announce our New Student Success Grant! New students enrolling in our hybrid associate and/or our 100% online RN-BSN degree completion program at Salem University who are residents of Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, or Virginia are now eligible for our New Student Success Grant. This opportunity will reduce your cost of attendance to just $425 per credit!
Nursing is both an art and a science, a career based on compassion and the desire to better your community by serving the needs of your patients. It encompasses holistic care of individuals of all ages, in all settings, across diverse populations, and right now, in the U.S., we’re in vital need of skilled nursing staff.
About Salem’s Associate of Science Degree in Nursing (ASN) Program
Nursing is a dynamic combination of art and science applied to meeting the needs of individuals, families and communities throughout the lifespan and along the health‑illness continuum. The ASN program at Salem provides a comprehensive theoretical, clinical, practical, and professional preparation to arm our students with the knowledge and skills for the responsibilities of a registered professional nurse.
Salem is committed to the success of our nursing students. With 100% pass rates on the NCLEX licensure examination and 100% job placement rates, our student graduates are extremely appealing to prospective employers.
Salem’s ASN program focuses on preparing student graduates with the knowledge and skills to address the challenges of a rapidly changing and culturally diverse health care environment.
The Program
The ASN program is offered in a hybrid format with online theory classes, and hands-on experiences in our state-of-the-art simulation lab with high-fidelity patient simulators, combined with direct patient care in a variety of clinical settings across the health care continuum, allowing our nursing students to work side-by-side with faculty, mentors, peers, and experienced professional nurses in preparation for nursing practice.
Our dynamic and supportive learning environment, small class sizes, experienced nursing faculty, and a wide variety of support and resources creates a positive educational experience for each and every nursing student.
Courses follow a progressively challenging sequence to prepare students to provide quality patient care in a variety of health care settings, and to meet the demands of the current and future nursing practice environments.
The ASN Curriculum
The Associate of Science degree in nursing curriculum has been designed by the Salem nursing faculty to equip students with critical thinking abilities, technical skills based on the biopsychosocial sciences, and the most current body of nursing knowledge needed for patient-centered care, teamwork, collaboration, and evidence-based practice for holistic patient care.
Our ASN program requires the completion of 66 semester credits (10 prerequisite courses and 12 core nursing courses). The program can be completed in just 22 months. However, we also recognize that every student is different, with different circumstances. Pleases contact one of our admissions advisors to discuss your specific questions and goals.
A 3-day live NCLEX-RN review, and a personal virtual mentor who works with students one-on-one, are provided to help our students prepare for the NCLEX-RN licensure examination.
The Courses
Salem’s one course per month delivery allows students to focus on completing their courses without having simultaneous competing demands on their time.
The 10 Prerequisite Courses
- Written English
- Life Science
- Psychology
- Mathematics for Allied Health
- Human Nutrition
- Lifespan Human Development
- Social Perspectives on Healthcare
- Anatomy & Physiology 1
- Anatomy & Physiology 2
- Microbiology & Pathophysiology for Health Professions
The 12 Core Nursing Courses
- Basic Concepts of Nursing
- Pharmacology and Dosage Calculations
- Medical-Surgical Nursing 1
- Medical-Surgical Nursing 2
- Medical-Surgical Nursing 3
- Maternity & Neonatal Nursing
- Pediatric Nursing
- Mental Health Nursing
- Advanced Medical-Surgical Nursing 1
- Advanced Medical-Surgical Nursing 2
- Advanced Medical-Surgical Nursing 3
- Nursing Capstone
The final capstone course allows students to internalize and integrate the educational experience with guidance from professional nurses. The preceptorship experiences are selected specifically to support each student’s area of interest and expand learning.
Admission to the Core Nursing Courses
To be considered for progression to the core nursing courses, students must:
- Successfully complete all required prerequisite general education courses with a grade of “C” or higher.
- Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 from all college level courses. This includes Salem, as well as all post-secondary academic institutions previously.
- Successfully complete the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) examination (with scores at or above the minimum requirement).
- Submit all health and other requirements for clinical experiences. Please contact the nursing office for information regarding these requirements.
Transcripts:
Students applying to one of Salem’s nursing programs must have their official transcripts sent to Salem from each post-secondary academic institution they have previously attended, regardless of whether they are wanting to transfer any courses. All official transcripts must be received by the end of the student’s first course, or the student will be administratively dropped from the nursing program.
To graduate from the Associate Degree in Nursing program (ASN Program), the student must have an overall cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher for all courses and pass a comprehensive examination. After graduation, students will be able to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) to gain licensure as a registered nurse.
Vision of the School of Nursing
The School of Nursing will provide accessible, state-of- the-discipline education. The School will focus on fostering the preservation, promotion, and restoration of health in the international community. Our graduates will be highly competent practitioners who are grounded in a sense of inquiry and committed to human caring across the lifespan within a climate of diversity.
Mission of the School of Nursing
The mission of nursing education coincides with that of the University and is committed to preparing professional nurses who utilize a systematic approach in the assessment and management of actual or potential health needs across the life span of a diverse population. A commitment to lifelong learning will serve as the catalyst that propagates career advancement.
With Your Associate Degree in Nursing from Salem University,
You’ll Possess an Outstanding Competitive Edge for Nursing Practice Upon Graduation and Licensure.
Accreditation
Salem University, Associate Degree in Nursing Program (delivered via distance education), is accredited by the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA) located at 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037. 202-909-2487.
Salem is approved by the WV Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses. At this time, the university has not determined if our curriculum meets the educational requirements for any of the other 49 states for professional licensure. Find professional nursing licensure requirements for any state and jurisdiction.
While there are many important factors when choosing a nursing education program, national accreditation should be a crucial decision-making factor when pursuing any nursing degree. Below are the main reasons it is important to enroll in a nationally accredited nursing program.
National Accreditation of Nursing Programs:
Is a process that evaluates the quality of nursing programs to determine if they are meeting specific state and national standards. Nursing programs that are nationally accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the US Department of Education, such as CNEA, ensure the public that their program is held to a common set of standards of quality across the United States. This process improves the quality of nursing education, creates a culture of continuous improvement of academic quality, keeps the curriculum up to date on current trends and advances in nursing and healthcare, and greatly enhances the overall quality of care administered by nurses that graduate from a nationally accredited program.
Attending a National Accredited Nursing School:
- Enables students to be eligible for funding support from federal and state agencies, and foundations.
- Is required by many nursing programs for admission to graduate programs.
- Is required by some state regulatory agencies for their nursing employees.
- Assists employers seeking graduates who are competent practitioners.
- Facilitates the transfer of credit using the following considerations:
- The educational quality of the institution from which the student transfers;
- The comparability of the nature, content, and level of credit earned from the programs offered by the receiving college or program;
- The appropriateness and applicability of the credit earned from the programs offered by the receiving college or program.
Why Should I Choose Salem University?
Since 1888, Salem University has built upon our tradition of accessible, affordable higher education by constantly innovating and looking to the future. We aim to develop lifelong learners who embrace problem-solving with a global perspective. We offer:
- Accelerated undergraduate and graduate programs of study with continuous enrollment via distance education or on-campus
- A unique one-course-a-month format that allows students to focus on a single subject at time and build their knowledge in a way that feels natural
- Supportive faculty and staff who serve as thought leaders and mentors
- A beautiful 100-acre campus situated in the Smoky Mountains where programs of study are available for campus residents and commuter students
Take the Next Step
If you’re interested in getting started on your Associate of Science in Nursing degree from Salem University, now is a great time to request more information or, better yet, chat with us live.
