Bachelor of Science in Nursing
NCLEX and Registered Nurse Licensure Information
Upon completion of the BSN or LVN-BSN Concentration and graduation from an accredited program, students are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). The NCLEX is a national standardized exam that tests the competency of nursing school graduates in the United States and Canada. This test is required for all individuals that are seeking to obtain a nursing license and practice as a registered nurse (RN). Upon successfully completing the NCLEX, individuals may then apply to their respective state boards of nursing for a state license to practice as a registered nurse. Students completing the RN-BSN educational program are already hold a state license to practice as a registered nurse and are not required to re-take the NCLEX. Additional information about the NCLEX can be found at www.ncsbn.org.
The BSN program is a four and a half year program which prepares individuals who can practice professional nursing in a variety of clinical settings, and who are prepared to continue their education through graduate studies. The upper division clinical studies component of the nursing program is based on prerequisite courses at the lower division, which may be completed at the main campus of Prairie View A&M University or transferred from another accredited college or university. A student seeking to declare pre-nursing as a major must be admitted into the university as defined in the university catalog. Licensed nurses can continue their education to achieve the BSN degree through the distance education program.
RN-BSN Concentration
The RN-BSN program prepares Registered Nurses who hold an Associate Degree in Nursing or a Diploma in Nursing to acquire a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing in 12 months. Applicants must complete 63 credit hours of general studies and liberal arts courses of which many of the course credits were earned in preparation for the RN.
LVN-BSN Concentration
Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs) who seek admission to the LVN-BSN Program must meet the same lower division requisites and degree requirements as generic students. Applicants are evaluated on an individual basis and must complete the upper division clinical studies within five years of the initial admission date.