Barton College Nursing Program Review

Barton College is a small college in Wilson, North Carolina with a student enrollment of around 1,200 students. It was begun in 1902 by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). There is a very low student to faculty ratio of eleven to one. The college is nationally recognized for its deaf education, education, nursing, and social work programs. There is a strong emphasis on individual attention at the college. There are five residence halls on the 65 acre campus. Students attend Barton from 24 states and 9 different countries. Over 40 majors and programs are offered at the school.

Nursing Programs

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Barton College offers a Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) program that is unique in that the faculty team teaches students. This enables faculty members to work together to present the curriculum by using a combination of all of their talents and knowledge to benefit students. Students have opportunities to study in Peru, Honduras, Costa Rica, rural Pennsylvania, and a Cherokee Indian reservation. Nursing students take general education courses during their first year and then progress to nursing courses and other general education courses in the second year. This plan allows students to complete the science prerequisites in their sophomore year.

Another interesting opportunity for nursing students at Barton is that they work internships for their clinical experience. Many of the hospitals and healthcare facilities offer tuition reimbursement or pay competitive salaries to students during this time. Barton offers scholarships to students in need of financial aid, and the State of North Carolina also awards a North Carolina Nurse Scholar award. Students may also apply for federal financial aid and numerous other nursing scholarships and grants that they may qualify to receive.

To qualify for admission to the college, students must have a high school diploma with at least 13 college preparatory units. It is expected that students have at least a 2.30 grade point average from high school classes. They must also take the SAT or ACT and score a minimum score of 890 on the SAT or 19 on the ACT. Students who are admitted must complete all of the nursing courses and clinical experience necessary for graduation with a BSN. At the completion of the program, students qualify to take the NCLEX-RN for their licensure as a Registered Nurse (RN).

RN to BSN

This program is for RNs who have their associate degree who want to complete their bachelor’s degree. Applicants must have a minimum grade point average of 2.7 on their previous college-level work. Students must complete the prerequisite and core curriculum courses before applying to the nursing program, and they must maintain at least a 2.5 grade point average in these courses. This program requires part-time attendance so that the RN may continue working. It is a requirement that students must be a currently licensed RN to enter the program. Credits may be transferred from the student’s community college or junior college in amounts up to 64 semester hours. Students must complete the upper level nursing courses and clinical experience after the prerequisite liberal arts and science courses are finished. A total of 126 semester hours are required for graduation when students receive a BSN.

Contact:
Barton College
200 Atlantic Christian College Drive NE,
Wilson, NC 27893-2575
(800) 345-4973