College of Mount Saint Vincent Nursing Program Review

The College of Mount Saint Vincent (CMSV) is a private college that is located at the uppermost northwest corner of The Bronx in New York City. It is a small college with around 1,800 students. The campus consists of 70 acres of wooded areas that overlook the Hudson River. This is a Catholic college that was opened by the Sisters of Charity, but those of other faiths may attend. Two degrees in nursing are offered at this school. They are a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN).

Nursing Programs

Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program is a four-year program of rigorous studies that prepares the graduate to take the NCLEX-RN exam. After passing this exam, the nurse will be granted licensure in the State of New York and can begin working. RNs with a BSN are in demand for many jobs that require four years of education. This degree takes longer to earn than an Associate Degree in Science in Nursing, but the pay for having a BSN is also much better than that for nurses with an Associate Degree.

Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the school, including satisfactory SAT or ACT scores. The average scores for students admitted to the college are at least 500 in the verbal and 500 in the mathematical sections of the SAT examination. College preparatory classes in high school must have been completed with acceptable grade point averages. The College of Mount Saint Vincent is somewhat less selective than other area schools since 74.5 percent of applicants are granted general admission to the college. If an applicant does not have the necessary background in math or science, there is usually a chance to take these courses on the college level before applying to the nursing program.

Students in the nursing program complete required courses the first year, such as English Literature, Introduction to Psychology, an art class, a history class, Writing for College, Modern Language, General Chemistry I and II, and Introduction to Professional Nursing. In the second year, students must earn credits in Economics, Sociology, The Life of Reason, The Life of Faith, Anatomy and Physiology I and II, Health Promotion, Mathematical Computer Spread Sheet, Microbiology and Human Disease, Theoretical and Research Foundations of Nursing, and Health Assessment.

In the third year of studies, nursing students complete many classes that are specific to the nursing field. These include Introduction to the Care of the Adult and Aging Client, Human Pathophysiology, Pharmaco-Physiology, Childhood and Adolescence, Adulthood and Aging, Nursing Care of the Adult and Aged. Additional course requirements are World Literature and a junior level integrated course. The senior year of the nursing course includes Nursing Care of the Family I-Maternity Care, Nursing Care of the Family II-Pediatric Nursing, Nursing Care of the Community I-Psychiatric Nursing, Nursing Care of the Community II-Community Nursing, Process of Leadership in Nursing, Preceptorship, Independent Study in Nursing, and other courses. These are a senior level integrated course, mathematical modeling or Introduction to Statistics or Statistics. A total of 126 credits are necessary for graduation.

Students are assigned to a variety of hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and other health care facilities in the New York City area during their time at the College of Mount Saint Vincent to complete the clinical portion of their studies. Once 60 credits have been earned, students at the main campus at Riverdale may request to transfer to the mid-Manhattan College of Mount Saint Vincent campus to complete their clinical work.

Master of Science in Nursing Program

A Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program is also offered at the College of Mount Saint Vincent for RNs who wish to continue their education. Requirements required for admittance to the MSN program are that the applicant has a BSN from an accredited school with a grade point average of at least 3.0 in undergraduate work. The applicant must be a licensed RN in New York State and must submit the application along with two references and an undergraduate transcript. Additional requirements are that the applicant must complete an interview with the Director of Graduate Nursing, pass the English Essay Examination, and have successfully completed nursing research and elementary statistics as an undergraduate. RNs that do not have a 3.0 average in their undergraduate work may enroll in the college as a nonmatriculated student in the four Core Nursing Courses. If a grade point average of 3.0 is attained, the student may then enter the matriculated program.

There are different MSN courses and programs that lead to different career goals. The first is in Administrative Nursing. The second option leads to an Adult Nurse Practitioner degree, and the third option is for RNs who want to become Nursing Educators. A fourth option is for a Family Nurse Practitioner degree. Classes that lead to a MSN may be taken on a part-time basis. Most classes are offered in the late afternoon or evening.

Students in Nursing Administration take different courses than those who want to become Nurse Practitioners or Nurse Educators. Nursing Administration students enrolled part-time may take Advanced Nursing Theory and Dynamics of Nursing Leadership for a total of 6 credits the first semester. Next, they must take Advanced Nursing Research and Ethics and Health Care Policy. In the second year, these students take Foundations of Health Care in the Fall Trimester, Financial Management Budgetary Control during the Mid Trimester, and in the Spring Trimester they take Law for Health Care Professional and Master’s Project Advisement. Courses required for the third year are Nursing Administration Theory, Nursing Administration: Seminar/Practicum and Master’s Project Advisement in the Fall Semester. The final semester is the Spring Semester when students take Nursing Administration Theory II, Nursing Administration Seminar/Practicum, and Master’s Project Advisement. Upon graduation, the student has earned 36 credits. Courses for the other two MSN degrees are very similar with an emphasis on Nurse Practitioner skills or those needed for Nursing Education.

Contact:
College of Mount Saint Vincent
6301 Riverdale Avenue,
Riverdale, NY 10471
(800) 665-CMSV