Kentucky State University Nursing School Review

Kentucky State University (KSU) is located in Frankfort, Kentucky, which is the capital of the Commonwealth. Although the university was historically a black university, it desegregated in 1954. It is also an 1890 Land Grant university that has a cooperative extension program. Land Grand schools are supported by federal and state funds.

The university is committed to research, service, and teaching in the food and agricultural sciences, and has been named as a top university. It was once a normal school that existed to educate teachers. Today, there are around 2,340 students who attend the university and complete a variety of degrees. Financial aid is offered in all standard forms, including work-study programs. The university also offers travel abroad opportunities for students, such as trips during summer and winter breaks, semester-long programs, and internship programs. Some countries where studies have taken place are England, Ireland, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ghana, Jamaica, Scotland, and South Africa.

Nursing Programs

Associate Degree in Nursing

Kentucky State University offers an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program. This program prepares nurses to serve as generalists in the nursing field and to enter the workforce as entry level nurses. Graduates take the NCLEX-RN for their licensure as Registered Nurses (RNs). Students learn in small classes, which is an advantage to students who benefit from individualized and group instruction from the faculty. Liberal arts and science courses required equal 35 credits while the nursing core courses and clinical experience also equal 35 credits for a total of 70 credits needed for graduation. Students must maintain a grade point average of 2.0 to remain in the nursing program.

There are several standardized tests that students must take. Before being admitted into the nursing program, applicants must take and pass the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS). This test assesses an applicant’s basic academic skills. Students must also take the exit exam that is required by Kentucky State University, which for nursing students is on Medical/Surgical Nursing. Once admitted to the program, students complete all of the general courses required by Kentucky State University for a bachelor’s degree plus nursing courses and clinical experience. The ADN program usually takes four or five semesters to complete, depending on how many prerequisite courses a nursing student must take.

RN to BSN Program

Kentucky State University also offers a Registered Nurse (RN) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. It is designed specifically for working nurses who want to complete their bachelor’s degree. A bachelor’s degree in nursing is very desirable, and it provides many more employment opportunities for a RN than having an associate degree in nursing does. Some jobs are open only to bachelor-trained RNs. This program is for RNs who have either an associate degree or a diploma in nursing. It is based on liberal arts and science courses, nursing courses, and clinical experience. The nursing courses in this program are presented in eight week, allowing students to take fewer classes at a time. Students must complete a total of 59 credits to complete the program once their credits from the associate’s degree are transferred to the program. A total of 128 credits are needed to graduate with a BSN from the university.

This program may be completed on either a full-time or part-time basis. It is necessary to first be accepted into Kentucky State University before applying to the School of Nursing. Applicants are expected to have a grade point average of at least 2.0 in all of their previous college work. They should submit their application with a copy of their RN license, and CPR certification. Once a student is accepted into the program, the RN must select a practicum area of concentration, and before beginning this, liability insurance, a TB test, and the proper immunizations should be completed.

Students who have a diploma in nursing receive 35 nursing credits after they complete 14 hours of upper level nursing courses. Another exception to the amount of credits needed to complete the BSN applies to ADN applicants who have a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in another area. These students must complete only 30 hours of upper division nursing courses.

The university classifies students in one of three categories for nursing. They may be Nursing Associates, the category assigned to the nursing student who meets all requirements for admission and is currently enrolled in the ADN program. A student classified as Nursing Registered is a RN who has been admitted to the RN-BSN program. This student has met all of the requirements to be admitted to the BSN program. The student must be currently licensed in Kentucky. The last category is Nursing Pre-admission, which refers to those who are pursuing nursing curriculum courses, but who have not yet been admitted to the ADN program.

Contact:
Kentucky State University
400 East Main Street,
Frankfort, KY 40601
(502) 597-6000

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