The Minimum requirements for Traditional BSN admissions include:

•Science GPA of 2.75 or higher
•Wesleyan Essentials GPA of 2.75 or higher
•Applicants may only repeat sciences course prerequisites once prior to application to the nursing program.

Requirements for enrolling in the Accelerated BSN pathway:

Qualified high school graduates who are admitted to TWU as a nursing student may earn guaranteed admission into the accelerated BSN program based on the following criteria:

•High school cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher or cumulative overall college GPA of 3.0 or higher.
•Completion of Advanced Placement credits with grades of “C” or better.
•Combined GPA of 3.0 in science courses (Anatomy & Physiology I & II, Chemistry, and Nutrition).

Students who do not meet these criteria wil continue the traditional four-year pathway with entry into upper-level nursing courses in their junior year. 

Requirements for Admission to Nursing are outlined in the College Catalog.

Our long-standing clinical affiliation with Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center affords us the opportunity to have direct hands-on patient care experience in addition to lab and classroom facilities on the hospital campus.

Each student completes over 1000 hours in direct-patient care settings with a minimum of 90 hours in each specialty (pediatrics, psych/mental health, maternal/newborn, community health, and critical care). Senior practicums allow students the opportunity to work alongside a RN as they learn the roles and responsibilities they will assume as a newly licensed nurse.

While touring the TWU-Fort Sanders Nursing Instructional Site, visitors will be able to view the main classrooms, our state-of-the-art Simulation Lab, and lounge spaces that our students use daily. Visitors will also have the opportunity to speak with faculty and staff as available. We look forward to seeing you, and are excited to have you explore the TWU-FSN Instructional Site with us in Knoxville, Tennessee.

To schedule your tour contact Ashley West, Associate Director of Transfer and Graduate Admission, via email or at 423-746-3241.

9845 Cogdill Road
Knoxville, TN 37932

Nursing Department Mission Statement
The mission of Tennessee Wesleyan University Fort Sanders Nursing is to prepare professional nurses for lives of significance, leadership and service through quality nursing education within the Christian tradition.

Nursing Department Philosophy
The faculty of the Tennessee Wesleyan University Fort Sanders Nursing Department believe people are unique, biological, emotional, social and spiritual beings with dignity, worth, and inherent rights of freedom and choice. Each person develops values and beliefs which are influenced by the social institutional forces of family, education, government, community, and religion. People develop and change throughout the lifespan by interacting with the internal and external components of the environment which impact both human functioning and the state of health.

We believe health is a dynamic, multidimensional state of being, based on a wellness/illness continuum. People strive to attain, maintain, and promote a positive state of health by enhancing adaptation to environmental variables. We believe healthcare is a basic human right while the quality of health is an individual responsibility influenced by personal behaviors.

We believe nursing is a profession and an academic discipline based on a scientific body of knowledge requiring critical thinking, problem-solving, ethical reasoning, accountability, scholarship and a commitment to lifelong learning. The primary goals of nursing are to maintain, restore and promote optimum health, and to provide end-of-life care with diverse populations in a variety of settings. Safe quality patient care is implemented through the roles of the nurse as a provider of care, manager of care and active member in the profession of nursing.

We believe education is a dynamic, on-going process of growth and development that involves acquisition and application of knowledge and skills culminating in new patterns of behavior. The men and women who demonstrate an interest and commitment to nursing are unique individuals with diverse backgrounds and learning styles. Education must take place in a non-threatening, open environment that fosters creativity, self-motivation, the spirit of scientific inquiry and effective communication. The responsibility for learning is shared by both student and faculty; thus, the curriculum is planned, implemented, and evaluated by the faculty with input from students and graduates to assist in meeting educational goals.

Tennessee Wesleyan University Fort Sanders Nursing Department does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, color, religion, national origin, age, handicap, marital status, or veteran status in provision of educational programs and activities which it operates, pursuant to the requirements of Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972. In accordance with the Pub. L. 102-26 The Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act, Tennessee Wesleyan University has prepared a report containing campus security policies and procedures, data on campus crimes, and other related information. A free copy of this report may be obtained by any student, employee, or applicant for admission or employment from the TWU Student Life Office or found on the Student Life webpage. Data are available upon request from the Nursing Department regarding student completion of the program and performance on the NCLEX -RN Licensure Examination. Tennessee Wesleyan University Fort Sanders Nursing Department reserves the right to make any change which will result in program improvement without advance notice to the student.

Accredited:
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing program at Tennessee Wesleyan University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001 Phone: 202-887-6791 Fax: 202-887-8476 www.ccneaccreditation.org

Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 Phone: 404-679-4500

Approval:
Tennessee Board of Nursing 665 Mainstream Drive, Nashville, TN 37243 Phone: 615-532-5166
www.ncsbn.org/Tennessee.htm

As of July 1, 2020, the U.S. Department of Education will implement new regulations that professional nursing programs (PN, RN and APRN) must adhere to if they participate in Title IV HEA funding, and if the program is:
•designed to meet educational requirements for a specific professional license or certification that is required for employment in an occupation; or
•Is advertised as meeting such requirements

This new regulation applies to programs using all modalities, including online, in-person, or a combination of both. Regulation 34 CFR 668.43 (a) (5) (v) will require the nursing program to provide:
1. a list of all states/jurisdictions where the institution’s curriculum meets state educational requirements for professional licensure or certification,
2. a list of all states/jurisdictions where the institution’s curriculum does not meet state educational requirements for professional licensure or certification, and
3. a list of all states/jurisdictions where the institution has not made a determination of whether the curriculum meets educational requirements.

Additionally, a direct disclosure to the student in writing is required in regulation 34 CFR 668.43(c) by the education institution if the program leading to professional licensure or certification falls in one of the latter two categories above.

Licensure Requirements by State
To easily find professional nursing licensure requirements (RN, PN and APRN programs), please select the states/jurisdictions where you want to know their professional licensure requirements. 
Requirements: Tennessee

For RN licensure:
•Must graduate from a board-approved program;
•Rules and requirements

For APRN licensure:
•Requirements
•(d) A nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist, nurse midwife or clinical nurse specialist who holds a Tennessee registered nurse license in good standing and current national specialty certification in the advanced practice specialty shall be eligible for a certificate to practice as an advanced practice registered nurse on May 22, 2002, and shall be exempt from the requirement of a master’s degree or higher in the nursing specialty if licensed in Tennessee and holding national specialty certification prior to July 1, 2005. Notwithstanding the previous requirements, a nurse anesthetist shall be eligible for a certificate to practice as an advanced practice registered nurse if the nurse anesthetist graduated prior to January 1, 1999, from a nurse anesthesia educational program approved by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists Council on Accreditation.

For more information:
Tennessee Nurse Practice Act
Tennessee Nursing Rules and Regulations

Nurse License Compact States:
List
Map

Disclaimer: This information has been gathered from a variety of sources. Although NCSBN has made every effort to provide complete, accurate and up-to-date information, NCSBN makes no warranties, express or implied, or representations as to the accuracy or reliability of this information. The information is fluid and evolving. NCSBN assumes no liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in the information contained in this resource.

Nursing Student Handbook 2023-2024