Office: Health Building 420

Telephone: 408-924-3131

Professors

Katherine Abriam-Yago
Karen Bawel-Brinkley
Daryl Canham
Deepika Goyal
Suzanne Malloy
Chia-Ling Mao
Colleen O’Leary-Kelley, Director
Vivian Wong

Associate Professors

Michelle Hampton
Ruth Rosenblum

Assistant Professors

Alice Butzlaff
Denise Dawkins
Nancy Dudley
Debrayh Gaylle
Constance Hill
Dorothy Moore
Lisa Rauch
Sheri Rickman-Patrick
Arlene Spilker
Robin Whitney
April Wood

Overview

The Valley Foundation School of Nursing offers an innovative curriculum and varied experiential opportunities for students. The baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degree programs in The Valley Foundation School of Nursing at San Jose State University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. These programs prepare nursing professionals to be socially and ethically responsible clinicians and scholars who are able to meet the changing healthcare needs of a diverse global community. Under faculty supervision, baccalaureate nursing students participate in clinical experiences in both hospital and community agencies. Our nurse-managed centers, located in Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties, offer students the opportunity to provide health services and illness prevention services to populations in need. Nurses returning for their master’s degree will gain additional knowledge and skills needed for either advanced practice concentration in the Nurse Educator role or the Family Nurse Practitioner role. California State University, Fresno and San Jose State University offer a joint post-master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice Program. The Doctor of Nursing Practice Program prepares professional nurses to assume leadership positions in clinical, administrative, and academic settings.

Undergraduate BSN Application and Admission Procedures

The application to the Undergraduate Nursing major is a 2-step application process.

Students interested in the nursing major should attend a 2 hour group advising session (usually offered monthly). Submit a University application to www.calstate.edu/apply and official transcripts of all previous college work to the Office of Admissions and Records by the posted University deadlines. As of Fall 2010, the University has designated “undeclared pre-nursing” as an impacted major. Impaction criteria for the undeclared prenursing major are posted on the University web pages under info.sjsu.edu. Students are admitted as “cohort groups” once they have been formally admitted to the nursing major. (Note: the nursing major application process has supplemental impaction criteria in place.) Students must file a separate application to the nursing major (www.sjsu.edu/nursing) listed under prospective students.

Prior to applying to the University, students should refer to The Valley Foundation School of Nursing website for information regarding advisement for entry into the major. Advising is available through individual or monthly group sessions. Refer to the nursing web site at www.sjsu.edu/nursing for more detail, dates, times, and rooms for monthly group advising sessions. The application process for The Valley Foundation School of Nursing will be posted on the nursing website. All online applications include proof of admission to SJSU, or at least that you have begun the csumentor.edu application process, a passing score on the Writing Skills Test, and a passing score on the TEAS test. Courses with designated “W” or “WB” are not considered for calculation purposes.

Nursing has been an impacted major since Spring 2005. Impaction imposes supplemental criteria that all students must meet. Pre-nursing students apply to the “undeclared pre-nursing” major, for consideration in the applicant pool. Students may apply to the nursing major twice maximum.

The Valley Foundation School of Nursing has biannual admission application periods - Spring and Fall. Supplemental criteria for eligibility for the applicant cohort pool include:

1. Composite GPA of 3.2 in 5 prerequisite courses (BIOL 65 , BIOL 66 , MICR 20 , ENGL 1A , and STAT 95 ). All courses must be passed with a C or better.
2. BIOL 65 , BIOL 66 , and MICR 20  must be completed within 5 years of establishing eligibility and passed with a grade of “C” or better. If the course does not meet the 5-year. recency requirement the student will need to retake that course. The grade for any of these 3 courses taken within the 5 years will be used for calculation purposes. Courses may not be repeated, except for forgiveness when taken at the original school and this designation must appear on official transcripts. (“W” and “WB” grades are excluded).
3. A minimum TEAS score of 78; version 6 of the TEAS. This exam may only be taken two times regardless of the version. (www.sjsu.edu/nursing)
4. Composite GPA of 3.0 in CHEM 30A , COMM 20 , and an Area A3 (critical thinking) course. All courses must be passed with a C or better. Options for acceptable area A3 courses are listed on the University’s web site.
5. A passing score on the Writing Skills Test (WST).

Impaction Scoring

Students meeting the above minimum criteria will be ranked according to an impaction score, calculated and weighted from the following two areas:

1. GPA in composite of 5 prerequisite courses (BIOL 65 , BIOL 66 , MICR 20 , ENGL 1A , STAT 95 ). None of these courses may be repeated, and only the first grade will be included in the calculation. Exceptions: The second attempt was for “Grade Forgiveness” (also known as Academic Renewal) or meet the 5 year recency for BIOL 65 , BIOL 66 , and MICR 20 .
2. A minimum score on the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) Test (www.sjsu.edu/nursing). The TEAS is a test of English, reading comprehension, mathematics, and basic science. It is available through the SJSU Testing Center. Refer to The Valley Foundation School of Nursing’s home page and the BS information packet (under prospective students) for further information. There is a fee. A Study and Review Guide is available for purchase online at www.atitesting.com to assist in preparation for the TEAS exam. Test administration dates (usually offered every 2 months) are posted under the University testing website. Check the testing website frequently for updates.

In order to join the applicant pool for The Valley Foundation School of Nursing, students must:

1. Declare “undeclared pre-nursing” as a major (this designation has supplemental entry criteria; see www.sjsu.edu/nursing). Change of major forms are done through the main university advising office in the Student Success Center on 10th street.
2. Complete the 8 required prerequisites courses with a grade of “C” or better. See minimum GPA under “impaction criteria.”
3. Pass the Writing Skills Test (WST) or approved equivalent (check the testing office website at http://testing.sjsu.edu/ for test dates, deadlines, and fees) prior baccalaureate students exempted from WST. Allow several months to do this, prior to applying to nursing.
4. Pass the TEAS test, version 6, within 2 attempts and submit the score(s) to the online vendor for application to SJSU The Valley Foundation School of Nursing (NOTE: a minimum TEAS score of 78 is required for eligibility). The TEAS score is divided by 30 for calculation of impaction scores.
5. United States citizenship or Green Card Permanent Resident (documentation required). “Dream Act” students need certain documentation. A California Drivers License (or picture ID from Drivers License bureau) is also required.
6. Complete a required background check and drug clearance, using the School’s vendor. Once the student is provisionally accepted into the nursing major, a clear background check and drug screen are required. More information on this content is on the School’s web site under “Policies”.
7. Submit an application with documentation of 1 through 5 above. Documentation of completion of prerequisites is submitted during the online application process.
8. Application to nursing and documentation deadlines for entry in Fall semester is Feb. 15. Application and documentation deadlines for entry in Spring semester is September 15. Specific clinical documentation will be required of all nursing students on admission to the major. Students may apply up to one month prior to these deadlines.

Please note that application requirements and prerequisite courses are subject to change. Interested students should check the nursing web site frequently for updates and changes. Monthly 2-hour group advising session does not require an appointment.

Co-requisite courses: There are 3 courses that must either be completed prior to entering nursing or within 1 year of entering the major. CHAD 70 ; PSYC 1 ; and NURS 100W .

A student may only apply a maximum of two times to this program. If not admitted by then, the student should seek general University advising to change majors.

Programs

• Nurse Educator Post-Masters Certificate
• Nursing Practice, DNP
• Nursing, BS
• Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration, MS
• Nursing, MS
• Nursing, RN to BSN Concentration, BS