Nursing Major

Ferrum College nursing majors can begin as freshmen! To major in nursing at Ferrum College, complete the Ferrum College Application for Admission.

Any transfer credits must have a minimum of a C or better.

Upon admission to Ferrum College, students must declare prelicensure BSN as their major.

Once you have declared the prelicensure BSN as your major, you will receive a Declared Prelicensure BSN Letter with important next steps that must be completed in a timely manner.

Schedule an appointment with the Nursing Division Director to review your plan of study, any transfer credits to be awarded, and potential graduation date. Currently, we have conditional approval from the Virginia Board of Nursing. Therefore, we can only accept Licensed Practical Nursing courses as transfer credits. No other nursing courses can transfer at this time. Contact Dr. Melody Sharp by emailing msharp@ferrum.edu or call 540-365-4382.

During the spring semester, you must participate in the Entrance Exam Workshop scheduled by the Carter Center. This will help prepare you for the Entrance Exam. 

• Within two (2) weeks of completing the Entrance Exam Workshop, you must contact the Nursing administrative assistant at 540-365-5558 for the entrance examination information. 
• The Nursing Entrance Exam cost is $100.00 paid directly to Kaplan online. 
• The Nursing Entrance Exam is a proctored exam taken on site in the nursing division area. 
• Minimum Entrance Exam score is 60% overall rank.
• Note: we are currently piloting sub-scores ranking of minimum 45% in each area: Math, Reading, Science, Writing, and Critical Thinking.

If your entrance exam score is below 60% overall rank, you will receive a Mandatory Assessment Plan, and you will be required to:

• Attend weekly 1-hour tutoring sessions at the Carter Center throughout the spring semester.
• Review the Kaplan prep course.
• Retake the Kaplan entrance exam prior to July 1.

NOTE: The entrance exam may only be taken in two (2) attempts.

Upon acceptance into the pre-licensure BSN program, students who hold a current unencumbered Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) license number and a minimum of one (1) year direct client care LPN experience will be awarded prior learning proficiency credits for the following nursing foundation courses to include 90 hours clinical.

NUR 300 Foundations of Professional Nursing Practice

NUR 305C Foundations Clinical

NUR 315L Foundations & Pharm Skills Lab

NOTE: Currently, we have conditional approval from the Virginia Board of Nursing; therefore, we can only accept Licensed Practical Nursing courses as nursing transfer credits. No other nursing courses can transfer at this time.

The Nursing Division wants you to succeed in the nursing program; we set strict BSN requirements to ensure you have the resources to be successful along the way. We want you to feel part of the nursing program as soon as you enter Ferrum College. Therefore, additional requirements to be maintained in the BSN program include participation in a minimum of one (1) Nursing Department event per year, and maintaining both a minimum overall GPA of 2.5 and an overall prerequisite course GPA of 2.5 or higher.5/5.

• Effective May 3, 2023, this nursing program is a candidate for initial accreditation by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.
  • Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30326, (404) 975-5000, http://www.acenursing.com/candidates/candidacy.asp.
  • Initial Site Visit conducted February 2025. 
  • The Board of Commission meeting is set for September 2025. 
  • Note: Upon granting of initial accreditation by the ACEN Board of Commissioners, the effective date of initial accreditation is the date on which the nursing program was approved by the ACEN as a candidate program that concluded in the Board of Commissioners granting initial accreditation.
• Virginia Board of Nursing Conditional Approval.
• SACSCOC approval was issued in February 2020.

BSN Program Outcomes

• Educate graduates to deliver safe, patient-centered nursing care to a diverse population with health alterations in structured health care settings.
• Sixty percent (60%) of students that started in nursing courses will complete the program.
• Eighty percent (80%) of most recent graduates pass the NCLEX-RN as a first-time test taker within six months of graduation date (Pre-Licensure BSN Only).
• Eighty-three percent (83%) of most recent graduates pass the NCLEX-RN as a first-time test taker and repeaters (Ultimate Pass Rates) within nine months of graduation date (Pre-Licensure BSN Only).
• Eighty percent (80%) of most recent graduates will obtain employment as a registered nurse in a healthcare field within 12 months of graduation date.

BSN Program End of Program Student Learning Outcomes

Students who complete the Baccalaureate of Science Degree in Nursing will be expected to:

• Provide patient-centered, priority-based nursing care to individuals, families and groups through independent and collaborative application of the nursing process supplemented by an intellectual foundation liberal arts and natural sciences.
• Implement factors that create a culture of safety and a just culture.
• Integrate evidence, clinical judgment, inter-professional perspectives and patient preference in planning, implementing and evaluating outcomes of care across the lifespan and health-illness continuum.
• Apply the use of healthcare technology the supports clinical decision-making, patient education, error prevention, and care coordination.
• Incorporate effective inter- and intra-professional communication and collaborative skills to deliver evidence-based, patient-centered care.
• Participate in the use of quality indicators and core measures to evaluate the effect of change in the delivery of care as derived through health policy.