Navigating Nursing Colleges in New Hampshire: A Comprehensive Guide to Requirements and Programs

Nursing stands as a vital and highly sought-after profession, forming the very foundation of healthcare systems. Nurses are essential in determining the needs of patients, families, and communities through their clinical judgment and decision-making abilities, and they provide evidence-based treatment and healthcare guidance. For those aspiring to join this critical field in New Hampshire, understanding the requirements and available programs is the first step. This article provides a detailed overview of nursing education pathways in New Hampshire, focusing on the requirements and unique aspects of various nursing colleges.

The Growing Demand for Nurses

The field of nursing is experiencing a surge in demand, placing nurses at the forefront of healthcare delivery. They are responsible for using clinical judgment and decision-making skills to assess the needs of patients, families, and communities, and they provide evidence-based treatment and healthcare advice.

University of New Hampshire (UNH) Nursing Program: Shaping Future Healthcare Leaders

The nursing degree program at UNH is designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to become leaders in the ever-evolving healthcare landscape. UNH nursing graduates are prepared to shape the future of healthcare.

Learning Environment and Faculty Support

At UNH, students benefit from a supportive and scholarly environment where faculty members act as facilitators and mentors. The faculty believe learning is a creative process wherein students are active participants in their education, growth, and development as professional nurses.

Skill Development and Hands-On Experience

The program emphasizes the development of high-quality clinical and problem-solving skills. Students have access to an innovative nursing lab equipped with mannequins, task trainers, and other equipment that simulate real-world clinical scenarios. Furthermore, students gain valuable hands-on experience through research opportunities, clinical experiences at local hospitals and community health agencies, and internships. Clinical experiences are offered in area health facilities, community health agencies, and a state-of-the-art simulation laboratory.

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Curriculum Overview

The curriculum integrates biological, social sciences, and humanities to provide a strong foundation for major-specific courses. Nursing courses focus on relationship-based care, reflective thinking, clinical decision-making, and the application of evidence-based guidelines to develop safe and effective clinical skills. The curricula are divided into biological, social sciences, and humanities as a foundation for courses in the major, and nursing courses, which emphasize relationship-based care, reflective thinking, clinical decision making, and the application of evidence-based guidelines to develop quality and safe clinical skills.

Degree Requirements at UNH

To earn a nursing degree from UNH, candidates must fulfill several requirements:

Minimum Credit Requirement: 128 credits
Minimum Residency Requirement: 32 credits must be completed at UNH.
Minimum GPA: A GPA of 2.0 is required for graduation.
Core Curriculum: Students must satisfy the University Discovery Program requirements and writing program requirements.
Foreign Language Requirement: There is no foreign language requirement.
All Major, Option and Elective Requirements as indicated.

Major Requirements and Coursework

In addition to the university's general requirements, nursing students must meet specific major requirements. A grade of C or higher is required in Discovery courses listed in the major. Prerequisite courses also require a grade of C or better, and students are allowed to repeat only one prerequisite course once to progress in the program. A minimum grade of C is required in all major courses, and nursing courses cannot be repeated. Throughout the program, students must maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 2.5.

A course in statistics (HMP 540, PSYC 402, SOC 402, MATH 439) must be completed prior to, or taken concurrent with, nursing research. The statistics course requires a C or better in the major.

The curriculum includes a combination of discovery program courses and required courses, including:

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Discovery Program Courses:

ENGL 401: First-Year Writing (4 credits)
BMS 507 & BMS 508: Human Anatomy and Physiology I & II (8 credits)
PSYC 401: Introduction to Psychology (4 credits)
BMS 501: Microbes in Human Disease (4 credits)

Required Courses:

HMP 540: Statistics for Health and Human Service Professionals (4 credits) or PSYC 402 Statistics in Psychology or SOC 402 Statistics or MATH 439 Statistical Discovery for Everyone
NURS 500: Introduction to Professional Nursing (2 credits)
NURS 501: Research for Nursing Professionals (4 credits)
NURS 504: Disease and Drugs I (4 credits)
NURS 505: Diseases and Drugs II (4 credits)
NURS 506: Human Development, Interaction and Learning Across the Lifespan (4 credits)
NURS 516: Health Assessment and Nursing Fundamentals (4 credits)
NURS 516C: Health Assessment and Nursing Fundamentals Clinical (2 credits)
NURS 517C: Clinical Integration (2 credits)
NURS 601: Function and Wellbeing of Older Adults (2 credits)
NURS 611: Care of the Adult with Acute Illness I (4 credits)
NURS 611C: Care of the Adult with Acute Illness I Clinical (2 credits)
NURS 612: Care of the Adult with Acute Illness II (4 credits)
NURS 612C: Care of the Adult with Acute Illness II Clinical (2 credits)
NURS 616: Living with Mental Illness (2 credits)
NURS 616C: Living with Mental Illness Clinical (2 credits)
NURS 621: Maternal and Newborn Nursing (2 credits)
NURS 621C: Maternal Newborn Nurs Clin (2 credits)
NURS 627: Clinical Judgment in Nursing (4 credits)
NURS 702: Child Health Nursing (2 credits)
NURS 702C: Child Health in the Community Clinical (2 credits)
NURS 704: Public Health Nursing (4 credits)
NURS 704P: Public Health Nursing Project (2 credits)
NURS 705: Contemporary Leadership within Health Care Systems (4 credits)
NURS 711: Clinical Judgment in Complex Illness (2 credits)
NURS 721: Integrating Professional Nursing Practice (2 credits)
NURS 721C: Integrating Professional Nursing Practice Clinical (6 credits)

Clinical Hours: Students are required to complete 814 clinical hours through courses such as NURS 516C, NURS 517C, NURS 611C, NURS 612C, NURS 616C, NURS 621C, NURS 702C, and NURS 721C.

Honors-in-Major Program at UNH

For high-achieving students, UNH offers an Honors-in-Major Program. Junior nursing students with a minimum GPA of 3.75 in NURS courses and a cumulative GPA of 3.4 at the end of their sophomore year, or those who are members of the University Honors Program, are eligible to apply. The Honors-in-Major Program requires the completion of 18 credits at the honors level. Orientation to the Honors-in-Major Program is held at the beginning of the junior nursing year.

Students must successfully complete with a grade of B or better 8 additional credits of honors coursework drawn from the following courses:

NURS 612: Care of the Adult with Acute Illness II (4 credits)
NURS 627: Clinical Judgment in Nursing (4 credits)
NURS 704: Public Health Nursing (4 credits)
NURS 705: Contemporary Leadership within Health Care Systems (4 credits)

Honors-in-major students must also successfully complete with a grade of B or better:

NURS 648W: Nursing Honors Seminar I (1-4 credits)
NURS 748W: Nursing Honors Thesis I (1 credit)
NURS 749W: Nursing Honors Thesis II (4 credits)

These self-directed learning experiences, related to the student's interests, are designed to help students acquire advanced knowledge and skills to undertake inquiry or scholarly projects. Students must submit a project description to a faculty adviser at the beginning of the senior year.

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Lakes Region Community College (LRCC): Associate of Science Degree in Nursing

Lakes Region Community College offers an Associate of Science Degree in Nursing, designed to prepare students for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RNÂ® exam) to become a Registered Nurse.

Accreditation and Program Approval

The associate degree nursing program at Lakes Region Community College (LRCC) meets the state education requirements for a Registered Nurse license in the state of New Hampshire. The Associate Degree Nursing Program is approved by the New Hampshire Board of Nursing (NHBON). Upon satisfactory completion of the program, the graduate is eligible to apply to the New Hampshire Board of Nursing (NHBON) and Pearson VUE NCLEX Candidate Services for the NCLEX-RN.

Important Considerations

It is important to note that the New Hampshire Board of Nursingâs licensing regulations may restrict candidates who have been involved in civil or criminal legal proceedings.

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU): Shaping Transformative Nurses

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) has been committed to making higher education accessible to working adults since 1995. The Nursing program at SNHU is dedicated to shaping transformative nurses by providing exceptional, workforce-relevant learning experiences.

Commitment to Student Success

At SNHU, students are valued for their contributions to the learning environment and are appreciated for their diverse values and beliefs. The university is committed to delivering accredited continuing education for nurses and healthcare professionals.

Curriculum and Accreditation

The curriculum inspires visionary thinking and the advancement of a health-centric culture. SNHU is accredited by the regional accreditor the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

Focus on Population Health

In todayâs complex healthcare system, nurses advocate for population health, making it a key focus of the SNHU program.

New England College (NEC): Accelerated BSN Program

For students eager to embark on their nursing careers quickly, New England College (NEC) offers a cohort-based Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.

Program Structure

NECâs Nursing, BSN program features a 12-month schedule in years 1 and 2, with traditional semesters in year 3. This accelerated format allows students to move into their nursing careers faster with high-quality education.

Focus on Skills and Clinical Experience

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program equips students with the skills and clinical experience needed to become strong nurse leaders and patient advocates. This three-year BSN program combines the holistic benefits of a liberal arts education with invaluable conceptual nursing education.

Program and Student Learning Outcomes

The program goals relate to identified program and student learning outcomes, based on the Essentials documents (AACN 2008 and AACN, 2021) and Nurse of the Future Competencies (Sroczynski, 2016) measured through classroom assessment methods and clinical performance.

Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs):

PLO1: Synthesize knowledge from nursing, the arts, humanities, and the natural, physical, and social sciences into professional nursing practice across the lifespan and care continuum.
PLO2: Provide holistic, individualized, just, respectful, compassionate, coordinated, evidence-based, and developmentally appropriate nursing care across the lifespan and care continuum.
PLO3: Serve in partnerships to advocate for improving the health status of a defined population through health promotion, illness prevention, and emergency preparedness measures.
PLO4: Use clinical expertise and the individualâs preferences, experience, and values to identify, evaluate, and apply the best current evidence to clinical decision-making.
PLO5: Apply quality improvement principles and contribute to a culture of patient, provider, and work environment safety.
PLO6: Engage in team-based, person-centered care partnerships across the care continuum to optimize care, enhance the healthcare experience, and strengthen outcomes.
PLO7: Effectively and proactively coordinates unit-based human and fiscal resources to provide safe, quality, and equitable care across the lifespan and care continuum.
PLO8: Use information and technology to analyze and synthesize information to manage and improve the provision of safe, high-quality, and efficient care across the lifespan and care continuum.
PLO9: Demonstrate accountability for providing standard-based nursing care across the lifespan and care continuum, consistent with ethical, moral, altruistic, legal, regulatory, and humanistic ideologies.
PLO10: Model personal health behaviors, demonstrate professional curiosity, and advocate for individuals across the lifespan and care continuum.

Accreditation and Approval

New England Collegeâs three-year cooperative Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program has been approved by the New Hampshire Board of Nursing. Upon completing all program requirements, students can apply for professional licensure as a Registered Nurse (RN) in New Hampshire.

Holistic Admission Review

NEC Nursing completes a holistic admission review for every applicant, considering a wide range of factors to assess their potential for success in the program. To enroll in the Nursing, BSN program, you must gain admission to the program after submitting an application and meeting the various admission requirements.

Institutional Background

New England College (NEC) is a private, nonprofit college founded in 1946 to serve the needs of servicepeople attending college on the GI Bill after World War II and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. NEC offers 60 associate and bachelorâs degrees, as well as more than 20 masterâs degrees and two doctoral degree programs, all delivered by dedicated faculty focused on giving students opportunities to live what they learn.

Professional Licensure and Certification Disclosures

The University of New Hampshire offers a number of academic programs designed to lead to professional licensure or certification in New Hampshire. However, completing a UNH degree/program does not guarantee professional licensure or certification. Eligibility may also depend on factors like years of work experience, professional examinations, passing a background check, and other criteria. UNH does not guarantee that its professional licensure programs will satisfy the criteria of professional licensure boards in other states.

State-Specific Requirements

Some states maintain different requirements for professional licensure or certification, and these requirements can change frequently. Federal regulations require the University to make public disclosure of certain information regarding professional licensure or certification programs, regardless of the modality the program is offered (i.e., in-person or online).

Recommendations for Students

The University provides guidance but recommends students contact their state/territory licensing or certification board to ensure a program meets specific state/territory requirements.

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