Division of Nursing Program
There is no career more in tune with Berry’s signature “head, heart and hands” approach to learning than nursing. As a science-based profession, nursing requires strong critical-thinking and problem-solving skills for which a liberal arts education is best known, as well as the attitude of leadership and service for which Berry graduates have long been recognized.
How Does the Berry College Nursing Program Work?
Students enroll in the core courses that are required for the Nursing program. The program is designed so students will complete all courses, both the core classes and nursing courses, in four years to earn the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). The Berry College Division of Nursing curriculum is uniquely futuristic, as it prepares nurses to work in an increasingly complex and ambiguous world. The overall aim of the baccalaureate program is to prepare nurses who have the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to improve the quality and safety of the health care systems. The Berry College Nursing program is built on a strong liberal arts and science foundation that provides the advanced analytical, communication, problem solving and decision-making skills needed by nurses to negotiate, improve, and effectively manage our increasingly complex health care system. The nursing curriculum follows the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Essentials, the American Nurse Association Standards of Practice, and the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses.
The six competencies are
- Patient-centered care
- Interdisciplinary teamwork and collaboration
- Evidence based practice
- Quality improvement
- Safety
- Informatics
How are Future Nurses Prepared?
In addition to preparing a nurse for quality safe practice, the educational experience of Berry Nursing students prepares graduates for service, leadership, and patient-centered care that exemplifies the interdenominational Christian values of Berry College. Nurses of the future must be prepared to look beyond the acute health care environment and traditional roles of the nurse. Special emphasis for the BSN program includes health care informatics, gerontology, cancer care, cultural diversity, spiritual dimensions and community health promotion. Nursing students participate in a short-term local or global health care mission before their senior year, where they continue the Berry tradition of the “head, heart and hands” approach to education.
Are there Opportunities for Practical Learning Experiences?
Rome has two regional hospitals, Redmond Regional Medical Center and Floyd Medical Center and medical offices such as Harbin Clinic, which provide practice opportunities for students. Berry’s vibrant Student Work Experience Program offers more than 300 different types of on-campus jobs, including many in the sciences.
Does Berry Offer Alternatives to the On-Campus Bachelor of Science (BSN) Program?
Yes. For many years Berry has partnered with Emory University to offer a five-year program. You will spend three years at Berry completing 93 semester hours of general education requirements and nursing school prerequisites. Then you’ll apply for admission to Emory’s nursing program. When you are accepted, you will transfer to Emory for two years of professional study. The five-year program results in a Bachelor of Science degree from Berry College and a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University in Atlanta.
The nursing faculty continues the Berry College century-long commitment to the values inherent in “worthwhile work well done” and inspires students to achieve their potential through:
- Highly interactive small group class activities
- Technology enhanced learning strategies
- Hands-on nursing practice in a state-of-the-art clinical practice lab using Human Patient Simulators
- Diverse clinical placement opportunities focused on quality outcomes
- Collaborative opportunities with the faculty in a community setting
- Study abroad opportunities
- Senior internship in the last semester