Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Graduation and Employment Rates

Please refer to the University’s Student Success Measures webpage for graduation rates, employment rates, and additional success indicators. 

Official Transcripts for Courses in Progress

All admitted students are required to provide official, sealed transcripts for courses that were still in progress or planned at time of application and were not updated in the Academic Update Process through the NursingCAS system.

Acceptance is contingent on meeting all course requirements. Official transcripts are needed for all colleges attended and must be mailed directly to NursingCAS by the issuing institution’s registrar’s office:

NursingCAS
P.O. Box 9201
Watertown, MA 02471

Criminal Background Check and Drug Screen

A criminal background check and drug screening are required to participate in clinical rotations. To initiate your background check and drug screening, visit this website and complete the process as required within 30 days. If you have questions about the process, please call CertifiedBackground.com customer service at 888.666.7788.

Health Insurance

All students are required to have medical insurance coverage in effect by their program’s first day of orientation. You can either enroll in one of Samuel Merritt University’s plans or waive SMU insurance if you have a plan of your own. Enroll or register a waiver at https://app.hsac.com/smu. If you have not received a confirmation email within five days of your submission, please contact our insurance consultant, Trish Ivey, at 888.978.8355.

CPR Certification

Certification must be from the American Heart Association and be the Basic Life Support (BLS) module (must include adults, infants, and children). You may go to any provider for these classes, but the University has a partnership with HeartStart CPR including discounted pricing.

Required Health Forms

Every student must complete the Student Health Forms, which list the health requirements for incoming students. Please visit the Student Health Portal to enter your health information and upload all the required supporting documents. In order to avoid a registration hold, please submit all your health requirements as soon as possible after being accepted into the program, but no later than 30 days before your program start date. All health information must be submitted online. Documents submitted by mail, fax, or email will not be accepted and your documents will not be returned.

If you have a disability-related reason that prevents you from fulfilling any of these requirements, please contact the Disability Resource Center at drc@samuelmerritt.edu to schedule a private conversation. 

Photo for ID Badge

Every student must submit a headshot photo for their ID badge. Instructions and specs for this photo will be provided after you receive your admitted student portal checklist/email.

Nursing program applicants with military-based healthcare training and/or experience will be evaluated on an individual basis. All classes and experience previously obtained will be evaluated for equivalency to the desired program requirements. A program completion plan will be implemented based on this evaluation. Students must complete the HESI A2 exam.

Underrepresented students (low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented minority students) who are interested in Samuel Merritt University’s BSN, ABSN, and ELMSN programs are encouraged to attend our three-day Nursing Success! Seminar. Students learn about the admissions process; meet current students, faculty, and staff; and tour the Health Sciences Simulation Center (HSSC) during this semi-annual event.

Applications are now open for the Nursing Success! Seminar. This event will be hosted virtually. Visit our Nursing Success! webpage to apply.

Visit our Admission Events page for Nursing Success! FAQs

Bachelor of Science in Nursing Technical Standards

The mission of Samuel Merritt University is to produce highly skilled and compassionate nursing professionals. Students are expected to develop a robust healthcare knowledge base and requisite clinical skills, with the ability to apply knowledge and skills appropriately, interpret information effectively, and contribute to patient-centered decisions across a broad spectrum of clinical situations in all settings. The following technical standards, along with the academic standards, are required for admission, promotion, and graduation. The term “candidate” refers to candidates for admission to any of the prelicensure programs as well as current students who are candidates for retention, progression, or graduation.

These requirements may be achieved with or without reasonable accommodations, the cost of which will be borne by the institution. These standards should not serve as a deterrent to any candidate with disabilities who desires to pursue baccalaureate-level education. Candidates with disabilities bring unique perspectives that contribute to the diversity of the student population and will create a diverse healthcare workforce of culturally competent practitioners who can meet the needs of their patients. Candidates with disabilities are encouraged to contact the Disability Resource Center immediately to begin a confidential conversation about possible accommodations necessary to meet these standards. Fulfillment of the technical standards for graduation from any prelicensure nursing program does not guarantee that a graduate will be able to fulfill the technical requirements of any specific clinical position.

Technical Standards

A candidate must acquire information as presented through demonstrations and experiences in foundational sciences. In addition, a candidate must be able to evaluate a patient accurately and assess relevant health, behavioral, and medical information. Candidates must be able to obtain and interpret information through comprehensive assessment of patients, correctly interpret diagnostic representations of patient physiologic data, and accurately evaluate patient conditions and responses. 

Communication Skills

Candidates must exhibit interpersonal skills to enable effective caregiving of patients, including the ability to communicate effectively with all members of a multidisciplinary healthcare team, patients, and their families in person and in writing. Candidates must be able to clearly and accurately record information in English and accurately interpret verbal and non-verbal communication.

Patient Care Skills

Candidates must perform physical examinations and diagnostic maneuvers. A candidate should be able to perform or direct basic laboratory tests (urinalysis, wet mount, etc.), diagnostic and therapeutic procedures (venipuncture, placement of catheters and tubes, lumbar puncture, suturing, etc.), and interpret electrocardiograms and imaging studies. A candidate must be able to provide or direct general care and emergency treatment for patients, and respond to emergency situations in a timely manner; examples of emergency treatments reasonably required of a family nurse practitioner include, but are not limited to: cardiopulmonary resuscitation, administration of intravenous medications, application of pressure to arrest bleeding, opening obstructed airways, and performance of obstetrical maneuvers. Candidates must meet applicable safety standards for the environment and follow universal precaution procedures.

Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative, and Cognitive Skills

Candidates must be able to learn through a variety of modalities, including but not limited to: classroom instruction; laboratory; small group, team, and collaborative activities; individual study; preparation and presentation of reports; and use of computer technology. A candidate must effectively interpret, assimilate, and understand the complex information required to function within the FNP curriculum, including but not limited to: the ability to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and understand the spatial relationships of structures; effectively participate in individual, small group, and lecture learning modalities in classroom, clinical, and community settings; learn, participate, collaborate, and contribute as a part of a team; synthesize information both in person and via remote technology; interpret causal connections and make accurate, fact-based conclusions based on available data and information; formulate a hypothesis and investigate the potential answers and outcomes; and reach appropriate and accurate conclusions. A candidate must be able to find sources of information and knowledge, acquire knowledge through various modalities, and possess the ability to be a lifelong learner.

Behavioral Attributes, Social Skills, and Professional Expectations

A candidate must be able to exercise good judgment, promptly complete all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients, and develop mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients. The skills required to do so include the ability to effectively handle and manage heavy workloads, function effectively under stress, adapt to changing environments, display flexibility, and learn to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in the clinical problems of patients. Candidates are expected to exhibit professionalism, personal accountability, compassion, integrity, concern for others, and interpersonal skills, including the ability to accept and apply feedback, respect boundaries, and care for all individuals in a respectful and effective manner regardless of gender identity, age, race, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or any other protected status. Candidates should understand, and function within, the legal and ethical aspects of the practice of medicine, and maintain and display ethical and moral behaviors commensurate with the role of a family nurse practitioner in all interactions with patients, faculty, staff, students, and the public. Interest and motivation throughout the educational processes are expected of all candidates.