Nursing

Mission

The ASN Program at Trine University will provide a quality, innovative educational experience that produces entry-level nurses capable of delivering safe, ethical, culturally competent, evidence-based care to a diverse patient population in a variety of environments, while also preparing them to positively impact individuals, groups, and communities through scholarship, leadership, and service.

Vision

The ASN Program at Trine University will be recognized as a premier provider of nursing education characterized by dynamic and engaging learning experiences, through the use of holistic, evidence-based practice, and compassionate care, improving the lives of its graduates and community.

Philosophy

Trine University’s ASN program focuses on engaging students to be proficient critical thinkers and lifelong learners, through the application of clinical judgment, theory, progressive and comprehensive nursing knowledge base, safe evidence-based practice, and compassionate care, in diverse patient populations. The nursing program uses collaborative communication and a holistic approach across the lifespan, with a community-inspired attitude necessary for the profession of nursing, and the promotion of health.

Application to the nursing program is an online process. If a prospective student has not taken the three prerequisite general education courses listed below, the student may apply to Trine University's Pre-Nursing pathway, take the required courses below, and then apply to the nursing program during the open application cycle.

The following are required to be considered a qualified applicant:

• College Composition (ENG 143)* or approved transfer equivalent
• Math Elective (MA XXX)* or approved transfer equivalent
• Fundamentals of Human Anatomy & Physiology I (BIO 204)* or approved transfer equivalent.
  *Student must achieve a grade of “C” or higher on all courses above to be considered eligible
• Have a GPA 2.5 or higher.
• Take the ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) test (administered by Assessment Technologies Institute, LLC (ATI) and score proficient or higher.
• Pass a criminal background check (background checks are conducted through CastleBranch)
• Interview with the nursing faculty

If prospective students meet the requirements above, they may apply directly to the nursing program during the open application cycle. 

If prospective students meet all of the requirements pending the final grade in a currently enrolled* prerequisite general education course listed above, they may also apply directly to the nursing program during the open application cycle. *Final grades must be available by the closing date of the application cycle.

ASN Application

Application Times and Deadlines 

A completed online nursing application is due by the stated deadline date.

Selection and Acceptance Offers All applications and mandatory documentation are due by 11:59 p.m., EST, by the indicated closing date of application.

In the event of equally qualified applicants, selection will be based on the interview, highest TEAS, and prerequisite grade point scores.

Completion of the Nursing Application

TEAS Entrance Test

A required component for point selection in the admissions process by the Trine University Department of Nursing ASN Program is the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) test.  Subject matter tested includes Reading, Mathematics, Science, and English and Language Usage.  Information about the TEAS test, cost, prep products, remotely proctored exams, testing schedule, and how to submit required scores can be found at ATI Information.

Additionally, Trine Nursing has set the following guidelines:

• The TEAS test can be taken three (3) times
• There must be a minimum of fourteen (14) days between each testing attempt.
• Each TEAS exam will be valid for a period of three (3) years.
• All test components (Science, Math, English, and Reading) from the ATI TEAS must be included.
• Applicants will receive one complimentary transcript with their TEAS registration and may choose the school to submit the official transcript. To send the transcript following the completion of the TEAS exam by logging into student account at atitesting.com/login and select send transcript under TEAS activity or by selecting my results tab and clicking send transcript below scored proctored TEAS exam results. The transcript will be electronically sent to the institution within two hours of submission.
• Applicants must score at the proficient level or higher, and request ATI submit an official copy of TEAS Test score to the nursing program in order to be considered for the admission process.

• Information about the TEAS and how to create an account is available at atitesting.com
• Information about TEAS Online Remote Proctored by ATI is available at TEAS Online Proctoring
• ATI Teas Prep Products are available at TEAS Prep
• ATI Remote Proctored Exam is $120
• ATI Remote Proctored schedule for testing can be found at: ATI TEAS Proctored Schedule

CastleBranch

A criminal background check is required to apply to the nursing program. This must be obtained through CastleBranch. Reports will be accessible to the appropriate nursing team members. No additional uploading of this report is necessary. 

• To place your order, go to: https://portal.castlebranch.com/IY07
• Click place order
• Select ASN
• Select package VK39bg - Background Check
• Follow instructions
• Cost - $58.70

Nursing Interview

The student who intends to apply to the nursing program must schedule a nursing interview after the ATI TEAS and Criminal Background check date but prior to the closing date of the application cycle.  Interviews can be scheduled by emailing nursing@trine.edu

Information about tuition and fees for the Associate of Science in nursing program can be found on the Cost and Investment page.

Trine University does not currently offer institutional scholarships for undergraduate students in the ASN program. There are federal and state grant opportunities available to those who qualify. To determine eligibility, complete your FAFSA at https://fafsa.gov.

Grants

Federal Student Loans

Cameron ASN Scholarship Program

Questa Cameron Hospital Scholars Program

Questa Parkview Nursing Candidate Awards

There are three general education courses needed to apply to the ASN program:

• College Composition (ENG 143) or approved equivalent
• Math Elective (MA XXX) or approved equivalent
• Fundamentals of Human Anatomy & Physiology I (BIO 204) or approved equivalent.

You must achieve a grade of “C” or higher on all required courses to be considered eligible.

The following is the overall ASN curriculum. See the Courses page for course details. There are 19 courses taken in a progressive manner using a cohort model.

For a complete description of the course requirements, please go to the Course Catalog.

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Nursing education is built on many levels of knowledge and skill.  It starts with the first nursing semester and is a continuous process throughout the program. Below is an outline of expected criteria in order to progress in Trine University’s ASN program:

• Progression is dependent on successfully completing the pre-requisite and co-requisite requirements of each nursing course.
• Maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher while in the ASN program.
• Students must complete each individual nursing course with a grade of “C+” or higher.
• All required general education courses must be completed with a grade of “C” or higher.
• A student can only repeat a total of two (2) nursing courses in the nursing program.
• The repeated course can only be attempted one time.
• If a nursing student repeats a nursing course for the second time and scores below a “C+”, the student will be withdrawn from the nursing program.
• If a nursing student must repeat a course that has a clinical or lab associated with that course and receives a grade below “C+”, only the course below “C+” must be repeated.
• Withdrawal from nursing courses more than once will count as an attempt at repeating a course.

All general education co-requisites must be taken prior to the last eight weeks of the nursing program.

The ASN program is designed to provide a quality education for entry-level nurses. The curriculum builds on a foundation of biological, physical and social sciences that promote the development of critical thinking and clinical reasoning necessary for delivering safe, culturally and contextually relevant, evidence-based care in a variety of environments.  The ASN program consists of a 36-credit nursing core and a 29-credit general education courses.  Total for the Associate of Science in Nursing degree is 65 credit hours.

To complete the Associate of Science in Nursing degree, students must meet the following criteria:

• Complete all required ASN program courses (nursing core) with minimum grade of “C” or higher.
• Complete all general education courses (pre-requisites and co-requisites) with a minimum grade of “C” or higher.
• Achieve minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.5
• Complete graduation requirements in no more than six (6) semesters after starting nursing courses.

Upon satisfactory completion of all graduation requirements, the student will be eligible to receive the Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) degree.  Students must indicate their intent to graduate by completing the graduation application located in the student’s myPortal. Applications must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office no later than one semester before the final semester of attendance in which degree requirements shall be completed. To receive their diploma, students must discharge all financial obligations to the University.

Trine University ASN program aspires to meet the following outcomes:

1. Program Completion Rate: 70% of full-time ASN students will graduate within six semesters, beginning with enrollment in the first nursing (NRS) course, not including periods of non-continuous enrollment.
2. The ASN program will achieve an NCLEX-RN pass rate of 80% for first-time testers annually and an overall three-year average of 80% that will meet the accrediting organization standards.
3. The ASN program will achieve an employment rate of 80% of ASN students who report employment in nursing six to 12 months post-graduation.
4. The ASN program will achieve a post-graduate satisfaction survey result of 70% of ASN graduate respondents’ rate at greater than or equal to 3 on a 1 to 5 scale their overall level of preparedness as an entry-level registered nurse.
5. The ASN program will achieve an employer satisfaction survey result of 70% of employer respondents rate at greater than or equal to 3 on a 1 to 5 scale the ASN graduates’ overall level of preparedness as an entry-level registered nurse.

*Data indicating how the program outcomes were met is not available at this time and will be posted at a later date.

Trine University Nursing faculty aspire to meet the following goals:

1. Provide educational experience that affords students the knowledge, skills and attitudes to practice successfully as a registered nurse in the role they are being prepared for, as evidenced by annual data results (≥ 3 on a 5-point scale) from the End-of-Program surveys.
   Outcome: Data indicating how the program outcomes were met is not available at this time and will be posted at a later date.
2. Prepare nursing graduates who demonstrates the knowledge, skills and attitudes to practice in the role they are being prepared for, as evidenced by annual data results (≥ 3 on a 5-point scale) from graduate and employer surveys.
   Outcome MET: 100% of full-time faculty met the university expectations for facilitating high-quality learning experiences during the AY 2023-24 and AY 2024-25.
3. Promote academic excellence through creative, high-quality learning experiences as evidenced by data results from End-of-Course evaluations reflected in the SPE.
   Outcome MET: 100% of full-time faculty met the university expectations for facilitating high-quality learning experiences during the AY 2023-24 and AY 2024-25.
4. Contribute to the improvement of nursing education through scholarship and service.
   Outcome MET: 100% of full-time faculty contributed to the scholarship of teaching, application, integration and discovery during the AY 2023-24 and AY 2024-25.

Teaching

1. 100% of full-time and adjunct faculty will score "meets expectations" or higher on annual faculty evaluation of teaching.
2. 100% of full-time and adjunct faculty will meet the university's expectations for teaching as evidenced by individual and aggregate mean scores of 3.5 on End-of-Course evaluations each semester.

Scholarship

1. 100% of full-time and adjunct faculty will report that they have sufficient (≥ 3 on a 5-point scale) opportunity to participate in scholarly work or professional development on the annual faculty survey.
2. 100% of full-time and adjunct faculty participate in scholarly work or professional development annually, as evidenced by individual and aggregate data on the annual Faculty Scholarship Report.

Service

1. 100% of full-time and adjunct faculty serve on a department and/or university committee or on a committee representing the profession, as evidenced by individual and aggregate data on the annual Faculty Scholarship Report.

Entry-Level/Prelicensure/Direct Care Generalist graduates are prepared to provide safe, evidence-informed nursing care to individuals and families in structured healthcare settings. Upon completion of the ASN program, the graduate will:

1. Provide person-centered care by delivering compassionate, culturally responsive nursing care to individuals and families across the lifespan.
2. Apply nursing judgment by using clinical reasoning and evidence-based guidelines to make safe nursing decisions in predictable and complex care situations.
3. Promote human flourishing by advocating for patients and families to support informed decision-making, self-determination and health promotion.
4. Ensure quality and safety by implementing established safety standards and participate in quality improvement activities to reduce risk of harm.
5. Collaborate within healthcare teams by communicating and coordinating care effectively with interprofessional team members.
6. Demonstrate professional identity by practicing within legal and ethical frameworks, demonstrating accountability and professional behaviors consistent with the role of the registered nurse.
7. Use informatics and technology by utilizing healthcare technologies and information systems to support clinical decision-making and documentation.
8. Engage in lifelong learning by identifying personal learning needs and seeking opportunities for professional growth.

For information on Trine's non-discrimination policy, visit the Title IX page.

For information on Dispute Resolution, consult the Student Handbook.