Program

The Siena Heights University Nursing Program is respectful of the dignity and worth of all people. SHU nurses are prepared to provide high-quality nursing care in ever-changing health care systems. Based upon a liberal arts foundation, the faculty and students collaborate in a dynamic teaching and learning environment that embraces caring, diversity and creativity.

As a Catholic institution in that Dominican tradition, we believe in the dignity and worth of every human being. That philosophy is embedded into every aspect of SHU’s Nursing Program. When designing the Pre-Licensure Nursing program, Siena nursing faculty drew upon years of teaching expertise and wisdom, as well as national nursing standards. That means the courses are practical and relevant to today’s health care professional. Students will be challenged in both traditional nursing courses such as Fundamentals and Health Assessment, and courses unique to Siena Nursing: Gerontology and End-of-Life Care; Ethical, Cultural and Spiritual Nursing Practice; and Care of the Client with Complex Needs.

Siena Heights Nursing offers students an opportunity for small class sizes that allow for true faculty/student collaboration.

Courses are offered through SHU Nursing that are not typically offered in other nursing programs, like Gerontology & End-of-Life Care and Ethical, Cultural, Spiritual Nursing, which provide students unique learning opportunities available only through Siena.

Likewise, Siena’s eight faculty teach specialty courses where they have uniquely been trained and practiced in the clinical environment, including pediatrics, critical care and community health.

• Siena Nursing is approved by the Michigan Board of Nursing and by the Higher Learning Commission for the North Central Association.
• The baccalaureate degree programs in nursing at Siena Heights University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.

Science Requirements for the Pre-Licensure Program

Students applying to the nursing program must complete approximately 16 hours of required science core courses. These core courses including the following courses or course equivalents:

• BIO 121 Anatomy and Physiology I; BIO 122 Anatomy and Physiology II; CHE 110 Introduction to General, Organic, and BioChemistry; and BIO 245 Bacteriology
• Science core GPA must be a 3.0 average to apply to the nursing program
• A grade of C or higher in the science core courses is required for application to the nursing program; a student may have no more than two Cs in their required science core courses in order to apply to the nursing program
• One required science core course may be repeated for a higher grade – either at Siena Heights or elsewhere. A science core repeat may impact the overall score of the nursing application and progression in the nursing application process.

Equivalent SHU Nursing Science Courses

• SHU Course BIO 245 Bacteriology is equivalent to Microbiology at other institutions
• SHU Course CHE 141 General Chemistry I may be substituted for CHE 110 Introduction to General, Organic, and BioChemistry

Limitation of Science Course Grades

• Core science courses calculated in the science GPA must be completed within five years of applying to the Pre-Licensure program
• Any core science courses that were completed before that 5-year period must be repeated prior to applying to the program

• Siena Heights Nursing 2022 graduates achieved a 100 percent first-time pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) exam. This far exceeds the standards set by the Michigan Board of Nursing and the AACN-CCNE accrediting body.  This is the second consecutive year the program has achieved the highest pass rate in program history.
• Siena offers study abroad experiences unique to pre-licensure nursing students.
• The Direct Entry Program offers high school seniors with high academic achievements an opportunity to be guaranteed a seat in the program after their third semester at SHU, if the student meets all admission criteria.

THREE PATHWAYS TO NURSING

Direct Entry
1. High school core GPA must be a 3.5 or higher.
2. Student must take the ACT or SAT exam. An ACT score of 24 or above (or the equivalent SAT score) is preferred for admission to the direct entry program.
3. Complete a nursing faculty interview during scholarship days. 
4. If the student maintains all criteria for admission to the nursing program they will be accepted into the nursing program sophomore year fall semester, including:
a. Completion of all prerequisite nursing courses 
• English (through English 102)
• Math (preferably statistics, may include MAT 135, 142, 143, or 174)
• Liberal Arts 
• Sciences (16 hours) equivalent to SHU required sciences 
o BIO 121 Anatomy and Physiology I; BIO 122 Anatomy and Physiology II; CHE 110 Introduction to General, Organic, and BioChemistry; and BIO 245 Bacteriology
b. Complete science core requirements with a 3.0 GPA.
c. One required science core course may be repeated for a higher grade – either at Siena Heights or elsewhere. A science core repeat may impact the overall score of the nursing application and progression in the nursing application process.**
d. An overall GPA of a 3.0 for courses completed at other universities and all courses at Siena Heights.
e. A clean background check from the federal, state, local and university levels. Student must also be fingerprinted during the application process. Students may have a felony or misdemeanor conviction in their background, but it may impact their acceptance into the nursing program. These students will be considered for admission on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the nursing program.
f. Students must be in good standing with SHU, Dean for Students, and any other previously attended universities. 
g. Completion of the HESI pre-nursing exam is required only as a predictive indicator of success in the nursing program. 

** For more information on Siena Nursing’s science requirements, please see the pre-licensure nursing program science policy. 

Siena Heights Student Applicants
Criteria for admission to the nursing program is as follows:
1. Completion of all prerequisite nursing core courses 
• English (through English 102)
• Math (preferably statistics, may include MAT 135, 142, 143, or 174)
• Liberal Arts 
• Sciences (16 hours) equivalent to SHU required sciences 
o BIO 121 Anatomy and Physiology I; BIO 122 Anatomy and Physiology II; CHE 110 Introduction to General, Organic, and BioChemistry; and BIO 245 Bacteriology
2. Complete science core requirements with a 3.0 GPA.
3. One required science core course may be repeated for a higher grade – either at Siena Heights or elsewhere. A science core repeat may impact the overall score of the nursing application and progression in the nursing application process.**
4. An overall GPA of a 3.0 for courses completed at other universities and all courses at SHU.
5. Completion of the HESI pre-nursing exam for inclusion in application consideration.
6. A clean background check from the federal, state, local and university levels. Student must also be fingerprinted during the application process. Students may have a felony or misdemeanor conviction in their background, but it may impact their acceptance into the nursing program. These students will be considered for admission on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the nursing program.
7. Students must be in good standing with SHU, Dean for Students, and any other previously attended universities. 
8. The faculty reserves the right to select applicants based on academic qualifications. The number of applicants selected each year is based on state regulations and the student-to-faculty ratio in the clinical setting. If the number of applicants exceeds the number of available seats in the program, applicants will be placed on a waiting list for that year only. Applicants are welcome to submit a new application the following year. 

Transfer Students Applicants (preference is given to Siena students)
1. The admissions advisor, specifically the transfer advisor, will review the student’s application to Siena and determine the student’s eligibility for acceptance to SHU.
2. The transfer advisor will then submit all transcripts to the pre-nursing advisors to determine the student’s eligibility to apply to the nursing program. 
3. Once it is determined the student is eligible for admission to SHU and eligible to apply to the nursing program, the student will be contacted by the pre-nursing advisor and admissions transfer advisor concurrently. 
a. The admissions transfer advisor is responsible for contacting the student regarding their acceptance to SHU.
b. The pre-nursing advisor is responsible for contacting the student regarding their eligibility to apply to the nursing program and 
inform them of the next steps in the application process. 
4. The student must then complete all steps of the application process (see below) in order to be considered for admission to the nursing program. 
5. Consideration of transfer student applications for admission to the nursing program will occur secondary to SHU student applications.  

Criteria for admission to the nursing program is as follows:
1. Completion of all prerequisite nursing core courses 
• English (through English 102)
• Math (preferably statistics, may include MAT 135, 142, 143, or 174)
• Liberal Arts 
• Sciences (16 hours) equivalent to SHU required sciences 
o BIO 121 Anatomy and Physiology I; BIO 122 Anatomy and Physiology II; CHE 110 Introduction to General, Organic, and BioChemistry; and BIO 245 Bacteriology
2. Complete science core requirements with a 3.0 GPA.
3. One required science core course may be repeated for a higher grade – either at Siena Heights or elsewhere. A science core repeat may impact the overall score of the nursing application and progression in the nursing application process.**
4. An overall GPA of a 3.0 for courses completed at other universities and all courses at SHU.
5. Completion of the HESI pre-nursing exam for inclusion in application consideration.
6. A clean background check from the federal, state, local and university levels. Student must also be fingerprinted during the application process. Students may have a felony or misdemeanor conviction in their background, but it may impact their acceptance into the nursing program. These students will be considered for admission on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the nursing program.
7. Students must be in good standing with SHU, Dean for Students, and any other previously attended universities. 
8. The faculty reserves the right to select applicants based on academic qualifications. The number of applicants selected each year is based on state regulations and the student-to-faculty ratio in the clinical setting. If the number of applicants exceeds the number of available seats in the program, applicants will be placed on a waiting list for that year only. Applicants are welcome to submit a new application the following year. 

**For more information on Siena Nursing’s science requirements please see the pre-licensure nursing program science policy.