Department of Health Sciences and Nursing

The Department of Health Sciences and Nursing comprises the following undergraduate academic programs: Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology, Radiologic Technology/Diagnostic Imaging, Respiratory Care, Health Science and Nursing. The department offers programs for traditional and nontraditional students seeking professional certificates or Bachelor of Science degrees. All programs provide state-of-the-art professional preparation that includes course work in the natural and social sciences, liberal arts, and general education. Graduates are prepared to meet the intellectual, social, cultural, and economic challenges of our changing healthcare system.

Health Science Programs

Faculty

Professor Dix
Assistant Professors Oakes, Richard, Buffo, DeMaio, Kennedy, Parker

Within the Health Science program, pre-professional tracks are pre-chiropractic, pre-optometry, pre-osteopathic medicine, and pre-podiatry. Each program adheres to the University’s Manual of Academic Policies and Procedures, and each professional program has a student handbook that details academic policies specific to that program.

Advising

The Department of Health Sciences and Nursing has established a first-year and transfer student curriculum to assist new students in adjusting to academic and campus life and to begin to examine issues related to the healthcare professions. Students meet regularly in small classes with a faculty advisor during the fall and spring semesters to discuss educational goals, curricular and extracurricular options, and career opportunities and healthcare issues. The relationship developed between faculty and student helps to ensure the student’s academic success at the University.

Premedical Professions

Premedical professions students participate in the University’s Premedical Advising program, which begins in the second semester of the first year. This special program assists students in achieving their professional goals by offering a structured advising program that provides the solid foundation needed for further study in the medical professions.

Admission Requirement

For admission into the Health Sciences programs, 16 units of secondary subjects are expected, among which the following are strongly recommended:

English	4 units
Social studies	2 units
Foreign language	2 units
Mathematics (including one unit of algebra and trigonometry)	3 units
Science	2 units
Other academic subjects	3 units

Applicants for the Bachelor of Science degree programs must have three years of college preparatory mathematics, including trigonometry.

General Education Requirements

General Education Requirements for A.S. Degree (ENHP)

General Education Requirements for B.S. Degree (ENHP)

General Education Requirements for Transfer Students (ENHP)

Transfer Students

Transfer student programs are designed individually, with consideration given to academic history and to the specific program into which a student is transferring. Due to stringent state and national licensure requirements for the various programs within the College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions, cumulative grade point average requirements demand that transfer students plan their programs carefully and that they keep in close contact with their academic advisors. Transfer student admission policies vary from program to program; however, all transfer students must have attained a minimum GPA of 2.5 to be eligible for transfer into the Clinical Laboratory Science, Radiography, and Respiratory Care programs, and a GPA of 2.33 to be able to transfer into the Health Sciences program.

Facilities

The on-campus facilities of the Department of Health Sciences and Nursing are located in Charles A. Dana Hall and the new Integrated Science, Engineering, and Technology complex. Features of the building include a simulated clinical laboratory, an energized imaging laboratory for radiography, classrooms, clinical skills teaching laboratories, and a combined laboratory/classroom for radiologic technology and respiratory care. Dana Hall also houses faculty offices and individual research laboratories for graduate student and faculty use.

Off-Campus Clinical Facilities

Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center (Hartford, Conn.) is affiliated with the department’s Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology program.

Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Connecticut Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Connecticut Valley Radiology, Grove Hill Medical Center, Hartford Hospital, Jefferson Radiology, Manchester Memorial Hospital, New Britain General Hospital, Open MRI of Connecticut, Rockville General Hospital, and Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center serve as clinical affiliates for the Radiologic Technology program.

Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, JohnDempsey Health Care Center, Hartford Hospital, Hospital for Special Care, Hospital of Central Connecticut, and Professional Homecare Services are the clinical affiliates for the Respiratory Care program.

The Health Science program has articulation agreements with five professional doctoral degree programs: the New England College of Optometry, located in Boston’s Back Bay area; New York Chiropractic College, located in Seneca Falls, N.Y.; New York College of Podiatric Medicine, located on Park Avenue in New York City; University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, located on the Maine coast in Biddeford; College of Notre Dame of Maryland School of Pharmacy; and Ross University School of Medicine.

Accreditation

Refer to Accreditation and Memberships for the department’s accreditation memberships and addresses.

Upon completion of the clinical requirements of the department’s programs, students are eligible to sit for professional certification, registration, and/or state licensure examinations.

Academic Standards

Specific program standards are outlined in each professional program’s student handbook. Students must attain a grade of C or better in RPW 110 and RPW 111 or their equivalents. These courses must be taken for a letter grade and may not be taken on a Pass/No Pass basis.

Professional Phase of Study

Health sciences students take courses in various colleges at the University of Hartford during their undergraduate experience. The professional component of each program includes courses offered by the College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions that are required for the major. The courses are also reviewed by external accrediting agencies. In respiratory care and radiologic technology, students typically begin their professional study during their sophomore year. The senior year is the professional/clinical year for clinical laboratory science/medical technology.

Students of our programs may be required to undergo criminal background checks and/or drug screening prior to placement at an affiliate partner. The results of the background check or drug screen may result in the denial of eligibility for a student to participate in fieldwork at one or more of our affiliates. This may also limit the ability of a student to graduate from the applicable degree program. Please refer to the specific program for additional information.

Additional Requirements

Transportation to and from clinical sites and living expenses are the responsibility of the student. Students in the health sciences are required to purchase malpractice insurance before beginning their clinical placements. Students may also be required to purchase their own uniforms and/or lab coats to meet the requirements of a clinical site. It is strongly recommended that students, with the advice of their personal physicians, obtain Hepatitis B and all other immunizations prior to entering the clinical component of their program. Students in the Clinical Laboratory Science, Radiologic Technology, and Respiratory Care programs must provide evidence of medical insurance coverage at least equal to the coverage provided by the University’s student healthcare insurance policy.

Continuance into Professional Course Work

When health professions students are admitted directly into their major, the letter of acceptance indicates the year that the student will enter the professional phase of the program. Students are guaranteed placement in the professional program for the date indicated in their acceptance letter and need not reapply to the program as long as and only if they (1) maintain continuous full-time status and (2) maintain the specified overall GPA and science GPA required for their program of study. Students who do not meet the above criteria forfeit their guaranteed placement.

In addition to the previously stated criteria, students applying for admission to the Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology Clinical program must participate in formal interviews with clinical affiliates prior to final matriculation into the program.

Enrollment in Courses at Other Institutions

Health sciences students may enroll in courses at other institutions in accordance with University policy. The appropriate form must be signed by the program director. Grades attained in approved science courses will be included in the calculation of the science grade oint average, although they will not be reflected in the official university grade point average. Science courses taken by transfer students at other institutions are also included in the science grade point average calculation. Students enrolled in the Health Science preprofessional programs may not take science courses at another institution.

Honors Program

Qualified students in the Department of Health Sciences and Nursing are eligible to participate in the University Scholars program and in honors courses offered by the department, in the All-University Curriculum, and in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Graduate Courses

Seniors in good academic standing are eligible to take selected graduate courses in the College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions and the College of Arts and Sciences with the permission of their advisor and the course instructor.

Undergraduate Preprofessional Programs for Health Science Majors B.S. Degree (120 credits minimum)

Combined Bachelor of Science/doctoral programs at the University of Hartford, in association with several collegiate medical professional institutions, provide a unique opportunity for students with career goals in the areas of chiropractic, optometry, osteopathic medicine, and podiatry. The programs allow for the completion of the Bachelor of Science and a doctorate within a seven-year (or less) period. Initial study at the University of Hartford allows the student to complete the general education requirements of the College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions; the basic sciences required for the health science major; and the prerequisite requirements for professional study. Typically, four years at an affiliated institution prepares the graduate for a career in the chosen health professional field.

Professional curricula include both basic science and clinical practice. The combined programs allow University of Hartford students to complete the fourth-year requirements of the B.S. in Health Science program during the first year of study at the affiliated professional institution. Refer to specific program information for curriculum and admission requirements: Pre-Chiropractic ; Pre-Optometry ; Pre-Osteopathic Medicine ; Pre-Pharmacy ; and Pre-Podiatry .

Nursing Program

Faculty

Associate Professors Breda, Diehl

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) degree program is not an entry level R.N., it is an upper-level program designed for the practicing nurse who already holds the RN license. Graduates of the B.S.N. program are prepared for advancement in professional nursing as well as graduate study in nursing.

The B.S.N. curriculum focuses on transforming the student’s perspective from passive to active learner, acute care to community focus, medical to nursing model, disease to health promotion orientation, job to career, and individualism to a community of scholarly caring.

Advisement

An advisor is available to meet with prospective students to explain the program and to do a preliminary evaluation of prior course work completed by the student. Upon matriculation, students are assigned to a faculty advisor who meets with each student every semester to monitor progress and to assist the student in course selection.

Facilities

A comprehensive collection of nursing journals and books as well as audiovisual equipment are housed in the Mortensen Library. There are five computer laboratories on campus, supplied with a variety of personal computers, printers, and software. The Beatrice Fox Auerbach Hall houses the offices for the Nursing program.

Accreditation and Memberships

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is accredited by the State of Connecticut Board of Governors for Higher Education and by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing (CCNE). CCNE maintains program information on tuition, fees, and length of program. Contact CCNE at One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036-1120; 202.887.6791.

The Nursing program belongs to the following organizations: American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), National League for Nursing (NLN), and Connecticut League for Nursing (CLN).

Financial Aid

Prospective students should check with the personnel office of their employer to find out if tuition reimbursement is a benefit to which they are entitled. Many institutions provide full or partial reimbursement for course work that leads to a degree. Nursing students who carry a minimum of 6 credits per semester are eligible to apply for the low-interest Stafford Loan. Forms are available in the Student Financial Assistance office.

Admission

Each applicant must submit the following:

evidence of RN licensure in the United States
official transcripts from nursing school and any colleges attended
evidence of a minimum of a C average in lower-division nursing courses

The University of Hartford participates in the Dual Admission Agreement of the Connecticut Community College Nursing Program.

Nurses who have graduated from foreign schools of nursing must obtain RN licensure in the state of Connecticut. To be eligible to sit for the state licensing exam, a graduate of a foreign nursing program must first pass a two-part exam given by the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS, 3600 Market St., Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19104-2651, U.S.A.; telephone: 215.349.8767, fax: 215.662.0425).

Advanced Placement

Registered nurses interested in the B.S.N. program are encouraged to contact the Nursing program and request a preliminary evaluation of their academic work as part of an informational interview. Under the terms of the Connecticut Articulation Agreement (2002), licensed registered nurses who are accepted into the University of Hartford’s B.S.N. program will receive a minimum of 60 credits toward their degree.

Academic Standards

A grade of C or better is required in each nursing course.

Programs

Requirements

Undergraduate Major

Undergraduate Major/Certification

Minor

Health Science Minor

Certification

Courses

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