About the Nursing Major
Forge your own path in the healthcare industry after you complete your bachelor’s degree in nursing at Carroll University. You’ll learn basic nursing skills, participate in simulation based education, and work in clinical settings to further your expertise to prepare for a rewarding career. As you move through the program you’ll choose to focus your end of program capstone experience in areas such as medical-surgical, pediatric, palliative care, psychiatric or intensive care.
You’ll begin nursing courses and participate in simulation based education and lab skill development, during your first year at Carroll. Nursing students are exposed to a supportive environment and develop close working relationships with faculty members and their peers throughout their time in the program. Although our nursing program is rigorous, students are encouraged to continue their outside interests and hobbies while pursuing their studies. We believe doing so keeps our students excited about becoming a nurse and allows them to contribute to their courses and clinical in a variety of ways.
The hands-on learning you’ll receive from your clinical placements exposes you to a variety of service areas and patients. Beginning your second year, you’ll work in Long Term Care facilities, caring primarily for geriatric clients, and in the third and fourth year, you will transition to the medical-surgical units in acute care hospitals under the supervision of faculty and professional nurses. During your course of study, you’ll observe patients and work toward direct responsibility for planning, managing and administering care for a two- to three-patient load. Your education culminates with a capstone experience where you’ll be required to work 160 hours in a healthcare setting at one of southeastern Wisconsin’s best health systems or one of your choosing. This provides you with the opportunity to advance your skills and network as you prepare to search for a professional position.
Cross-Cultural Experiences Contribute to Enhanced Learning Opportunities
Beyond courses in your field of study, a benefit to attending Carroll is participating in our required cross-cultural experience component. These experiences will allow you to learn about different cultures and give you the opportunity to travel and interact with diverse groups locally, nationally or internationally. Students majoring in the health sciences can use their cross-cultural experience to gain additional knowledge in healthcare. Groups travel on medical missions around the globe to provide care and interact with underserved populations in countries like Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mexico and Nicaragua. These unique immersive experiences will make you a desirable applicant for graduate programs or professional careers.
Outcomes
Carroll University provides students with a rigorous curriculum, as well as academic support from course faculty, faculty advisors, peer mentors, and Library Learning Commons tutors. One measure of the success of Carroll's nursing program is reflected in the pass rate on the NCLEX RN licensure exam. In 2018, Carroll University program ranked well above the national and state average for percentage of graduates passing the exam. In the past eight quarters (two years) 98% of Carroll Nursing students passed the NCLEX RN licensure exam on first attempt.