Nursing Terms Glossary
AAS
Associate Applied Science Degree earned at community colleges. This is frequently the degree designation for a 2-3 year degree in nursing.
ADN
Associate Degree in Nursing (offered at community colleges)
Advancement to Upper Division Nursing Program
Advancement to the Upper Division Nursing program is determined after meeting critical tracking requirements. Students who meet or exceed the critical tracking requirements will be ranked on a 6-point scale as follows: up to 4 points for the GPA in critical tracking courses and up to 2 points for the Nurses Entrance Test (NET). Beginning with the topped ranks, students are placed in available upper division nursing courses until all spots are filled. The College of Nursing and Health Innovation BSN Program requires a minimum GPA of 2.75 or higher, in the 17 critical course requirements (prerequisites) and for the “Select GPA,” to be eligible for advancement to the Upper Division Nursing program. Due to the limited number of sites for clinical experience, not all students who meet minimum eligibility criteria will secure a space in the Upper Division Nursing program. For the last several years, students with GPA's below 3.3 have not advanced to the Upper Division Nursing program.
Academic Advising
Academic advising is required for all nursing students taking critical tracking courses at ASU. For students who are not currently enrolled at ASU but plan to attend ASU in the future, academic advising at ASU's College of Nursing and Health Innovation is strongly encouraged to ensure that students follow a course of study that will meet ASU requirements. We encourage these students to seek academic advisement at the College at least once a year, preferably twice per year. Students are responsible for scheduling appointments with academic advisors. To schedule an academic advising appointment, please call (602) 496-0888. Due to the high volume of students interested in nursing, we recommend students call at least two to three weeks in advance of their desired appointment time.
Advising Clearance
Students must see an academic advisor to receive "advising clearance" which allows students to register for courses.
Advancement Workshop
When students are in the process of completing the 13th of the 17 critical tracking courses, they can attend a workshop on advancing to the Upper Division Nursing program. Students must meet critical tracking requirements and provide additional documents to be considered for advancement into the Upper Division Nursing program. The additional documents include immunization records, fingerprint clearance, and CPR training among other things. Sign up for an Advancement Workshop.
BSN
Designation for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. BSN Student Classifications: nursing students who are taking the critical tracking courses in preparation to advance to the Upper Division Nursing program and Upper Division Nursing students who have advanced to the Upper Division Nursing program after meeting or exceeding requirements.
CNA
Certified Nursing Assistant.
Catalog Year
General Catalogs are available online. Prior to the 2007-08 academic year, hard copies of the General Catalog were also published. Department, school, division, college, and university requirements may change and can be updated. In determining graduation requirements, undergraduate students use only one academic year of the General Catalog. Students maintaining continuous enrollment at any public Arizona community college or university may graduate according to the requirements of the catalog in effect at the time of initial enrollment or according to the requirements of any single catalog in effect during subsequent terms of continuous enrollment. Students may maintain continuous enrollment whether attending a single public community college or university in Arizona or transferring among public institutions in Arizona while pursuing their degrees with less than a 3-semester break in attendance (see Catalog year detemination).
CONHI
College of Nursing and Health Innovation.
Curriculum Checksheet
Curriculum checksheets are documents that outline course requirements for degree programs. When used in conjunction with degree audits and critical tracking, students and his/her advisors can determine which course requirements have been met and which requirements have not been met.
CONHI ID Number
Identification number issued by the College of Nursing and Health Innovation (CONHI). Used primarily for testing purposes.
CPR Level "C" Certification
Students admitted to the Upper Division Nursing program are required to show proof of successful completion of CPR "Level C" Certification.
Critical Course Requirement
A particular course to be taken before registering for another particular course.
Curriculum Guide
See Checksheet.
DARS Report
DARS stands for Degree Audit Reporting System. A degree audit is an automated record which matches courses a student has completed with the requirements of a particular academic degree program. A nursing major, for example, would be able to get a report showing how completed course work from ASU or transfer institutions would apply toward the nursing degree program. Further, it allows the same nursing major to match courses in other majors by running "what if" audits, i.e. audits for majors other than the student's official one. See ASU Dars Reporting.
Drop/Add
Period of time after registration until the end of the first week of classes when students can adjust their schedules by dropping or adding courses without suffering penalty.
Drug Screen Requirement
Students advancing to the Upper Division Nursing program must provide evidence of a negative drug/alcohol screen prior to the first day of class in the Junior 1 Semester. More information about the drug screen is available at the Advancement Workshop.
English Equivalency Requirement
Completion of both ENG 101 and 102 or ENG 105 with a grade of "C" (2.00) or higher is required for graduation from ASU in any baccalaureate program. International students from non-English-speaking countries may meet the First-Year Composition requirement by completing ENG 107 and 108 with a grade of "C" (2.00) or higher. Some students will complete WAC 101 or 107 prior to enrollment in ENG 101 or 107.
EBP
Evidence-Based Practice. Center for the Advancement of Evidence-Based Practice.
Fingerprint Clearance Card
Fingerprint clearance is determined after a background screening process at both the state and federal level to check for criminal records. Students must have a valid fingerprint clearance card to advance to, and remain in, the Upper Division Nursing program.
FAQ's
LPN
Licensed Practical Nurse.
Lighting the Lamp Ceremony
A ceremony to welcome Junior 1 students into the Upper Division Nursing program. Students receive a lamp pin during this ceremony, a video is shown depicting the importance of the nursing profession, and the Dean and Associate Dean address the role of nurses. During the ceremony there is a speaker who recently graduated from our program and he/she discusses his/her experiences as a nurse. Attendance is mandatory for all students who advance to the Upper Division Nursing program.
Mandatory Advising Requirement
See Advising Clearance.
Minimum Critical Tracking GPA
Must be 2.75 or greater.
NCLEX-RN®
National Examination, if passed, designates eligibility for state licensure as a Registered Nurse (RN) - required to work as an RN.
NET Examination
The Nursing Entrance Test (NET) is a computer-based assessment to evaluate reading comprehension and mathematical skills. This is a nationally standardized exam for entrance into many accredited nursing programs in the United States. The College of Nursing and Health Innovation requires minimum scores of .65 on the math skills section and .60 on the reading comprehension section.
NMHC
Nurse Managed Health Centers - Five nonprofit healthcare facilities managed by ASU's College of Nursing and Health Innovation.
Official Transcript
An official transcript is a chronological listing of a student's academic record completed at an institution which is certified by the Registrar.
Overload
Students requesting to take more than the allowed 18 credit hours per semester may petition for a course overload.
Override
Permission to take a course that is currently full or to take a course for which you have not met critical course requirements. If approved by appropriate faculty/staff, overrides to courses may be issued.
Petition Process
See Petition Form
Upper-Division Nursing Program Workshop
See Workshop.
RN
Registered Nurse. Designation identifying an individual who has completed an accredited and/or approved nursing program and passed the NCLEX-RN examination. See Pathways to becoming a nurse.
RN-BSN
The RN-BSN completion program is for students who have already completed either an AAS in Nursing or an ADN at a 2-year/community college who wish to pursue their baccalaureate degree in nursing. The program, with critical course requirements completed, may be completed in approximately 12 months.
Replacement Course
Of the 17 critical tracking courses, some have designated "replacement courses" that can be taken and substituted so that higher grades can be used to calculate the critical tracking GPA. See an Academic Advisor in the College of Nursing and Health Innovation for replacement course options.
Select GPA
The select GPA is calculated from the grades for 13 of the 17 critical tracking courses, even if more than 13 courses have been completed. When more than 13 of the courses have been completed, the student has the choice of which courses to count toward their select GPA, with a few exceptions. Courses that must be included are ENG 101, ENG 102, and at least three (3) of the four (4) lab science courses (BIO 201, BIO 202, CHM 101, MIC 205/206). Calculate your Select GPA.
Sitting for the Boards
As the student is graduating with a Bachelor in Science in Nursing, the student is not yet a nurse. Prior to graduating, the student applies, through the Arizona State Board of Nursing, to take the NCLEX-RN ® Exam. In passing the NCLEX-RN ®, the BSN graduate is eligible for license from the Arizona State Board of Nursing. NCLEX-RN ® exam information is provided during the Senior 2 semester
Standards Committee
Committee in the College of Nursing and Health Innovation made up of faculty/staff, and student representatives who make decisions on the standards of the College.
State Board
Arizona State Board of Nursing
TOEFL Requirement
The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is used to evaluate the English profiency of people whose native language is not English.
Traditional 24-Month Upper Division Nursing Program
This option follows the traditional academic calendar and does not require summer classes. This option is available to start in both Fall and Spring semester at the Downtown Phoenix campus (DPC). See BSN Program Options for further information.
Unofficial Transcript
An unofficial transcript is an uncertified copy of the student's academic record which is provided to the student or printed by the student. Unofficial transcripts also include additional information such as: class line numbers, withdrawals, grade changes, semester GPA's and probation/disqualification status.
Year-round 16-month Upper Division Nursing Program
The 16 month year-round Upper Division Nursing program is available at the Polytechnic and West campuses. This option requires continuous enrollment with minimal breaks. There is no summer vacation, a shortened winter break, and, limited breaks between "semesters." See BSN Program Options for further information.
Also see Frequently Asked Questions
