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Dean: Dr. Theresa Cappello

The School of Health Professions aims to support the mission of Marymount University to foster the individual development of each student and enable students to become competent health professionals. The School of Health Professions seeks to promote:

• a scholarly climate that fosters critical thinking, creativity, ethical decision making, and self-directed lifelong learning in an environment where knowledge and research are valued;
• a prominent presence in the community by providing health care, health education and promotion, and continuing education offerings;
• graduates who are competent health professionals prepared to contribute and respond to society’s changing health needs; and
• respect for life, human development, and individual differences.

The School of Health Professions offers undergraduate programs in Health Fitness Management (B.A. and B.S.) and Nursing (A.A.S. and B.S.N).

HEALTH FITNESS MANAGEMENT (B.A., B.S.)

Health Fitness Management departmental site

The growing national interest in prevention of disease through achievement of optimal health and physical fitness is appropriately reflected in the undergraduate Health Fitness Management program in the Department of Health and
Human Performance.

The undergraduate program offers students resources for developing professional skills in exercise testing, physical activity, leadership, and health promotion. Graduates are prepared for beginning administrative, supervisory, and leadership positions in commercial and community health and athletic clubs, in corporate fitness and wellness programs, and for graduate study in health, exercise science, or physical therapy. Students may choose from 2 emphasis areas:

• Health Fitness emphasis is based upon recommendations of the American College of Sports Medicine.
• Pre-Physical Therapy emphasis is intended for those interested in pursuing a master’s degree in Physical Therapy and includes coursework in the biological and physical sciences.

Note: If a student in this emphasis is not admitted to the Physical Therapy program during the spring of the junior year, the student would then complete those requirements of the Health Fitness emphasis and an internship during the senior year. Students in the Pre-Physical Therapy emphasis earn a B.S. in Health Fitness Management.

Key elements of the curriculum are fitness assessment, development of exercise programs, prevention and rehabilitation of sports-related injuries, fitness and sports administration, nutrition, and techniques of promoting lifestyle changes. The program offers courses leading to certification in lifesaving, water safety instruction, first aid, and swimming pool management.

Students completing the baccalaureate degree in Marymount’s Health Fitness Management program are qualified to apply for fitness instructor certification by the American College of Sports Medicine.

Internships: During the senior year, students are placed in a supervised practical experience in a fitness or health setting. Among internship sites available in the Washington metropolitan area are several highly acclaimed health clubs, national associations, hotel health clubs, sports rehabilitation facilities, and the employee fitness programs of several large corporations. Students with considerable work experience in the health/fitness field may request an internship waiver from the department chair.

The occupational outlook for the health and fitness field is considered excellent. Employers and their insurance carriers have recognized the importance of physical well-being in reducing absence from work and in reducing health insurance costs.

The Major

Each student plans the program of study with a faculty advisor in the Department of Health and Human Performance. Typically, the following courses are completed during the years indicated.

Freshman-Sophomore courses: EN 101-102 Composition I & II; 3 credits of Mathematics numbered above 100; BIO 161-162 Anatomy and Physiology I & II; PSY/SOC 100 Introduction to the Social Sciences; PSY 210 Human Growth and Development; MGT 123 The Business Experience or approved Business elective; 3 credits each from EN, HI, PH, and RST.

Major courses: HPR 108 Weight Training or HPR 111 Advanced Weight Training; HPR 202 Exercise Physiology; HPR 220 Health and Safety or HPR 225 Health Psychology; HPR 260 Introduction to Sports Medicine. The following courses must be completed with a grade of C- or better: HPR 202 and HPR 260.

Junior-Senior courses: 6 credits from Art History, EN, HI, PH, or RST offerings; MKT 301 Principles of Marketing, or an approved Business elective; HCA 301 Introduction to Health Services Administration; COM 300 Report Writing.

Major courses: HPR 301 Health/Fitness Program Management; HPR 302 Fitness and Health Assessment; HPR 304 Developing Physical Training Programs; HPR 320 Athletic Injury Recognition and Prevention; HPR 340 Nutrition for Physical Fitness; HPR 400 Internship; HPR 406 Stress Management; HPR 410 Anatomical Kinesiology and Cardiovascular Physiology; HPR 415 Applications in Human Performance; HPR 421 Project or elective. The following courses must be completed with a grade of C- or better: HPR 302, 304, 410, and 415.

Pre-Physical Therapy emphasis must include PSC 151-152 Principles of Chemistry I & II; PSC 171-172 General Physics I & II; BIO 151-152 General Biology I & II; College-level Mathematics; MA 132 Statistical Analysis; and PH 210 General Ethics.

If accepted into the Physical Therapy program, the student is not required to take HPR 400 Internship; HPR 410 Anatomical Kinesiology and Cardiovascular Physiology; HPR 415 Anatomical Kinesiology and Cardiovascular Physiology; or COM 300 Report Writing, and the student will take the following courses during the senior year: PT500 Critical Assessment of Information; PT 501 Clinical Neuroscience; PT 502 Applied Pathophysiology; PT 503 Health Care Delivery and Contemporary Society; PT 504 Gross Anatomy; PT 505 Foundations of Physical Therapy Evaluation and Treatment.

Note: If a student in this emphasis is not admitted to the Physical Therapy program during the spring of the junior year, the student may then complete those requirements of the Health Fitness emphasis and an internship during the senior year.

Internship

When other requirements are successfully completed, in the senior year, the student is placed in a 260-hour, 6-credit internship (HPR 400). Prerequisites for the internship are a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or better, a grade of C- or better in all courses required in the major, a minimum of 12 credits earned at Marymount, and permission of the dean of the School.

The Minor

Many students choose to major in another discipline, such as Business or Psychology, and minor in Health Fitness Management. Students whose cumulative grade point average at the end of freshman year is 1.80 or better may declare a minor in Health Fitness Management, Health Fitness emphasis, by meeting the following course requirements: HPR 202 Exercise Physiology; HPR 302 Fitness and Health Assessment; HPR 340 Nutrition for Physical Fitness; HPR 304 Developing Physical Training Programs; and an additional 6 credits of Health Fitness electives approved by the dean of the School. Grades of 2.0 or better are required in all courses applied to minors.

NURSING (A.A.S., B.S.N.)

Departmental Site

The Marymount A.A.S. and B.S.N. Nursing programs are accredited by the National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission (NLNAC). The NLNAC is located at 61 Broadway, 33rd Floor, New York, NY 10006 (212) 363-5555, ext. 153.

The Marymount program has a unique “ladder” approach to the baccalaureate Nursing degree. The student completing the program earns two degrees: an associate degree in Nursing (A.A.S.) after completion of sophomore requirements and a bachelor’s degree after completion of senior requirements. Students have the option of interrupting study after receiving the A.A.S. or continuing to the B.S.N. In a period immediately following successful completion of sophomore courses, the student writes state board examinations (NCLEX-RN). Continuation in junior- and senior-level Nursing courses is contingent upon passing the state boards (NCLEX-RN).

In the junior and senior years, students may combine study with employment as registered nurses. Students in the upper classes can be employed as nurses while studying for the B.S.N. degree.

A.A.S. Requirements

All Nursing students must achieve a satisfactory score on the ATI Preadmission Examination prior to entering NU 111. Students who have earned a non-Nursing bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in the U.S. or its territories may request in writing an exemption from the ATI Preadmission Examination. Such requests will be reviewed by the dean on an individual basis.

Each student will plan the program of study with an A.A.S. faculty advisor. The requirements consist of 15 credits in the Liberal Arts Core, 18 credits in support courses (psychology, sociology, anatomy and physiology, and microbiology) and 34 credits in Nursing courses. The following is a typical sequence of coursework. When planning coursework, students are advised to pay particular attention to prerequisites.

BIO 161 Anatomy and Physiology I

EN 101 English Composition I

NU 110 Introduction to Professional Nursing

NU 113 Health Assessment and Nursing Clinical Skills I

NU 111 Medical/Surgical Nursing I

MA 121 Introduction to Mathematical Problem Solving

BIO 162 Anatomy and Physiology II

NU 112 Medical/Surgical Nursing II

NU 114 Health Assessment and
Nursing Clinical Skills II

PH or RST 100/200 Philosophy or Religion

EN 102 English Composition II

BIO 260 Microbiology

PSY 101 Introduction to Psychology

NU 221 Maternal Newborn Nursing

NU 220 Nursing Care of Children

EN 200/400 English Literature

SOC 100 Introduction to the Social Sciences or SOC 131 Principles of Sociology

NU 222 Medical/Surgical Nursing III

NU 223 Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing

Legal Limitations of Licensure

The practice of nursing is regulated by state laws. Questions concerning licensure in a specific state should be directed to that state’s Board of Nursing. Applicants for nursing licensure in Virginia are required to notify the State Board of Nursing if they have:

nbeen convicted of (or pled Nolo Contendere to) a violation of any federal or state law;

nbeen hospitalized or received treatment for chemical dependence during the two years preceding application to complete the licensing examination; or

na mental or physical condition that could interfere with their ability to practice.

B.S.N. Requirements

Each student will plan the program of study with a faculty advisor. The total requirement consists of 61 credits in Nursing and 59 credits in general education and support courses. Upon successful completion of A.A.S. program students are awarded 30 credits in Nursing and may receive transfer credits for general education and support courses completed. A grade of C or better is required for all Nursing and lab science courses. Upper-level requirements include 15 credits in Liberal Arts Core classes (Ethics required), 10 credits in support courses (Statistics, Chemistry, and a science elective), 31 credits in Nursing, and 6 credits in open electives. R.N. licensure is required for all clinical courses. Students who will graduate with less than 1,200 hours of work experience as an R.N. are required to take the Nursing internship as an elective. Requirements and a typical course sequence are shown below.

Prerequisites (completed as part of A.A.S.):

EN 101 Composition I

EN 102 Composition II

Philosophy/Religion elective

English or American Literature

MA 121 Introduction to Mathematical Problem Solving

PSY 101 General Psychology

SOC 100 Introduction to the Social Sciences or SOC131 Principles of Sociology

12 credits of biological sciences to include anatomy, physiology, and microbiology

30 credits of Nursing

Course Sequence:

NU 302 Health Assessment

NU 310 The Nurse, the Client, and the Health Care System

PSC 125 Life Chemistry

Ethics elective

History elective

NU 360 Advanced Therapeutics

NU 362 Pathophysiology

MA 132 Statistics

Science elective (other than Intro to Biology)

NU 400 Community Health Nursing

NU 403 Research and Critical Inquiry

Social Science elective

Humanities elective

NU 410 Leadership and Management in Nursing Practice

NU 411 Social and Political Issues in Nursing

Nursing elective

Open elective

Nursing Electives:

NU 304 Transcultural Concepts in Health and Illness

NU 305 Alternative/Complementary Medicine

NU 363 Acute Care Nursing

NU 490 Nursing Internship (required for those with less than 1,200 hours of clinical experience as an R.N.)

Second Degree B.S.N.

This Nursing program is designed for persons holding the baccalaureate degree. Students are exempt from general education courses except Ethics. Science courses taken less than 10 years ago with a grade of C or higher may be evaluated for transfer credit. (Exemptions from this policy are reviewed by the dean.) The Nursing courses are the same as those offered in the regular A.A.S. and B.S.N. programs. Course sequencing has been modified to permit early completion. Requirements for the A.A.S. degree can be completed in 11 months and requirements for the B.S.N. degree can be completed in an additional eight months of study.

Prerequisites: Sociology, General Psychology, Anatomy and Physiology I & II (8 credits).

The following is a typical sequence of coursework.

NU 110 Introduction to Professional Nursing

NU 111 Medical-Surgical Nursing I

NU 113 Health Assessment and Nursing Clinical Skills I

NU 223 Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing

NU 112 Medical-Surgical Nursing II

NU 114 Health Assessment and Nursing Clinical Skills II

BIO 260 Microbiology

NU 362 Pathophysiology

NU 302 Health Assessment

MA 132 Statistical Analysis

NU 221 Maternal Child Nursing

NU 220 Nursing Care of Children

NU 222 Medical-Surgical Nursing III

NU 310 Nurse, Client, and the Health Care System

NU 360 Advanced Therapeutics

NU 403 Research and Critical Inquiry

PSC 125 Life Chemistry

Nursing elective

NU 400 Community Health Nursing

NU 410 Leadership and Management in Nursing Practice

NU 411 Social and Political Issues in Nursing

Science elective (other than Intro to Biology)

Ethics elective

B.S.N. Track for the R.N.

This program is designed for the entering student who is already a registered nurse with diploma or associate degree credentials.

Applicants who have received the associate degree from a program accredited by the NLN, may begin taking upper-division Nursing classes. Those who graduated from a diploma program or a program that is not NLN accredited but have R.N. licensure in the U.S. are eligible to receive 30 transfer credits in Nursing that will be placed in an escrow account. These credits will be granted upon successful completion of all 300-level Nursing courses.

Applicants may also establish general education credits by passing validation examinations in any or all of the following subject areas: anatomy and physiology, chemistry, and microbiology. All general education validation examinations are registered for and administered in the Learning Resource Center. Study guides can be purchased in the Learning Resource Center.

Advanced Placement of Licensed Practical Nurses

Advanced placement may be given to licensed practical nurses (L.P.N.s) for selected portions of the lower-division Nursing curriculum. Information on this challenge process and its fees may be obtained from the Admissions Office. L.P.N.s may receive up to 12 credits by successfully completing validation examinations in anatomy and physiology (8 credits) and microbiology (4 credits).

Undergraduate Clinical Requirements

• A copy of each student’s medical examination record is required upon admission.

• Students must provide written verification of testing for tuberculosis and the following immunizations: Hepatitus B, Measles/Mumps/Rubella, Chicken Pox, Tetanus/Diphtheria, and Influenza prior to registering for classes.

• Written verification of accident and health insurance coverage must be submitted to the clinical agency coordinator.

• Written verification of CPR certification (adult, child, and infant) is required prior to registration for the first clinical Nursing course. Current CPR certification must be provided to the clinical agency coordinator each semester.

• Students will not be permitted to register for classes until all requirements are met.

Transportation

Students provide their own transportation to and from clinical experiences. The University’s free shuttle service runs between the Main Campus, the Ballston Campus, and the Ballston-MU Metro station.

Academic Progression Requirements

Nursing students must achieve satisfactory performance each semester and satisfactory progress toward graduation. Failure to meet requirements outlined below will result in review by the Committee on Admissions and Academic Standards and may result in academic dismissal.

• Satisfactory performance each semester is defined as achieving a grade point average of 2.0 and a grade of C or better (not including C-) in all Nursing subjects. Associate degree Nursing students must receive a grade of C or better (not including C-) in anatomy and physiology, and microbiology. Failure in any Nursing course that requires clinical experience necessitates repetition of both the lecture and clinical portion of the course. All A.A.S. Nursing courses must be taken in sequence.

• Students should maintain continuous enrollment in Nursing courses. If enrollment is interrupted, skill competency testing may be required prior to enrollment in the subsequent Nursing course.

• Baccalaureate Nursing students must receive a grade point average of 2.0 or better and a grade of C or better in Life Chemistry and Nursing courses.

• Satisfactory progress toward graduation is defined as successful regular matriculation unless sufficient requirements have been fulfilled by acceptance of transfer credit. In Nursing courses, any grade below a C is considered a failing grade. No course may be repeated more than once. Failure of 9 credits in the A.A.S. or B.S.N. level results in automatic dismissal from the respective Nursing program.

• Passing scores on Nursing comprehensive examinations are required for graduation from the A.A.S. and B.S.N. programs.

Pre-Physical Therapy Program

Physical Therapy Departmental Site

Marymount University offers a program which provides undergraduate students an opportunity to qualify for early acceptance into the Physical Therapy (PT)graduate program. All Pre-Physical Therapy student applications should be received by December 16, 2002 for early consideration.

Marymount University offers 3 Pre-Physical Therapy undergraduate majors:

• Department of Biology–Human Biology major;

• Department of Health and Human Performance–Health Fitness Management major; and

• Department of Psychology–Health Sciences major.

Each Pre-Physical Therapy plan of study is rigorous, and substantial academic discipline is needed to complete the coursework consistent with stated program prerequisites. Detailed Pre-Physical Therapy curriculum plans for Biology, Health Fitness Management, and Psychology are available from the respective departments.

Those students meeting the established criteria may apply for entry into the Physical Therapy graduate program in the sixth semester of their Pre-Physical Therapy undergraduate plan of study. In order to qualify, students must:

• complete at least two full-time semesters at Marymount by the December PT application deadline;

• be a current full-time Marymount student;

• complete all prerequisite requirements by the end of the third year of study;

• complete all requirements for an undergraduate degree at Marymount University by the end of the fourth year of study (which will overlap the first year of the graduate program); and

• submit a completed Physical Therapy
application.

Physical Therapy Scholars’ Program

Physical Therapy Departmental Site

This competitive admissions program, open to first-time college students, guarantees admission into the Physical Therapy (PT) graduate program to a select group of well-qualified incoming freshmen. These students, chosen by the PT Admissions Committee, must meet stringent continuation requirements.

To be accepted into the program, students must have:

• a score of 1100 or above on SATs;

• a high school grade point average (GPA) of 3.3 or above;

• a high school math and science GPA of 3.0 or above;

• a position in the top 25 percent of their high school class;

• at least 40 hours of volunteer/work experience in PT with a positive recommendation from the clinical supervisor;

• an autobiographical essay that demonstrates commitment and preparedness to pursue a career in physical therapy;

• 3 years of high school science (chemistry, biology, and physics preferred);

• 3 years of high school math;

• 4 years of high school English.

To continue in the program, students must:

• maintain an overall GPA of 3.0;

• maintain a science GPA of 3.3 (A science GPA is defined as the grades received in the science courses required as prerequisites to PT coursework.);

• demonstrate active involvement in the greater Marymount community;

• attend a problem-based learning workshop held by the Physical Therapy faculty.