Prospective Students

About Nursing at Lipscomb

The nursing program at Lipscomb University is offered as a partnership between Lipscomb University (LU) and Vanderbilt University School of Nursing (VUSN). LU provides the first five semesters of a pre-nursing liberal arts program of study and the remaining three semesters of nursing courses will be provided by VUSN as a part of the Lipscomb/Vanderbilt agreement. The pre-nursing program will provide the nursing-related prerequisite course requirements that are foundational to the nursing courses to be taught at the VUSN. Upon successful completion of the combined programs of study, a student will be awarded a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from LU. A student who completes this program of study will have had the experience of an academic career in both a liberal arts environment of a small university campus and a health sciences environment of a major research university. This unique combination of study on two differently oriented campus- es will provide a student with training in nursing education, strongly complemented by extensive study in the humanities and social sciences. Thus, the student will be well trained to function as a bachelor’s degree nurse and also have the necessary foundation to pursue masters and doctoral studies in nursing.

Essential Competencies for Nursing Practice

Practice as a registered nurse requires many competencies, such as the functional abilities listed below:
  • Ability to see, hear, touch, smell, and distinguish colors.
  • Ability to speak and write with accuracy, clarity, and efficiency.
  • Manual dexterity, gross and fine movements.
  • Ability to learn, think critically, analyze, assess, solve problems, and reach judgment.
  • Emotional stability and ability to accept responsibility and accountability.
All students enrolled in the BSN program must satisfactorily demonstrate these competencies in the didactic, laboratory, seminar, and clinical courses throughout their program of studies.

Professional Opportunities

Graduates may enter the field of nursing immediately, working in hospitals, clinics, doctor’s offices, nursing homes. They might continue their nursing education by entering a Master of Nursing program and developing a specialty in nursing such as Family Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Midwife, Adult Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Women’s Health specialist, or others