PROGRAM OVERVIEW:

Through a partnership with the College of Nursing  at USC Columbia, made possible through funding provided by The Duke Endowment and BlueCross  BlueShield of SC, sixteen students per year have the opportunity to complete all 4 years of the nursing program at USC Salkehatchie.

Coursework is  administered through a variety of distance learning methodologies and clinical practice with the added advantage of small class size and the ability to remain close to home. USC Columbia College of Nursing offers a fouryear undergraduate program that leads to the  Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree on the USC Salkehatchie campuses. The baccalaureate program is approved by the State Board of Nursing for South Carolina and is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The undergraduate curriculum combines professional education in nursing with a strong foundation in the liberal arts. General education courses  include English, statistics, chemistry, biology, psychology, sociology, and electives.  In the freshman and sophomore years, introductory nursing courses focus on health and wellness, communication in nursing, history of the  nursing profession, nutrition, and biophysical pathology.

During the final two years, upper division  nursing students acquire the knowledge and skills  necessary to provide care for complex health  problems of individuals, families, and/or communities. Clinical practice is supported by concurrent  classroom study.   Students at USC Salkehatchie may choose nursing as an intended major, but cannot declare nursing as a major  until accepted into the upper division portion of the program.