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LPN-B.S. (Sioux Falls)

Grow your potential.

As an LPN, you already work hard to provide the best possible care for patients. Elevate your career and gain more responsibility with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Nursing degree. At Dakota Wesleyan, you can complete your B.S. in just 28-months or less at our Sioux Falls location.

What kinds of jobs and specialties await you when you earn your B.S. in nursing degree? 

Hospital registered nurse

Clinical nurse

Public health nurse
Nursing director
Nurse educator

What’s the Difference at DWU?

  • You will be granted 30 credits for your LPN licensure.
  • Your learning will include three semesters of 100% online class time.  Remaining semesters will consiste of one-day simulation-based lessons per week at our Sioux Falls nursing site and one day per week of clinical time.  This means you can work and attend school, if you so choose.
  • You will finish in 28-months or less. Before starting the program, you’ll need to complete general education requirements (100% online). If you have completed some courses in the past, it might not take you as long to complete your bachelor’s degree. 
  • DWU nursing graduates have a high pass rate with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Licensing Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). After you graduate, you will be ready for the exam.
  • You’ll graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing (B.S.) and be better prepared to serve patients and enjoy more employment opportunities, career advancements, and higher pay.    
Accreditation

The baccalaureate program at Dakota Wesleyan University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791. The Dakota Wesleyan University LPN-B.S. Nursing program has been granted full approval status by the South Dakota Board of Nursing, 4305 S. Louise Ave., Suite 201, Sioux Falls, SD 57106-3115, 605-362-2760. 

Nursing Admission Requirements

Admission to the LPN-B.S. Nursing Program is contingent upon completing the following requirements:  

  1. Active, unencumbered LPN license to practice nursing in South Dakota. The LPN degree must have been granted from an accredited institution of higher education. You will need to provide a current copy of your SD LPN license. You will be granted 30 credits for your LPN license.
  2. Transcripts 
    • An official copy of all college transcripts. 
    • If coursework is still in progress, attach a current transcript that documents all of the courses in progress from that institution. 
    • A cumulative grade point average of 2.7 or above in college, university, vocational or technical school is required. 
Post-Admission Requirements

Once you have been accepted and confirmed your spot in the program, you will need to complete the following steps before class begins.

  1. Immunizations and Immunization Records
    • Immunizations and immunization records are required prior to participating in clinical rotations. These include (2) MMR or titers proving immunity, Hepatitis B series & Hepatitis B Titer (Hep B Surface Antibody), Tdap vaccinations, Varicella vaccination, annual Tuberculosis testing (QuantiFERON TB Blood Test is required), and an annual influenza vaccination. Covid-19 vaccinations are per guidelines/requirements of clinical facilities.
  2. Physical Evaluation
  3. CPR Certification and Renewal
    • Incoming nursing students must be CPR certified. The American Heart Association course, HeartCode® BLS (Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers CPR) is required. BLS must have a hands-on training component.
  4. Criminal Background Check
    • Department of Nursing requires criminal Background checks on all incoming, accepted nursing students. Background checks are completed before taking the first nursing course and before beginning clinical rotations in a health care agency. Instructions will be provided to you upon acceptance.

All costs associated with these requirements are the student’s responsibility. 

Course List

Classroom simulations will be mixed with online courses. A total of 123 credits are required for graduation, which include:

  • 30 non-nursing credits are accepted for a licensed LPN nursing degree from an accredited nursing program
  • 54 nursing core credits
  • 39 non-nursing general education and support courses

Nursing Core - 54 Credits

NUR 218 Introduction to Professional Nursing Concepts

Hours
This didactic course covers fundamental concepts in nursing. Students explore foundational concepts that allow application to the discipline of nursing. A signature assignment based on core course competencies validates student learning. Prerequisites: NUR 316 Corequisites: NUR 326, NUR 310, NUR 321

NUR 316 Nursing Concepts in Pathophysiology

Hours
This didactic course covers basic concepts in pathophysiological processes and their effect on multiple body systems. Students explore the effect and progression of selected disease entities in client populations. This course provides a foundation for clinical judgement, diagnosis, and management of clients experiencing existing alterations in or risks for alterations in health status. Prerequisites: BIO 220, CHM 113/CHM 113L. Corequisites: BIO 233, BIO 330.

NUR 318 Concepts in Nursing Leadership

Hours
This didactic course allows students to apply concepts of nursing leadership to professional nursing practice. Students integrate communication, leadership styles, professional values, ethics, systems thinking, and multidisciplinary collaboration into practice. Informatics and technology are also explored. Prerequisites: NUR 342, NUR 320, NUR 426, NUR 332. Corequisites: NUR 408, NUR 411, NUR 412.

NUR 320 Fundamental Nursing Concepts II

3 Hours
This clinical, lab and didactic course allows students to gain fundamental competency of foundational nursing content and skills. Emphasis is on introductory medical/surgical concepts that focus on acute illness and health alterations. Lifespan, culture and diversity considerations for health and illness are explored. Students will use the nursing process, nursing diagnosis and clinical reasoning to apply fundamental concepts learned to lab, class, and clinical settings. Prerequisites: NUR 218, NUR 326, NUR 321. Corequisites: NUR 342, NUR 426, NUR 332.

In addition, the Mitchell Campus must take NUR 310.

NUR 321 Health Assessment Nursing Concepts

Hours
This lab and didactic course allow students to gain competency in comprehensive health assessment skills and basic concepts of health promotion and disease prevention. Students learn and practice skills related to communication, health assessment, promoting well-being, and lab and diagnostic testing. Students integrate nursing process and nursing diagnosis and learn techniques to gather and record patient data. A signature assignment based on core course competencies validates student learning. Prerequisites: NUR 316. Corequisites: NUR 218, NUR 326, NUR 310.

NUR 326 Nursing Concepts in Pharmacology

Hours
This course provides the foundation of basic pharmacology for professional nurses in general practice. Emphasis is on collaborative nursing management required for pharmacological therapies for healthcare participants across the lifespan. The course incorporates core drug knowledge related to therapeutic use, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, contraindications, adverse effects, and drug interactions with other drugs/food. Dosage calculations and basic conversions are explored while maintaining client safety. Prerequisites: NUR 316. Corequisites: NUR 218, NUR 310, NUR 321.

NUR 332 Nutrition Concepts in Health and Illness

Hours
This didactic course covers basic concepts of nutrition related to the discipline of nursing practice. Students explore principles of human nutrition in health and during illness in clients across the life span. Prerequisites: NUR 218, NUR 326, NUR 310, NUR 321. Corequisites: NUR 342, NUR 426, NUR 320.

NUR 342 Mental & Social Health Nursing Concepts

Hours
This clinical and didactic course allows students to gain competency in the care of individuals across the lifespan that are experiencing mental illness. Students examine acute and chronic mental illness and the affect that social health has on these clients. The course allows students to gain experience in the care of clients with mental illness and allows an examination of treatment options and community and private resources for this population. Prerequisites: NUR 218, NUR 326, NUR 210, NUR 321 Corequisites: NUR 342, NUR 320, NUR

NUR 408 Advanced Nursing Concepts

Hours
This clinical and didactic course allows students to gain competency of advanced nursing content and skills. Emphasis is on higher level thinking medical/surgical concepts that focus on acute illness and health alterations. Lifespan, culture and diversity considerations for health and illness are explored. Students will use the nursing process, nursing diagnosis and clinical reasoning/judgement to apply advanced concepts learned to class and clinical settings. Prerequisites: NUR 320, NUR 332, NUR 342, NUR 426 Corequisites: NUR 318, NUR 411, NUR 412 5

NUR 411 Lifespan Nursing Concepts I

Hours
This clinical and didactic course allows students to gain competency in providing nursing care for childbearing clients and their families across the lifespan to include pregnancy, birth, and the newborn period. Students explore women’s health, male/female reproduction, and contraception. Prerequisites: NUR 320, NUR 332, NUR 342, NUR 426 Corequisites: NUR 318, NUR 408, NUR 412

NUR 412 Lifespan Nursing Concepts II

3 Hours
This clinical and didactic course allows students to gain competency in providing nursing care for infants, children and adolescents across the lifespan to include the context of the family. Students explore normal development and nutrition and focus on abnormal development and congenital defects. Prerequisites: NUR 320, NUR 332, NUR 342, NUR 426 Corequisites: NUR 318, NUR 408, NUR 411

NUR 418 Concepts in Nursing Management

3 Hours
This didactic course allows students to apply concepts of nursing management to professional nursing practice. Students integrate management of care through collaborative thinking, clinical judgement, and examining healthcare quality. A reexamination and integration of nursing concepts is accomplished through an exhaustive review in preparation for the NCLEX RN exam. Prerequisites: NUR 408, NUR 411, NUR 412, NUR 318 Corequisites: NUR 423, NUR 440, NUR 450.

NUR 423 Complex Nursing Concepts

Hours
This clinical and didactic course allows students to gain competency in complex nursing content and skills. Emphasis is on higher level thinking medical/surgical concepts that focus on acute and chronic illness and health alterations. Lifespan, culture and diversity considerations for health and illness are explored. Students will use the nursing process, nursing diagnosis and clinical reasoning to apply complex concepts learned to class and clinical settings. Prerequisites: NUR 408, NUR 411, NUR 412, NUR 318 Corequisites: NUR 418, NUR 440, NUR 450.

NUR 426 Nursing Concepts in Population Health

3 Hours
This clinical and didactic course allows students to gain competency in the practice of population focused health promotion and disease and injury prevention across the lifespan. Students learn health education concepts and the effect that health disparities. health economics, culture and spirituality have on the health of a population. Infectious outbreaks are explored, and students gain experience with multidisciplinary collaboration and care coordination. Health promotion and disease prevention is integrated within the course and health care policy is assessed for its effect on the population health of individuals, families, groups, and communities. Prerequisites: NUR 218, NUR 326, NUR 310, NUR 321. Corequisites: NUR 342, NUR 320, NUR 332.

NUR 440 Nursing Concepts in Research

3 Hours
This didactic course allows students to focus on developing an evidenced based practice foundation. Students explore evidenced based practice, research designs and ethics in research. Emphasis is placed on the connection of research to patient centered care, safety, quality, and patient outcomes. Students gain practice with the elements of a research paper. Prerequisites: NUR 408, NUR 410, NUR 318. Corequisites: NUR 423, NUR 418, NUR 450.

NUR 450 Transition to Professional Practice

3 Hours
This clinical course provides students with the opportunity to gain competency in independent professional nursing practice and to apply, integrate, synthesize, and evaluate all concepts learned throughout the program. Students gain experience in a structured clinical setting through one-on-one collaboration with a dedicated preceptor. This allows students to gain experience for transition into entry level nursing practice. Prerequisites: NUR 408, NUR 410, NUR 318. Corequisites: NUR 423, NUR 418, NUR 440.

If you have taken general education courses in the past, you may be able to move right into the nursing core courses. Review the LPN-B.S. Plan of Study and visit with your admissions counselor to discuss your options.  

LPN-B.S. Plan of Study

For other academic policies, see the DWU catalog.

Get to Know Your Professors

With our low student to teacher ratio, you will be supported every step of the way.

Anastasia Barber, M.S.N., RN

Assistant Professor of Nursing

Melissa Coull, M.S.N., RN

Assistant Professor of Nursing

The Experience

Clinical experience is critical to your career. We have included clinical opportunities in almost every semester. With clinical hours, you can practice your skills as you learn them. 

The LPN-B.S. curriculum is designed to build on the foundational nursing skills you have already mastered as a licensed practical nurse (LPN). The goal is to move your knowledge of human health needs and nursing interventions to a deeper level. The program content is designed to develop leadership and management of care skills needed by the registered nurse (RN) in the current healthcare practice setting.

Program Learning Outcomes

Program learning outcomes are supported by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses’ (AACN) The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education. In the end, we want you to build knowledge, skills, and abilities for your entry into professional practice. 

Our curriculum is based on:    
  1. disease prevention/promotion of health and well-being 
  2. chronic disease care  
  3. regenerative or restorative care 
  4. hospice/palliative/supportive care across the lifespan  

We promise to...  

  • Teach you to independently provide culturally sensitive, competent nursing care in a variety of settings guided by a scientific concept-based curriculum and professional accountability.  
  • Help you incorporate critical thinking and clinical judgement in the provision of holistic, evidence-based nursing care throughout the lifespan of your patients. 
  • Support you in the planning and providing of person-centered, coordinated nursing care that contributes to safe and high-quality care outcomes.  
  • Grow your ability to communicate and collaborate with inter-professional teams, utilize health information technology, incorporate cost-effectiveness, and utilize educational principles to promote wellness and well-being. 
  • Motivate you to be committed to lifelong learning and service, display leadership, and participate in instruction that advances the profession of nursing.
  • Encourage you to exhibit caring behaviors and uphold morals, ethics and competence in the practice of nursing.  

Want to look ahead for the licensure requirements? Prep for the NCLEX Exam

LPN-B.S. Transfer Credits

Are you a transferring from another institution? Great! DWU accepts and welcomes students from other accredited colleges and universities approved by the U.S. Department of Education. 

If you meet admission requirements for the LPN-B.S. nursing program, you will earn 30 transfer credits for your LPN license. The remaining 54 nursing credits and 39 non-nursing general education and support courses are included in the LPN-B.S. Plan of Study. 

Coursework completed at other colleges or universities may meet one or more of the required general education or support courses. The DWU registrar's office will evaluate your official transcript to ensure transferred credits meet requirements for the degree. Keep in mind, the credit can be no older than 10 years and other catalog conditions for transfer credits may apply. 

LPN-B.S. Program Costs

Program Tuition: $400/Credit Hour 

Nursing Credits (54): $21,600 

General Education Credits (39): $15,600 

Nursing Clinical Fee: $1,785 

TOTAL TUITION AND FEES: $38,985 

Other anticipated expenses (estimated and subject to change):  
  • Background check: $87 | You must complete a background check within 30 days of the start of the first nursing course. The cost of the background check is your responsibility.  
  • Uniform: $40 | You are responsible for the purchase of one royal blue scrub uniform. This is an approximate cost. 
  • Nursing Textbooks: Approx. $1,379 | This includes the cost of nursing textbooks for the entirety of the program.
  • Other Textbooks: varies based on your schedule and course requirements.
  • CPR Certification: $55-$65 | This covers a required CPR course provided by the American Heart Association Basic Life Support for Health Care Providers.
  • RN Licensure Fee: $100 | This fee is due to the South Dakota Board of Nursing upon graduation.
  • NCLEX-RN Exam: $200 | This is the registration fee to Pearson Testing upon graduation in order to take your exam. 

Complete your FAFSA Online

Complete your FAFSA online to begin the financial aid process and to determine the various types of aid you may qualify for to help finance your education. Dakota Wesleyan University’s code for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is 003461.

 Several payment plan options are available for you: 

  • Online with a checking account or credit card
  • Monthly payment plan
  • Check or money order
  • PLUS or alternative loan

Are you a member of the United Methodist Church? Students enrolled in the LPN-B.S. program are eligible for the United Methodist Recognition Award, a $1,000 annual scholarship awarded to confirmed members of the United Methodist Church. You must be a member for at least one year and a certification form is required.

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