About Nursing Online Courses

Online courses offered by the W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing include all those listed in the nursing section with an NU (undergraduate nursing) or NG (graduate nursing) suffix as well as Women’s Health (HEA-305-OL), Men’s Health (HEA-306-OL), Statistics for the Health Professions (HPS-200-OL) and Management of Stress and Tension (SOS-320-OL).

These courses are similar to all other online courses offered by the University in that they are independent learning courses with online mentors; they include asynchronous participation in online group discussions, they require access to a computer and a familiarity with specified software, and they require current email addresses for students to be contacted and given access to courses. HEA- 305-OL and SOS-320-OL are offered on the University’s monthly course schedule; HEA-306-OL, HPS-200-OL and the nursing courses are offered quarterly in the July, October, January and April terms.

Assessment of learning in the courses offered by the W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing occurs via written assignments submitted online and participation in asynchronous online group discussion. The courses are highly interactive, with the focus on a community of learners in a collaborative learning process. Undergraduate nursing courses require participation in the online discussions a minimum of three times a week on at least two different days; graduate nursing courses require participation in the online discussions a minimum of three times a week on three different days. There are no proctored examinations for the nursing courses.

In addition to the minimum system requirements for all online courses offered by the University, the NU and NG (graduate nursing) online courses require access to, and a familiarity with, PowerPoint software, and selected NG courses and Statistics for the Health Professions (HPS-200-OL) require access to, and a familiarity with, Excel software. MSN students should have access to a webcam for selected courses. In addition to the technical support provided by the University, the nursing courses have additional technical support imbedded, and the students are further supported by the School’s distance learning specialists.

Nursing students are advised to familiarize themselves with the course information provided on the website, in the course syllabi and in the online course platform as some policies for the online nursing courses differ from those for the online courses offered by the University.

Selected courses have prerequisites and advisories which are noted in the section on course descriptions. Students are responsible for knowing their degree requirements, the prerequisites and advisories for the courses needed, and for registering for the correct courses and meeting the prerequisites and advisories prior to registration. Students who schedule courses without having satisfied the prerequisites will be denied access to the course, possibly incurring financial withdrawal penalties. Enrolled students should refer to the specific remaining requirements for their program to ensure registering for the correct courses. The NU and NG online courses are designed for students enrolled in the BSN and MSN degree and the graduate certificate programs, and are restricted to RNs. RNs not enrolled in the W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing may take a maximum of two nursing courses, as a nonmatriculated student, prior to enrollment unless restricted by the established prerequisites.

The W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing reserves the right to reassign students to different course sections as necessary to balance class size and provide for a quality online educational experience for all students. Every effort will be made to accommodate course selections made during regular registration periods, adding sections and/or seats, if necessary.

During late registration and beyond, open seats will be filled, but no additional seats or new sections will be added. Students are urged to familiarize themselves with the University’s policies.

Student Profile

Online courses are recommended for distance learning students who enjoy reading, writing and participating in course discussions in an asynchronous, interactive, online environment. Mentors are available to assist and provide feedback as necessary, but they do not assume a tutoring role. Flexible policies allow students who are unexpectedly challenged by schedule, personal, medical or family constraints to extend the semester when circumstances warrant. To see what courses are offered online, visit www.tesu.edu/academics/courses.

System Requirements

Internet Connection (required):

High-speed connection is recommended. Speeds below 10 Mbps may cause slower loading times for video-heavy courses.

Operating System:

Windows or macOS recommended.

Linux and ChromeOS may have limited functionality for some of our technology and media tools.

Browser:

Firefox or Chrome recommended.

Edge/Internet Explorer and Safari may have limited functionality for some of our technology and media tools.

Other Software:

All students receive a Thomas Edison State University email account that provides free access to G-Suite for Education (Google).

Some course tools may require browser plugins or other software to be installed. More information is provided in those courses.

Peripherals for Video Related Activities:

Webcam and microphone required. This includes those built into devices. Headphones with built-in microphone recommended.

Some courses may require additional hardware. Details on these will be included in those specific courses.

Note: Operating systems, browsers, plugins and other software should be kept up-to-date for security purposes and to ensure proper functionality.