THE MERCER NURSING ADVANTAGE Mercer’s College of Nursing has educated more than 7,000 professional nurses for positions at every level of health care. ndergraduates may now pursue a four-year degree in nursing at Mercer University’s Macon campus. Students complete the pre-nursing curriculum through the College of Liberal Arts and, upon successful completion of requirements by their sophomore year, may receive guaranteed admission to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program at Mercer’s College of Nursing on the Macon campus. Nursing students may also elect to finish their nursing degree on the Atlanta campus. Prepared for general practice in hospitals, community agencies, and other health care environments, graduates from Mercer’s BSN program at the College of Nursing are some of the most highly sought after professionals in the country. Following completion of Mercer’s BSN program, graduates take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) to practice nursing professionally. Many of Mercer’s graduates continue their studies at the Master and Doctoral levels. Mercer’s College of Nursing challenges its students to reach their highest potential. Surveys consistently show that Mercer’s registered nurses are held in high esteem by members of their community, their patients, and their colleagues in health care. Nurses with a BSN have greater career mobility for advancement to higher level positions in health care. Many hospitals now require nurses to hold a BSN. In addition, reports show that hospitals with a higher percentage of baccalaureate-prepared nurses have better results with patient care, including fewer deaths and a greater number of successful resuscitation efforts. The 2010 Institute of Medicine report calls for 80% of registered nurses to be prepared at the baccalaureate level by 2020. U • Pre-nursing students benefit from personalized guidance from a pre-health advisor on the Macon campus. • Our nursing students have more hands-on clinical experience than most other nursing programs, leading to better preparation for patient care. Mercer’s College of Nursing is the only nursing school in the state that includes three hours of clinical experience for every one hour in the classroom. • Mercer’s College of Nursing was the first nursing school in Georgia to have 100% student enrollment in the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA). Mercer’s College of Nursing is one of only five nursing schools in the nation to receive the Stellar School Chapter Recognition award. • The College of Nursing currently has a 95% pass rate for the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN). The national pass rate average is 89.32%. • Mercer is committed to preparing future leaders for the nursing profession. For the past five years, Mercer’s College of Nursing students have been represented on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Association of Nursing Students (GANS) and the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA). NURSING at Mercer University