Nursing Applicants

To learn more about the General Western Colorado Application:

Western Application Requirements

AP, CLEP, IB, PLA Credit Equivalencies

Submit your Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) exam scores in NursingCAS under the standardized test portion of the Academic History section.

Healthcare experience is not required for admission to the Traditional pathway. However, it is strongly recommended that applicants have experience in the nursing field to better understand the expectations of this career path. Applicants are encouraged to include information about healthcare experience in their resumes and in the Experiences section of NursingCAS.

Upon formal admission to the Nursing Program, all nursing students must complete an American Heart Association or American Red Cross BLS Health Care Provider training prior to beginning any Nursing Core coursework.

• A complete application for admission and be selected.
• A minimum overall cumulative GPA of 2.0; preference for GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• Related professional or volunteer experience, if completed (preferred).
• Completion of all nursing prerequisite courses with a grade of C or higher (see list).
  Students may apply while coursework is in progress, but must complete all prerequisites before beginning the program.
• Two letters of recommendation through the Nursing CAS portal.
• Completion of all required program-specific questions in NursingCAS, including the academic rigor short essay.
• Completion of admission interview and selection.

The Western Colorado University (WCU) Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program is committed to educating competent, ethical, safe, and professional entry-level nurses who are prepared to deliver high-quality care across diverse settings.
Nursing students must meet certain technical standards—with or without reasonable accommodation—to progress successfully through the program and to provide safe, effective care during clinical learning experiences.

These standards reflect the essential functions of a student nurse, not admission criteria, and are consistent with the expectations of the Colorado State Board of Nursing, AACN Essentials, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Board of Nursing: Laws, Rules, and Policies

Colorado does not codify statewide technical standards; responsibilities lie with institutional staffing committees and employer-level policies under HB 221401.

The Scope of Practice for Registered Nurses is applicable for the state to whichthe registered nurse works. The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies and the Scope of Practice is available at https://dpo.colorado.gov/Nursing/Laws. All states Scope of Practice is retrievable at the Find Your Nurse Practice Act here https://www.ncsbn.org/npa.htm. The practice laws are covered in the curricula and students can reach out to faculty for details.

WCU and all clinical sites expect nurses to meet standards in physical ability, cognition, communication, and emotional resilience. WCU provides reasonable accommodations for qualified students with documented disabilities. A reasonable accommodation is a modification that allows equal access without fundamentally altering the essential nature of the nursing curriculum, compromising patient safety, or reducing academic or clinical standards.

I. Observation / Sensory Abilities
Students must be able to obtain information from demonstrations, laboratory experiences, written materials, and clinical settings.
The student must be able to:

• Observe and participate in nursing-centered lectures, demonstrations, and
  simulation activities.
• See and interpret health assessments, patient responses, monitors, and waveform
  readings.
• Use functional vision, hearing, touch, and smell to assess patients.
• Detect changes in color, pupil size, wounds, or other visual cues.
• Able to detect bodily sounds and alarms even in noisy environments.
• Use tactile assessment to palpate pulses, identify edema, assess temperature.
• Recognize odors that indicate clinical concerns.

II. Communication Abilities
Students must communicate effectively, respectfully, and professionally per WCU requirements in the Student Handbook.
The student must be able to:

• Communicate clearly with patients, care team, and staff.
• Interpret and respond to nonverbal cues.
• Document accurately and promptly in EHR systems.
• Teach, direct, and counsel individuals with varied health literacy.
• Use professional language and medical terminology.
• Utilize digital platforms reliably.

III. Motor Abilities
Students must possess gross and fine motor skills sufficient to provide safe and effective nursing care.
Gross Motor Skills:

• Move freely in clinical environments and confined spaces.
• Maintain endurance for long clinical shifts.
• Lift, move, and transfer patients safely (minimum 50 lbs with assistance).
• Perform CPR and emergency interventions.

Fine Motor Skills:

• Perform precision-based procedures (IVs, injections, catheters, wound care).
• Use diagnostic tools safely.
• Measure medications accurately.

Emergency Motor Responses:

• Open obstructed airways.
• Apply pressure to stop bleeding.
• Activate emergency systems.
• Respond immediately to patient changes.

IV. Intellectual, Conceptual, Integrative, and Quantitative Abilities
The student must be able to:

• Read, understand, and apply written materials.
• Interpret and integrate data from labs, imaging, vitals, and patient reports.
• Perform accurate calculations for medication dosages.
• Analyze findings to formulate nursing diagnoses.
• Integrate pathophysiology and pharmacology.
• Recognize and respond to evolving conditions.
• Understand spatial relationships for procedures.

V. Behavioral, Social, and Professional Attributes
The student must be able to:

• Use sound judgment in routine and emergent situations.
• Maintain professionalism and integrity.
• Form therapeutic relationships with diverse individuals.
• Maintain attention and ensure patient safety.
• Accept feedback and adapt behavior.
• Tolerate physically and emotionally demanding workloads.
• Demonstrate resilience and emotional regulation.
• Provide care in acute, outpatient, long-term, community, rural, and mental health
  settings.
• Care for patients with communicable diseases using precautions.
• Manage rapid changes and high-pressure environments.
• Understand WCU student services and resources to assist with stress management.

VI. Health-Related Requirements
The student must:

• Maintain immunizations per clinical site requirements.
• Keep BLS certification current.
• Complete OSHA, HIPAA, and safety trainings.
• Meet background and drug screening requirements.
• Maintain health insurance.
• Complete physical examinations as required.
• Report health conditions impacting performance.

VIII. Accessibility and Reasonable Accommodation
The Western Colorado University (WCU) Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program is committed to ensuring that all students— including those with disabilities—have equitable access to its facilities, programs, learning experiences, and services. In accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA), WCU supports the right of qualified students with disabilities to study and practice nursing with or without reasonable accommodation.

The BSN Program provides reasonable accommodations on a nondiscriminatory basis, consistent with federal and state law, to ensure that students with documented disabilities have equal opportunity to meet the academic and technical requirements necessary for successful progression and graduation.

Students requesting accommodations must contact the Center for Disability and Accommodations at Western Colorado University to initiate a request for accommodations because of a disability.

Email: disabilityaccommodations@western.edu
Phone: 970.943.2113
Website: www.western.edu/cda
Office: Leslie J. Savage Library 121 & 122
The Center for Disability and Accommodations collaborates with the Nursing Program to determine appropriate accommodations that support student learning while upholding the essential requirements and technical standards of the BSN curriculum.

IX. Student Acknowledgment
Students must sign the annual acknowledgment confirming:
• They understand the technical standards,
• They can meet them with or without accommodation,
• They will notify faculty if they can no longer meet them,
• They understand non-compliance may impede progression.

If English is not your first language, you’ll need to show you can speak, read, and write English well enough for university-level work. Specific questions about how to document English proficiency should be emailed to admissions@western.edu.

One option to show proficiency is to upload one of the following test scores under the standardized test portion of the Academic History section in NursingCAS :

• TOEFL iBT: 79 or higher
• IELTS: 6.0 or higher
• Duolingo English Test: 105 or higher

Unfortunately, Western Colorado University's Nursing Program cannot admit international students at this time due to restrictions associated with being a newly offered program.

Request that official evaluations of transcripts from all foreign institutions be sent to NursingCAS as follows:

• • Use the World Education Services (WES) link in the Academic History section of the application to order your official WES evaluation
    or
  • Use the "Download Evaluation Request Form" in the Academic History section of the application to request an evaluation from an evaluation service other than WES

Transfer students can enter at many points. Please contact the Nursing Department for guidance on where to go next.

Email Nursing@Western.edu

To learn more about the General Western Colorado Application:

Western Application Requirements

For course equivalencies information for the Accelerated Nursing program, please visit Transferology and connect with the Registration & Advising Services Department.

Transfer Student Information

AP, CLEP, IB, PLA Credit Equivalencies

Submit your Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) exam scores in NursingCAS under the standardized test portion of the Academic History section.

• A complete application for admission and be selected.
• A minimum overall cumulative GPA of 2.0; preference for GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• Related professional or volunteer experience, if completed (preferred).
• Completion of all nursing prerequisite courses with a grade of C or higher (see list).
  Students may apply while coursework is in progress, but must complete all prerequisites before beginning the program.
• Two letters of recommendation through the Nursing CAS portal.
• Completion of all required program-specific questions in NursingCAS, including the academic rigor short essay.
• Completion of admission interview and selection.

The Western Colorado University (WCU) Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program is committed to educating competent, ethical, safe, and professional entry-level nurses who are prepared to deliver high-quality care across diverse settings.
Nursing students must meet certain technical standards—with or without reasonable accommodation—to progress successfully through the program and to provide safe, effective care during clinical learning experiences.

These standards reflect the essential functions of a student nurse, not admission criteria, and are consistent with the expectations of the Colorado State Board of Nursing, AACN Essentials, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Board of Nursing: Laws, Rules, and Policies

Colorado does not codify statewide technical standards; responsibilities lie with institutional staffing committees and employer-level policies under HB 221401.

The Scope of Practice for Registered Nurses is applicable for the state to whichthe registered nurse works. The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies and the Scope of Practice is available at https://dpo.colorado.gov/Nursing/Laws. All states Scope of Practice is retrievable at the Find Your Nurse Practice Act here https://www.ncsbn.org/npa.htm. The practice laws are covered in the curricula and students can reach out to faculty for details.

WCU and all clinical sites expect nurses to meet standards in physical ability, cognition, communication, and emotional resilience. WCU provides reasonable accommodations for qualified students with documented disabilities. A reasonable accommodation is a modification that allows equal access without fundamentally altering the essential nature of the nursing curriculum, compromising patient safety, or reducing academic or clinical standards.

I. Observation / Sensory Abilities
Students must be able to obtain information from demonstrations, laboratory experiences, written materials, and clinical settings.
The student must be able to:

• Observe and participate in nursing-centered lectures, demonstrations, and
  simulation activities.
• See and interpret health assessments, patient responses, monitors, and waveform
  readings.
• Use functional vision, hearing, touch, and smell to assess patients.
• Detect changes in color, pupil size, wounds, or other visual cues.
• Able to detect bodily sounds and alarms even in noisy environments.
• Use tactile assessment to palpate pulses, identify edema, assess temperature.
• Recognize odors that indicate clinical concerns.

II. Communication Abilities
Students must communicate effectively, respectfully, and professionally per WCU requirements in the Student Handbook.
The student must be able to:

• Communicate clearly with patients, care team, and staff.
• Interpret and respond to nonverbal cues.
• Document accurately and promptly in EHR systems.
• Teach, direct, and counsel individuals with varied health literacy.
• Use professional language and medical terminology.
• Utilize digital platforms reliably.

III. Motor Abilities
Students must possess gross and fine motor skills sufficient to provide safe and effective nursing care.
Gross Motor Skills:

• Move freely in clinical environments and confined spaces.
• Maintain endurance for long clinical shifts.
• Lift, move, and transfer patients safely (minimum 50 lbs with assistance).
• Perform CPR and emergency interventions.

Fine Motor Skills:

• Perform precision-based procedures (IVs, injections, catheters, wound care).
• Use diagnostic tools safely.
• Measure medications accurately.

Emergency Motor Responses:

• Open obstructed airways.
• Apply pressure to stop bleeding.
• Activate emergency systems.
• Respond immediately to patient changes.

IV. Intellectual, Conceptual, Integrative, and Quantitative Abilities
The student must be able to:

• Read, understand, and apply written materials.
• Interpret and integrate data from labs, imaging, vitals, and patient reports.
• Perform accurate calculations for medication dosages.
• Analyze findings to formulate nursing diagnoses.
• Integrate pathophysiology and pharmacology.
• Recognize and respond to evolving conditions.
• Understand spatial relationships for procedures.

V. Behavioral, Social, and Professional Attributes
The student must be able to:

• Use sound judgment in routine and emergent situations.
• Maintain professionalism and integrity.
• Form therapeutic relationships with diverse individuals.
• Maintain attention and ensure patient safety.
• Accept feedback and adapt behavior.
• Tolerate physically and emotionally demanding workloads.
• Demonstrate resilience and emotional regulation.
• Provide care in acute, outpatient, long-term, community, rural, and mental health
  settings.
• Care for patients with communicable diseases using precautions.
• Manage rapid changes and high-pressure environments.
• Understand WCU student services and resources to assist with stress management.

VI. Health-Related Requirements
The student must:

• Maintain immunizations per clinical site requirements.
• Keep BLS certification current.
• Complete OSHA, HIPAA, and safety trainings.
• Meet background and drug screening requirements.
• Maintain health insurance.
• Complete physical examinations as required.
• Report health conditions impacting performance.

VIII. Accessibility and Reasonable Accommodation
The Western Colorado University (WCU) Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program is committed to ensuring that all students— including those with disabilities—have equitable access to its facilities, programs, learning experiences, and services. In accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA), WCU supports the right of qualified students with disabilities to study and practice nursing with or without reasonable accommodation.

The BSN Program provides reasonable accommodations on a nondiscriminatory basis, consistent with federal and state law, to ensure that students with documented disabilities have equal opportunity to meet the academic and technical requirements necessary for successful progression and graduation.

Students requesting accommodations must contact the Center for Disability and Accommodations at Western Colorado University to initiate a request for accommodations because of a disability.

Email: disabilityaccommodations@western.edu
Phone: 970.943.2113
Website: www.western.edu/cda
Office: Leslie J. Savage Library 121 & 122
The Center for Disability and Accommodations collaborates with the Nursing Program to determine appropriate accommodations that support student learning while upholding the essential requirements and technical standards of the BSN curriculum.

IX. Student Acknowledgment
Students must sign the annual acknowledgment confirming:
• They understand the technical standards,
• They can meet them with or without accommodation,
• They will notify faculty if they can no longer meet them,
• They understand non-compliance may impede progression.

Healthcare experience is not required for admission to the Traditional pathway. However, it is strongly recommended that applicants have experience in the nursing field to better understand the expectations of this career path. Applicants are encouraged to include information about healthcare experience in their resumes and in the Experiences section of NursingCAS.

Upon formal admission to the Nursing Program, all nursing students must complete an American Heart Association or American Red Cross BLS Health Care Provider training prior to beginning any Nursing Core coursework.

If English is not your first language, you’ll need to show you can speak, read, and write English well enough for university-level work. Specific questions about how to document English proficiency should be emailed to admissions@western.edu.

One option to show proficiency is to upload one of the following test scores under the standardized test portion of the Academic History section in NursingCAS :

• TOEFL iBT: 79 or higher
• IELTS: 6.0 or higher
• Duolingo English Test: 105 or higher

Unfortunately, Western Colorado University's Nursing Program cannot admit international students at this time due to restrictions associated with being a newly offered program.

Request that official evaluations of transcripts from all foreign institutions be sent to NursingCAS as follows:

• • Use the World Education Services (WES) link in the Academic History section of the application to order your official WES evaluation
    or
  • Use the "Download Evaluation Request Form" in the Academic History section of the application to request an evaluation from an evaluation service other than WES

To be admitted, you must maintain a minimum of at least a C in prerequisite coursework, including:

• Human Anatomy/A&P I*
• Human Physiology/A&P II*
• Microbiology
• Chemistry
• Statistics

*Anatomy coursework must include a laboratory.

All other laboratory coursework is preferred.

These courses must have been completed within 10 years of application.

If your course name does not match exactly, please see the information on Course Equivalencies.

Healthcare experience is not required for admission to the Traditional pathway. However, it is strongly recommended that applicants have experience in the nursing field to better understand the expectations of this career path. Applicants are encouraged to include information about healthcare experience in their resumes and in the Experiences section of NursingCAS.

• A complete application for admission and be selected.
• A minimum overall cumulative GPA of 2.0; preference for GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• Related professional or volunteer experience, if completed (preferred).
• Completion of all nursing prerequisite courses with a grade of C or higher (see list).
  Students may apply while coursework is in progress, but must complete all prerequisites before beginning the program.
• Two letters of recommendation through the Nursing CAS portal.
• Completion of all required program-specific questions in NursingCAS, including the academic rigor short essay.
• Completion of admission interview and selection.

For course equivalencies information for the Accelerated Nursing program, please visit Transferology and connect with the Registration & Advising Services Department.

Transfer Student Information

Upon formal admission to the Nursing Program, all nursing students must complete an American Heart Association or American Red Cross BLS Health Care Provider training prior to beginning any Nursing Core coursework.

AP, CLEP, IB, PLA Credit Equivalencies

Submit your Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) exam scores in NursingCAS under the standardized test portion of the Academic History section.

The Western Colorado University (WCU) Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program is committed to educating competent, ethical, safe, and professional entry-level nurses who are prepared to deliver high-quality care across diverse settings.
Nursing students must meet certain technical standards—with or without reasonable accommodation—to progress successfully through the program and to provide safe, effective care during clinical learning experiences.

These standards reflect the essential functions of a student nurse, not admission criteria, and are consistent with the expectations of the Colorado State Board of Nursing, AACN Essentials, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Board of Nursing: Laws, Rules, and Policies

Colorado does not codify statewide technical standards; responsibilities lie with institutional staffing committees and employer-level policies under HB 221401.

The Scope of Practice for Registered Nurses is applicable for the state to whichthe registered nurse works. The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies and the Scope of Practice is available at https://dpo.colorado.gov/Nursing/Laws. All states Scope of Practice is retrievable at the Find Your Nurse Practice Act here https://www.ncsbn.org/npa.htm. The practice laws are covered in the curricula and students can reach out to faculty for details.

WCU and all clinical sites expect nurses to meet standards in physical ability, cognition, communication, and emotional resilience. WCU provides reasonable accommodations for qualified students with documented disabilities. A reasonable accommodation is a modification that allows equal access without fundamentally altering the essential nature of the nursing curriculum, compromising patient safety, or reducing academic or clinical standards.

I. Observation / Sensory Abilities
Students must be able to obtain information from demonstrations, laboratory experiences, written materials, and clinical settings.
The student must be able to:

• Observe and participate in nursing-centered lectures, demonstrations, and
  simulation activities.
• See and interpret health assessments, patient responses, monitors, and waveform
  readings.
• Use functional vision, hearing, touch, and smell to assess patients.
• Detect changes in color, pupil size, wounds, or other visual cues.
• Able to detect bodily sounds and alarms even in noisy environments.
• Use tactile assessment to palpate pulses, identify edema, assess temperature.
• Recognize odors that indicate clinical concerns.

II. Communication Abilities
Students must communicate effectively, respectfully, and professionally per WCU requirements in the Student Handbook.
The student must be able to:

• Communicate clearly with patients, care team, and staff.
• Interpret and respond to nonverbal cues.
• Document accurately and promptly in EHR systems.
• Teach, direct, and counsel individuals with varied health literacy.
• Use professional language and medical terminology.
• Utilize digital platforms reliably.

III. Motor Abilities
Students must possess gross and fine motor skills sufficient to provide safe and effective nursing care.
Gross Motor Skills:

• Move freely in clinical environments and confined spaces.
• Maintain endurance for long clinical shifts.
• Lift, move, and transfer patients safely (minimum 50 lbs with assistance).
• Perform CPR and emergency interventions.

Fine Motor Skills:

• Perform precision-based procedures (IVs, injections, catheters, wound care).
• Use diagnostic tools safely.
• Measure medications accurately.

Emergency Motor Responses:

• Open obstructed airways.
• Apply pressure to stop bleeding.
• Activate emergency systems.
• Respond immediately to patient changes.

IV. Intellectual, Conceptual, Integrative, and Quantitative Abilities
The student must be able to:

• Read, understand, and apply written materials.
• Interpret and integrate data from labs, imaging, vitals, and patient reports.
• Perform accurate calculations for medication dosages.
• Analyze findings to formulate nursing diagnoses.
• Integrate pathophysiology and pharmacology.
• Recognize and respond to evolving conditions.
• Understand spatial relationships for procedures.

V. Behavioral, Social, and Professional Attributes
The student must be able to:

• Use sound judgment in routine and emergent situations.
• Maintain professionalism and integrity.
• Form therapeutic relationships with diverse individuals.
• Maintain attention and ensure patient safety.
• Accept feedback and adapt behavior.
• Tolerate physically and emotionally demanding workloads.
• Demonstrate resilience and emotional regulation.
• Provide care in acute, outpatient, long-term, community, rural, and mental health
  settings.
• Care for patients with communicable diseases using precautions.
• Manage rapid changes and high-pressure environments.
• Understand WCU student services and resources to assist with stress management.

VI. Health-Related Requirements
The student must:

• Maintain immunizations per clinical site requirements.
• Keep BLS certification current.
• Complete OSHA, HIPAA, and safety trainings.
• Meet background and drug screening requirements.
• Maintain health insurance.
• Complete physical examinations as required.
• Report health conditions impacting performance.

VIII. Accessibility and Reasonable Accommodation
The Western Colorado University (WCU) Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program is committed to ensuring that all students— including those with disabilities—have equitable access to its facilities, programs, learning experiences, and services. In accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA), WCU supports the right of qualified students with disabilities to study and practice nursing with or without reasonable accommodation.

The BSN Program provides reasonable accommodations on a nondiscriminatory basis, consistent with federal and state law, to ensure that students with documented disabilities have equal opportunity to meet the academic and technical requirements necessary for successful progression and graduation.

Students requesting accommodations must contact the Center for Disability and Accommodations at Western Colorado University to initiate a request for accommodations because of a disability.

Email: disabilityaccommodations@western.edu
Phone: 970.943.2113
Website: www.western.edu/cda
Office: Leslie J. Savage Library 121 & 122
The Center for Disability and Accommodations collaborates with the Nursing Program to determine appropriate accommodations that support student learning while upholding the essential requirements and technical standards of the BSN curriculum.

IX. Student Acknowledgment
Students must sign the annual acknowledgment confirming:
• They understand the technical standards,
• They can meet them with or without accommodation,
• They will notify faculty if they can no longer meet them,
• They understand non-compliance may impede progression.

Unfortunately, Western Colorado University's Nursing Program cannot admit international students at this time due to restrictions associated with being a newly offered program.

Request that official evaluations of transcripts from all foreign institutions be sent to NursingCAS as follows:

• • Use the World Education Services (WES) link in the Academic History section of the application to order your official WES evaluation
    or
  • Use the "Download Evaluation Request Form" in the Academic History section of the application to request an evaluation from an evaluation service other than WES