Dear Student:

The following packet includes detailed information about the onboarding process for the Accelerated Second Degree program at the University of South Florida's College of Nursing for the Spring 2019 semester. It is essential that you read everything on this page, as each is required of you to complete the admissions process.

Acceptance Letters and Materials

Please consider this your official notification of acceptance to the USF College of Nursing. You will find all the required instructions and materials below. It is essential that you read everything on this page, as each is required of you to complete the admissions process.

Intent to Enroll Form

To confirm your admission to the College of Nursing, you must complete the Intent to Enroll form via SOAR (https://hsccf.hsc.usf.edu/soar) no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, November 30, 2018.

• To complete this form, you will first log into your SOAR (College of Nursing) application (https://hsccf.hsc.usf.edu/soar).
• Under the section Welcome, you will see a message saying Congratulations on being ACCEPTED.
• Below this message will be a link to the Intent to Enroll form.
• After you click on the Intent to Enroll link, you will see options to Accept or Decline your admission.
• If you would like to enroll in the College of Nursing’s Spring 2019 program, click I Accept Admission and press Submit
  • If you have decided NOT to enroll in College of Nursing’s Spring 2019 program, click I DECLINE Admission and press Submit
  • On the next page, please indicate your ‘reason for declining’ and click ‘Submit’ at the bottom of the page.
• When the acceptance form opens, please answer the questions in EACH section
  • Please note: There will be a question that asks for your zip code. The zip code is used for clinical placement; therefore it is essential that you list the correct zip code of “Where you will be living while enrolled in the Nursing program.” This may not be your current home address or it may be where you are moving to.
• At the bottom, be sure to click ‘Submit’ to confirm your decision to attend the program
  • You will not receive a confirmation email
  • To confirm you have accepted your seat (and to see your intent to enroll answers), find your Spring 2019 ACCEPTED application under the Applications on File section and click on the Intent to Enroll button
• Finally, please continue check the acceptance website for additional admission/enrollment information.

 If your online Intent to Enroll form is not submitted by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, November 30th, you will forfeit your seat in the program and it will be given to the next eligible applicant.

USF Orientation

If you are a brand new University of South Florida degree-seeking student, welcome! You MUST attend the University's General Orientation in addition to the Nursing Student Orientation. You can register for Orientation online at http://usf.edu/orientation/.     

 University policy mandates that brand new University of South Florida degree-seeking students MUST attend a University orientation before the start of classes for the semester; those students that fail to do so will have their enrollment canceled by the University, which will result in cancellation/forfeiture of their seat in the Spring 2019 Second Degree BSN program.  

Please note there is a Transfer Express Orientation session on Friday, December 7, 2018. This should be a convenient option for you, as it is available on the same day as Nursing Student Orientation. It is strongly recommended that you attend the December 7th USF Orientation. If you are unable to attend the USF express orientation that morning, you may attend a traditional session on a later date.

The Office of Orientation has reserved spaces for Second Degree admitted students on the December 7th Transfer Express orientation. Please call them at (813) 974-3060 to request a spot at that particular orientation. You will not be able to request this orientation day if you have not already completed your Intent to Enroll Form. Please complete this step immediately if you have not done so already by logging back into your SOAR application.

USF Photo ID Card

• All new USF students should obtain a USF Photo ID before the start of the Spring 2019 semester.

• You will need a photo ID, and your USF ID number. You can be issued the card at the Student Services Building (SVC) Room 1032. Upon receiving the card, you will be billed $10.00 through your university account.

  Hours:

  Monday - Thursday: 9:00am-6:00pm

  Friday: 9:00am-5:00pm 

  For more information, call 813-974-2357 or visit their website. 

Mandatory Nursing Student Orientation

All undergraduate students must attend the mandatory College of Nursing Orientation on Friday, December 7, 2018. Check-in will begin at 10:30 am at the College of Nursing Student Gathering Space. Students attending the Transfer Express Orientation that morning will be greeted by College of Nursing staff at the Marshall Student Center with further directions. Students must be checked in by 11:30 am. You and your fellow students will become acquainted with the college, meet faculty, learn about hospital team placement and more. Students will also receive information about purchasing uniforms at the Nursing Student Orientation. Professional attire is required; however please ensure you wear comfortable shoes. The Nursing Student Orientation is for admitted students only and there is no space available for guests.
Students who fail to attend the Nursing Student Orientation will forfeit their seat in the program and it will be given to the next eligible applicant.

• Friday, December 7, 2018 - please plan on being here until 5:00pm.

**You will receive a more detailed email regarding this event in the coming weeks**

Pre-Immersion Program

All students will be required to attend the Pre-Immersion Program (PIP) on January 11, 2019 in the College of Nursing building. The program was developed in association with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and specifically designed to help in the transition to nursing school. You will receive more information via your USF Health email as the event draws closer.

• • Friday, January 11, 2019 – please plan on being here from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Create a Health Email Account

Once you indicate in SOAR via the Intent to Enroll form that you are attending for the Spring 2019 term, please allow at least 48 hours for processing. You will then receive an email from your Academic Advisor, Kirsten Manzi, in regards to when and how to create the USF Health email account. Please allow for at least 48 business hours from receiving the email from Ms. Manzi to create your health email account. After you have created your health email account, please proceed with the Castle Branch profile process.

Castle Branch: Compliance Requirements for Nursing Students

It is very important that you create a Health email account before starting your Castle Branch account.
 Do NOT start the Castle Branch process until you (1) have completed the Intent to Enroll form and (2) have access to your USF Health email

The College of Nursing requires all nursing students to adhere to our clinical compliance requirements. All admitted students must complete a criminal background check, drug screening, and immunization requirements. The cost of the entire package is $153 which includes the document tracker, level 1 and 2 background check, urine drug screen, and immunization verification. You MUST have clearance on the background check and drug screening by Friday, December 14 or your seat will be offered to a qualified student on the alternate list.

Please go to https://portal.castlebranch.com/UD98. Once there, select:

• Place Order
• College of Nursing
• Undergraduate
• Code UE01: I am a new student ordering for the first time for Second Degree

REMINDER:  The Castle Branch account must be created using your USF Health email only.

Once purchased, you will receive instructions from Castle Branch within 48 hours, and the urine drug screen must be completed within 72 hours after receiving your instructions.  If the drug screening is not completed within 72 hours of purchase, an additional cost ($38) will be required as the drug screen package will need to be re-purchased.

When completing the waiver for the Florida FDLE Fingerprints, please follow these directions:

• Name of Qualified Entry: University of South Florida
• Check One: Please check "Volunteer"

Any questions about the requirements, documents, or status should be directed to Castle Branch at 1-888-914-7279.

The USF College of Nursing Compliance Officer Mr. Shawn Afflick (safflick@health.usf.edu) can assist you if the Castle Branch Customer Service team cannot resolve an issue.

• Emails to Mr. Afflick will be addressed within 48 business hours.
• If you need to call, Mr. Afflick will have opening calling hours for Compliance on Tuesdays from 8-11 and Thursdays from 1-3. (If a you cannot call during these time frames, please email him to schedule a time to connect.)

ALL requirements must be completed by the first day of classes. Please note: This is not the same as the USF Health Form from USF Student Health Services. The Castle Branch requirements are required for all Nursing  students. The USF Health Form cannot be used in lieu of Castle Branch. 

Please note that this is not a one-time process. You, the student, are expected to monitor all requirements, and keep them up to date during the time of your enrollment in the College of Nursing. Failure to keep the clinical requirements up to date will result in a HOLD on your course registration and/or clinical placement. Also, our clinical partners may require additional background check and drug screenings as required by their agencies throughout your time in the program. Students must be in compliance at all times in order to complete the requirements of the program.

 Due to military documentation not being in line with civilian documentation, there is the possibility that your military documentation will be rejected.  If this happens, please contact Mr. Afflick (safflick@health.usf.edu).  Each rejection will be reviewed by Mr. Afflick on a case-by-case basis. Please remember to include your U-ID in your email.

Clinical Site Placement

At the Nursing Student Orientation, you will learn where you have been placed for clinicals. You will be placed with a clinical site based on the geographic location (zip code) that you will be living in during the program. Please ensure that you list the zip code and county that you will be living in during the program on the Intent to Enroll form, due November 30th.

We cannot provide guarantees on any one specific clinical location. Transportation for clinical is the responsibility of the student, and may be as much as two hours from the USF Tampa Campus. All of our clinical partners provide excellent opportunities to our students.

Courses/Registration

The Second Degree program is a full-time program on the Tampa campus with clinicals within a two hour radius of the USF Tampa campus. Courses and labs are typically Monday – Friday from 8am – 5pm. Clinical days typically have an earlier start/arrival time. 

Prior to the the Nursing Student Orientation, you will receive your program plan of study and register for courses.  You must clear all registration holds prior to registering.  You can view your holds in your my usf (https://my.usf.edu/Pages/Home.aspx): OASIS, Student, Student Records, View Holds.  If you have a hold, you will be given the office that placed that hold, as well as the contact information in order to contact them regrading removing the hold.  The College of Nursing advises students to be registered in all classes no later than December 14th; however, students must be registered by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 4, 2019 to avoid late registration fees with the University.

Spring classes for the Nursing program begin January 7, 2019 and end April 26, 2019.

All final exams will conclude on May 2, 2019. (Summer semester begins on May 13, 2019.)

If you have any further questions regarding your acceptance, the Nursing Student Orientation, or the attached documents, please contact the Student Affairs Office at 813-974-2191.

Thank you!

USF College of Nursing Undergraduate Admissions

Additional Information/Resources

Computer Requirement

All USF College of Nursing students are required to have a laptop/notebook computer with wireless internet connection. Students are also required to have a compatible webcam and microphone; the webcam and microphone should either be built into your notebook or be a portable model. Specific information on requirements can be found here. Students in all nursing courses are expected to meet these requirements to successfully participate in their courses. Failure to meet these technology standards may result in inability to complete course or program requirements. It is the student's responsibility to ensure all requirements are met prior to the start of the semester. The USF Computer Store offers laptop "bundles" and discounted software for registered students. For more information, visit http://www.computerstore.usf.edu.

Program Costs/Estimated Fees

The tuition rates listed are for estimation purposes and can be subject to change. Additional information on tuition and fees can be found at the USF Controller’s Office. 

These expenses will be discussed in detail at the Nursing Student Orientation. For information purposes only, please see the attached document for a list of estimated expenses: Program Costs/Estimate Fees.

Student Uniforms

Beginning Summer 2017, the USF College of Nursing changed vendors for the required student uniform. We have partnered with the USF Health Bookstore to provide a high-quality uniform at a cost-savings to students. More information on ordering will be shared at Nursing Student Orientation.

Maximum Time Requirements/Excess Hours Surcharge

There is Federal and State Legislation impacting tuition and financial aid based on the number of credit hours a student has taken. It is important that you are aware of these policies and their impact on financing your degree. Please see the following links document for more information: 
 Maximum Time Requirement and Excess Hours Surcharge.