REGISTERED NURSE TO BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING (RN TO BSN)

SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCE AND NURSING

EXPAND THE POTENTIAL OF YOUR NURSING CAREER

Nexus University’s RN to BSN Degree Program is a uniquely designed curriculum that allows current licensed registered nurses (associate degree or diploma) to earn their baccalaureate degree in nursing in three (3) sequential semesters*. This online degree program allows working nurses the flexibility they need to continue working while advancing their skills.

The program focuses on concepts of leadership, autonomy, and management to identify effective strategies in policy and regulatory processes that promote health, prevent disease and injury, and improve the healthcare delivery system, the health of the public and the profession of nursing.

WHAT SHOULD YOU EXPECT IN THIS PROGRAM?

Relevant skills that can be immediately applied to your career.

Highly qualified faculty with relevant career experience.

Online theory classes that let you study at your own pace.

Bicolor-LaaS-Affordable-Higher-Education-12-1

Education priced around the needs of our student population.

Flexibility that lets you maintain a work-life balance.

Small class size for personalized communications with faculty.

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What Will You Learn?

This program provides the content and qualifications to turn your Associate’s degree in Nursing into a four-year Bachelor’s degree. In our RN-to-BSN program, you won’t need to retake any of the core nursing courses you already completed. Instead, this program enhances knowledge in informatics, leadership, research, evidence-based practice, and more.

Why Choose Nexus for Your BSN Degree?

We have deep experience with online higher education.
Higher education that is more accessible than ever.
Our nursing programs build off your previously earned degrees.
We provide you with the tools to become a true professional leader.
You learn important communication, critical thinking and leadership skills.
All qualified applicants are accepted.
Transfer up to 49 general education credits.

Program Outcomes

Expected outcomes for graduates of the BSN program will be to:

1. Engage in culturally responsive patient-centered evidence-based care for professional nursing practice based on foundational and advanced nursing science, current evidence, application of research, and knowledge from other disciplines. (Essentials I, III, & VIII)
2. Apply organizational, leadership, and management concepts in practice in order to effect change, recognize threats to safety, and improve healthcare quality and patient outcomes. (Essentials II, IV, & VI)
3. Use health information systems and technology resources to demonstrate integration of knowledge, support lifelong learning, ensure safe practice environments, implement quality improvement initiatives, optimize healthcare outcomes, and promote patient self-management. (Essentials IV & VI)
4. Use concepts of leadership, autonomy, and management to formulate effective strategies in policy and regulatory processes to promote health, prevent disease and injury, and improve the healthcare delivery system, the health of the public, and the profession of nursing. (Essentials V, VII, & VIII)
5. Communicate effectively respecting dignity, worth, and uniqueness of self and others to improve systems care and collaboration, and optimize patient and population health outcomes. (Essential VI)
6. Integrate research findings to provide evidence-based care, support decision-making, and promote safe and ethical nursing practice. (Essentials I, VII & IX)

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CAREER OUTLOOK FOR NURSES WITH A BSN

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) strongly believes that registered nurses (RNs) should be, at minimum, prepared with the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or equivalent baccalaureate nursing degree (e.g., BS in Nursing, BA in Nursing). In fact, a recent AACN survey found that 46% of employers require new hires to have a bachelor’s degree, while 88% strongly prefer baccalaureate-prepared nurses.¹

As associate’s degrees and diplomas lose power in the job market, BSN holders will enjoy more opportunities. The nation’s largest and most renowned hospital systems now typically require a BSN for senior roles and advancement opportunities.

WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH A BSN DEGREE?

There are many different careers you can pursue with a Bachelor’s in Nursing. Here are 9 examples of where this degree can take you:

Registered nurse at a hospital
Nurse manager
Hospital educator
Public health nurse
Quality assurance coordinator
Case management nurse

QUICK FACTS ABOUT BSN HOLDERS

The average salary with a BS in Nursing is $83,000 – $20k more than the average RN makes.²
Based on a survey of the job market, an RN diploma is eligible for 51% of positions, while a BSN is eligible for 88%.³
Research shows that more education ties directly to better clinical outcomes.⁴
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, demand for nurses is projected to grow “much faster than the average for all occupations.” ⁵
The BLS also predicts that “registered nurses who have a bachelor of science degree in nursing (BSN) will have better job prospects than those without one.” ⁶

Degree Requirements

To be awarded a BSN degree, a student must have a total of 120 credits, of which 36 credits in nursing were completed at Nexus University and 49 credits in general education may be transferred in or take in Nexus University. The student is awarded 35 escrow credits for nursing courses from a diploma or associate degree in nursing programs after successful completion of all mandatory courses for a total of 120 credits.

Credit Requirements

To be awarded a BSN degree, a student must have a total of 120 credits, of which 36 credits in nursing were completed at Nexus University and 49 credits in general education may be transferred in. The student is awarded 35 escrow credits for nursing courses from a diploma or associate degree in nursing programs after successful completion of all mandatory courses for a total of 120 credits.

The Admissions Process

Applying to a degree program at the Nexus University School of Health Sciences and Nursing is fast and easy. Applications are reviewed within 48 hours and all qualified applicants are accepted. Upon reviewing your application, your admission representative will contact you to follow up with the admission process.

Our RN to BSN program requires an Associate’s Degree in Nursing from an accredited institution with at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA). For details on our general Admissions Requirements, please visit our Admissions page. If you’re ready to take the first step, you can:

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*Refers only to core nursing courses. Students need 120 total credit hours to graduate with a BSN. 35 credits are awarded for nursing courses from your nursing diploma or associate’s degree studies and held in escrow until completion of the RN to BSN

Curriculum Plan

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Course Descriptions

NUR 411 BSN Nursing Values

In this course, students examine concepts germane to the professional practice of nursing. Students survey topics areas relevant to BSN practice focusing on topics that include: professionalism and transformational practice; communication, teamwork and interpersonal relationships; nursing education pathways; effects of culture and diversity on health-care practice; critical thinking and clinical decision making; and ethics and legal considerations of practice. Pre-requisites: Acceptance into the RN to BSN program

NUR 412 Physical Exam and Health Assessment

This course provides the knowledge base and skill set to perform a physical exam and health assessment. Emphasizing the expanded role of the BSN nurse as provider of care employing increased knowledge and skills, students will perform comprehensive health histories, physicals, and psychosocial, developmental, cultural, spiritual, and environmental assessments using specific assessment tools. Students will identify expected findings, identify the presence of alterations, and explore health promotion behaviors. Normal assessment findings, frequently seen variations from normal are discussed.

NUR 413 Health Promotion & Disease Prevention

This course examines health promotion and disease prevention across the lifespan of individuals, families and communities. Students will study ethical principles and decisionmaking models related to health promotion and disease prevention with an emphasis on patient and public safety, clinical prevention and health care finance. A sample of topics in the course include disaster management; money and payment systems; epidemiology and health promotion strategies. Pre-requisites: NUR 411 & NUR 412

NUR 414 Health Policy, Finance and Regulatory Environments

The purpose of this course is to provide the student with foundational concepts of healthcare policy, political influences, finance and business practices in nursing and health care. Students will explore the complex processes of patient care services and analyze the implications of healthcare issues relevant to their practice. Students discuss the changing environment of health care systems and the strategies that affect health care policy decisions which shape those systems. Emphasis will be placed on understanding current health care policy issues and how policies drive the economics of the entire health care system. Pre-requisites: NUR 411 & NUR 412

NUR 421 Nursing Research

The focus of this course is on the role of the BSN in research and the ability of the BSN to be able to read, critically appraise and synthesize research. The course includes an overview of research methodology and the important concepts used in healthcare when conceptualizing, planning and conducting health disparities research. The course will focus upon practical considerations and examples of survey research, sampling, measurement, and intervention development employed in healthcare settings. Pre-requisites: NUR 413 & NUR 414

NUR 422 Information Management & Technology

This course explores using technology to enhance practice and provides an introduction to health care informatics, information management and the regulations and practices related to health care informatics, database management, data quality and systems design. It allows the student to gain knowledge and apply computer technology in the management of patients, families, groups and communities. The role of the BSN as health care practitioner, administrator, educator, researcher and protector of healthcare information is emphasized. Pre-requisites: NUR 413 & NUR 414

NUR 423 Evidence-Based Practice

This course focuses on the foundational concepts to improve nursing practice. Students will learn how to formulate a focused clinical question, search and assess the literature, assess the validity of the evidence and apply evidence to achieve best practices to guide practice. Students practice skills in clinical inquiry, application of research methodology and critical appraisal techniques to identify and integrate research findings for best possible practice. Students investigate clinical problems, integrate reliable evidence within their scope of practice and translate research into practice as they examine a current policy or related procedure. Pre-requisites: NUR 421& NUR 422

NUR 424 Organizational and Systems Leadership

Students will explore the complex and dynamic health care delivery system and the role of the BSN nurse as a leader. Students will gain skills in leading formal organizations, quality improvement, project management and other relative areas. Topics include maintaining sustainable organizations, leveraging legislative and regulative environments, continuous quality improvement, safety, strategies, promoting systems change, and prudent use of resources. Pre-requisites: NUR 421 & NUR 422

NUR 431 Public Health & Community Care

This course introduces the techniques used for the visualization of numerical data and descriptive statistics in business. After completion of this course, students will be able to explain how to obtain a suitable sample of business data and evaluate its validity and reliability for statistical inferences, produce tables and charts to organize and display qualitative and quantitative business data, interpret numerical business data using measures of central tendency and dispersion, apply fundamental concepts probability theory for inferential decision making for business, and perform a linear regression for trend analysis. Prerequisites: MAT 111, STA 121

NUR 432 Public Health & Community Experiential

Students utilize the concepts of community and public health nursing with the emphasis on health promotions and primary health care within communities. This course focuses on nursing care designed to prevent and/or reduce risk of disease and injury and promote health and wellness to diverse populations across the lifespan. Students will assess the health needs of a selected community with a focus on health promotion, culture and environment, health behaviors, and health maintenance. Students may visit various community agencies, organizations, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, community government agencies and other community facilities. Co-requisite: NUR 431

NUR 499 Evidence-Based Practice Capstone Project

As a culminating experience, this capstone course provides the opportunity for the student to synthesize information gained in the baccalaureate program educational journey (nonnursing courses and nursing courses) to demonstrate competencies consistent with program outcomes and to refine their nursing practice skills. Students create a culminating project that contributes to nursing practice, uses evidence-based resources, utilizes teaching skills, addresses public health competencies and analyzes how the identified issue and interventions impact the health of the affected population. This final project will be detailed in a final presentation at Nexus University. This course includes 90 hours of documented experience presented in a portfolio and time log. Prerequisites:Completion of Core NUR

ACCREDITATIONS

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)

The Baccalaureate and the Master’s nursing programs at Nexus University located in Miami, Florida are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30326 (404) 975-5000 The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the RN to BSN and Master’s nursing programs is Initial Accreditation. View the public information disclosed by the ACEN regarding these programs at http://www.acenursing.com/accreditedprograms/programsearch.htm

¹https://www.aacnnursing.org/News-Information/Research-Data-Center/Employment/2018

²https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Degree=Bachelor_of_Science_in_Nursing_(BSN)/Salary

³ https://nursejournal.org/bsn-degree/top-9-advantages-of-a-bsn-degree/

⁴https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/News/Factsheets/Education-Impact-Fact-Sheet.pdf

⁵Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Management Analysts, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm

⁶Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Management Analysts, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm (visited December 02, 2020)

Nexus University is committed to the development of workforce relevant programs delivered on accessible learning platforms designed to meet the professional needs of an ever-evolving global workforce. Our value driven educational experience emphasizes academic excellence, innovation, professional integrity, and respect for cultural and social diversity.

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