RN Baccalaureate Completion (BS)

Summary

The RN Baccalaureate Completion program is designed for the licensed registered nurse (RN) with an associate’s degree who wishes to earn a bachelor of science (BS) in nursing. A bachelor’s degree in nursing will give the graduate a competitive edge for employment, career advancement, and graduate education. 

Catalog Year

2024-2025

Degree

Bachelor of Science

Major Credits

30

Total Credits

120

Locations

Online

Career Cluster

Health Science

Accreditation

CCNE

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education

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Program Requirements

Major Common Core

This course provides an introduction to the concepts of evidence-based practice, research, critical inquiry development and application to inform nursing practice that promotes healthcare and facilitates equitable health outcomes of individuals, families and society.

Prerequisites: Prerequisites: RN licensure. Admission to the RN Baccalaureate Completion program.

This course investigates the concepts related to family as client, nurse-family relationships, and the family health experience by examining family literature and family research. Utilizing family nursing theory as a framework, learners will develop nursing actions and interventions for healthy families and families experiencing acute, chronic, and critical illness. Healthcare policies will be evaluated related to family and societal health to advance equitable care.

Prerequisites: Prerequisites: RN licensure. Admission to the RN Baccalaureate Completion program.

This course explores the nurse¿s role in providing care to individuals and families of diverse spiritual, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds across the lifespan. Learners examine cultural diversity, spirituality, marginalized populations, and the integration of complementary and alternative therapies to provide holistic care. Learners perform comprehensive health, spiritual and cultural assessments, create a plan of care, and evaluate the effects of the care plan to promote a holistic approach to nursing.

Prerequisites: RN Licensure. Admission to the RN Baccalaureate Completion Program.

Diverse Cultures: Gold

This course examines application of concepts and strategies for psychosocial and interprofessional communication to elevate professional nursing roles, responsibilities, and interactions that enhance intraprofessional and interprofessional collaboration for equitable healthcare optimization, maintenance, experiences, and outcomes for individuals, families, and society.

Prerequisites: none

This course is designed to highlight and analyze the role of the nurse in the application and evaluation of national quality and safety guidelines, standards and informatics tools to create a culture of quality and safety. The course focuses on investigating solutions for the aim of preventing and reducing medical errors, and it emphasizes the value of nursing care in the healthcare system.

Prerequisites: NURS 320

This course takes an upstream approach to population-based public health care, focusing on health promotion, disease prevention, determinants of health, and fundamental issues of health equity at individual, family, community, and system levels of practice. Learners apply public health science, principles of epidemiology, community assessment skills, systems-level thinking, and policy development to support population-based nursing practice.

Prerequisites: NURS 320, NURS 382. RN Licensure. Admission to the RN Baccalaureate Completion program.

This capstone course synthesizes the underpinnings of Baccalaureate nursing education. Learners will analyze achievement of program outcomes through reflective journaling and be evaluated on the attainment of these outcomes. Learners explore leadership and management principles necessary for the professional nurse to function effectively in a changing health care system through theoretical and experiential learning. Learners plan an evidence-based capstone project that is designed to improve processes and/or enhance health outcomes while re-envisioning the professional nurse's role and personal power to influence positive change. Must be taken the last semester of the program as a final course, may be taken with other 400 level course(s).

Prerequisites: RN Licensure; NURS 320, NURS 362, NURS 382. RN Licensure. Admission to the RN Baccalaureate Completion program.

4-Year Plan

The 4-Year Plan is a model for completing your degree in a timely manner. Your individual 4-Year plan may change based on a number of variables including transfer courses and the semester/year you start your major. Carefully work with your academic advisors to devise your own unique plan.
* Please meet with your advisor on appropriate course selection to meet your educational and degree goals.

First Year

Fall - 8 Credits

This course provides an introduction to the concepts of evidence-based practice, research, critical inquiry development and application to inform nursing practice that promotes healthcare and facilitates equitable health outcomes of individuals, families and society.

Prerequisites: Prerequisites: RN licensure. Admission to the RN Baccalaureate Completion program.

This course investigates the concepts related to family as client, nurse-family relationships, and the family health experience by examining family literature and family research. Utilizing family nursing theory as a framework, learners will develop nursing actions and interventions for healthy families and families experiencing acute, chronic, and critical illness. Healthcare policies will be evaluated related to family and societal health to advance equitable care.

Prerequisites: Prerequisites: RN licensure. Admission to the RN Baccalaureate Completion program.

Spring - 8 Credits

This course explores the nurse¿s role in providing care to individuals and families of diverse spiritual, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds across the lifespan. Learners examine cultural diversity, spirituality, marginalized populations, and the integration of complementary and alternative therapies to provide holistic care. Learners perform comprehensive health, spiritual and cultural assessments, create a plan of care, and evaluate the effects of the care plan to promote a holistic approach to nursing.

Prerequisites: RN Licensure. Admission to the RN Baccalaureate Completion Program.

Diverse Cultures: Gold

This course examines application of concepts and strategies for psychosocial and interprofessional communication to elevate professional nursing roles, responsibilities, and interactions that enhance intraprofessional and interprofessional collaboration for equitable healthcare optimization, maintenance, experiences, and outcomes for individuals, families, and society.

Prerequisites: none

Second Year

Fall - 6 Credits

This course takes an upstream approach to population-based public health care, focusing on health promotion, disease prevention, determinants of health, and fundamental issues of health equity at individual, family, community, and system levels of practice. Learners apply public health science, principles of epidemiology, community assessment skills, systems-level thinking, and policy development to support population-based nursing practice.

Prerequisites: NURS 320, NURS 382. RN Licensure. Admission to the RN Baccalaureate Completion program.

Spring - 8 Credits

This course is designed to highlight and analyze the role of the nurse in the application and evaluation of national quality and safety guidelines, standards and informatics tools to create a culture of quality and safety. The course focuses on investigating solutions for the aim of preventing and reducing medical errors, and it emphasizes the value of nursing care in the healthcare system.

Prerequisites: NURS 320

This capstone course synthesizes the underpinnings of Baccalaureate nursing education. Learners will analyze achievement of program outcomes through reflective journaling and be evaluated on the attainment of these outcomes. Learners explore leadership and management principles necessary for the professional nurse to function effectively in a changing health care system through theoretical and experiential learning. Learners plan an evidence-based capstone project that is designed to improve processes and/or enhance health outcomes while re-envisioning the professional nurse's role and personal power to influence positive change. Must be taken the last semester of the program as a final course, may be taken with other 400 level course(s).

Prerequisites: RN Licensure; NURS 320, NURS 362, NURS 382. RN Licensure. Admission to the RN Baccalaureate Completion program.

Policies

Students must be admitted into the RN Baccalaureate Completion Program prior to taking any nursing courses. RNs are accepted during the fall, spring, and summer semesters. The application for RN Baccalaureate Completion Program admission may be obtained from the School of Nursing website.

Transfer Credits: In accordance with the statewide MN Articulation Agreement, 30 semester nursing credits and 30 semester non-nursing credits are transferred for RNs.

Admission Policies:

  1. Proof of active unrestricted RN license,
  2. Completion of at least 30 college semester credits,
  3. A minimum career grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale,
  4. Minimum grade of "C" in all previous nursing courses.

Progression Policies:

Once provisionally or fully admitted to the School of Nursing, the student must:

  • Achieve at least a “C” or a “Pass” in each required nursing course.
  • Maintain a minimum of a “C” average (2.0 GPA) in all courses.

A grade of “C-“ or lower or “No Pass” is considered an unsuccessful attempt at the course. A student is allowed a total of 2 course withdraws from the same RN-BS Nursing Program course (e.g. two withdraws from NURS 320W) and a total of 3 course withdraws throughout the program. A student may be put on a Student Performance Contract with the RN Baccalaureate Completion Program Director after:

  • Two (2) withdraws from the same RN-BS Nursing Program course.
  • Three (3) withdraws from courses within the RN-BS Nursing Program.
  • Withdraw from or earn a non-passing grade in all courses during their first semester in the program.

A student who is unsuccessful in two nursing courses (or one course repeated), or is unsuccessful in meeting the Student Performance Contract will not be allowed to continue in the nursing program and cannot reapply to the nursing major.  In the event of extenuating circumstances, the student may petition the RN Baccalaureate Completion Program Committee requesting permission to continue in the Nursing Program.

Completion Requirements:

A total of 120 semester credits are necessary for the baccalaureate degree with a major in nursing. The RN Baccalaureate Completion major is a 30-credit program. In addition to completing the Major Common Core, all graduates must fulfill the University’s General Education, Diverse Cultures (fulfilled by NURS 382), and Writing Intensive requirements (fulfilled by NURS 320W and NURS 482W).

Other requirements:

  1. Liability insurance: program fee attached to tuition each semester
  2. CPR certification
  3. Background study