An RN to BSN program, also known as an RN-BSN degree program, is a college level program open to students who have an RN degree and want to earn a full bachelor’s degree. Many of these programs are also open to nurses who have a lower level college degree and want to further their education before obtaining a license to practice. A BSN degree program is a good way for students to gain experience in management and other advanced fields of study. You should look at how long these programs take, the classes available and how to choose the right program for you.
Classes You Take
Nursing students generally take courses designed for working with patients. They learn more about diseases and medical conditions, how to take vital signs and what patients want from their medical professionals. When you enroll in an RN-BSN degree though, you’ll take more advanced classes that focus on developing skills outside of a patient’s room. The program may offer classes on managing nurses, health care operations, the care of elderly patients, leadership in the nursing field and professional ethics that nurses must understand.
Program Length
Students often want to know how long it will take to finish one of these programs, but it often depends on the number of credits you bring with you. Most colleges will look at your transcript, determine how many credits will apply to the program and then give you a list of all the classes you must take. Though most schools will require that you take 120 credit hours of classes, you may have the option of transferring in up to 80 or 90 credits from another program. Depending on the credits that transfer, you will finish the program in one to three years.
Choosing a Program
Choosing the right BSN program ensures that you gain the skills you need and that you earn a bachelor’s degree at the end of the program. According to Peterson’s, students select a program from a school that has a good affiliation with a health care system and one that has faculty members dedicated to their students. If the college has its own hospital and health care system, you’ll know that you can complete any internships or clinical rotations that you need to do in one of those offices.
Online Options
As RN-BSN degree are open to professional students already working in the nursing field, many colleges now offer an online option for those students. Instead of taking time out of your work schedule or cutting back on the number of hours you work every week, you can take your required courses over the computer on your days off or after working a shift. These programs often require some type of fieldwork that you must do in addition to your online studies. You may have the option of fulfilling this requirement on campus or at a health care facility in your own city.
Related Resource: 50 Most Affordable Competitive Colleges for Online RN-BSN Degrees
Nurses with a BSN degree have more career options available to them. They may use that degree to work as a floor manager or to enter a program to work in a specific area of nursing like oncology or elderly care. RN-BSN degree are open to all nursing students who already went to college and have a nursing degree.
