Nursing - RN to BSN Degree Completion Program
The baccalaureate program is designed to offer registered nurse students (graduates from diploma and associate degree programs) the opportunity to complete a professional degree that focuses on the scholarly approach to the discipline of nursing. This is an 18-month online program*. The baccalaureate program provides a foundation for graduate education in nursing.
The bachelor of science degree program for registered nurses is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, INC. (ACEN), formerly the National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC), 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 500, Atlanta, GA 30326, 404-975-5000.
Students Admitted to the Current/Revised Curriculum
The program is open only to registered nurses and requires 120 credits for graduation. To complete the nursing major successfully, the following course work is required:
- 24 prerequisite credits which must include 12 science credits
- 36 credits Nursing Mobility Profile II (NCLEX)
- 30 liberal arts credits (includes 9 credits of general electives)
- 30 nursing component credits (18 credits of which are required; 12 credits of nursing electives)
A minimum of 120 credits is required for graduation, the last 30 of which must be earned at La Roche University. Students must achieve a minimum of a "C" grade in each nursing course.
REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION
1. General Admission Requirements
Students who apply for acceptance to the BSN program must apply to the Graduate Studies and Adult Education Office and submit the following:
• Copy of current RN license
• Official transcripts from all educational programs
• Overall GPA of 2.5 or above from previous educational program
• Two letters of reference from a person who can address the applicant’s nursing ability and ability to achieve in an academic program. (For example, from an employer, instructor, or clergy).
• Essay describing professional and academic goals
2. International Student Admission Requirements
Students who apply for acceptance into the RN to BSN program need to apply directly to the International Admissions Office and submit the following:
• Complete the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) process to evaluate the international license to practice nursing and any educational program transcripts.
• Copy of US Nursing License (to complete practicum hour requirement in the program).
• Overall cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better from previous educational program
• Test of English as a Foreign Language Exam (TOEFL) score on written exam of 600 or internet exam of 100.
• Official transcripts from all educational programs attended
• Two letters of reference from a person who can address the applicant’s nursing ability and ability to achieve in an academic program. (For example, from an employer, instructor, or clergy).
• Essay describing professional and academic goals
RN-MSN Program
The RN-MSN option provides an opportunity for associate degree and diploma prepared nurses to obtain the MSN. The program is entirely online* and allows nurses interested in advance roles to move more directly into such positions as nurse administrator, nurse educator, or clinical nurse leader. All RN to MSN students must have a 3.0 GPA when entering the MSN segment of the program.
The advantage to enrolling in the RN-MSN is the credits required in the BSN are decreased and the transition to MSN is quicker. The BSN degree curriculum is reduced by two elective courses and the student is able to take two graduate courses at the undergraduate tuition rate. Students may take the first two graduate courses at the completion of the BSN requirements.
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing is awarded upon the successful completion of 6 credits of graduate level courses.
* International students must meet the on-campus component for this program.
Summary of Requirements
College or Diploma Program Credits / Prerequisites (24 credits required, 12 must be natural science credits):
BIOL1015MICROBIOLOGY FOR HEALTH SCIENCES
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
The primary effort of this course will be to provide the student with practical and clinically relevant information about microbes through lectures and laboratory exercises. Students will be introduced to basic facts about the structure and life processes of microbes. Major emphasis will be placed on relationships between microbes and humans, causes and diagnosis of microbial diseases, common sources of infections, disease transmission, and the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. The tools and techniques for handling and identifying microorganisms will be introduced in the laboratory exercises.
PREREQUISITES:
Concurrent: BIOL1015L
BIOL1023HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY I
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
A basic course concerned with the structural and physiological processes of the human body. Interdependence of structure and function is stressed to promote better understanding of the entire body environment.
PREREQUISITES:
Concurrent: BIOL1023L
BIOL1023LHUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY I - LAB
Credits (Min/Max): 1/1
Laboratory for BIOL1023: Anatomy & Physiology I
BIOL1024HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY II
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
The second of two basic courses concerned with the structural and physiological processes of the human body. Interdependence of structure and function is stressed to promote better understanding of the entire body environment. Lecture and laboratory courses.
PREREQUISITES:
BIOL1023 & Concurrent: BIOL1024L
BIOL1024LHUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY II - LAB
Credits (Min/Max): 1/1
Laboratory for BIOL1024: Anatomy and Physiology II.
CHEM1007PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY I (SLSC)
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
An introduction to the basic principles of general, organic and biochemistry. The principles are related to living systems including the properties and metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic acids. Lecture and laboratory course. (SLSC)
PREREQUISITES:
Concurrent: CHEM1008
ENGL1011ACADEMIC READING AND WRITING
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course engages students in reading, writing and research practices essential to academic life, including developing a project for a research paper, searching for authoritative materials to use in that project, and presenting it in an edited paper that follows academic conventions of documentation and citation.
ENGL1012ACADEMIC WRITING AND RESEARCH
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course engages students in reading, writing and research practices essential to academic life, including developing a project for a research paper, searching for authoritative materials to use in that project, and presenting it in an edited paper that follows academic conventions of documentation and citation.
PSYC1021INTRO TO PSYCHOLOGY
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This survey course introduces students to several critical areas of psychology. Throughout the course, there is an emphasis on the scientific method, its application to psychology, and the insights gained from scientific research. The interactions among biological processes, cognitive and emotional responses, sociocultural forces, and behavior are examined. Included are such diverse topics as: health, stress, and coping; consciousness, sleep and dreams; effects of psychoactive drugs on behavior and health; psychological disorders; social psychology; types of learning and behavior management, information processing approaches including memory, encoding and retrieval; and the relationship of the nervous system to thought, feelings, and behaviors.
SOCL1021RACE, CLASS AND GENDER: INTRO TOSOCIOLOGY (SLSO)
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course is an introduction to the study of society through the critical analysis of social relations, behavior, and organization. It is designed to facilitate students to develop a broad knowledge of how social structures and human behavior influence each other, as well as to identify the issues that arise from such interactions. In order for students to critically analyze contemporary social issues and problems, such discussions will focus along the dimensions of race, class, and gender. No prior knowledge of sociology is expected.
Liberal Arts Component: 30 credits
ADMG1018FUNDAMENTALS OF MANAGEMENT
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
An introduction to the three major schools of management thought: the classical, the behavioral and the management science schools. The major emphasis is on the fundamentals of each school of thought and also on the integrative approach to management, drawing on the systems and contingency approaches.
ENGLXXXX
Credits (Min/Max): /
HISTXXXX
Credits (Min/Max): /
ISTC1010DIGITAL LITERACY
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course addresses information and technological literacy in the digital age. Students will develop cognitive and technological competencies in both the discovery and evaluation of information, as well as the creation and dissemination of content, all within a digital context. Students will be introduced to a set of basic digital tools, but the focus will be placed on developing the ability to adapt to new and changing technologies in the future.
MATH1004STATISTICS IN HEALTH CARE
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course focuses on the applications of statistics to the health sciences and nursing fields. The major topics are exploratory data analysis (graphical and numerical descriptions of data); data production and its design; basic concepts and properties of probability and probability distributions, including the normal distribution and sampling distributions; statistical inference (inference about a population mean or proportion and about comparing two population means or proportions, chi-square test for goodness of fit, and ANOVA to compare population means). This course is reserved for students in the health-sciences and nursing programs.
PHIL1021INTRO TO PHILOSOPHY (SLRS)
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This is a survey course that presents the principal philosophical problems, questions, and systems. Consideration is given to representative schools of philosophy, especially the foundational teachings in Plato and Aristotle. The relationship of philosophy to other disciplines, arts and sciences is examined. (SLRS)
PHIL3027BIOMEDICAL ETHICS
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
The course addresses significant ethical issues and controversies that occur in the health professions. Students are not encouraged to adopt any particular ethical position or view but rather gain an ability to review and analyze the reasons that support various norms and opinions in this field.
Nursing Component: Select 12 credits from the following electives
NURU3028HEALTH CARE FOR OLDER ADULTS
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course is designed to provide students the opportunity to explore the historical and contemporary health experiences of older people with an emphasis on health promotion, disease prevention, living with chronic illness, and evidence-based nursing interventions to improve and maintain the health of older people. Students will examine health disparities and common health problems in older adults.Ethical, legal, and health policy issues impacting health care for older adults will also be examined.
PREREQUISITES:
Nursing Majors Only
NURU4012INTRO TO NURSING INFORMATICS
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This elective course provides the student with the opportunity to explore nursing informatics and technology applications in healthcare with emphasis on preparing entry level nurses with basic nursing informatics competencies. A brief history and evolution of health care technology, selected concepts, theories and models related to healthcare information systems, current systems and their uses, with emphasis on quality and safety in delivering patient care, and trends and future directions in implementing healthcare information systems will be introduced. Knowledge and skill in information processing and data management, professional roles, competencies, and skills of an informatics nurse as a project team member, and a systems design model will also be addressed.
PREREQUISITES:
Nursing Majors Only
NURU4020CURRENT ISSUES IN NURSING
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course is designed to provide the students with the opportunity to explore the contemporary context of professional nursing practice and health care delivery. Students will examine the major issues and trends in nursing and healthcare and consider the influence of socioeconomic, ethical, legal, and political variables as well as professional values on contemporary nursing practice.
PREREQUISITES:
Nursing Majors Only
NURU4024ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES IN NURSING (HEALING INNURSING PRACTICE)
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
Alternative and complementary therapies in nursing is an elective course for the RN-BSN majors. In this course the students will explore alternative and complementary therapies from the perspectives of foundational theories and the related therapies: mind-body-spirit, manipulation-based, natural products, and energy therapies. Current issues in education, practice, and research in the alternative and complementary therapies is the focus of this course.
PREREQUISITES:
Nursing Majors Only
NURU4026ETHICAL AND LEGAL ASPECTS IN PROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course is designed to offer students the opportunity to examine the influence of the laws, legal and ethical issues on professional nursing practice in today's complex and changing health care delivery environments. Frequently encountered ethical and legal issues in nursing practice and various healthcare settings will be explored.
PREREQUISITES:
Nursing Majors Only
NURU4027HEALTH CARE FOR WOMEN
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
In this course, students will have the opportunity to explore the historical and contemporary health experiences of women with an emphasis on health promotion, disease prevention, and evidence-based nursing interventions to improve health care of women. Students will examine the health disparities and common health problems in women across the lifespan. The impact of ethical factors, legal factors and health care policy will also be examined. Students will also identify issues that impact women's health at the local, national and global levels.
PREREQUISITES:
Nursing Majors Only
NURU4032PALLIATIVE AND END-OF-LIFE NURSING CARE
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course is designed to offer students the opportunity to explore the professional nurse's role in palliative care and care at the end of life. Students will examine dimensions of professional nursing practice with clients and families facing chronic life-threatening illnesses and end of life. Ethical and legal issues impacting nursing care will be examined. Evidence-based management of physical, psychosocial and spiritual concerns of clients and their families at end of life and the palliative care of special populations will be investigated.
PREREQUISITES:
Nursing Majors Only
NURU4037HEALTH CARE FOR MEN
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
In this course students will have the opportunity to explore the historical and contemporary health experiences of men with an emphasis on health promotion, disease prevention and evidence-based nursing interventions to improve health of men. Students will examine health disparities and common health problems in men across the lifespan. The impact of ethical, legal and health policy issues will also be examined. Students will identify issues that impact men's health at the local, national and global levels.
PREREQUISITES:
Nursing Majors Only
Nursing Component Required Courses: 18 credits
NURU3021LEADERSHIP IN NURSING PRACTICE
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course is designed to provide students an opportunity to broaden their knowledge of professional nursing practice by enhancing their leadership and management skills. Knowledge and skills of nursing leadership and management will be examined through didactic course work, and a 30 hour practicum experience structured to provide students with the opportunity to develop a project or provide a service in a selected healthcare setting. Core competencies for quality care as well as legal, ethical, and professional values will be explored as related to nursing leadership and management.
PREREQUISITES:
Nursing Majors Only
NURU3023EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE AND NURSING RESEARCH
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course is designed to provide the student an opportunity to explore the nature, value, and utility of nursing research, and the relationships among research, theory, and practice. An overview of the research process is presented, with emphasis on varying approaches and methodologies, conceptual consistency, and ethical considerations. Critical appraisal of published research affords the student the opportunity to identify valid, rigorous research necessary to support evidence-based practices.
PREREQUISITES:
Nursing Majors Only
NURU3030HEALTH PROMOTION IN NURSING PRACTICE
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course is designed to offer students the opportunity to explore the nurse's role in health promotion, disease and injury prevention and health education across the life span. Students will examine models and theories of health promotion, behavioral change and health education related to individuals and communities. Sociocultural, economic, genetic and political determinants that contribute to or hinder achieving optimal health are addressed. Evidence-based interventions that promote healthy behaviors of individuals and communities and prevent morbidity and mortality are analyzed.
NURU3035QUALITY AND SAFETY IN HEALTHCAREAND NURSING PRACTICE
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This elective course provides the opportunity to explore quality and safety competencies in health care and nursing practice. Knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to these competencies will be explored as will the national agenda driving quality and safety initiatives, strategies to build a culture of quality and safety, interprofessional approaches to quality and safety, and global issues and strategies related to quality and safety. Selected issues related to safe, quality nursing care will be investigated.
PREREQUISITES:
Nursing Majors Only
NURU3036INTRO TO HEALTH POLICY
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course is designed to provide the student an overview of the context of health care including the organization and financing of patient services, how reimbursement is structured, and the scope and role of regulatory agencies that define boundaries of nursing practice. Health care policy issues and the political process addressing those issues will be examined. Strategies for influencing the political process by nurses, other health professionals, lay and special advocacy groups will be explored.
PREREQUISITES:
Nursing Majors Only
NURU4021COMMUNITY NURSING
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course is designed to provide the student the opportunity to explore concepts and practices of public health and community health nursing. Students will utilize their prior knowledge of nursing, humanities, natural and applied sciences to develop community nursing knowledge and skills to promote health of families, communities, and populations. The course focuses on health promotion and disease prevention and incorporates ethical and legal issues in community health nursing practice. In addition, the student will examine the impact of cultural, social and religious differences that impact community nursing practice. The 30 hour practicum experience is structured to provide students with the opportunity to develop a program or provide a service to promote health of a selected community.
PREREQUISITES:
Nursing Majors Only