The NDSU School of Nursing will begin a new online, blended RN to BSN program starting in fall semester 2016 and is currently accepting applications.
The online, part-time program provides flexibility for nurses to advance their careers and transform their professional practice. The two-year program gives nurses with associate degrees an opportunity to earn their bachelor’s degree in a manner that fits with their schedules.
Courses are designed to build on the knowledge that registered nurses learned in their associate degree program, as well as through their on-the-job experience. Each student will receive individual advising and evaluation of their transcripts. The program grants 15 credits for demonstrated competency/NCLEX success at no cost to the nurses who are accepted into the program at NDSU.
The program is five semesters in length. The majority of work is completed online, with the exception of day-and-a-half on-campus immersions each fall and spring semester at NDSU. Clinical experiences in leadership and population-focused care can be completed in the student’s home community.
The program is designed to accommodate nurses who are working and who also have additional responsibilities. Courses are offered in eight-week blocks—generally two consecutive courses each semester.
“The curriculum was developed after reviewing studies that revealed what is important to nurses who want to earn their BSN. The NDSU RN to BSN program prepares nurses to transform their nursing practice.” said Holly Sandhurst, program director and assistant professor of practice at NDSU.
The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies recommends a goal of increasing the proportion of nurses with a baccalaureate degree from 50 percent to 80 percent by 2020. North Dakota will have 4,430 nursing openings through 2020, according to a study by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.
For more information on NDSU’s program, contact Sandhurst at holly.l.sandhurst@ndsu.edu or at 701.231.7886.