RN to BSN Programs Today

More schools are offering servicemembers with registered nurse
licensing an online pathway to achieving a baccalaureate
degree without interruption to their military commitments.

by Christian Sheehy, MAE Editor
   

 
As military medical personnel prepare to advance in rank or begin civilian careers, upgrading their credentials as registered nurses is key to this preparedness. Aware of this need, some colleges are catering to distance learners by providing RN to BSN programs in fully online format. Employing advances in asynchronous virtual “Blackboard” technology, these institutions are bringing the classroom to the student, which, in many cases, is on duty in such remote locations as the South Pacific Ocean or the Arctic Circle.

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-CHICAGO

Global Campus, part of the University of Illinois at Chicago system, offers degree programs and certifications in a distance, web-based learning format. The partnership with the University of Illinois system started enrolling matriculating students through Global Campus in January 2008.

“Global Campus is the web partner of UIC that develops the courses and puts the course offerings online,” said Dr. Patrick Robinson, executive assistant dean, University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Nursing. “Global Campus provides us with the resources for teaching technology and structural web designers. The UIC element partnered with Global Campus comprises the subject matter experts who develop the course content that is offered through UIC’s Global Campus arm.”

UIC’s RN-BSN program is a baccalaureate completion program offered to individuals who have an associates degree in nursing and are licensed registered nurses. “Baccalaureate level education for RN license holders offers extra content in competencies important for contemporary healthcare namely study in research, community population health and leadership management,” Robinson said.

The UIC RN-BSN program is in a fully online, synchronous, group-oriented distance learning format. The practical or “hands-on” component of the program is accomplished at the individual student’s location. These “projects” are practical experiences that meet the program requirements in developing the same competencies developed in the program’s traditional clinical format.

From the distance learner’s perspective, the UIC RN-BSN program offers complete online-driven accessibility in eight-week segments that are offered in an asynchronous format. A total of thirty credit hours is needed for Applications for admission to the program are taken three times annually and each program can be completed in less than two years assuming a student completes each course segment in the prescribed time frame. For military servicemembers who may be deployed and not have continuous access to the Internet, the program’s asynchronous format enables them to pick up course instruction at a later date and schedule synchronous interactive sessions for instruction and advising purposes.

A typical RN-licensed servicemember interested in pursuing a baccalaureate in nursing at UIC enrolls through the Internet and the Global Campus portal. Students are offered a full cadre of advising and academic services in assisting them with choosing and preparing them for their course of study. After a student has enrolled, they are introduced to a learning platform called “Desire to Learn”, an asynchronous virtual blackboard-like, web-based program offering individualized, synchronous student-instructor interaction.

Two of the admission criteria are: graduation form a state-approved (any state) associates degree program in nursing and RN license (in any state). Credit is given for anything except the associate degree course work, academic course work transferred from another institution of higher education, and actual UIC course work.

Financial services are also offered through Global Campus to assist active and transitioning servicemembers with costs not covered by military tuition assistance programs.

WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY

The RN to BSN program at Western Governors University (WGU) was designed for the working adult learner. The program is competency based so nurses can work through the curriculum at their own pace to accelerate the learning process. The program is designed to expand the student’s knowledge beyond the clinical aspects of nursing and into patient education, health promotion, and technology integration, as well as health care systems and policies. The program competencies are derived from industry nursing experts as well as standards established for nursing education.

“WGU’s bachelor of science in nursing provides extended educational and employment opportunities for registered nurses,” said Dr. Sandra Wise, dean, College of Health Professions, Western Governors University. “This program provides nurses with the competency to excel in the everchanging field of health care.”WGU also offers a masters of science degree in nursing (MSN) for those nurses who already has a BSN. The MSN is delivered through WGU’s online competency model for the working adult learner. The program offers two specializations in either nursing education or nursing leadership and management.

“WGU’s MSN program will prepare nursing leaders, educators, and administrators who can facilitate the delivery of healthcare services and nursing education whose outcomes result in maximizing health in the dynamic health care system,” added Dr. Wise. WGU’s RN-BSN program is delivered entirely online through its competency-based model. Nurses at any location where there is Internet access can enroll and complete the program. All aspects of the program are delivered asynchronously so there is never any worry about time zones or sitting in a classroom. With a valid nursing license, the program allows for the nurse’s prior nursing education to count towards the BSN degree without any need for additional testing or verification.

WGU’s RN-BSN program has always been accessible to those who are deployed. Students work in six month segments to complete pre-determined competencies. With such flexibility in location and time, military distance learners from anywhere around the world can obtain an accredited education.

WGU’s MSN programs also provide additional career paths for BSN nurses. The MSN is also delivered in the online competency-based model and can be completed anywhere there is Internet access. Nurses can choose a career path as a nursing educator or administrator with the advantage of completing WGU’s MSN program as nationally certified in the chosen area.

OHIO UNIVERSITY-CHILLICOTHE

Ohio University-Chillicothe campus also offers an RN to BSN program. Individuals who have previously completed a diploma or an advanced degree in nursing (ADN) program can enroll in the RN to BSN program. The program is offered through the Chillicothe, Southern, and Zanesville campuses. Each of these campuses houses an ADN program site, so the school admits students to the RN to BSN program through each of these campuses.

The traditional four-year program is for individuals who are not nurses and want to complete the BSN as their first degree in nursing and it will be housed on the Athens campus. All four sites and all of the programs are part of the same School of Nursing. The RN to BSN program offers ADN and diploma graduates the opportunity to complete the BSN. All of the BSN major courses are available in an online format. Most students need to take some prerequisite courses and some general education requirements. Most of these are available through an online delivery system or through correspondence courses. Students are also provided the opportunity to take non-nursing courses at institutions closer to their home. RN to BSN students complete 12 courses in nursing for a total of 50 quarter credits in nursing. Most students require an additional 20 to 24 credits to complete the degree.

The Ohio University School of Nursing has tailored its RN to BSN program to be fully available online. Dr. Kathleen Rose-Grippa, interim director of the Ohio University School of Nursing, said, “We recognize that RNs lead very busy lives. They have responsibilities to the profession, to their employers, and to their families. We, the faculty and staff, consider it our responsibility to the students and to the profession of nursing to remove as many obstacles as possible in completing the BSN. To accomplish this goal we offer advising and other student services via telephone. We are also in the process of revising courses. As part of that revision, we will be reviewing how the connections between our computers and the learners’ computers can be less troublesome—in essence, the revision will increase user friendliness as well as content revisions. The revisions should make the program even more accessible to RNs serving our country whether they are stationed somewhere in the States or some other location in the world.”

The Ohio University—Chillicothe also offers a master’s program that is housed on the Athens campus and anticipates the beginning of a four-year traditional BSN program in the fall of 2009.

It is possible to complete the basic education required of a nurse through the school’s advanced degree in nursing program. This program is offered on three of the Ohio University campuses. Those campuses are: Chillicothe, Southern, and Zanesville. Each of the three sites provides licensed practicing nurses with an accelerated path to completion of the ADN program.

“Having the RN to BSN Program available through the Ohio University-Chillicothe campus makes the program available to students from many locales which in turn makes in easier for individuals from of all walks of life to complete the program,” added Rose-Grippa.

JACKSONVILLE UNIVERSITY

Established in 1983, Jacksonville University’s School of Nursing began offering generic undergraduate degrees for students interested in becoming licensed nurses. In 2000, JU began offering an online RN to BSN program. The program comprises two non-classroom or computer-based segments which are non-hospital access dependent for completion. A classroombased format is offered on campus at Jacksonville University and comprises 30-40 percent military students, including Navy ROTC and Seamen to Admiral enrollees. Aside from Navy, JU has smaller representation from other service branches for various reasons including recent changes to Army officer nurse corps requirements which now offer more flexibility, requiring only RN certification and planned BSN nursing degree completion prior to commissioning.

Dr. Lesley Morgan, director of online nursing and assistant professor, School of Nursing, Jacksonville University said, “The program is made up of two components that are clinical in nature and can be adjusted to various healthcare facilities and clinics available to military medical personnel. One of these components involves community health care teaching project which can be completed at a clinical healthcare location. The other component involves a project with a topic in health care but without a healthcare facility coursework requirement.”

The basic requirements for program acceptance are that students be certified as degreed RN license holders and have preceptors for the each course component. For military students stationed in isolated locations and without access to continuous Internet service, exceptions can be made allowing them to work with physicians and other academically-qualified health care providers.

In situations where students are not able to access the Internet due to emergencies or military deployment, JU offers flexibility in coursework completion and exam scheduling. “We are quite conscious of different situations that may cause a delay in students meeting course requirement deadlines,” said Morgan. “The key is that students communicate with faculty to determine another course of action if unable to complete objectives ahead of time.”

Created by University Alliance and Bisk Education, JU’s Learning Management System (LMS) offers an asynchronous, blackboard-like and messaging tool for student-to-student and student-toinstructor interaction. It features streaming video lectures, audio lectures, MP3 lectures, email within the classroom, message boards and live chat rooms. “We offer streaming video of faculty lecturing, assignments through our course email system, online exams, asynchronous messaging, and chat rooms for synchronous communications,” said Morgan. “If students desire communication with faculty or other students on general, opendiscussion topics, they can post messages on the online message board for general audience consumption or a particular individual. For student-specific information, they contact faculty directly via confidential course email.”

JU offers personal online academic advising to assist students in planning their baccalaureate in nursing degree course progression. “These advisors work individually with students, looking at their courses and transcripts to help design a plan of study that will enable the student to meet all graduation requirements,” said Morgan.

Aside from credit transferable from other institutions, JU offers 30 credits towards a BSN by virtue of students holding a certified RN license. JU is in the beginning phases of offering a master’s in nursing degree program in online format though Bisk Education. “Ideally, we’d like to have our first master’s class in fall 2009, however, that might be a bit aggressive,” said Morgan.

Applications for admission to the JU RN to BSN program are obtainable online, but must be submitted by mail. JU is currently in the process of upgrading its program site to offer fully electronic admissions application procedures. University Alliance/Bisk Education hopes to have JU’s online application system live sometime in 2009 JU also has an on-campus library offersing an online writing center and serving as a medical database for distance learning students. ♦