Nursing, BSN Degree/RN to BSN

The total number of hours for the program: 120.

The online RN to BSN Program assists registered nurses (RNs) to add value to their basic education, broaden their perspective of current clinical practice, enhance their leadership potential, and prepare them for graduate study in nursing by earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing enhances RN knowledge and competencies needed for the complex healthcare environment. Now, more than ever, nurses prepared at the baccalaureate and master’s level are in great demand by healthcare employers. Our faculty are invested in nurturing students as they prepare for their roles as clinicians, educators, leaders, consumers of research, and responsible members of society. The School of Nursing is approved by the North Carolina Board of Nursing and accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

RN to BSN Nursing Program

To be admitted to the program, students must satisfy the following admission prerequisites:

A current, unrestricted license to practice as an RN within the United States
A cumulative GPA of 2.50 or higher on all post-secondary courses.
Completion of the School of Nursing course prerequisites and the WCU Liberal Studies requirements with grades of C or better.
Accumulation of at least 60 semester non-nursing credit hours.
The WCU Liberal Studies requirement is waived if the student has a previous baccalaureate degree or an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science from a North Carolina Community College. An Associate of Applied Science degree does not waive this requirement.

Retention in the Program:

Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.50 overall in the major and earn a grade of C (2.00) or better in each required course in the major in order to remain in the program.
Students are expected to adhere to the technical and professional standards and safe practice policies of the program.
For the most up-to-date information regarding standards, refer to the RN to BSN Nursing program website.
See the Nursing program website for application deadlines.

The RN to BSN program is only for persons who

Have a current, unrestricted license to practice as an RN within the US OR will have such a license before starting WCU NSG courses.
Have completed WCU Liberal Studies requirements
Have at least 60 semester hours not counting previous Nursing courses
Desire the convenience of an online program.

Liberal Studies Hours (42 hours)

Liberal Studies Program Requirements

Major Requirements

The major requires 72 hours as follows:

Note: BIOL 313 - Microbiology in Health and Nutrition is an acceptable substitution for ENVH 260/261 requirement.

BIOL 291 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I Credits: 4
BIOL 292 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II Credits: 4
ENVH 260 - Etiology of Infectious Diseases, Lecture Credits: 2
PSY 150 - General Psychology Credits: 3
and
ENVH 261 - Etiology of Infectious Diseases Laboratory Credits: 1
(or approved substitute)
NSG 301 - Professional Transitions in Nursing Credits: 3
NSG 302 - Community Health Nursing I: Theory Credits: 3
NSG 305 - Community Health Nursing III: Intervention Project Credits: 1
NSG 374 - Community Health Nursing II: Practice Experience Credits: 2
NSG 398 - APA Writing Style and Format Credits: 1
NSG 399 - Clinical Update for RN’s Credits: 2
Block credit by School of Nursing validation on successful completion of NSG 399, 30 hours.
NSG 460 - Nursing Leadership I: Theory Credits: 3
NSG 463 - Nursing Leadership III: Intervention Project Credits: 1
NSG 471 - Nursing Research I: Research Process Credits: 2
NSG 472 - Nursing Research II: Critical Reading Credits: 2
NSG 473 - Nursing Research III: Clinical Application Credits: 2
NSG 474 - Nursing Leadership II: Practice Experience Credits: 2

Plus

CHEM 132 - Survey of Chemistry I Credits: 4
or
CHEM 133 - Survey of Chemistry II Credits: 4
or
CHEM 140 - General Chemistry II Credits: 4
or one college-transfer chemistry course with a lab

Electives

General electives (6 hours) are required from WCU at the upper-division level to satisfy degree requirements.

RN to MS(N) early-entry option:

Purpose: To assist selected RNs with good academic records to move smoothly through the RN to BSN curriculum directly into MS(N) study for advanced nursing roles. Normally, the student would take up to 8 semester hours of WCU undergraduate upper-division electives to complete the BSN. These electives could be replaced with up to 8 hours of WCU MS(N) graduate-level work, reducing the time needed to complete both degrees by one semester.

Students interested in this option should consult with both their RN to BSN advisor and the RN to MS(N) advisor.

Application requirements for the RN to MS(N) early-entry option:

Admission to and enrollment in the WCU RN to BSN program.
Completion of at least 12 of the required 24 hours of WCU RN to BSN NSG courses, with projected completion of the remaining hours before or during the semester of application to the WCU RN to MS(N) early-entry option.
GRE or MAT submitted with acceptable scores
Statistics course completed from any accredited institution in any discipline
GPA of 3.00 on last 60 hours or cumulative post-secondary GPA of 2.85
Professional statement and resume

Enrollment in the RN to MS(N) entry option does not guarantee admission to the MS(N) program. Admission of the RN to MS(N) applicant is provisional until the BSN is successfully completed.

If RN students are admitted provisionally to the early-entry option at WCU, this option replaces the WCU undergraduate upper-division electives needed for the RN to BSN with up to eight hours of MS(N) graduate credits. The BSN is then awarded by WCU.

If RN students are admitted provisionally to the early-entry option at WCU but elect not to finish it, they may apply any combination of WCU undergraduate upper-division electives with WCU MS(N) graduate credits for a total of eight hours to complete the BSN.

If RN students are not admitted provisionally to the early-entry option at WCU, they may still complete the BSN by taking eight hours of WCU undergraduate upper-division electives.

Visit the department’s website at rntobsn.wcu.edu to view the curriculum guide.