Bachelor of Science in Nursing—RN-to-BSN

Description and Outcomes

A Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree prepares members of the nursing profession who are effective in the integration of evidence as a foundation for practice. The program emphasizes professional growth and lifelong learning by building upon a foundation of the arts, sciences, and humanities. Program outcomes promote leadership in a diverse and rapidly changing health care system. Graduates are prepared to provide direct and indirect care for individuals, families, communities, and populations.

The RN-to-BSN program provides registered nurses with the education to enhance their skills, better meet the complex demands of health care, and pursue employment in numerous nursing management and practice specialties. Program outcomes align with professional nursing standards and guidelines. The core courses cover:

  • In-depth physical assessment 
  • Evidence-based practice
  • Interprofessional collaboration 
  • Information technologies
  • Leadership and management
  • Self-care of the nurse
  • The four spheres of nursing practice as designated by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)
    • Preventative care 
    • Regenerative/restorative care 
    • Chronic disease management 
    • Hospice/palliative care ​

Finally, the program is designed as a foundation to support registered nurses interested in pursuing graduate nursing studies.

The RN-to-BSN program has an articulation plan that allows you to obtain college credit and reduce repetition of previous coursework. The articulation options are determined using your registered nurse licensure.

Clinical Practice Experiences

You will complete direct care clinical practice experiences designed for application of theoretical knowledge and preparation for baccalaureate level of practice while working with a designated, qualified preceptor.

You must complete these experiences in a setting that has been approved by the School of Nursing. You will serve as the best advocate for your clinical placement as you are most familiar with your local area and networking contacts. It is your responsibility to identify potential clinical sites and preceptors in your area that are appropriate for your clinical courses. The University will provide support and assistance to you in facilitation of your clinical placement. The following are requirements for the clinical placement process and course progression:

  1. The School of Nursing Handbook includes policies, guidelines, and requirements relevant to your successful completion of the placement process and registration for clinical courses. You are responsible for satisfying the requirements outlined in the handbook. Examples of requirements found in the handbook include, but are not limited to, health and safety documentation, liability insurance, background checks, and immunizations. Requirements vary by program, concentration, and population focus area.
  2. You must complete and pass a drug/chemical substance test as part of your required health and safety documentation prior to beginning clinical experiences.
    1. Note, state laws may permit the use of marijuana for medicinal or recreational purposes; however, federal laws do not, so marijuana is a prohibited substance in the drug/chemical substance test for clinical experiences, without exception. 
    2. If your drug/substance test is positive, you will be withdrawn from your nursing program at the end of the current term. You will be given two weeks to petition to retest, providing an explanation for the positive result by supplying medical or other relevant documentation to the Dean of the School of Nursing. If your petition is approved, you will be placed on an administrative leave of absence for one academic term. During this leave, you must complete and pass a second drug/chemical substance test. If your petition is denied or you are unwilling or unable to pass a second test, you will not be permitted to return to the program.
  3. All required documentation must be approved by the School of Nursing before you are granted permission to register for a clinical course. Incomplete or incorrect documentation may result in a delay of registration.
    1. ​Some facilities may require additional documentation, as necessary, to comply with specific federal and/or state requirements for nursing student candidates. This additional documentation must also be approved before registration.
  4. You may not start a clinical course if you have a grade of "F" for any major course, unless your academic record reflects that the course has been satisfactorily repeated. 
  5. You may not start a clinical course if you have an incomplete grade ("I") for any major course, unless you are granted approval by the School of Nursing.
  6. All required health and safety documentation must remain current according to Purdue Global policy. Specific requirements are listed in the School of Nursing Handbook.
  7. You are responsible for arranging and paying for your own transportation, housing, and availability to attend the clinical experiences.
  8. You are expected to conduct yourself in a professional manner and maintain a safe environment. If a faculty member and/or agency consider you to be in violation of either one of these requirements, you may be removed from the facility or setting and may receive a failing grade for the course if the course outcomes are not met. Unprofessional and/or unsafe practices will be reviewed by the administrative staff as needed.
  9. You must receive a satisfactory final evaluation on the clinical components of your course(s). Failure to successfully complete this portion of a course will result in failure of the entire course.

Program Length

The RN-to-BSN program option of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program consists of a minimum of 180 quarter credit hours. Upon successful completion of the program, you will receive a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.

Program Outcomes

Discipline-Specific Outcomes

  1. Integrate theoretical and empirical knowledge from the arts, sciences, and humanities to support clinical judgment and innovation in nursing practice.
  2. Collaborate with individuals, families, and/or important others to provide person-centered care that is compassionate, holistic, and evidence-based.
  3. Incorporate evidence-based health promotion and disease management strategies in collaboration with relevant stakeholders to provide equitable population-focused care.
  4. Integrate relevant evidence to plan, implement, and evaluate nursing care that improves health and transforms health care.
  5. Apply evidence-based, quality improvement standards that contribute to a culture of patient, nurse, and workplace safety. 
  6. Collaborate with interprofessional team members to optimize care, enhance the health care experience, and strengthen outcomes. 
  7. Apply organizational and systems leadership concepts to provide coordinates, safe, quality, and equitable care to diverse populations. 
  8. Apply information/communication technologies and informatics processes to manage and improve health care services.
  9. Cultivate a sustainable, professional identity that reflects the characteristics and values of the nursing profession.
  10. Engage in activities and self-reflection that foster personal health, a spirit of inquiry, and the development of nursing expertise.

General Education Literacies and Professional Competencies

In addition to the discipline-specific outcomes, general education literacies and professional competencies are integrated throughout your academic program. You can review the general education literacies and professional competencies associated with your academic program in the General Education and Professional Competency Requirements section of this Catalog.

Program Availability

For program availability, please refer to the U.S. State and Other Approvals section and Program Availability Information.

Policies

Admissions Requirements

You must meet the below admissions requirements in addition to Purdue Global's general requirements.

If you are an international applicant, you are not eligible to enroll in this program due to practice experience requirements.

If applying for admission, you must:

  1. Provide official documentation of a current, unencumbered license to practice as a registered nurse in at least one U.S. state or provide evidence of a nursing license comparable to a U.S. registered nurse license from the nation, province, or region where you are employed as a nurse. Proof of foreign licensure must be submitted at the time of enrollment. The University will verify the authenticity of all submitted foreign nursing licenses. 
  2. Provide an official transcript of your associate's degree, diploma, or certificate in nursing.
  3. Pass a criminal background check.

Requirements for Graduates of Foreign Nursing Programs

If you graduated from a foreign nursing program, you must submit an official degree summary evaluation of your nursing program to a foreign credential evaluation service. You may wish to request an official course-by-course evaluation for consideration of transfer credit for specific course requirements. The University will accept an unofficial copy of the foreign transcript evaluation submitted at the time of licensure in the U.S. or the equivalent educational verification that was required at the time of licensure in a foreign nation, province, or region. The official foreign credential evaluation must meet the Admissions Requirements for a prior degree.

The evaluation must be completed by an approved agency listed by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services at http://www.naces.org/members.htm or by another service approved by the University.

Due to the variation in structure of foreign nursing programs, it is not always possible to identify equivalent nursing courses in U.S. certificate, diploma, or associate's degree programs. At the time of enrollment, you may be approved for admission to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing—RN-to-BSN program if you are licensed as a registered nurse in at least one U.S. state or in the U.S. military or provide evidence of a nursing license comparable to a U.S. registered nurse license from a foreign nation, province, or region. 

The School of Nursing will admit applicants on a case-by-case basis.

Progression Requirements

  1. You will follow the grade scales found in Academic Grades and Marks. 
  2. You are required to follow University Catalog and School of Nursing Handbook requirements in completion of your clinical practice experiences.

Certification, State Board, and National Board Exams

Certification and licensure boards have state-specific educational requirements for programs that lead to a license or certification that is a precondition for employment. Prospective and current students must review Purdue Global’s State Licensure and Certifications site to view program and state-specific licensure information.

Licensure-track programs may limit enrollment to students in certain states; please see Purdue Global’s Program Availability Information to determine enrollment eligibility.

You are responsible for understanding the requirements of optional certification exams. Such requirements may change during the course of your program. You are not automatically certified in any way upon program completion. Although certain programs are designed to prepare you to take various optional certification exams, Purdue Global cannot guarantee you will be eligible to take these exams or become certified. Your eligibility may depend on your work experience, completion of education and/or degree requirements, not having a criminal record, and meeting other certification requirements.