College of Nursing to offer RN to BSN program
June 30, 2014
CHARLESTON, SC – The Medical University of South Carolina College of Nursing has announced that it will begin to offer an online Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in nursing (RN to BSN) degree program beginning this fall. Applications for the program are currently being accepted through July 15, 2014, and can be accessed at https://www.applyweb.com/musc/index.html.
“This is an exciting time as we embark on new endeavors to advance our nurses professionally,” says Gail W. Stuart PhD, RN, FAAN, dean and distinguished university professor at MUSC’s College of Nursing. “With changes in health care, we need a nursing work force that is continually growing, learning and assuming new roles in patient care; we want to ensure that our nurses are in optimal positions to deliver on the new expectations and demands of our evolving health care system.”
The RN to BSN program will enable nurses to pursue the advanced training required in a growing number of hospitals, as well as assume leadership roles and increase their earning potential while balancing work and other life obligations. Health care has becoming increasingly complex, and health care organizations, as well as the federal government, are calling for baccalaureate prepared nurses who are better equipped to meet the demands of practice.
The fully online program can be completed in one academic year that consists of three full-time semesters. Students who meet the program’s admission criteria and have the prerequisites for admission will complete 10 courses over 12 months that will provide a foundation for excellence in professional nursing practice. This practice-related experience is designed to assist students to integrate new practice-related knowledge and skills that will transition them from an associate degree or diploma to the baccalaureate level of proficiency. The program will work to assist the student in gaining higher-level skills than those already accomplished in their RN program. The college’s highly qualified, committed and accessible faculty will teach the online courses. The RN to BSN program has been approved by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education.
The program is being introduced to increase the number of nurses with the appropriate levels of education likely to be needed in the future. Many research studies, including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s “Charting Nursing’s Future,” supports there are better outcomes when nurses have a BSN degree or higher. To ensure the RN workforce achieves baccalaureate or higher degrees by 2020, colleges must become part of the innovative solutions that will develop the future generations of nurses.
About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the south. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC is home to over 3,000 students and residents, as well as nearly 10,000 employees, including 1,300 faculty members. The MUSC College of Nursing educates over 460 students in baccalaureate, masters and doctoral programs. www.musc.edu/nursing.
