Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
Nursing - RN to BSN
About the Program
This degree option is designed for licensed registered nurses (RNs) who have completed an associate degree from an accredited college or nursing program. Learning focuses on community and population health, leadership, team coordination and collaboration, quality assurance and improvement, care coordination and case management, and appplication of research and evidence-based practice. The curriculum is designed to include clinical reasoning skills, problem solving, and critical thinking at the level of a bachelor-prepared RN. Graduates from the RN to BSN program are prepared to apply for advanced degree programs.
Admission Requirements
Meeting the minimum entrance requirements does not guarantee admission as the number of qualified applicants may exceed the number of available enrollment spaces. To be placed into the admissions pool, applicants must complete and submit the following:
- BSN application packet.
- Transcript demonstrating earned associate degree from a nationally accredited nursing program within an institutionally accredited college or university.
- Transcript(s) demonstrating a grade of C or higher in all required pre-nursing and nursing courses and a cumulative college GPA of 2.5 or higher.
- Transcript demonstrating completion of MATH& 146 or equivalent statistics course with a grade of C or above.
- Unencumbered Washington State RN licensure. Students in the final year of a Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission (NCQAC) approved associate degree nursing program may be admitted, but must take and pass the NCLEX-RN prior to beginning the RN to BSN curriculum (passing the NCLEX-RN provides 30 credits toward the BSN).
The program offers two options, one for graduates from programs offering the Washington State Associate in Nursing Direct Transfer Agreement with Major Ready Pathway (AN-DTA/MRP) degree and one for graduates of programs without the AN-DTA/MRP.
Additional Admission Requirements
- Students must be able to pass a Washington State Patrol criminal background check prior to beginning classes within the RN to BSN program.
- Students must be able to comply with the LCC Nursing Program's clinical requirements for placement in the RN to BSN field experience.
For a roadmap that identifies the preferred sequencing of courses and other specific recommendations from faculty, please see the corresponding program map(s):
- Nursing - RN to BSN Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
- Nursing - RN to BSN Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
- Nursing - RN to BSN Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
- Nursing - RN to BSN Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
Degree Requirements
Total credits required to earn this degree: 90 lower-division credits and 90 upper-division credits for a total of 180 with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.5 in the program requirements. RN to BSN students with the AN-DTA/MRP will only need to complete coursework at the senior level (45 credits) as 15 upper-division credits are included in the AN-DTA/MRP and 30 are applied with RN licensure. RN to BSN students with other types of associate degrees may need up to 15 additional upper-level general education credits (total 60 credits).
LCC students must meet distribution requirements for associate degrees and specific certificates. See Diversity and Distribution Lists for more information.
General Education Requirements
The following courses must be completed prior to a bachelor's degree obtainment. Some courses may be included in the associate degree or be completed during the RN to BSN program in addition to the required courses. A minimum of 50 quarter credits of general education courses are required in the following distribution areas prior to graduation.
-
Communications: 10 credits - 5 credits - ENGL& 101 English Composition I
- 5 credits - ENGL& 102 English Composition II, CMST& 220 Public Speaking OR
CMST 330 Professional/Organizational Communications (CMST 330 required for non AN-DTA/MRP grads)
-
Quantitative Skills: 5 credits
MATH& 146 Introduction to Statistics
-
Natural Science: 20 credits
- 5 credits - BIOL& 241 Human A & P 1
- 5 credits - BIOL& 242 Human A & P 2
- 5 credits - BIOL& 260 Microbiology
- 5 credits - CHEM& 121 Intro to Chemistry
-
Humanities: 5 credits
OLTM 440 Ethics and Leadership: Leading and Managing in a Diverse Society: DIV (OLTM 440 required for non AN-DTA/MRP grads) OR
5 credits of legal and ethical issues in healthcare included in AN-DTA/MRP -
Social Science: 10 credits
- 5 credits - PSYC& 200 Lifespan Psychology
- 5 credits - PSYC 320 Leadership and Organizational Psychology (PSYC 320 required for
non AN-DTA/MRP grads) OR
5 credits of psychosocial nursing included in AN-DTA/MRP
-
Diversity: 5 credits
OLTM 440 Ethics and Leadership: Leading and Managing in a Diverse Society: DIV OR
Another course from the Diversity Course List
All upper level general education requirements are included in the AN-DTA/MRP degree. For graduates of nursing programs with other types of associate degrees, the following general education courses (total 15 credits) must be completed prior to graduation:
| Course Code | Course Title | Number of Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CMST 330 | Professional/Organizational Communications | 5 |
| PSYC 320 | Leadership and Organizational Psychology | 5 |
| OLTM 440 | Ethics and Leadership: Leading and Managing in a Diverse Society: DIV | 5 |
Program Requirements
Nursing Core
| Course Code | Course Title | Number of Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NURS 400 | Quality, Safety, and Equity in Nursing Practice | 5 |
| NURS 405 | Research and Evidence-Based Nursing Practice | 5 |
| NURS 410 | Community and Public Health Nursing | 5 |
| NURS 415 | Leadership for Organizational Change | 5 |
| NURS 420 | Health Information Technology in Nursing | 5 |
| NURS 430 | Nursing Community Care Field Experience | 5 |
Nursing Electives
| Course Code | Course Title | Number of Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NURS 435 | Historical and Theoretical Influences on Current Nursing Practice | 5 |
| NURS 440 | Current Trends in Healthcare Policy | 5 |
| ECON 445 | Healthcare Economics | 5 |
| AN-DTA/MRP Graduates | Non AN-DTA/MRP Graduates |
|---|---|
Prelicensure - 135 credits total
|
Prelicensure - 120 credits total
|
RN to BSN program - 45 credits total
|
RN to BSN program - 60 credits total
|
| 180 credits | 180 credits |
Program Outcomes
Students completing this program should acquire the following skills and abilities:
- Apply a systems-based approach to quality improvement in order to ensure safe, quality, and equitable care (GS - critical thinking, teamwork).
- Demonstrate leadership skills in promoting collaboration among members of the interdisciplinary healthcare team (GS - critical thinking, communication, teamwork).
- Apply analytic and clinical reasoning in professional nursing practice (GS - critical thinking, communication, quantitative literacy).
- Promote equitable and inclusive health and wellness in diverse community and public health settings (GS - critical thinking, communication, teamwork).
- Demonstrate accountability for personal and professional growth, leadership development, and professional values in nursing practice (GS - critical thinking, communication).
- Demonstrate scholarly inquiry as a member of the interdisciplinary team (GS - critical thinking, communication, teamwork).
- Implement holistic, person-centered care in the professional nurse role (GS - critical thinking, communication).
- Ultilize healthcare informatics and other technologies to promote delivery of equitable, safe, quality, and cost-effective person- and population-centered care (GS - critical thinking, communication, quantitative literacy, teamwork).
Notes
Revised July 2023 (effective Summer 2024)
Program planning is based on information available at the time of preparation. It is the student’s responsibility to meet with their LCC advisor. Consult the LCC catalog for LCC graduation requirements.