Advance Your Profession - Online RN to BSN
At Southern New Hampshire University we understand the pressures nurses face in balancing the competing pressures of work, school and their personal lives. This is why the online RN to BSN program has been designed with practicing nurses in mind. We recognize that nurses working in today’s complex healthcare environment need to demonstrate competencies in a number of areas, including evidence-based care, health promotion and disease prevention, and the use of technology and in enhancing their clinical and professional development. The online RN to BSN at SNHU delivers on these objectives.
We offer an affordable and transfer-friendly online RN to BSN program that maximizes prior course work toward earning your degree and further reduce our already low tuition costs. Unlike other programs, our five, 11-week nursing courses offer nurses sufficient time and the necessary flexibility for mastering course work while balancing your professional and personal life.
The RN to BSN curriculum was developed by experienced nursing faculty with advanced degrees. In addition, for those interested in continuing their education and earning an MSN degree, we offer seamless pathways to an MSN. The online Advanced Pathway RN to MSN option enables you to choose between Clinical Nurse Leader or Patient Quality and Safety concentrations.
Why SNHU?
- An affordable online RN to BSN from a private, not-for-profit university
- A nursing curriculum built upon the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) “The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health” report competencies
- The convenience and flexibility of online delivery from a pioneer in the distance education field
- Accomplished faculty experienced in teaching nurses online
- 24/7 access to SNHU’s virtual campus
- Innovative nursing program and course design
RN to BSN Degree Curriculum
Our online bachelor's in nursing courses follow a unique, six-credit, 11-week structure. This structure serves to accommodate busy practicing nursing professionals and permit sufficient time to complete course work.
Our curriculum is built around a transformational model of individual development. The course work initially stresses enhancing the nursing professional's ability to manage themselves, then focuses on managing in a complex environment. Nurses then focus on developing the awareness, knowledge and proficiency reflected in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing's 11 nursing competencies. Additional BA/BS Core courses also are required for a BSN.
Nursing Required Courses
NUR 310 Nursing Leadership and Management
NUR 320 Patient-Centered Assessments
NUR 330 Research and Evidence-Based Practice
NUR 410 Community and Global Health Delivery
NUR 480 Policy, Law, Ethics and Regulation
Students may transfer up to 90 credits toward the BSN, with a minimum of 30 credits completed at SNHU.
Other Required Coursework
The BSN program is 120 credit hours. In addition to the completion of the five nursing courses outlined above, student will need to complete the following coursework at either Southern New Hampshire University or elsewhere.
| Course Work | Credit Hours |
| Human Anatomy and Physiology I (BIO 210) | 4 |
| Human Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 |
| English Composition I (ENG 120) | 3 |
| English Composition II (ENG 200) | 3 |
| Human Growth and Development (PSY 211) | 3 |
| Introduction to Psychology (PSY 108) | 3 |
| Math ELE | 3 |
| Probability and Statistics (MAT 240) | 3 |
| Fine Arts and Humanities ELE (FAS; HIS; LIT; PHL) | 3 |
| Fine Arts and Humanities ELE (FAS; HIS; LIT; PHL) | 3 |
| Social and Behavioral ELE | 3 |
| Microbiology | 4 |
| Therapeutic Nutrition | 3 |
| Free Electives | 12 |
| Nursing (Obtained as an Associate or Diploma program Nursing) | 36 |
Bachelor's in Nursing Outcomes
Hospitals and other healthcare employers are increasingly seeking nurses with bachelor’s-level educations. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) is urging that the number of BSN-prepared nurses increase to 80 percent by 2020, a sentiment echoed by the Tri-Council for Nursing as a means to enhance patient care and safety.
With SNHU's online RN to BSN degree, you will:
- Conducts comprehensive and focused assessments of health and illness parameters in individuals, groups and vulnerable populations.
- Incorporate concepts of patient safety, clinical management and quality improvement to improve patient outcomes.
- Incorporate evidence-based practice interventions (e.g., information systems, patient care technologies) as appropriate for managing the acute and chronic care of patients promoting health across the lifespan.
- Understand the scope and role of policy, finance and regulatory environments in relationship to individual and population outcomes.
- Communicate effectively with all members of the healthcare team, including interdepartmental and interdisciplinary collaboration for quality outcomes.
- Apply knowledge of organizational behavior, nursing theory and systems as appropriate for the scope and role of one's own practice.
- Apply and incorporate a basic understanding of the concepts of health promotion and disease as a means of improving health at the individual, population and community level.
- Incorporate a holistic, caring, culturally appropriate nursing approach that contributes to the wellness and the health of individuals, groups and vulnerable populations.
- Incorporate the qualities, skills, behaviors, and knowledge required to function as a patient advocate, practice high quality care, assess and evaluate patient outcomes, and provide leadership in improving care.
- Integrate a holistic approach to local, regional, national and global dynamics in nursing and healthcare system delivery.
Advanced Pathway RN to MSN Option
For professional nurses with defined education goals, our online RN to MSN option offers a seamless pathway for advancing from an ADN through to a Master of Science in Nursing . The RN to MSN option saves you time and money and enables you to pursue your advanced nursing degrees without a break in continuity or momentum.
RN to MSN option students complete graduate-level course work in their BSN courses, resulting in the elimination of two graduate courses reducing the time for the overall program by as much at 22 weeks. RN to BSN students who apply to and are accepted into the advanced pathway RN to MSN option will select either the Clinical Nurse Leader or Patient Quality and Safety concentration.
BSN Admission Requirements
Students must have:
- An earned associate degree in nursing from a state-approved or nationally accredited nursing program and a 2.5 minimum cumulative GPA.
- Evidence of unencumbered state RN licensure (due upon completion of the first BS in Nursing course).
- Daily access to the internet
Students seeking the advanced pathway RN to MSN option must have an active unencumbered license to practice as a registered nurse and an undergraduate GPA of 3.0. If you have a GPA below 3.0 but higher than 2.67, you are eligible for provisional acceptance. You must achieve a grade of B+ or better in your first graduate nursing course to be fully accepted into the MSN program.
Students enrolled in Community College System of New Hampshire nursing programs should contact their CCSNH advisor to learn more about program admission requirements and tuition information.
RN to BSN students interested in the advanced pathway RN to MSN option should contact an SNHU admission representative or academic advisor to learn more about the separate admission requirements.
All RN to BSN students beginning their course of study or re-enrolling on or after June 2013 will be charged a learning resource fee of $200.00 upon registration in NUR 320 Patient-Centered Assessment.
Accreditation
SNHU is a private, nonprofit institution accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges as well as several other accrediting bodies.
Our online nursing programs were created based on Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education accreditation requirements. SNHU is a provisional member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and is seeking CCNE accreditation.