Oct 16, 2024  
Undergraduate Catalog 2024-2025 
    
Undergraduate Catalog 2024-2025

Nursing, B.S.N (RN-BSN)

Location(s): PBA Online


120 Credit Hours

Lynn Erickson, Ed.D., MSN, RN, Chair of the RN-BSN Track

The Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing program (RN-BSN) at Palm Beach Atlantic University specifically seeks to meet the education and preparation needs of registered nurses who have an associate degree in nursing (ADN) for professional practice in the expanding healthcare community.  The program will provide graduates with qualities that professional nurses need to be leaders in the complex and ever-changing global health care environment; encouragement for professional development in a nursing career; as well as broader job opportunities in hospital, community/ public health, school or parish nursing, pharmaceutical and medical device sales, or research. The program also provides preparation for a streamlined pathway to graduate studies (MSN or DNP).

Program Features

  • 28 nursing credits plus applicable General Education courses.
  • Completely online delivery (except for the Final Capstone Live Clinical Experience).
  • Flexible course offerings with multiple entry points.
  • Part and Full time available.
  • Streamlined pathway to MSN and DNP.
  • Guaranteed entry to nursing graduate programs at PBA if GPA is 3.5 or greater (other graduate admissions requirements still apply).

     ** For information on PBA’s RN to MSN, MSN, and DNP programs, select the “Graduate and Pharmacy Catalog”.

Program Structure

The required curriculum for the major is composed of courses offered during eight-week sub-terms or 16 week semesters. Online courses are delivered electronically through the university learning management system. Attendance at a minimum of two synchronous online sessions is required in each online nursing course. The specific days and hours for these meetings will be scheduled by the instructor during the first week of each course. Online students should pay particular attention to the Online Attendance Policy . Students enrolled in the B.S. in Nursing program take many of their General Education core requirements from the School of Arts and Sciences.  Online general education courses are usually eight weeks long.

To qualify for graduation, students must earn a minimum of 120 credits, including a minimum of 42 upper-level credits (courses numbered 3000 and above). The curriculum is divided between the General Education requirements, Nursing major requirements, and Nursing Electives.

Capstone RN-BSN Practicum This comprehensive clinical course is the culmination of the baccalaureate nursing curriculum, integrating broad liberal education, nursing knowledge, technical skills, and core Christian worldview values in preparation of a professional career in a changing 21st century health care environment. This course should be taken as near as possible to the final term of study at Palm Beach Atlantic University and includes required clinical hours with a preceptor in a health care setting.

Immunization

All students must meet the University’s requirements for immunization and health information documentation.  Also, students in the School of Nursing must meet additional requirements for immunizations, health documentation, and background screening based upon the clinical affiliates’s requirements.

 

Nursing Major Curriculum Requirements


120 Credit Hours

 

Program Learning Outcomes


“Expected student learning outcomes specify the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes students are expected to attain in courses or in a program.” Page 69. Resource Manual for the Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), 2018.

1. Synthesize knowledge from arts, sciences, nursing, and Christian faith as a source in critical thinking and decision making to provide holistic care.

2. Combine the nursing process and evidenced based research in the practice of nursing across the lifespan for holistic health promotion, risk reduction, and disease prevention in the care of patients, families, and communities

3. Provide patient-centered, age-appropriate, culturally sensitive care that assists persons with health promotion and wellness.

4. Demonstrate effective communication, interprofessional collaboration, creativity, sensitivity, and flexibility for the delivery of safe, quality, cost-effective nursing care for improving patient outcomes.

5. Integrate professional nursing values based on legal, ethical, and Christian standards into nursing practice. 

6. Integrate professional development and assumes responsibility for life-long learning and professional career engagement and development. 

7. Incorporate current technologies and informatics to support continued learning and support patient outcomes and quality improvement.

8. Evaluate healthcare policy, finance, and regulatory standards to support quality care outcomes in the complex continuum healthcare environment.

General Education Requirements - 36 Credit Hours


  • Orientation Requirement: fulfilled through major coursework (NUR 3803 ).
  • Global Studies Requirement: fulfilled through major coursework (NUR 3233 ).
  • Mathematics Requirement: fulfilled through major coursework.
  • Science Requirement: fulfilled through major coursework.

Math and Science Requirements - 21 Credit Hours


Professional Nursing Courses Transfer - 33 Credit Hours


Students with an ADN in nursing and current license as an RN in the state of Florida may receive up to 33 hours of nursing course credit (13 hours of lower level and 20 hours of upper level nursing credit) towards graduation through a competency based process.  This process includes:

  • Students graduating in the last 10 years from an institutionally accredited Associate Degree in Nursing program may demonstrate competency through successful completion of standardized nursing exam scores in their Associate Degree program or in the RN to BSN program at a comparable level to PBA BSN students in each area.
  • Students graduating more than 10 years ago from an institutionally accredited Associate Degree in Nursing program may demonstrate competency through successful completion of standardized nursing exam scores in the RN to BSN program at a comparable level to PBA BSN students in each area.  Credit will be based on the exams and associated courses.
  • Students graduating from a non-institutionally accredited Associate Degree in Nursing program may demonstrate competency through successful completion of standardized nursing exam scores in the RN to BSN program at a comparable level to PBA BSN students in each area.  Credit will be based on the exams and associated courses.  Transfer credit for nursing courses will be conferred for students in this category after successful completion of 30 credit hours at PBA.
  • All students may demonstrate competency by successfully completing remediation in areas of weakness identified by the standardized exams.

Required RN to BSN Core Courses 28 Credit Hours


Nursing Undergraduate/Graduate Dual Credit Courses


Graduate courses may only be taken by student with a minimum 3.5 GPA or with permission of the School of Nursing. Graduate tuition applies.

  • NUR 5013 - Scientific and Philosophical Foundation of Nursing Practice will fulfill nursing elective 3 Credit Hours
  • NUR 5023 - Advanced Nursing Research will fulfill NUR 3223 - Nursing Research 3 Credit Hours
  • NUR 5103 - Healthcare Policy and Advocacy will fulfill NUR 4343 - Healthcare policy: Economics and Ethical Analysis 3 Credit Hours
  • NUR 5113 - Leadership in Organizations and Systems will fulfill NUR 4203 - Leadership 3 Credit Hours
  • NUR 5223 - Faith and Science will fulfill nursing elective 3 Credit Hours
  • NUR 6053 - Advanced Nursing Practicum I will fulfill NUR 4883 - Capstone RN-BSN Practicum 3 Credit (Prerequisites apply)

Students may take other graduate courses with permission of the School of Nursing.

Note:


  • Any course from the list of approved courses. Students may take an elective from the day BSN program; additional charges may apply.

Sample Degree Plans


Applicants with a conferred AA degree as few as 38 total credits, three full-time semesters:

Nursing, RN to BSN Minimum Sample Degree Plan   

Applicants with a conferred ADN degree total credits required are based on previous coursework, up to 61 credits, five full-time semesters:

Nursing, RN to BSN Sample Degree Plan