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Nursing RN to BSN

College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Undergraduate major

About this program

Program accreditation

The baccalaureate degree in nursing at Metropolitan State University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.

This program is for registered nurses with an associate degree or a diploma in nursing who wish to complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

The sequence of nursing courses is part-time, five semesters (including summers) and follows a cohort model. One clinical course (NURS 456P, Community Health Practicum), usually in the fourth semester, may meet more than once per week and may be held on a day other than the normally assigned cohort day.

The RN to BSN program admits registered nurses only and students are expected to maintain an active, unencumbered license to practice professional nursing in the state of Minnesota throughout the program.

There are two cohort progression models: Online and Hybrid.

RN to BSN Online Cohorts

In online cohorts, all of the nursing courses are completely online, with the exception of the NURS 456P, Community Health Nursing Practicum, which includes some clinical experiences in the community along with the online content. That class occurs in the fourth semester of the cohort progression. Classes run for five consecutive semesters, including summers.

  • 32 credits of nursing coursework
  • Up to 24 non-nursing credits, if needed, to meet other graduation requirements such as general education
  • Part-time progression (typically two courses per semester)
  • Online cohorts begin in fall and spring semesters
  • Prerequisites no longer required (Stat 201 is still a course prerequisite to NURS 335, which is held in the second semester of the progression)

RN to BSN Hybrid Cohorts

In hybrid cohorts, nursing classes combine online with face-to-face delivery. Classes with face to face content typically meet twice per month. Some classes are completely online. NURS 456P, Community Health Nursing Practicum, includes some clinical experiences in the community along with the online content. That class occurs in the fourth semester of the cohort progression. Classes run for five consecutive semesters, including summers.

  • 32 credits of nursing coursework
  • Up to 24 non-nursing credits, if needed, to meet other graduation requirements such as general education
  • Part-time progression (typically two courses per semester)
  • Hybrid cohorts begin once per year in fall semesters
  • Prerequisites no longer required (Stat 201 is still a course prerequisite to NURS 335, which is held in the second semester of the progression)

Program Highlights

  • Program designed to provide flexibility for working adult students
  • The BSN program is endorsed by the American Holistic Nursing Credentialing Corporation. Graduates waive the post-graduate practice and continuing education hours necessary to be eligible to take the holistic nursing certification exam.
  • Graduates qualify for Public Health Nursing Registration in the State of Minnesota.

Student outcomes

  • Utilize theories from the arts, sciences and nursing as a basis for professional nursing practice.
  • Utilize critical reasoning in health care decision making with individuals, families, populations, and systems.
  • Practice holistic nursing care directed toward healing in the human health experience for diverse and vulnerable populations.
  • Utilize principles of basic organizational and systems leadership to promote safety and quality in health care.
  • Demonstrate collaborative strategies and inter- and intra-professional communication skills to optimize health outcomes.
  • Practice professional nursing that is grounded in current evidence from multiple professional sources.
  • Engage in holistic self-care practices.
  • Articulate a plan for continuing professional development.

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Program eligibility requirements

To be eligible for acceptance to the RN to BSN major, the following must be completed:

  • Approved admission to Metropolitan State University
  • Evidence of current unencumbered registered nurse licensure in Minnesota or Wisconsin.
  • An official transcript indicating completion of an associate degree or diploma in nursing from an accredited institution
  • A minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 and a grade of at least a C in all previous nursing courses.
  • The GPA used for admission assessment is the cumulative GPA calculated from all coursework and evaluation of all transcripts.
  • Students must complete an official degree plan with their academic advisor.
  • Students must request placement in a RN-BSN cohort.

Program requirements

Pre-practicum requirements 

Prior to beginning the practicum experience, information must be submitted to the Department of Nursing which may include, but is not limited to the items listed on the pre-practicum requirements page. Requirements must be valid for the duration of practicum experiences.

The Nursing and Dental Hygiene Programs endeavor to provide students with appropriate clinical training placements, but cannot guarantee placements in all circumstances. Students with personal circumstances that may limit their eligibility to participate in clinical experiences are encouraged to contact the Nursing/Dental Hygiene Program Chair as soon as possible. The Nursing/Dental Hygiene Programs do not guarantee alternative facility placements in cases where students are not allowed at planned clinical sites. Students with these circumstances may be unable to continue in the Nursing or Dental Hygiene Programs.

Student licensure

Graduates of the Bachelor of Science in nursing program are eligible for registration as a Public Health Nurse in the state of Minnesota after becoming licensed as a registered nurse in the state.

Course requirements

Requirements (40 total credits)

NURS 301 Theoretical Foundations for Nursing Practice

3 credits

This course examines the theoretical foundation for the practice of professional nursing with emphasis on the values and theoretical perspectives that support practice. A holistic framework is introduced with emphasis on the application of Modeling and Role-Modeling theory. The concepts of nurturing, facilitating, healing, and transformational self-care are emphasized.

Full course description for Theoretical Foundations for Nursing Practice

NURS 446 Nursing Informatics

2 credits

This course expands on foundational knowledge of nursing informatics with emphasis on how technology can be used as a tool to improve client care in a variety of settings. The role of the baccalaureate prepared nurse in evaluating information systems in a variety of practice settings is examined. The issues of ethics, ergonomics, and nursing workflow as they relate to nursing informatics are explored.

Full course description for Nursing Informatics

STAT 201 Statistics I

4 credits

This course covers the basic principles and methods of statistics. It emphasizes techniques and applications in real-world problem solving and decision making. Topics include frequency distributions, measures of location and variation, probability, sampling, design of experiments, sampling distributions, interval estimation, hypothesis testing, correlation and regression.

Full course description for Statistics I

NURS 335 Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice

3 credits

This course focuses on research as a basis for developing nursing as a discipline and for improving the practice of professional nursing. The historical development of nursing research and theory is reviewed. The usefulness of theory as a guide for practice and research is emphasized. Ethical issues surrounding the use of human subjects in research are explored. Emphasis is placed on assisting students to become effective consumers of research and developing evidence-based practice skills. Competency Statement: Understands evidence-based nursing practice well enough to apply research to nursing care.

Full course description for Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice

NURS 407 Family Health Nursing

4 credits

This course focuses on holistic nursing care of diverse and contemporary families across the lifespan. Major theoretical foundations relevant to families are presented and applied. Use of current evidence-based resources will direct the clinical decision-making skills of assessment, diagnosis, intervention, and evaluation are applied to families experiencing a transition or a chronic health problem. A culturally sensitive approach will be utilized to understand the interactions and relationships to enhance family well-being.

Full course description for Family Health Nursing

NURS 420 Lifespan Transitions: Aging and Health

4 credits

This course focuses on holistic nursing care of clients experiencing transitions related to aging and alterations in health across the lifespan. Cultural and social conceptualizations of health and illness, and their impact on the planning and delivery of nursing care, will be explored. Emphasis will be placed on the role that poverty, racism, and trauma play in health and chronic illness. Ethical issues related to advocacy and the utilization of culturally responsive ethical approaches are addressed.

Full course description for Lifespan Transitions: Aging and Health

NURS 307 Integrative Nursing Care

2 credits

This course focuses on foundational aspects of integrative nursing care to promote holistic health and wellness. A theoretical basis for integrative care is explored. The inter-relationships of important concepts are utilized to identify methods for creating optimal healing environments for clients. Students evaluate evidence related to integrative therapies and explore strategies for implementing appropriate integrative approaches to clinical practice and self-care.

Full course description for Integrative Nursing Care

NURS 456 Community Health Nursing

4 credits

This course focuses on the origins and trends in community and public health nursing, conceptual models for practice, and contemporary public health problems and issues. Students synthesize knowledge from nursing, public health and the social sciences to provide holistic care with community as client. Emphasis is on prevalent population-based health issues.

Full course description for Community Health Nursing

HSCI 309 Global Health Issues

3 credits

This course examines global health issues that influence population health outcomes, including the interaction between domestic and global health. Students study frameworks such as vital statistics, Millennium Development Goals, and human rights principles and apply these frameworks to the definition, prevention, or mitigation of identified global health issues or concerns with particular attention given to the health of infants, children, and women in low and middle income countries. The course concludes with a study of cooperative efforts designed to mitigate or prevent global health problems.

Full course description for Global Health Issues

PHIL 321 Medical Ethics

4 credits

Is it ever right to try to hasten a patient's death? Should people ever be given medical treatment against their will? How should we decide who will get access to scarce medical resources (like organ transplants)? Do people have a right to get the care they need, even if they can't pay for it? This course will use ethical theories and theories of justice to explore these questions and others like them. It is intended to be helpful not only to (present or future) health care practitioners, but also to anyone who wants to think about these issues, which confront us in our roles as patients and as citizens whose voices can contribute to the shaping of health care policies.

Full course description for Medical Ethics