Nursing, BSN

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is a rigorous online RN to BSN degree completion program for Registered Nurses (RNs). Applicants should carefully consider if an online Program best meets their learning style. Enrollment is limited based on the number of available seats each semester. Applicants must complete all General Education courses, RN to BSN Program Specific courses, and the foreign language competency before applying.  Due to the current regulations governing online learning, the RN to BSN Program is not able to admit out-of-state students. 

The Program provides a career ladder from the AS degree to the BS degree for RNs who have earned a diploma or Associate of Science Degree in Nursing.  Coursework will continue to build upon the registered nursing curriculum foundation.  The Program offers a diverse population of students with innovative educational experiences and opportunities to meet the health care needs of the community they serve.  Through the educational process, the student will be able to internalize the values, traditions, and obligations of the professional nurse and gain a greater professional perspective and increased critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

The BSN Program prepares RNs for career promotions and advancement in nursing to include positions in academia, community health, management, and leadership. It also provides a foundation for advancement to graduate level education programs. Current occupational employment and wage data for Registered Nurses is published by the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics at www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291141.htm

Accreditation:

The Florida SouthWestern State College BSN Program is accredited by the:

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. (ACEN)

3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850

Atlanta, Georgia 30326

Telephone: 404-975-5000

http://acenursing.org/

Program Highlights:

The RN to BSN Program includes courses in professional issues, informatics, research, advanced health assessment, pathophysiology, pharmacology, multicultural nursing, leadership, community health, and a portfolio capstone. Courses are taken online to accommodate various schedules. Applicants should consider if an online Program best meets their learning style. Students may choose from these three schedule options:

• Two Semesters (Full-Time, 15 credits per semester)
• Four Semesters (Part-Time)
• Six Semesters (Very Part-Time)

In the community health and leadership courses, students will have practicum experiences that will prepare them to apply theoretical knowledge in professional nursing practice.

Special Notices:

1. Prior to enrolling in the Leadership in Nursing Practice, students must satisfactorily complete a college approved criminal records check and drug test.  This expense is the student’s responsibility.  Failure to complete this requirement will result in a hold on student registration.  Students must comply with the Florida Board of Nursing requirements for reporting criminal violations to both the Board of Nursing and the RN to BSN program as specified in the Florida Code and Regulations.
2. Leadership in Nursing Practice students are responsible for collaborating with the RN to BSN Program Director to secure an appropriate clinical agency if they reside outside FSW service areas:  Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties.
3. Please note that it may be necessary to complete the practicum experience in the Southwest Florida area if a clinical agreement cannot be secured with the student’s preferred host agency.  Clinical agreements outside of Florida are not possible for Leadership in Nursing Practice experiences.
4. Applicants who are admitted to the BSN Program will have their application for admission canceled if they do not register for a course by the drop/add deadline within that same semester.  Students will need to update their term of entry to the Program during the next application cycle.  Updating a term of entry on an admissions application is not a guarantee of admission to the Program.

Admission Requirements:

1. Registered Nurse License - Must have a valid, active, unrestricted, and unencumbered Florida Registered Nurse (RN) license.  Note that the  license must remain current throughout enrollment in the RN to BSN program.
2. Thirty-six (36) college credits of General Education coursework that must include:
   1. At least one (1) course from each of the General education subject areas: Communication, Mathematics, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Natural Sciences.
   2. Six (6) semester hours of English coursework
   3. Six (6) semester hours of Mathematics coursework
   4. Six (6) additional semester hours of writing intensive coursework
3.  Foreign Language Competency Requirement (described in the next section)
4.  Nine (9) courses that are State Common Course Prerequisites for the AS to BSN Nursing degree:
   1. Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab,
   2. Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab,
   3. Additional Natural Science (CHM, BSC, PCB or PHY prefix)
   4. Human Growth and Development,
   5. Nutrition,
   6. Microbiology with Lab,
   7. Social Science (PSY, SOP, or SYG prefix), and
   8. Statistics
5. All Coursework above will be evaluated by the College to determine Transfer of Credit
6. Apply online as a bachelor’s degree seeking student.  Note that a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale in all college level coursework is required for admission.

Foreign Language Competency Requirement:

• Two years of the same High School Foreign Language, or
• Documented foreign language proficiency through testing, or
• Two semesters of the same College Level Foreign Language (Level II proficiency), or
• Level II proficiency - this criterion occurs when a student has completed the second course of a sequence of college foreign language without completing the first course. For example, if a student has successfully completed a college-level Spanish II but not Spanish I, then the student has met the Foreign Language Competency requirement. 

Applicants with Associate of Arts Degree, Baccalaureate Degree, or General Education Completed:

Students who transfer to Florida SouthWestern State College with a previous Associate of Arts degree from a Florida College System or a Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited university are considered to have met the General Education curriculum and Elective coursework (60 Credit hours) or the RN to BSN degree.

Students who have satisfactorily completed the General Education curriculum at a state university or Florida College System institution, regardless of whether the associate in arts degree is conferred, are considered to have met the General Education curriculum of the RN to BSN degree.  If a student does not complete the General Education curriculum prior to transfer, the General Education requirement becomes the responsibility of Florida SouthWestern State College.

Transient Student Enrollment in Upper Division Coursework:

Transient students are currently enrolled college students who register for courses at another institution on a temporary basis (e.g. university students attending summer semester at a state college).  Transient students must obtain prior approval to enroll in Upper Division Nursing Core coursework.  Students initiate this process using Florida Shines at www.floridashines.org .

Priority Application Deadlines*:

Fall Semester Start - Application due by August 1

Spring Semester Start - Application due by December 1

Summer Semester Start - Application due by April 1

*deadlines may be extended if seats remain unfilled to capacity by application deadline

Graduation Requirements:

1. Complete 120 credit hours as outlined in the RN to BSN Program of Study.
2. To satisfy residency requirements by completing a minimum of 15 core baccalaureate (3000 or 4000 level) program credit hours must be earned Florida SouthWestern State College.
3. Earn a grade of “C” or better in each RN to BSN Upper Division and Program Specific course.
   1. An “attempt” is defined as a course registration in effect at the end of the drop/add period.
   2. A student who fails or withdraws from a nursing course will be permitted to re-take the nursing course only once and on a space-available basis.
   3. Failure or withdrawal in any second nursing course will result in dismissal from the Program.
4. Earn a cumulative grade point average in the Program of 2.0 or higher.
5. Students must indicate their intention to attend commencement ceremony, by completing the Commencement Form by the published deadline.

End of Program Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of the RN to BSN Program, the graduate will able to:

1. Synthesize knowledge from nursing and the physical, behavioral, psychological and social sciences, and the humanities in the practice of professional nursing.
2. Integrate global health and health care, its relevant issues and policies as they relate to professional nursing practice.
3. Evaluate research in the exploration of the spectrum of health within the framework of evidence-based practice.
4. Synthesize standards of professional practice and care.
5. Articulate the role of the professional nurse within inter-professional teams.
6. Analyze current and changing health care information technologies and systems.
7. Summarize the components of leadership and followership in professional nursing practice.
8. Interpret the social responsibility of the nursing profession in the development and implementation of health care policy.