Bachelor of Science in Nursing - (RN to BSN completion)
As the largest group in the US healthcare workforce, nurses are challenged to make a significant difference in the health outcomes of individuals and populations. Nursing roles range from bedside care delivery to executive leadership in complex health systems. The RN to BSN degree completion program at Colorado Technical University is designed to prepare nurses with the knowledge and skills needed to expand their practice options for a variety of clinical and administrative leadership activities and to manage change in an increasingly complex and diverse environment. Building on a foundation of general education and core coursework, the nursing major courses range from a review of the challenges and trends in nursing care to a nursing capstone seminar that will synthesize and apply prior learning. The Colorado Technical University RN to BSN program furthers the mission of the university to teach real-world nursing that serves the needs of students, the population, and the healthcare industry and prepares highly qualified professional nurses at the bachelor’s level.
Nursing Program Mission Statement:
Through an innovative curriculum and student-centered teaching, the nursing faculty teaches, supports, and inspires students to become competent, caring, and accountable professionals who serve a diverse client population within a dynamic health care environment.
Admission Requirements
Admission to this program requires an unencumbered license to practice as a Registered Nurse (RN) in the United States. Students must have graduated from an Associate Degree in Nursing or a Diploma Registered Nurse (RN) Program, or an educational transition program preparing students for eligibility to become licensed as a Registered Nurse.
Recently graduated students with a completed Associate Degree in Nursing or Diploma Registered Nurse (RN Program) but are pending successful completion of the NCLEX exam, may provisionally enroll into Colorado Technical University’s BSN program. A provisionally accepted student must provide evidence of the passed exam prior to the end of the first quarter of study. Students who do not complete or pass the NCLEX during the first quarter will be administratively withdrawn from the university.
International students must demonstrate proficiency in the English Language, as measured by a TOEFL score of 550 or above; 213 or higher on the computer based exam.
BSN Program prepares the student to:
- Care for complex needs of patients across the healthcare continuum and/or a variety of settings
- Be a leader in the profession of nursing
BSN Program competencies:
- Assess the role of the nurse and the need for open communication, mutual respect and shared decision-making with other healthcare providers in the team’s efforts to achieve quality outcomes for patient-centered care
- Apply knowledge of healthcare policy, finance, regulation, accreditation and trends in healthcare to active participation in the profession of nursing serving as a patient advocate
- Evaluate information and technology resources to communicate, manage knowledge, mitigate error and support decision-making in the delivery of healthcare
- Identify patient preferences, values and needs while recognizing the patient or their designee as the source of control in providing compassionate and coordinated nursing care
- Design strategies using continuous quality improvement processes to improve the quality and safety of healthcare systems
- Analyze strategies to optimize system effectiveness and individual performance that will minimize the risk of harm to patients and providers
- Evaluate evidence-based practices within clinical expertise, patient preferences, and values for the integration of those practices in the delivery of quality healthcare
- Apply leadership and communication skills to improve the safety, quality, and cost of healthcare
Degree Requirements
Courses: General Education
| COMS201 | Technical and Professional Writing | 4.5 |
| or | |
| COMS203 | Speech Communications | 4.5 |
| | |
| GOVT201 | American Government and Public Affairs | 4.5 |
| or | |
| HIST101 | Modern American History: 1950 to the 21st Century | 4.5 |
| | |
| HSS261 | Ethics in Healthcare | 4.5 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 13.5 |
Courses: Core
| NRSG310 | Challenges and Trends in Contemporary Nursing | 4 |
| NRSG311 | Nursing Informatics | 4 |
| NRSG312 | Population-Based Nursing | 4 |
| NRSG313 | Alternative and Complementary Interventions | 4 |
| NRSG314 | Safety and Quality Improvement in Nursing Practice | 4 |
| NRSG410 | Health and Wellness Assessment | 4 |
| NRSG411 | Evidence Based Practice and Applied Nursing Research | 4 |
| NRSG412 | Leadership and Nursing Systems Management | 4 |
| NRSG413 | Innovation in Nursing | 4 |
| NRSG490 | Nursing Theory, Critical Thinking and Competency | 4 |
| NRSG495 | Nursing Capstone | 4 |
| ELE | Select 4 credit hours of electives from the list provided | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 48 |
Courses: RN License Transfer
| RN | Registered Nurse License Transfer | 28.5 |
Courses: Degree/Diploma Transfer
| ADN/DRN | Associate Degree/Diploma in Nursing | |
Up to 90 quarter credits may be accepted as transfer credit with the required incoming Associate Degree in Nursing, Diploma Registered Nurse, or an educational transition program preparing students for eligibility to become licensed as a Registered Nurse (RN).
Courses: Core Elective Choices
| HCM307 | The Health Care Industry | 4 |
| MGM316 | International Business Communications | 4 |
| MGM355 | International Business Practices | 4 |
| MGM365 | The Legal and Ethical Environment of Business | 4 |
| MGMT345 | Operations Management | 4 |
| HCI300 | Introduction to Health Informatics | 4 |
| HCI310 | DBMS for Healthcare | 4 |
| HCI380 | Security of Electronic Health Information | 4 |
| HCI400 | Health Analytics and Business Intelligence in Healthcare | 4 |
Total Credit Hours: 180
Notice to Registered Nurses
Every State’s Nurse Practice Act has regulations pertaining to Online Nursing Degrees. Therefore, RN students need to be aware of the regulations in their own state. The Nurse Practice Act for each state is found on the website for that particular State’s Board of Nursing. Contact information for each State’s Board of Nursing is available on the website for the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). www.ncsbn.org