UNC's Reputable RN-BSN Program Suits Working Nurses
| School Overview | |
|---|---|
| Serves: | USA |
| Accredited by: | SACS-COC |
| Enrollment: | Rolling |
| Financial Aid: | Yes |
| Scholarships: | Yes |
Web Learning Drives Nursing to a Higher Level
The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill is just one of dozens of very reputable universities that have expanded traditional nursing programs into viable and lucrative distance learning environments, as well. The Carolina RN-BSN Online program is just one of the educational options being made available to a national audience of working RNs, short on daylight hours, but who crave higher education and the opportunity offered with a degree from UNC Nursing.
The RN-BSN program satisfies the degree requirements of so many RNs that it has become a mainstay among nursing programs, traditional and online. Many nurses fast track their careers with a two-year Associates degree, and later wish to complete their Bachelor of Science in Nursing, the industry standard. BSNs have career mobility, opportunity to merge with leadership and management positions, the option to further continue their education, or more intensively specialize in their area of nursing expertise.
Academically and professionally BSNs are trained to begin managing supervisory tasks, employ critical thinking and judgment skills not demanded previously, develop and utilize more intensive patient assessment modalities, apply nursing theory and research concepts to their work paradigm, and have a more in-depth knowledge of contemporary health care delivery systems relative to nursing.
Requirements for the Carolina RN/BSN Program
Participants must first decide whether they would like to work on the degree along a one-year track or a two-year track. The one-year study option requires almost full-time study, while the two-year is designed for part-time students. Second, prospective nursing students' previous college transcripts must be assessed for completeness. In some cases nurses must take lower level courses to satisfy degree requirements and RN-BSN prerequisites.
Applicants must have valid RN licenses and previous GPAs of 2.0 at the minimum. Applications are received and courses begin at three different times of the year. Online study is not for everyone and candidates for the Carolina RN-BSN must realize the level of dedication and self-motivation required to complete the degree.
Curriculum
While most RNs have a solid skills-based education provided by their Associates program, the BSN program engages professional nurses in theory-based coursework, as well. Specifically students learn advanced nursing theory and research skills, and they are urged to think more analytically in regards to patient assessment and follow-up health plans. Other coursework includes: community health nursing, contemporary issues in nursing and healthcare, and integrative nursing measures.
Hands-on clinicals are part of the requirements, but online participants are able to schedule them locally with program-approved preceptors overseeing student progress. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education accredits the School of Nursing programs.
Career Opportunity
Without a doubt RNs with their BSN degree have career staying power and an ample amount of mobility within healthcare settings and within nursing specialties. If they felt locked into particular practice levels, this degree frees them from hospital settings and staid task-oriented nursing. More and more BSNs are also being urged to return to school, the benefit being increased autonomy and the opportunity to pursue a graduate degree and an advanced practice.
