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Courses You Take For An RN to BSN Nursing Degree

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If you’re a registered nurse (RN) who would like to move into more of a management position in a hospital or other healthcare setting, the best ticket is usually a “BSN” or Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree. Besides increasing you knowledge of technology in nursing, this bachelor’s degree boosts your understanding of management and leadership. Some RNs use this degree (sometimes called an “RN to BSN completion degree” because it turns an RN into a completed Bachelor of Science degree) as a way of getting a teaching position. Although a number of online BSN degree programs require you to take some courses on-campus, there are many programs you can take purely online.

What courses you have to take: You generally need to have an up to date license to practice nursing. Along with for a BSN, the RN generally needs to do some clinical study in his or her home state, working with a local clinical facility or preceptor (an approved instructor and facilitator).

Because the BSN is a full bachelors degree, you are generally required to have completed a semester each of college English, chemistry, statistics or other courses before you start. Be sure to check this requirement with any school you’re looking at.

There’s a good deal of variation in the length of BSN degree study. Because nurses are obviously busy, schools offer a variety of options, from one-year “cram” degrees to 15 month or two-year options. The BSN degree will usually cost $9,000. to $17,000 in total (though you must, as mentioned above, have completed several course requirements before you start).

Here’s a sampling of the specific courses you may actually study to get a BSN, culled from the course lists of several RN to BSN online programs:

  • Introduction to nursing research and evidence based practice
  • Community assessment
  • Nursing leadership in health policy
  • Family and community nursing
  • Research in nursing
  • Chemistry
  • Anatomy and physiology
  • Pharmacology
  • Maternity and woman’s health
  • Senior clinical practicum
  • Therapeutic communication in health care

Which Courses You’ll Take: Becoming An RN With An Associates Degree in Nursing

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Most nurses begin their careers by getting an associate’s degree in nursing (ADN), which qualifies them to give treatments and medications to patients and consult with physicians about a patient’s case. Because registered nurses (RN’s) must also explain test results and treatments to patients in many cases, they receive a good deal of course training in communication as part of their ADN degree, in addition core courses on clinical topics.

The ADN degree can help you to get an entry level job relatively quickly in many parts of the country, because demand for nurses has been strong in the US for many years. In fact,employment opportunities for registered nursing are predicted to grow “much faster than the average for all occupations” between now and 2018 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. A drawback in this picture, however, is that nursing degree programs are becomming so popular that schools – particularly state universities and community colleges facing cuts in government support – can’t accept all the students to want to get an associates degree in nursing.

First, The NCLEX Exam
Before you can actually start working as a nurse, however, you will need to get a license to practice your home state by passing what’s called a NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination), exam. All 50 states administer them (many, by the way, include a criminal background check). Nursing is a career that requires real commitment, but a typical registered nurse’s salary is good: the national median, according to U.S. Department of Labor statistics from 2010, is about $64,600.

An RN is qualified to administer medication and other treatment to patients, as well as consult with physicians regarding patient care. He or she must also explain the results of diagnostic tests and long term treatment options to patients and their families. When you have your license, you will be qualified to work in a hospital, nursing home, clinic or even home care setting. Once you’ve built up experience as an RN, you may want to pursue a additional degree like an RN TO BSN, with course work that will prepare you for an advanced nursing job as a clinical nurse specialist, nurse anesthetist or nurse-midwife.

Prerequisites
Virtually all schools will require you to take certain general required courses before starting your core nursing courses for the ADN. A typical list of prerequisite courses, which may schools will insist you have a grade of at least “C” in to count towards your nursing degree, might include sociology, basic algebra, writing or English literature, a social studies course and a computer literacy requirement. A community college is often the place where aspiring nurses get these courses taken care of (in fact, many successful RN’s take they associate’s degree courses at community colleges as well).

The classic Associates Degree of nursing is a two-year program. However, many schools now offer faster track options if you want to move through a program quickly, or allow flexibility to get your degree over three years if you need to take a break in the middle to handle family or career responsibilities.

Once you get into nursing school, here are some of the typical core courses you’re likely to be choosing from:

  • Nursing skills
  • Math for medical personnel
  • Disease processes
  • Nutrition
  • Speech communication or communication
  • Pharmacology
  • Human growth and development
  • Developmental psychology
  • Maternal and newborn nursing or nursing care of the child-bearing family
  • Microbiology
  • Fundamentals of communication
  • Medical terminology
  • Anatomy and physiology
  • Mental Health Nursing
  • Microbiology
  • Chemistry

Salary & employment statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics