Academics RN to BSN Program - Elizabethtown College

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RN to BSN Program

This program was designed to be a degree completion degree for students that have already received either a diploma in nursing (ADN) or an Associate Degree in Nursing (ASN) along with their registered nurse (RN) license. The program helps current RNs expand their skills to a baccalaureate level of proficiency while integrating new knowledge and competencies into nursing practice. Students will join other learners in an asynchronous online environment designed specifically for the working adult. One lecture per semester is offered face-to-face on campus for learners to engage with their peers in person or join via teleconferencing on Zoom.

Our unique approach to educational transformation is based on our commitment to a student-centered, personalized learning experience. Each student is valued for the knowledge and experiences they bring to the program. We partner with students to ensure that their personal and professional potential is reached. Our program of study consists of 9 courses to form a comprehensive, constructivist approach to accelerated learning. Our faculty are committed to our student’s success.

BSN Plan of Study

This plan of study consists of 33 hours of upper-division nursing coursework. Sequencing of coursework is dependent on if the student is part-time, takes three courses in a 15-week semester, or if the student has planned a “Step In & Step Out” period. For general degree requirements, review the information found at: https://www.etown.edu/offices/registration-records/catalogs.aspx

Common Core Requirements, General Studies, and Credit Transfer Evaluations

Students may complete general education credits prior to and concurrently with courses for the required nursing major.

Credit Transfer Evaluations

Students admitted to Elizabethtown College through the Office of Admissions with an earned associate degree, consisting of at least 40 corresponding general education credits, will be recognized as meeting all of the requirements of the Elizabethtown College Core Curriculum. This does not supersede curricular prerequisites or departmental program requirements established in the College catalog. Students’ enrollment in a BSN Program is not required to complete the Core Program Capstone. It does exclude the student from completing residency requirements for the completion of a bachelor's degree.

Elizabethtown College will accept the transfer of credits up to a maximum of sixty-four applicable semester credit hours from a two-year institution. Students may earn up to a maximum of 32 credits through examination (i.e., AP, IB, CLEP, etc.). Official certification of exam scores and official college transcripts are required for credit transfer. Please refer to the Elizabethtown College Catalog Academic Policies for more detail on graduation, residency, etc.

Etown BSN Degree

The granting of a bachelor’s degree from Elizabethtown College requires a total of 125 credit hours which are comprised of 60 credit hours which may include transfer credits from previous associate’s or baccalaureate education or Elizabethtown College credits, and 65 hours of required nursing courses (professional credits + required nursing courses). The coursework consists of asynchronous lectures, lab (holistic assessment – Shadow Health), and experiential learning (direct and indirect care practice) activities.

All students in the RN to BSN Program are required to complete an online orientation prior to the start of their first course and meet the Common Core Requirements prior to entering the required nursing courses. This helps to ensure that our students’ baccalaureate education is firmly founded in a strong, liberal arts tradition.

Information about dual enrollment can be found in the Catalog. General Education transfer credits are evaluated and approved by the College’s Office of Registration & Records.

The following courses comprise the RN to BSN plan of study. For general education and core courses, refer to the College Catalog or Nursing Program website.

General Studies Coursework + Prerequisite Requirements (60 credits)

Coursework Prerequisites

Students must transfer and/or complete 60 credits to satisfy the pre-requisite requirements. Common core courses should be completed first prior to taking any general studies or professional credit courses. Common core and professional credits should be completed prior to starting the nursing courses for the required major.

Paths to Degree Completion

To satisfy general studies and professional course requirements, students may choose between three paths at Etown.

View the course catalog.

Path 1: Traditional - General Studies (SGPS)

Take general education courses in the School of Graduate and Professional Studies (SGPS), which offers flexible options for working adults. The best value for a student choosing the traditional path is to strengthen the power of your degree by earning a minor to satisfy general study requirements (if applicable). Below are minor tracks approved at Elizabethtown that may support your professional goals as a nurse.

Students may select courses from either the Core Traditional Program or the SGPS Course to fulfill the requirements. Below are suggested equivalent courses at Elizabethtown to satisfy the course category. Remember that you do not have to select all of your courses on your own! Our advisors are happy to assist you with this process, so please reach out for assistance!

BIO 111 – Molecules, Cells & Animal Systems – 3 credits
BIO 201 – General Microbiology – 3 credits
BIO 202 Anatomy I – 3 credits
BIO 235 Anatomy II – 3 credits
EN 1000 SGPS Writing & Language – 3 credits
EN 2610 Literature & the Workplace – 3 credits
PSY 1050 General Psychology – 3 credits
SO 1010 Discovering Society – 3 credits
PH 105 – WCH Introduction to Philosophy – 3 credits
MA 1080 SGPS Applied Mathematics – 3 credits
Core Electives for Humanities – 3 credits
HS 203 Archival Resources and Digital Humanities – 3 credits
PH 275 HUM Science & Values – 3 credits
ART 310 Art Ed Methodologies – 3 credits
PCS 260 HUM Peacebuilding – 3 credits
ART 315 Art Education Methodologies Secondary – 3 credits
PCS 265 HUM Nonviolence in America – 3 credits
COM 252 HUM Multi-Cultural Communications – 3 credits
REL 103 HUM Religion & Nonviolence – 3 credits
REL 267 HUM Progressive Religion – 3 credits

Minors that can be used to satisfy Professional Credits:

Accounting Minor - 24 Credits
Business Administration Minor - 24 Credits
Behavioral & Addictions Counseling Minor - 27 Credits
Healthcare Administration Minor - 24 Credits
Human Services Minor - 21 Credits
Entrepreneurship Minor - 21 Credits

Path 2: Etown Edge

Students may take non-credits and certificate courses (Continuing Education Credits - CEUs) and convert coursework to academic credits through American Council on Education (ACE) or Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) at Etown.

Path 3: Prior Learning Assessment (Course - PLA 1500)

PLA: Students may earn up to 32 academic credits to take the place of general study courses. This path is ideal for working RNs who often must complete annual training such as CPR or defibrillator training for their jobs or for maintaining RN licensure.

PLA Prerequisite: 6 credits completed in general education courses from SGPS
PLA 1500 (1) credit course: In this course, students will prepare an academic portfolio to be evaluated for conversion to academic credits.

Degree planners can be found to assist students in visualizing and experimenting with various degree or minor options. We want our students to make informed choices that help them to create the most meaningful pathway toward graduation.

RN to BSN Curricular Plan

General Course Category & Common Core Courses

Equivalent Courses at Elizabethtown

BIOLOGY

BIO 111, Molecules, Cells & Animal Systems

General Microbiology

BIO 201

General Human Anatomy and Physiology I

BIO 202 Anatomy I

General Human Anatomy and Physiology II

BIO 235 Anatomy II

ENGLISH Composition I

EN 2810 Writing & Analyzing the Short Story (SCPS)

EN 1000 SCPS Writing & Language

ENGLISH Composition II

EN 2610 Literature & the Workplace

PSYCHOLOGY

Intro to Psychology

PSY 2080 Health Psychology or PSY 1050 General Psychology

SOCIOLOGY

Intro to Sociology

SO 1010 Discovering Society

101 SSC Discovering Society

PHILOSOPHY/ETHICS

Intro to Philosophy

PH 105 – WCH Introduction to Philosophy

MATH

MA 1080 SCPS Applied Mathematics

Core Electives
(from Humanities)

HS 203 Archival Resources and Digital Humanities

PH 275 HUM Science & Values

ART 310 Art Ed Methodologies

PCS 260 HUM Peacebuilding

ART 315 Art Education Methodologies Secondary

PCS 265 HUM Nonviolence in America

COM 252 HUM Multi-Cultural Communications

REL 103 HUM Religion & Nonviolence

REL 267 HUM Progressive Religion

*All Students are required to take Elizabethtown College's Online Student Orientation prior to the start of the program

Total for Pre-requisites for Associate Grads +

60 credits

Professional Credits

32 credits

BSN Required Nursing Courses for the Major

33 credits

Credits Required to earn a BSN at Elizabethtown College

125 Total Credits

RN to BSN Nursing Major Requirements

Nursing Core + one Nursing Elective = 33 credits total)

You can find the nursing core courses and course descriptions, as well as the available nursing electives in the catalog.

Common Core Requirements:

All students at Elizabethtown College undergraduate degree programs must complete the Middle States Common Core classifications consisting of at least 40 semester credit hours.

The following table lists the Common Core Areas of Understanding and the Etown courses equivalencies that may be used to fulfill these requirements. Degree planners can be found to assist students in visualizing and experimenting with various degree or minor options. We want our students to make informed choices that help them to create the most meaningful pathway toward graduation.

A student with an earned Associate or Diploma transferring to Etown who has completed the common core requirements at another institution of higher education will receive credit for each of the core courses transferred and will be considered to have fully satisfied all of Etown's common core requirements.

Students who have not earned an Associate’s or Diploma and transferring to Etown who has completed some, but not all, of the common core requirements at another institution of higher education, will receive credit for each of the core courses transferred and will be considered to have fully satisfied the corresponding common core requirements at Etown. The student must still satisfy any remaining Etown common core requirements.
Information about dual enrollment can be found in the Catalog.

State Authorization for Distance Education

Elizabethtown College is a participant of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), a voluntary, interstate agreement that establishes comparable standards for offering postsecondary distance education across state lines. Member states recognize participating institutions that are authorized in other member states. SARA establishes comparable national standards for interstate offering of postsecondary distance education courses and programs. It is intended to make it easier for students to take online courses offered by postsecondary institutions based in another state.

The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) is an agreement among member states, districts and territories that establishes comparable national standards for interstate offerings of postsecondary distance education courses and programs. It is intended to make it easier for students to take online courses offered by postsecondary institutions based in another state. Currently, all states (excluding California) plus the District of Columbia are members of NC-SARA.

Graduation & Commencement

At graduation, BSN students will be invited to both a nursing pinning and graduation ceremony with the college. More details about nursing pinning and graduation can be found in Canvas.

Diplomas are mailed to students following the August and January degree conferral. Diplomas are presented at commencement to students with a May degree conferral date, provided they do not have a hold on their student account. Diplomas are mailed to May graduates that do not attend commencement.

Please access the commencement webpage for more information.

Accreditation

Regionally Accredited with Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
Member and approved by the NC-SARA to improve the quality, value, and student experience of our distance education programs.
The baccalaureate program in nursing at Elizabethtown College is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).

Elizabethtown College

717-361-1411

One Alpha Drive
Elizabethtown, PA 17022-2298

Elizabethtown College does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, religion, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, possession of a general education development certificate as compared to a high school diploma, or any other legally protected status. This commitment applies but is not limited to decisions made with respect to hiring and promotion, the administration educational programs and policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other College administered programs. Discrimination or harassment of any kind is strictly forbidden.