New Nursing Degree Program

October 01, 2000 | Written By Azusa Pacific University Editorial Team

Designed for health care professionals who want to advance their careers, the RN to BSN Degree Completion Program is available to RNs 25 years of age or older with two years of professional experience, and at least two years of completed college course work.

Created by Connie S. Austin, MSN, associate professor of nursing, and Fred G. Garlett, Ed.D., director for the Center for Accelerated Degree Programs, the program allows students to earn their BSN degree in 15 months by taking a four-hour class one night a week. Students will be divided into cohorts of 20 students and remain with those groups throughout the program.

Course subjects include ethics and issues in health care, human diversity, and nursing research and statistics, as well as practical training in a variety of settings. The courses were designed by the school's full-time faculty so as to offer the same quality of instruction that is available in the standard undergraduate program.

"The RN to BSN Degree Completion Program affords an ideal opportunity for experienced RNs to complete their baccalaureate degrees," said Rose Liegler, Ph.D., dean of the School of Nursing. "The health care community is increasingly seeking baccalaureate-prepared nurses for key professional roles."

Austin said the program fulfills a significant need among area nurses. "Having a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing opens the doors to a better future in the nursing field. The possibilities of advancement and leadership positions are available once you have earned this degree," she said.