RN to BSN Completion Program - Major Nursing

The RN to Bachelor of Science Degree Completion Program offers a nontraditional approach for Associate Degree Nurses (ADN) to pursue a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) Degree in as little as three (3) semesters. The program is offered at the Doheny Campus and admits twice per year: Fall and Spring.

The Program is designed so that RN’s can work while continuing their nursing education. Nursing courses will be offered on Friday’s, Wednesday Evenings and some Weekends, however, each semester there is a clinical component, which will be held during the week. All General Study requirements will be taken in the Weekend College.

Students considered for this program must hold a valid California RN license and have an overall GPA of 2.8 on a 4.0 scale. Applicants that do not hold a valid California RN license may be admitted as a Pre-RN to BSN student for (1) one semester while preparing to take the licensure exam. Individual advisement is required for all students to establish a plan of study to achieve a BSN.

Program Objectives

1. Integrate critical thinking, knowledge, and skills from the liberal arts and nursing courses to provide care that is safe and ethical.
2. Use the Roy Adaptation Model as a scientific method to deliver nursing care to persons, families, groups, and populations.
3. Implement holistic, evidence-based patient/family centered care.
4. Demonstrate the application of psychomotor skills for the efficient, safe, and compassionate delivery of patient care across practice settings.
5. Communicate and advocate effectively with all members of the healthcare team, including the patient and patient’s support networks.
6. Provide health education that reflects variances in individuals, groups, and populations.
7. Implement patient and family care around palliative and end-of-life care issues.
8. Apply clinical judgment and accountability for patient outcomes when delegating to and supervising other members of the healthcare team.
9. Create a beginning understanding of complementary and alternative modalities and their role in healthcare.
10. Create a culture of respect for the diversity among the client continuum (patient, family, groups, and global populations).
11. Apply leadership concepts, skills, and decision-making in the delivery of safe and high quality care in a variety of settings.
12. Incorporate ethical and legal principles to safely manage care of individuals, families, groups, and populations.

Program Admission Policy

Please refer to university application deadline dates. All applicants must have an advisement session prior to admission regardless of how they enter the program. Applications to the program may be submitted two ways:

1. A student who has obtained an ADN from Mount Saint Mary’s University with a GPA of 2.8 or better and has had no break between obtaining the degree and starting the RN to BSN program may complete an Inter-Program Transfer (IPT) form. The form will be available from the RN to BSN advisor. No University application is required.
2. All other students must apply to the University for the RN to BSN completion program.

In order to be eligible for review, applicants must be admitted to the University and then fulfill the nursing admission requirements. Admission to the RN to BSN Completion Program is considered for the fall semester and for spring semester with a specific deadline for each semester. Admission is based on:

• Completed application
• Satisfactory fulfillment of pre-requisite classes
• Official college transcripts from every college attended
• Cumulative GPA of at least 2.8
• Cumulative Science GPA of at least 2.50
• Letters of reference
• Unencumbered, valid, active, RN license in the state of California.

Personal interviews may be scheduled for qualified applicants admitted directly to the RN to BSN Program.

Priority is given to students who:

• Meet the required criteria.
• Have a cumulative GPA of 2.8 for all transferable college work attempted.
• A GPA of 2.50 for college science courses is required for admission to the nursing program. The science GPA will consist of grades received from anatomy, physiology, and microbiology.
• A student may repeat a course required for the nursing major no more than once. Failure (C- and below) of any two required science or pre-requisite courses results in non-admission.

RN to BSN Program Transfer of Credit

Transfer Credit

Credit for courses taken at other accredited colleges or universities is transferable provided that the transferred courses satisfy curriculum requirements at Mount Saint Mary’s University. No more than 70 transferable community college units may be applied toward the units required for a Baccalaureate degree (see Advanced Standing section in the University Catalog ). Students must discuss with the RN to BSN advisor all courses to be transferred in for credit. Forms and approvals must be completed prior to starting the program.

RN to BSN Program Entrance Requirement

Students consideration admission, must have the following completed by the first semester:

Necessary health forms and immunizations

Have a current CPR care (Healthcare Provider from American Heart Association is only one acceptable)

Have a current Fire Card

Carry malpractice insurance

Have a FITT test

Cost/Financial Aid

The cost of the program is depends on tuition (found on the college website) and  what courses students can transfer in that does not exceed the 70 unit limit. Students will need advisement to determine their plan of study prior to starting the program to ensure the correct numbers of General Studies are met. Students are encouraged to apply for financial aid and external scholarships.

Credit for Nursing Courses

When a student is licensed to practice as a Registered Nurse in the state of California, credit for courses equivalent to MSMU lower division nursing courses are transferable. The courses must have been completed through an accredited junior or senior college to be accepted as transfer units. With a satisfactory rating on the Validation of Clinical Competence form, 27 units of upper division credit may be awarded for courses. The 27 semester units of upper division units is awarded for the following equivalent course work.