The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to B.S.N.) degree program at Empire State University is a 124-credit program designed for registered nurses (RN) looking to advance their leadership capabilities and advance their career in healthcare settings.

The B.S.N. degree program includes a set of required courses that all students must take, along with SUNY General Education and other academic requirements, in order to be eligible to receive a degree. The required courses for the B.S.N. can be found on the “Program Details” tab. Students should speak with their mentor to see if any credit earned through individualized Prior Learning Assessment (iPLA) or Professional Learning Evaluation (PLE) might fulfill these course requirements. Courses are offered online, through independent studies, or through a blended approach. 

RN To BSN Program Admission Requirements

• An admissions application.
• An active, unencumbered New York state RN license.
• An associate degree or diploma from an accredited nursing program.

Program Details

The RN to BSN program requires a total of 124 credits completed through a combination of nursing component requirements, transfer credits and credits earned by meeting Empire State University general learning requirements.

This upper-division nursing program includes online courses and two, community-based, precepted experiences. Most students enroll on a part-time basis and complete the program in as little as three terms.*

Students should be prepared to spend approximately the following hours per week (reading, research, discussions, and writing) in a 4-credit hour course:

• 8-week course – 22.5 hours per week
• 15-week course – 12 hours per week

  Course List

  Code	Title	Credits
  Nursing Component
  Core
  NURS 3005	Transition to Baccalaureate Nursing	4
  NURS 3010	Health Assessment	4
  NURS 3015	Pharmacology	4
  NURS 3020	Nursing Informatics	4
  NURS 3025	Nursing Research	4
  NURS 4005	Health Care Delivery Systems & Policy	4
  NURS 4010	Leadership and Management	4
  NURS 4015	Population and Community Health Nursing	4
  NURS 4020	Baccalaureate Nursing Capstone (This requirement may not be met via of transfer credit or prior learning assessment.)	5
  Elective Requirement
  Examples of nursing courses that can be used to meet the elective requirement are:		4
  NURS 3035	Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Global Health
  NURS 3040	Foundations of Palliative Care
  More than 50 online courses have been approved by the nursing faculty to meet the elective requirement.
  In addition, the following professional certifications also have been approved to meet the elective requirement:
  AACN Certification Corporation: Certification for Adult Critical Care Nurses (CCRN Adult)
  AACN Certification Corporation: Certification for Neonatal Critical Care Nurse (CCRN Neonatal)
  AACN Certification Corporation: Certification for Pediatric Critical Care Nurses (CCRN Pediatric)
  AACN Certification Corporation: Certification for Progressive Care Nurses (PCCN)
  American Board of Neuroscience Nursing (ABNN): Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse (CNRN) 3
  American Board of Perianesthesia Nursing Certification: Certified Ambulatory Perianesthesia Nurse (CAPA)
  American Board of Perianesthesia Nursing Certification: Certified Post Anesthesia Nurse (CPAN)
  American Board of Wound Management (ABWM): Certified Wound Specialist (CWS)
  American Heart Association (ACLS)
  American Heart Association (PALS)
  American Nurses Credentialing Center: Certified Gerontological (ADN) Nurse
  American Nurses Credentialing Center: Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Generalist
  Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing: Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN)
  Competency and Credentialing Institute: Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
  Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Board: Certified MedicalSurgical Registered Nurse (CMSRN)
  National Board for Cert of Hospice and Palliative Nurses: Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (CHPN)
  Nursing Case Management Certification (ANCC)
  Oncology Nursing Certifications Corporation (ONCC): Certified Breast Care Nurse (CBNC)
  Pediatric Nursing Certification Board: Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN)
  Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurse Cert Board: Certified Continence Care Nurse (CCCN)
  Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurse Cert Board: Certified Ostomy Care Nurse (COCN)
  Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurse Cert Board: Certified Wound Care Nurse (CWCN)
  General Learning Component
  The remaining 83 credits are obtained via the transfer of credits and by completing SUNY Empire State College general learning requirements. Students are required to meet all of the SUNY undergraduate General Education Requirements outlined in the Undergraduate Catalog.		83
  Total Credits		124

*based on required individual degree planning

Undergraduate Precepted Practice Experiences

Precepted practice experience requirements are embedded in the Population and Community Health Nursing and Baccalaureate Nursing Capstone courses. These practice experiences are designed to meet both predetermined and personal learning objectives. Students design practice experiences with a faculty member, in collaboration with a local preceptor.

These courses are completed near the end of the program and are offered in the fall, spring and summer terms. Advance planning to integrate the clinical experiences and course work into employment and family schedules is required. The faculty recommend that students begin the planning process at least six months before course registration.

Students initiate the planning process by contacting the School of Nursing’s clinical coordinator to receive approval for both the preceptor and clinical agency. This contact should be made by Oct. 1 for a spring precepted experience, Feb. 1 for a summer precepted experience and June 1 for a fall precepted experience. 

Guidelines For Practice Experiences

The Community Health Nursing course requires 45 direct practice experience hours working with a preceptor in a community health setting. This course focuses on community health nursing and involves viewing populations and aggregates as the client. Some examples are entire communities within a geographic region, migrant workers, teen parents, older adults, veterans or children with special needs. Some examples of appropriate settings include, a public health agency, school, community hospice, and parish nurse program or outpatient clinic with community outreach programs.

The preceptor for this experience must be an experienced RN with a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in nursing. In some instances, upon approval from the dean or her designee, a professional colleague from another licensed health care discipline, such as a physician or social worker may be deemed an appropriate preceptor for the clinical practice experience.

The Baccalaureate Nursing Capstone requires 90 direct practice hours over the 15-week term. This is a nursing leadership course with four specialty tracks, including administration, clinical, education and informatics. Students choose practice sites based on their area of interest. Examples of appropriate settings include: a hospital, long-term-care facility, school, clinic, medical office or hospice. Community settings also may be utilized as long as the experience focuses on leadership. The preceptor must be an experienced RN in a leadership role with a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in nursing. 

Professional Expectations

The nursing program prepares nurses to function as professional nurses. In completing their academic program, nursing students come into direct contact with health agency staff and patients as part of their precepted practice experience. SUNY Empire State College has an obligation to protect patients and staff; cannot tolerate student behavior that exploits, endangers, compromises or threatens the welfare, safety or rights of staff and patients. SUNY Empire State College expects students to demonstrate a set of values and attitudes consistent with the highest professional standards, and to comply with professional nursing standards and institutional codes of conduct. 

As noted by the ANA, The Standards of Professional Performance (2010) are as follows:

The Standards of Professional Performance describe a competent level of behavior in the professional role. All registered nurses are expected to engage in professional role activities, including leadership, reflective of their education, experience, and position. The competencies accompanying each standard may be evidence of demonstrated compliance with the corresponding standard. The list of competencies is not exhaustive. Whether a particular standard or competency applies depends on the context, circumstances, or situation. Registered nurses are accountable for their professional actions to themselves, healthcare consumers, peers, and ultimately to society. 

Learning Outcomes

• Integrate knowledge from the nursing, biological and social sciences, and the humanities to provide culturally competent care to individuals, families and communities;
• Apply a variety of communication strategies in establishing positive relationships with patients, families and members of the health care team;
• Use evidence and information technology to enhance patient safety and promote quality care outcomes;
• Integrate principles of leadership in promoting collaboration with interdisciplinary teams;
• Analyze how the baccalaureate-prepared nurse develops professional role identity, including consideration of values, and legal and ethical aspects to nursing practice.