The RN to BSN program, which can be completed in as little as 12 months, emphasizes professional growth, leadership development, and evidence-based care. The curriculum aligns with Benedictine values, focusing on community service, patient advocacy, and quality healthcare delivery.
Offered fully online, the program allows students to complete coursework at their own pace while balancing personal and professional commitments. There is no on-campus residency requirement, ensuring accessibility for students across various locations.
Prerequisites & Requirements
Prerequisite coursework includes writing and statistics, with students required to transfer 86 credits from previous nursing and general education courses.
Enrollment requirements:
- applicants must hold an Associate Degree in Nursing (A.A.S.) from a regionally accredited institution
- have an unencumbered RN license
- maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5
Curriculum
The RN to BSN program requires 34 credit hours, focusing on advanced nursing concepts, evidence-based practice, leadership, healthcare policy, and community health.
Courses include the following:
NRHL 2250 Statistics
Introduces basic statistical techniques for nursing majors, covering central tendency, probability, sampling, estimation, and hypothesis testing. 3 semester credit hours.
NRHL 3315 Perspectives of Professional Nursing Practice
Examines foundational concepts in baccalaureate nursing, including professional identity, nursing theory, evidence-based practice, and quality care. Emphasizes critical inquiry and scholarly writing.
NRHL 3330 Nursing Scholarship: Role of Research in Evidence-Based Practice
Explores the research process and its application to evidence-based nursing, covering ethics, data collection, and research critique. Includes proposal preparation.
NRHL 3335 Concepts in Collaborative Health Promotion and Disease Prevention for the Older Adult
Focuses on interdisciplinary approaches to aging, addressing safety, support services, and health policy. Includes a clinical experience with elder-serving agencies.
NRHL 3340 Comprehensive Health and Physical Assessment
Enhances skills in physical and holistic assessment, focusing on health promotion and disease prevention. Includes clinical practice and a comprehensive physical exam.
NRHL 3345 Applications of Pathophysiology and Pharmacotherapeutics to Clinical Reasoning
Analyzes complex health conditions and pharmacological management across the lifespan. Includes case studies and clinical application.
NRHL 4365 Health Promotion for Families, Communities, and Populations
Covers patient-centered health promotion and collaboration for equitable health outcomes. Focuses on behavioral theories and barriers to health.
NRHL 4366 Professional Practice in Health Promotion
Emphasizes community partnerships and cultural competency to promote health. Includes 35 clinical practice hours.
NRHL 4375 Healthcare Policy, Regulation and Advocacy
Explores healthcare policy, finance, and the role of nurse leaders in legislative change and quality improvement.
NRHL 4392 Nurse Leadership and Interprofessional Collaboration
Focuses on leadership, teamwork, and quality care within healthcare systems. Includes teamwork concepts and interprofessional collaboration.
NRHL 4394 Professional Practice in Leadership and Interprofessional Collaboration
Develops innovative leadership strategies to promote systemic healthcare changes. Includes 35 hours of clinical practice in nursing leadership.
NRHL 4395 Nursing Elective
Offers independent study or credit for prior work/life experiences in theoretical or clinical nursing. Repeatable for up to 3 credits.
More curriculum info here: https://catalog.ben.edu/lisle-undergraduate/course-descriptions/nrhl/
Clinicals
Students complete 70 hours of clinical practice in community and healthcare settings, gaining hands-on experience to apply classroom knowledge.
Tuition
Estimated total cost for the 34 credit hour program would $15,470.
Cost Breakdown
(34 credit hours × $415 per credit hour) + $1,360 (student service fees) = $15,470.
Accreditation and Recognition
The program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), ensuring high educational standards and relevance in the evolving healthcare industry. This recognition highlights the program’s commitment to producing competent and ethical nursing professionals.
Outcomes and Career Opportunities
Graduates of the program gain advanced skills in critical thinking, evidence-based practice, and interprofessional collaboration, preparing them for roles in leadership, quality improvement, and public health.
The program also provides a foundation for pursuing advanced degrees, such as an MSN, with up to six credits eligible for waiver.
Additional Programs
Benedictine University also offers other nursing programs, including an MSN, Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), and dual degrees like the MSN/MBA, catering to diverse career aspirations in healthcare.
This program is ideal for nurses aiming to enhance their qualifications, expand career opportunities, and contribute to improving healthcare outcomes in their communities.
More RN to BSN Programs in the Chicago Area
- Dominican University - Chicago, River Forest
- Governors State - Chicago, IL
- Lewis University - Romeoville, IL
- National Louis University - Chicago, Lisle, IL
- Olivet Nazarene - Bourbonnais, IL
- Pacific College of Health & Science - Chicago
- University of Illinois Chicago - Chicago, IL