Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree Completion Program for RNs

College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago

Curriculum

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Degree Completion Program offers a challenging set of online nursing courses designed to educate today's nurses to be tomorrow's nursing leaders.

A common avenue for you to earn the 120+ credit hours required for your BSN is as follows:

• Receive sufficient credit hours from nursing courses at a community college as part of an Associate's Degree in Nursing (ADN) program or at a 4-year institution as part of a BSN program that will qualify you to sit for the RN licensure exam in your state. You must have a current RN license to be admitted to the BSN Degree Completion program
• Complete 57 transferable liberal arts and sciences credit hours (including the course prerequisites required for admission) prior to enrolling in the BSN Degree Completion Program
• Complete 30 credit hours of nursing coursework in the BSN Degree Completion Program through The University of Illinois

Please note that your UIC transcript will show a total of 63 credit hours earned through The University of Illinois, as you will receive 33 hours of proficiency credit in recognition for having a current RN license in addition to the 30 hours of nursing coursework.

Most students who apply to our BSN Degree Completion Program have already satisfied some or all of the needed prerequisites as part of their Associate's Degree in Nursing (ADN) or other college-level coursework they've taken. On average, most of our students only need to take four to six courses beyond their ADN and/or RN licensure in order to complete the prerequisites and apply for our program. The course prerequisites for admission to the BSN Degree Completion Program can be completed online through Parkland College. For more information, visit http://online.parkland.edu/bachelors.html.

The curriculum of the 30-credit hour BSN Degree Completion Program consists of the following courses, to be taken in the order listed below.

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• NUSC 210: Health Assessment

  Introduction to assessment of physical and psychosocial health across the lifespan. Includes physical assessment techniques, interviewing skills and introduction to medical terminology and health risk assessment.

  Credit: 3 Sem. Hr(s).

  Course Starts: Offered in January, May and September of each year

• NUSC 242: Concepts/Processes for Contemporary Nursing

  Introduces RN/BSN students to contemporary concepts for professional nursing practice in health care systems with emphasis on the nursing paradigm, health promotion and continuity of care.

  Credit: 4 Sem. Hr(s).

  Course Starts: Offered in March, July and November of each year.

• NUSC 385: Clinical Concepts/Processes in Population-Focused Nursing

  Synthesizes theory, research and practice related to population-focused nursing care, with emphasis on health promotion of aggregates. Clinical application with aggregates across the lifespan.

  Credit: 5 Sem. Hr(s).

  Course Starts: Offered in May, January and September of each year

• NUSC 310: Exploring Complementary/Alternative Practices

  Explores philosophical, historical, cultural and clinical aspects of complementary/alternative practices. Emphasizes providing holistic nursing care by incorporating complementary/alternative practices.

  Credit: 2 Sem. Hr(s).

  Course Starts: Offered in July, November and March of each year

• NUSC 322: Introduction to Nursing Research/Statistics for Evidence-Based Practice

  Covers basic concepts of research emphasizing relationship between research and nursing practice. Includes basic statistical measures, hypothesis testing, and interpretation of nursing research for application and practice.

  Credit: 4 Sem. Hr(s).

  Course Starts: Offered in September, January and May of each year

• NUSC 316: Nursing Informatics

  Explores information system concepts in health care delivery and nursing practice. Emphasizes application of systems concepts in addressing health care delivery issues. Explores information system concepts in health care delivery and nursing practice. Emphasizes application of systems concepts in addressing health care delivery issues.

  Credit: 3 Sem. Hr(s).

  Course Starts: Offered in November, July and March of each year

• NUSC 390: Nursing Leadership and Management in Health Care

  Appraises and synthesizes theory, research and practice in the application of principles of nursing leadership and management. Clinical application focuses on the management of groups of clients and systems.

  Credit: 6 Sem. Hr(s).

  Course Starts: Offered in January, May and September of each year

• NUSC 397: Issues in Nursing Practice

  Analyzes social, economic and policy issues affecting the practice of professional nursing with emphasis on strategies for advancing the profession.

  Credit: 3 Sem. Hr(s).

  Course Starts: Offered in March, July and November of each year

Although the above list shows the suggested order for taking the courses, we understand that life events and other circumstances may interrupt your education. Your Advisor will assist you throughout your enrollment as you complete the program.

Textbooks and Course Packets

Textbooks and course packets are available online through our virtual bookstore. Ordering materials is easy and straightforward. Various shipment and payment options are available, and orders are shipped within 24 hours, Monday through Friday. Electronic books and used books will be available for purchase whenever possible, and students will often have the option to sell their books back to the bookstore at the end of a class.

Library Services

The University of Illinois provides easy access to library resources online, including electronic reserves and materials necessary to complete course-related research. Assistance will be available by email, phone, or virtual chat. Online tutorials, guides, and other forms of assistance will help you gain familiarity with the library resources most appropriate for your program.