RN to BSN Bridge Programs Online

General education

The general education requirements at online RN to BSN bridge programs are slanted toward improving and integrating fundamental nursing skills in professional practice. Depending on the program, students typically can complete these studies concurrently with their BSN coursework. Courses selected from a wide range of programs commonly include communication, mathematics, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. General education course credits range from 6 – 15 credit hours, depending on the number of required classes in each area of study. Here is a sample of some courses:

• English Composition:
  This foundation course in college-level composition focuses on researching, writing, and revising persuasive papers.
• Introduction to Psychology: 
  This general education course introduces students to the fundamental principles of psychology, psychology history, and applied research.
• Applied Healthcare Statistics: 
  The course introduces students to mathematics, including introductory algebra, used to compile statistics and assessments of probability.
  

Nursing core

Each online RN to BSN program is built around courses that form the backbone of nursing practice. They address indispensable skills-development in patient care, community health, clinical theory, healthcare ethics, informatics, research and statistics, pathophysiology, evidence-based nursing, health assessment, and promotion. These three examples are among the common core requirements for bridge programs:

• Professional Roles and Values:
  Nurses study the responsibilities, ethics, and accountability in professional nursing, including cultural competency, patient advocacy rights, conduct, and legal considerations.
• Applied Healthcare Statistics:
  Examine the epidemiological concepts of research and analytic systems used to create a testable hypothesis, build a model, and interpret results.
• Complex Patient Centered Nursing Care:
  This course provides an overview of the principles and best practices for using psychopharmacology to treat mental disorders across the lifespan.

Nursing theory

Courseworkcovers the history of theory, current theoretical and professional applications, and advanced research practice that addresses specific populations. Nursing theory courses build a framework for identifying and assessing the right kind of care strategies relevant to each patient. The following courses are common among online RN to BSN programs:

• Introduction to Nursing Theory and Research:
  The course explores the development of nursing theory and research methods with an eye toward the practical use of evidence-based findings.
• Models of Nursing Practice:
  The study of theory-based professional nursing practice as modeled by Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring.
• Middle Range Theory for Nursing:
  Examine the nine middle range concepts that govern the ongoing use of theory generation, practice research, and disciplinary models.

Lab sciences

In an online program, students undertake clinicals on campus or at hospitals near their place of residence. Labs may also be arranged at facilities where the RN currently works. Unlike online didactic courses that may be self-paced, clinicals meet at specific times and locations. Some clinicals are offered on campus in the evenings. Here are some clinicals common to many bridge programs:

• Microbiology:
  This course focuses on the importance of microbes in relation to the disinfection and equipment sterilization techniques that minimize infection and prevent the spread of disease.
  
• Clinical Pharmacology:
  Learn the principles and intervention practices in pharmacology to treat mental disorders across the patient’s lifespan.
  
• Nutrition Science:
  Study the factors of metabolism and dietary behaviors that affect patient health, along with key therapeutic applications in dietary change and psychology.

Organization & leadership

Leadership curriculum includes studies inresearch, statistics, and informatics that assist leaders in the nursing field in creating policy. Learn how to develop programs that enhance patient care and staff performance. There is typically a concentration on skills for critical thinking, communication, dispute resolution, and the delegation of responsibilities. Here are three current courses from online bridge programs:

• Healthcare Systems and Policy:
  This comprehensive course provides insight into systems thinking, process-planning, regulatory requirements, and practical models for advocacy.
• Transitioning to Nurse Leadership:
  This wide-ranging BSN course centers on leadership theory, healthcare policy, conflict management, interdisciplinary communication, and team collaboration.
• The Role of Nurse Manager:
  Learn the responsibilities of nurse managers in patient care planning, the creation of performance goals, undertaking staff evaluations, and the incorporation of new policies to remedy issues in performance and patient care.