Best Online RN to BSN Bachelor Degrees

During your online RN to BSN degree program, your courses will focus on patient care and how to professionally and legally perform your job. Some courses include:

• Fundamentals of nursing — This BSN course covers the main role of nurses, including assessing problems, determining treatments, completing medical records, promoting health, and taking an evidence-based approach to clinical practice.
• Anatomy — This BSN course teaches body parts and organs at the cellular level. You will also learn about bodily functions in the skeletal, muscular, nervous, and sensory systems.
• Microbiology — This BSN course takes a closer look at bacteria, viruses, diseases, and how to prevent infection spread.

Additional courses may include:

• Nursing health assessment
• Human growth and development
• Pharmacology
• Physiology
• Community nursing
• Theory of clinical practice
• Leadership and management

A BSN degree can open up a wide range of job possibilities, depending on what you want to do. BSN jobs can include:

• Hospitals
• Clinics
• Physicians offices
• Nurse educator
• Health policy nurse
• Nurse recruiter
• Forensics
• Clinical research
• Health coaching

Online BSN programs also offer courses for particular nursing specialties such as:

• Acute care
• Emergency care
• Obstetrics
• Pediatrics
• Public health

Depending on where you live, your certifications, and your continuing education, a BSN salary can range from $48,000 to $94,000.

Admission requirements vary depending on the online program in which you want to enroll. However, some standard RN to BSN admission requirements are:

• GPA — Most programs have a 2.0 GPA requirement but some programs require up to a 3.0 GPA. The GPA comes from previous nursing programs or prerequisite courses needed for the BSN program, depending on the school.
• RN degree/licensure — To take your RN to a BSN degree, you need to be a current licensed nurse in good standing.
• Personal essay — Colleges like to get to know who you are as a person outside of school or nursing. Essays are not a requirement for every BSN program but you should be prepared to write one if required by your chosen program.
• Resume/CV — Some schools will ask for a resume or CV as part of the admission process. They do this to learn about you on a professional level, including school completion and work experience.
• Letters of recommendation — These letters should come from teachers or employers who can speak to your readiness and qualifications for starting a BSN degree. Most schools will require between one and three letters, so plan accordingly about who you will ask to write the letters. Be sure that you have a good professional relationship with whomever you ask to write a letter for you to ensure they will give you a solid recommendation.
• Application — In addition to all the other information you need to provide, BSN programs will also have a standard application that needs to be submitted. Read over it carefully before you start and ensure you have all the information needed to fill it out completely.
• Criminal background check — Nurses are on the frontline of most patient interactions, and as such, they must be honest, ethical, and professional. A clean background check shows your school that you are trustworthy and fit to work in medicine. In addition to background checks, some BSN programs may also require a drug test or that you complete a physical with your primary care provider.
• Full-time RN employment (in some cases) — Outside of regular BSN courses, most programs have a clinical hours requirement. Since these programs are online, you may be required to work as an RN to get the clinical hours you need for your degree.
• Equivalency exam — You may be able to test out of the clinical hours if you can pass an equivalency exam. This may be a good option if you are trying to graduate faster.

The average cost of an online RN to BSN program from a public university is $37,920 (tuition only). However, prices can range from $25,000 to $80,000, depending on which school you choose and whether they are a public or private university. In some cases, schools will charge online students higher out-of-state tuition, which can also raise costs.

Tuition isn’t the only cost that online students have to cover. You’ll still need school materials, textbooks, a computer to access online courses, and a strong, stable internet connection. All of this needs to be calculated on top of tuition costs to help you determine if a school’s costs fit your budget.

Typically, it takes two years to turn an RN associate degree into a BSN degree. A BSN degree is usually a four-year program, but with an RN associate degree, it cuts two years out of your overall time. Some schools offer accelerated programs that are usually 12–18 months but this is not a standard option.

Other factors affect how long your BSN degree takes, including:

• Credit transfers
• Work experience
• Your learning pace

If you want to work through a BSN program quickly, find an online school that offers accelerated courses, accepts your credits for transfer, and considers work experience for your degree progress.

Typically, no. If you already have your RN license, you shouldn’t need to repeat your clinicals. However, some schools may require students to work as an RN during their schooling. This option fulfills the clinical hours that may be required for graduation.