Online RN-to-BS Program

Plan of Study

Courses Required

Statistics* (Choose one of the following: ECON 205, MSIS 111, MATH 125, ESPE 310, PSYCH Z270 or SOCIOL 270)
Pharmacology** (3 credits)
Nutrition** (3 credits)

* Check the catalogue for statistics course prerequisites. This course must be completed in order to take NU 362, Nursing Research.
** May be met by scoring at the 50 percentile or higher on an NLN achievement test. NLN achievement tests may be arranged by emailing RN2BS@umb.edu.

Year 1 - Nursing Courses

NURSNG 360 Professional Issues in Nursing: Credits: 6
Course Description: As the first nursing course in the RN to BS program, this course is designed to assist registered nurses to develop the skills necessary for university level study and to explore issues that significantly influence the professional nursing practice. The course is also an intermediate seminar in the University’s General Education curriculum. As such, it places special emphasis on critical reading, writing and thinking skills.
Note: Upon successful completion of NURSNG 360, Professional Issues in Nursing, registered nurses are awarded 38 transfer credits for nursing courses completed in their basic nursing programs.
Prerequisite: Admission to the RN-to-BS degree program. Permission of Department.
NURSNG 361 Health Assessment and Promotion: Credits: 6
Course Description: This course focuses on the complete health assessment, the nursing process, and its relationship to the prevention and early detection of disease in clients across the life span. This course introduces processes of health assessment: interviewing, history-taking, and physical assessment. Dominant models, theories and perspectives are used to explain health behavior are considered in relation to evidence-based health promotion and health education strategies. Students are also expected to identify and apply pathophysiological principles to selected health issues across the lifespan. The course includes a laboratory component complemented by self-directed computer assisted instruction. Incorporated throughout the course is the importance of communication and collaboration across culturally diverse urban populations.
Prerequisite: Admission to the RN-to-BS degree program. Permission of Department.
NURSNG 362 Nursing Research and Informatics: Credits: 6
Course Description: This course provides an overview of scientific research and nursing informatics. The course focuses on the interface of theory, research, and electronic technologies used in data acquisition, information management, and knowledge development. Emphasis is placed on ethical, theoretical, and methodological issues raised when studying and documenting the health-related quality of life of urban populations and on the application of electronic networks in multidisciplinary healthcare delivery.
Prerequisites: Nursng 360, Nursng 361; one undergraduate statistics course. Admission to the RN-to-BS degree program. Permission of Department.

Year 2 - Nursing Courses

NURSNG 461 Community Health Nursing for RNs***: Credits: 6
Course Description: This course serves as the capstone course for registered nurses. The course enables students to perform complex, comprehensive interventions designed to improve public and community health care in the evolving health care system. Nursing practice is directed toward communicating effectively and working collaboratively with diverse urban communities and healthcare infrastructures to deliver quality, costeffective, and accessible health across the life span. Students will utilize information technology to generate empirical and theoretical knowledge bases for decision-making, critical thinking, designing, and evaluation of health care programs and outcomes. Students will assess and demonstrate accountability for self-learning needs when engaged in developing and advocating for programs designed to promote the health of vulnerable and other diverse urban populations. Students will complete their senior year pass/fail capstone experience during this course.
Note: Students must successfully complete the writing proficiency requirement prior to enrolling in NURSNG 461.
Prerequisites: Nursng 460. Admission to the RN-to-BS degree program. Permission of Department.
NURSNG 462 Legal, Ethical & Health Policy and Capstone for RN’s: Credits: 6
Course Description: This course is the capstone for students in the online RN-BS program. This course enables students to analyze complex nursing issues from a legal, ethical, and political approach. This perspective will serve to guide health professionals to socially responsible practice and collaboration within the changing health care environment. In addition, the course conducts critical analyses of contemporary urban health and policy issues affecting individuals across the lifespan. The impact of the complex socio-political environments on how the health care system evolved and is continually reformed is explored. Different health issues and policies including communication, advocacy, and ethical concerns of access, quality, and cost will be examined. The ethical, legal and policy issues surrounding healthcare disparities will be examined. Students will use information technology to generate empirical and theoretical knowledge bases for decision-making, critical thinking and evaluation of health care policies and their outcomes.
Prerequisite: NURSNG 461.

*** The community health component includes a 40 hour volunteer experience. During the practicum, students will attend the online portion of the class and have online chat sessions with their instructor to optimize the learning experience.

Additional University Requirements

(May be met any time prior to completion of the program)

6 credits of World Culture and Language Electives
6 credits of Art and Humanities Electives
7 credits of Electives