RN to BSN Online Curriculum and Course Descriptions
The online RN to BSN program emphasizes the three fundamental aspects of nursing practice throughout the curriculum to include: 1) population focused health care, 2) health promotion, 3) care of the sick in and across all environments. Classes are taught by faculty members who are skilled practitioners and have graduate degrees in their areas of clinical specialization.
The program requires the successful completion of 28 credits in the nursing major and nursing electives as well as additional prerequisite and liberal arts credits. To earn a bachelor’s degree at Gannon University, you must complete a total of 128 semester credit hours. We will accept up to 64 semester credits from an accredited ADN program, which includes a maximum of 32 nursing articulation credits.
We will help design a customized plan of study for each applicant that takes into account your prior educational background and work experience to help maximize your transfer of credit. You may also receive credit for your professional experience through such opportunities as CLEP and portfolios. Your academic advisor will guide you through the options best suited to meet your academic program of study.
Nursing Prerequisite Courses
Gannon University’s Villa Maria School of Nursing requires completion or transfer equivalent of 25 credits of nursing prerequisites:
- Human Anatomy & Physiology I and II (8 credits)
- Introduction to Microbiology and lab (4 credits)
- Human Growth and Development (3 credits)
- Physiologic Chemistry and lab (4 credits – offered online at Gannon)
- Nutrition (3 credits – offered online at Gannon)
- Statistics (3 credits – offered online at Gannon)
Nursing Major Course Descriptions
NURS 203 Transition to Professional Nursing (5 credits) – Transition to Professional Nursing is an online course designed to provide learning opportunities for RN to BSN students to broaden their perspectives of the professional nursing role in health care delivery. The course recognizes and builds on prior education and work experience of the RN. The course introduces the major concepts of Person, Society, Health and Nursing. The context of professional nursing including, but not limited to: critical thinking, evidence based practice, professional roles, values, ethics, responsibilities and theoretical foundations of professional practice. The process for creation and validation of course objectives by portfolio including use of the APA 6th edition format are presented, practiced and refined.
NURS 308 The Research Process in Nursing (3 credits) – Using a comprehensive approach, this course is designed to stimulate student interest in the research process, theory development, and translation of findings to nursing practice. Students learn the components, principles, and methods of scientific research to become discerning consumers of research.
Prerequisite: PSYCH 211 or equivalent
NURS 404 Nurse Power Politics (Capstone) (3 credits) – This capstone Liberal Studies course is a seminar experience designed to provide the student with an opportunity to explore contemporary health care issues, to analyze these issues within the historical, professional context as well as the context of his or her value system, and to adopt a position regarding such issues. The student is engaged in an active exploration of his / her own philosophy of nursing. Students are guided through this analysis by faculty who facilitate open discussions and exchange of ideas. Students develop skill in formulation of a position, consideration of others’ viewpoints and defense of such a position, as well as to realize the potential impact and power of political activity. Students also realize the importance of individual action and commitment. Service learning is a required component of the course.
Validation by Portfolio available
NURS 408 Management and Leadership in Nursing (3 credits) – This course focuses on the knowledge and skills related to the delivery of health care services within a nursing management context. Theories, concepts and models are presented which give the student an understanding of the knowledge base required for effective management and assuming a leadership role in professional nursing practice. The course provides the knowledge and skills necessary to apply principles in planning and delegating nursing care and discusses developing creative roles for managing and leading in nursing.
Prerequisite: NURS 203
NURS 414 Promoting Healthy Communities (5 credits) – This online course provides RN to BSN students a perspective of professional nursing at the community level of practice. Course content will provide an overview of specific issues and societal concerns that affect community health nursing practice; epidemiological applications in community health nursing; educational theories, models, and principles applied in community health nursing; risk factors and health problems for defined populations across the lifespan; issues and approaches in providing for the health care of defined populations in the community; specific health care needs and issues for populations at risk; communicable disease risk and prevention; and the diversity in the role of the community health nurse. Students apply previous knowledge and the nursing process in maximizing the health status of individuals, families, and defined populations within the community. Adult learning teaching strategies are employed in this course.
Validation by Portfolio available.
Nursing Elective Course Descriptions
NURS 343 Palliative Care (3 credits) – This course provides an examination of the theory of palliative care focusing on the complexities of caring for terminally ill and dying patients as well as those with life-threatening or chronic illness. This course is designed for students from a variety of health care disciplines. Aspects of the interdisciplinary team in providing a comprehensive approach to palliative care are emphasized. The physical, psychosocial, cultural and spiritual needs of patients and families as well as ethical and legal issues concerning care are explored.
NURS 416 Special Topics in Nursing (1 – 3 credits) – Special topic courses are developed by faculty around a specific area of interest. Objectives may be defined by faculty or mutually identified by students and faculty.
NURS 419 Basic Dysrhythmia and 12-lead EKG Interpretation (3 credits) – This course is designed for professional nursing majors who desire to develop skills in dysrhythmia interpretation. Identification of EKG features, predisposing conditions and treatments; role of the nurse in patient care; and current ACLS interventions are emphasized.
NURS 423 Women’s Health Issues (3 credits) – This course will provide the student an understanding of health issues affecting women. Major health promotion strategies and their theoretical models will be presented. Analysis of case studies will enhance student understanding of effective methods of promoting positive health-seeking behaviors among women of all ages across cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. The influence of social, economic and political issues on women’s health will be stressed.
NURS 428 School Nursing (5 credits) – This course is designed to focus on the professional nurse’s role in school health. Emphasis is placed on the dimensions of Certified School Nursing in Pennsylvania. Students are required to spend a minimum of 100 contact hours in a School District under the supervision of a Certified School Nurse. Clinical facilities are to be made by arrangement of each student.
Liberal Core Course Descriptions
Student enrolled in the online RN to BSN are required to take 19 credits of Liberal Studies Core.
LTHE 121 Sacred Scripture (3 credits) – A study of the Christian concept of God’s self-revelation in the history of Israel and climactically in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ.
LPHI 131 Introduction to Philosophy (3 credits) – An introduction to the study of philosophy. Beginning with the dawn of philosophical awareness among the ancient Greek philosophers, the course surveys both traditional and modern approaches to the philosophical understanding of the human condition.
LENG 245 Poetry (3 credits) – This course helps students develop an appreciation, understanding and evaluation of drama as it reflects human experience in diverse cultural contexts.
LFIN 251 Introduction to Music (3 credits) – The aim of this course is to guide the student to a more perceptive and meaningful enjoyment of the art of music. After having been acquainted with musical materials and procedures, the student will be introduced to selected works characteristic of different style periods.
LPHI 237 Philosophy of Ethical Responsibility (3 credits) – The subject matter of ethics is “the good life and how to live it”. Students will examine a variety of influential approaches to ethics, and will gain skill in applying ethical theory both to practical ethical issues in daily life, and to some of the urgent ethical issues in contemporary society.
Prerequisite: LPHI 131
NURS 320 Leadership Seminar (1 credit) – The Leadership seminar introduces students to a three dimensional model of leadership, including a repertoire of leadership skills and means of using those skills responsibly in various communities to which they belong. In addition, the course helps students explore the relevance of leadership skills in the leadership process. Ethical reasoning and Catholic social justice teaching serve as the basis for the students’ leadership development as reflected both in this course and the co-requisite Theology or Philosophy Series III courses. This course, while housed in the Villa Maria School of Nursing, is open to all University students.
Co-requisite course Theology III
NURS 404 Capstone Seminar (3 credits) – This capstone Liberal Studies course is a seminar experience designed to provide the student with an opportunity to explore contemporary health care issues, to analyze these issues within the historical, professional context as well as the context of his or her value system, and to adopt a position regarding such issues. The student is engaged in an active exploration of his / her own philosophy of nursing. Students are guided through this analysis by faculty who facilitate open discussions and exchange of ideas. Students develop skill in formulation of a position, consideration of others’ viewpoints and defense of such a position, as well as to realize the potential impact and power of political activity. Students also realize the importance of individual action and commitment. Service learning is a required component of the course.
Validation by Portfolio available
Learn more about the curriculum of the online RN-BSN at Gannon: call us at 877-497-5854 or request more information.
