Palm Beach Atlantic University will launch an RN to BSN program in May 2016. The program complements the University’s current nursing degree offerings and responds to the demand for baccalaureate-prepared nurses to provide better patient outcomes and reduce the total cost of care.
Palm Beach Atlantic’s proposed RN to BSN program responds to the needs of medical facilities to hire more bachelor’s-trained nurses, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Gene Fant said. According to the Institute of Medicine, the proportion of BSN-prepared nurses working in hospitals is expected to increase from 50 percent to 80 percent by 2020.
“Certainly, BSN-trained nurses have more career opportunities. In addition, graduates of Palm Beach Atlantic’s proposed RN to BSN program will have a streamlined pathway to pursue graduate degrees at the University, which will give them even broader opportunities in clinical or administrative settings,” Fant said.
“Palm Beach Atlantic offers one of the few faith-based RN to BSN nursing programs in the state at a competitive price. This quality as well as the personal relationships that students have with faculty that we provide in a convenient online environment are the most significant differentiators of this program,” School of Nursing Dean Dr. Joanne Masella said.
The new RN to BSN program will consist of 31 nursing credits plus additional general education courses for essentially four semesters of study. All coursework can be completed online except for the capstone course that students can complete in their communities. Applicants to the proposed program minimally hold an associate degree in nursing (ADN) and a valid registered nurse license.
