10 Best Online RN to BSN Programs in Virginia

Like most states, Virginia is spearheading an initiative to upgrade the credentials of as many of its RNs as possible to include a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.

In this article, find out about 10 Virginia universities, both public and private, that offer the best online RN to BSN programs.

Today, it couldn't be easier to complete the one-to-two years of coursework needed to become a baccalaureate-level RN through an RN to BSN degree in Virginia.

Top Virginia RN to BSN Programs Online

Virginia is fortunate to have many affordable online RN to BSN programs, with no campus visits required. We list 12 of them below, but you'll find others as well. It's easy to earn an RN to BSN degree in Virginia.

1. Eastern Mennonite University

The Virginia-based Eastern Mennonite University has a branch campus in Lancaster, PA, through which it offers its cohort-based online RN to BSN program.

You can complete the 43-credit-hour program in less than two years with courses year-round. Applicants need to be active licensed RNs with work experience who have a minimum 2.0 GPA in prior studies.

2. George Mason University

In the suburbs of Washington, D.C., George Mason University has been preparing nurses for decades and has the largest BSN program in Virginia.

You could complete its 30-credit-hour RN to BSN degree program in two semesters (full time) or three or more semesters part-time. Most courses are seven weeks long, and coursework is 100% online.

Practicums in your home communities may be required.

3. Hampton University

Hampton University offers its 33-hour accelerated RN to BSN program as a two-year part-time program or a one-year full-time program.

In addition to the RN-to-BSN credit hours, you would need 55 prerequisite credits (such as an associate degree) plus 32 RN advanced placement credits.

4. James Madison University

Based in Harrisonburg, James Madison University offer its online program either part-time (three semesters) or full-time (five semesters), for a total of 30 credit hours past the prerequisites.

Coursework is asynchronous and includes a community health practicum that you can complete in your home community. JMU's School of Nursing offers RN-to-BSN financial aid, scholarships & awards.

5. Liberty University

In Lynchburg, Liberty University offers an online Bachelor of Science in Nursing for the registered nurse program.

You could complete this 30-credit degree in as few as 12 months either full or part time. You can transfer a minimum of 39 credits for RN licensure and up to 75% of the degree total.

This Christian institution proclaims that its mission is ''training up a generation of Champions for Christ in literally every occupation.''

Claiming to be the least expensive RN to BSN program in Virginia, Liberty also advertises tuition discounts for service members, veterans, or military spouses.

6. Norfolk State University

An HBCU, Norfolk State University is home to a 33-credit post-licensure RN to BSN online program that you could complete in nine to 18 months. Semesters are split into four terms, and students take two to three courses per term.

In the third time, students enroll in the one clinical course, Providing Nursing Systems for Families, Groups, and Communities Lab, which requires 90 contact hours.

7. Radford University

Radford University's 30-credit RN to BSN degree program can be completed in as few as 10 months if candidates have the necessary pre-requisites, making it one of the shortest online RN to BSN programs in the state.

Courses are seven weeks long, and the program has rolling start dates six times per year.

Applicants to Radford's RN to BSN program need to have earned an associate degree in nursing and have a current, active RN license plus six months of nursing experience.

The curriculum includes a nursing leadership and management course you can complete with a nurse mentor in your home community.

8. UVA College at Wise

The University of Virginia's branch campus at Wise in southwest Virginia's Appalachian mountains provides a 30-credit online RN to BSN program that you could complete in as few as two semesters (if full-time).

With a distinctive program tailored not only to rural nursing but also to the local Appalachian culture, you would take courses such as Health Promotion in Rural Appalachia, Appalachian Culture and Health, and Rural/Public Health.

9. Virginia Commonwealth University

At Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, as a practicing RN, you could earn your 32-credit BSN in six semesters while you continue to work.

This public research university's 100% online RN to BSN program includes online coursework, virtual clinical experiences, team activities, and a Clinical & Management Decision-Making capstone course.

10. Virginia State University

At this HBCU founded in 1882, the nursing program embraces the values of integrity, diversity, collaboration, and inclusion.

Its affordable online RN to BSN completion program, which started in 2020 as the university's first online degree, is distinctive in offering pay-by-the-course tuition. It also offers a special focus on nursing in rural settings.

As a part-time program, you can take courses at a pace that fits your lifestyle while also continuing to hold your job as an RN.

What Is an RN to BSN Program?

An RN to BSN program is a curriculum that leads a registered nurse (RN) who has earned an associate degree or diploma through the coursework needed to complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.

Most credits from accredited associate in nursing degree programs transfer into a BSN program to fulfill about half the credits necessary for the baccalaureate degree.

Many programs will grant RNs with a working history additional credit hours based on their professional experience.

Occasionally, a student will need to fulfill a handful of pre-requisite general education courses that the BSN school requires.

The remaining credits for the BSN are those in the upper-level BSN nursing curriculum. These usually include clinical courses in a community health setting that you may be able to complete in your home community.

Why Is RN to BSN Important?

With complex transformations in the knowledge and technology necessary to carry out nursing in our 21st-century healthcare landscape, the role of nursing has changed.

The types of competencies required of nurses a generation ago are no longer adequate in today's medical environment.

In addition to traditional skill-based competencies in patient care, today's nurses need more training and experiential learning.

According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), some of these forward-facing competencies embrace the following:

• research
• evidence-based practice
• teamwork
• collaboration
• complex decision-making
• leadership
• health policy
• system improvement

Studies show that BSN-prepared nurses are better equipped to manage this increasing complexity in nursing care.

In fact, many organizations, such as the IOM and the American Nurses Association, have set goals to increase the percentage of RNs who hold BSNs to at least 80%. That number will likely increase as the decade progresses.

Requirements for the RN to BSN Degree in Virginia

The state of Virginia classifies RN to BSN degrees as post-licensure programs. In Virginia, almost any college or university with an RN to BSN program will expect you to have an active RN license.

This means that you should have successfully completed the NCLEX-RN exam. Many programs also expect you to have some experience, perhaps six months or more, of professional work in a nursing role.

If you have any questions about state licensure for nursing, visit the Virginia Board of Nursing.

The board posts its list of approved Virginia nursing education programs as well as each school's NCLEX pass rates. Aim for a school with high pass rates.

Many nursing schools will accept candidates who have completed the NCLEX-RN exam and become licensed in another state. Be sure to check on a school-to-school basis.

The easiest RN to BSN online programs sometimes provide alternative requirements than more traditional programs.

Begin Your Online RN to BSN Program Today

If you're an active, licensed RN, you can apply for admission to more than a dozen Virginia RN to BSN completion programs that will allow you to finish your bachelor's degree in nursing while continuing to work and even raise a family.

Study at your own pace in one of Virginia's nursing programs to earn an RN to BSN degree in Virginia.