Frequently Asked Questions

What Kind of Program Is It?

The online BSN program is designed to examine current healthcare laws and policies. Students will have the opportunity to explore the importance of health promotion, disease prevention, and quality patient care. Special strategies for dealing with drug and alcohol abuse, mental illness, workplace health hazards, and emergencies are also covered. You'll be able to learn about current alternative therapies as well as study the intended actions, side effects, and interactions of common drug treatments. Courses are designed to cover topics in healthcare information technology, managerial decision making, accessibility and affordability, patient interviewing and examination, and clinical data analysis. Prior to completing this Walden University degree program, you'll have the chance to take part in two 45-hour practical experiences.

What Are the Prerequisites?

In order to be considered for this BSN program, you must be a currently licensed and registered nurse and you must have an associate degree or a diploma in nursing. Good communication, interpersonal and collaborative abilities should prove helpful.

What Are the Pathways to a BSN?

This online bachelor's in nursing program features two tracks, depending on your higher education goals. Choose between the RN to BSN Track, for registered nurses who wish to earn their bachelor's degree, and the RN to BSN to MSN Track, an accelerated pathway that gives registered nurses the opportunity to earn their bachelor's degree while working toward their Master of Science in Nursing (MSN).

What Are the Course Requirements?

Degree program curriculum and credits are subject to change. Contact Walden University for the most current information before enrolling in a program. Walden University's online BSN program (RN to BSN Track) requires the completion of 180 quarter credit hours. Because this is a completion program for existing nurses, you may be able to transfer up to 135 credits of previously completed elective, lower division, and general education courses.

An additional 35-40 total quarter credits are completed for the RN to BSN to MSN Track.

Foundation Course

• Dynamics of Walden Success: Learning Lab

Core Courses

• Issues and Trends in Nursing
• The Context of Healthcare Delivery
• Information Management in Nursing and Healthcare
• Pathopharmacology
• Health Assessment
• Research and Scholarship for Evidence-Based Practice
• Topics in Clinical Nursing
• Family, Community, and Population-Based Care with Practicum
• Public and Global Health
• Leadership Competencies in Nursing and Healthcare with Practicum

What Could I Do After I Graduate?

Career Options

After earning a BSN degree, you could be able to take on additional duties related to your current position. Opportunities could also be found with hospitals, doctor's offices, clinics, urgent care centers, mental health facilities, or clinical research institutes. You could be able to undertake responsibilities in patient evaluations, wellness education, client care, medical recordkeeping, or staff scheduling.

With this type of training, positions could be sought as:

• Hospital admissions nurses
• Home care nurses
• Staff nurses
• Head nurses

Career options may require additional experience, training, or other factors beyond the successful completion of this degree program.

Advanced Degrees

Upon completion of this BSN program, you could decide you'd like to continue your training. This could lead you to seek voluntary industry credentials through such agencies as the American Nursing Credentialing Center. Another option would be to enroll in a master's degree program, which could allow you to develop skills in advanced practice or learn more about healthcare leadership and management principles.

Degrees listed are not institution-specific but constitute a sampling of continuing education options for graduates. Degrees you could pursue include:

• M.S. in Nursing
• M.S. in Nursing (Nurse Practitioner specialization)
• M.S. in Healthcare Administration
• Master of Public Health