Statement of Purpose
The philosophy of the nursing program is articulated as follows:
“The Stevenson University nursing program, as an integral part of its parent institution, is dedicated to the pursuit of higher learning grounded in the arts, sciences, and humanities. The philosophy and curricular focus of the nursing program emphasizes the ethic of caring, critical thinking, and a spirit of inquiry in education, practice, service, and research. The nursing faculty believes nursing is a professional discipline with academic and practice dimensions. The nursing faculty values scholarship and academic integrity and seeks to foster professional involvement and life-long learning in students and graduates. The essence of nursing is grounded in the philosophy of caring. The nursing faculty believes that caring exists in authentic relationships through which all persons are respected and nurtured. Within these co-created relationships, caring opens the possibility of transformation, inviting growth, healing, and wholeness of persons, families, and communities. In the reflective practice of nursing and nursing education, a caring environment affirms diversity in ways of being and ways of knowing.”
Description
Stevenson University offers the RN to BS option for registered nurses who would like to obtain a bachelor’s degree in nursing. The curriculum is offered in an accelerated format and designed to enable online learners to complete the baccalaureate degree in nursing as part-time students taking one nursing course at a time.
All RN to BS courses are offered in 8-week sessions, with the exception of NURS 424 – Health in the Community, which is offered in a full 16-week semester. Multiple entry and exit points along the way enable registered nurses to complete requirements according to professional and personal goals. Some RN to BS courses are offered in a hybrid format, combining online and face-to-face delivery, at various locations throughout Maryland. All RNBS courses are offered online throughout the year, allowing RNs to schedule their academic work in keeping with family and work responsibilities.
The RN to BS option is a concentrated program for the registered nurse, who is highly motivated, self-directed, and able to participate in independent learning activities. The Stevenson University nursing program is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and is approved by the Maryland Board of Nursing.
Qualified registered nurses must successfully complete a total of 120 credits, of which 30 credits must be taken at Stevenson University. RNs may transfer prerequisite non-nursing courses and college core courses, but the RN to BS nursing program requirements must be taken at Stevenson University. Students who take community college courses are required to submit official transcripts at the completion of their courses in order to obtain credit for these courses. The RN to BS courses required at Stevenson University total 30 credits. In accordance with the Maryland Articulation Model, Stevenson University will award 30 upper-division nursing credits to the registered nurse with an active, unencumbered nursing license upon enrollment in the RN to BS Option.
The RN to BS Option at Stevenson University partners with several community colleges across the state, and more partnerships are being developed. Please check the website for updates. In order to increase RNs' accessibility to baccalaureate education, partnerships are in place with the following colleges
- Anne Arundel Community College
- Baltimore City Community College
- Carroll Community College
- Cecil Community College
- Chesapeake College
- College of Southern Maryland
- Community College of Baltimore County
- Frederick Community College
- Hagerstown Community College
- Harford Community College
- Howard Community College
- Montgomery College
- Prince George's Community College
- Wor-Wic Community College
Transfer guides allow registered nurses to complete all non-nursing program requirements at the community college. The RN to BS courses will be completed through Stevenson University, at the Owings Mills site, at a hospital partner site, at the community college site, or online.
Prior to enrolling in NURS 424 - Health in the Community, the student will be required to:
- Submit proof of health insurance coverage.
- Submit current CPR certification.
- Substantiate adherence to the Department of Nursing's Health Requirements.
Students who start the RN to BS option and later decide that the RN to MS option would have been a better choice for them, can still apply. Criteria for admission are the following: completion of at least 12 RN to BS credits, GPA of 3.00 or above, and completion of the application for admission.
Stevenson University Online Articulated College Transfer (SUO ACT)
Through Stevenson University Online’s Articulated College Transfer (SUO ACT), nursing students who have earned an Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Associate of Science (A.S.) in nursing have satisfied all general education requirements for Stevenson University Online’s ATB, RN to BS, and RN to MS. Students must complete program requirements, 30 institutional credits and 120 credits to earn the Bachelor of Science in nursing. Stevenson University will accept a maximum of 70 transfer credits from a regionally accredited community college and 90 credits from a regionally accredited four-year institution. Please contact an enrollment counselor for further details.
Outcomes
Based upon the concepts of person, health, environment, nursing and facilitation of learning as identified in the philosophy of the Stevenson University nursing program, the faculty subscribes to an organizing framework in which caring is firmly established in the practice of professional nursing. Graduates will be prepared to practice professional nursing.
Upon completion of the Stevenson University baccalaureate nursing program, graduates will be able to:
- Integrate the concepts of caring in nursing practice in diverse health care settings across the health-illness continuum.
- Engage in holistic reflective nursing practice informed by the arts, sciences, and humanities.
- Exhibit competencies in critical thinking, communication, evidence-based decision making, scholarly inquiry and technical skills in the practice of nursing.
- Integrate professional competencies in the nursing roles of provider, designer, manager, and coordinator of care and participate as an active member of the profession.
- Assume ethical and legal responsibility and accountability in nursing practice, exemplifying the values of altruism, autonomy, human dignity, integrity, and social justice.
- Apply leadership concepts, skills, and decision-making in creating caring environments to promote health and healing in individuals, families, communities, and global populations.
Policies
Students must achieve a grade of "C" or better in all required Stevenson nursing courses. If a student receives a "D" or "F" in any nursing course, the course must be repeated and a "C" or better must be achieved. A maximum of one nursing course may be repeated once throughout the nursing program. Students who earn a second grade of "D" or "F" in a nursing course will be automatically dismissed from the RN to BS option.
Requirements
The following are the major courses required for students in the RN to BS option.
Major Requirements:
| GEN 200 | Writing and Research for the Adult Learner | 3 credits |
| NURS 312 | Physical Assessment and Pathophysiology | 3 credits |
| NURS 313 | Concepts of Professional Nursing Practice | 4 credits |
| NURS 315 | Information Technology in Nursing and Health Care | 3 credits |
| NURS 414 | Nursing Leadership For RNs | 3 credits |
| NURS 415 | Professional Seminar II | 3 credits |
| NURS 418 | Nursing Research for RNs | 3 credits |
| NURS 424 | Health in the Community | 5 credits |
| NURS 434 | Professional Seminar III | 3 credits |
Other Program Requirements
The following program requirements may be completed at another college or university and transferred to Stevenson. Students must submit official transcripts upon the completion of the course for credit to be awarded.
- Freshman Composition
- Anatomy and Physiology I and II
- Microbiology
- Introduction to Psychology
- Introduction to Sociology
- Human Growth and Development
- Communication course
- Chemistry
- Nutrition
- Statistics
- Ethics
Minor in Nursing - RN to BS Option
There is no minor in the nursing - accelerated RN to BS option.