Nursing (RN-BSN)

Requirements

• All students are required to have completed an associate degree or diploma program in nursing. Students from associate degree nursing programs will be granted a block of up to 63 credits, if earned. Students from diploma programs will be evaluated on an individualized basis an granted a block of 36 credits for RN licensure.
• Students must have a current Pennsylvania license.
• In order to meet graduation requirements, students must have a total of 120 credits which includes general education courses, electives, and required nursing courses. Students must also meet residency requirement of earning 30 of the last 60 credits at Commonwealth University

RN-BSN Planning Sheet RN-BSN Sequence Sheet Degree Works

Note: Degree requirements effective for enrolled students beginning Fall 2023. All enrolled students, including matriculating students prior to Fall 2023, can review their degree program requirements and track progress to degree completion with our degree audit and advisement tool, Degree Works.

Commonwealth University is not authorized to accept students residing outside of Pennsylvania into the RN-BSN online program at this time. We're currently working on becoming authorized in other states, please keep checking back for updates.

• Integrate, translate, and apply established and evolving theoretical and empirical professional nursing knowledge and ways of knowing, including a foundation in the arts, sciences, and humanities.
• Demonstrate and apply person- and family-centered, evidence-based, and respectful nursing care by employing clinical judgment and problem-solving skills that meet the needs of individuals, families, and communities using a compassionate, holistic approach across the lifespan.
• Integrate traditional and nontraditional community resources, including industry, academia, and local government entities to provide equitable and inclusive care across the healthcare delivery continuum to prevent disease and injury, account for social influences on health, improve health outcomes and promote wellness among individuals, families, groups, and communities to improve population health outcomes. 
• Critically appraise, translate, apply and disseminate nursing knowledge to improve health care outcomes for diverse patient populations.
• Incorporate established and emerging quality improvement and safety science that minimizes risk of harm to patients and providers through both system effectiveness and individual performance.
• Apply core professional nursing values to intentionally collaborate and effectively communicate with patients, families, communities, other stakeholders, and the health care team to optimize care, enhance the healthcare experience, and strengthen outcomes.
• Coordinate resources effectively in complex health care systems (micro, meso, and macro) to provide safe, quality, and equitable care to diverse populations.
• Use information and communication technologies and informatics processes to manage and improve the delivery of safe, high-quality nursing care, gathering data and information related to health care services and evidence-based practice in accordance with best practice and professional and regulatory standards.
• Demonstrate accountability, perspective, collaborative disposition, and comportment in the development of a sustainable professional nursing identity that reflects the values and characteristics of nursing practice.
• Participates in activities and self-reflection that fosters professionalism, personal health, resilience, and well-being, contributes to lifelong learning, and supports the acquisition of nursing expertise and the assertion of leadership.

Our RN-BSN program has articulation agreements with the following community colleges, which allow for a guaranteed admission and streamlined transfer of credits.

• Bucks County Community College
• Harrisburg Area Community College
• Lehigh Carbon Community College
• Luzerne County Community College
• Northampton Community College
• Reading Area Community College
• Westmoreland County Community College