University of West Florida Online RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing

The University of West Florida (UWF) offers an online RN to BSN program through its Usha Kundu, MD College of Health School of Nursing.

The RN to BSN program is designed for working nurses who hold a current, unencumbered RN license. Students learn evidence-based nursing practice, effective communication with patients, families, and colleagues, high-quality nursing care, and leadership skills. Nursing courses cover topics such as health promotion and disease prevention, pharmacology, nursing for older adults, disease processes, and legal and ethical issues in nursing care.

The RN to BSN program requires a total of 124 credit hours, with 32 credits of major course requirements. To earn the BSN degree, students must complete 21 credits of prerequisites, 32 credits of major courses, and 16 credits of upper-level electives. The 16 credits of upper-division electives may be transferred from the associate’s degree nursing courses. Depending on the credits completed prior to the program, students may need to complete a total of 69 credit hours to graduate.

Graduates of the program may go on to the accelerated MSN program offered by UWF or pursue careers as Public Health Nurses, Staff Nurses, Burn Unit Nurses, Clinical Nurse Managers, and hospital or private practice nurses.

Please Note: The University of West Florida cannot guarantee that the program meets licensure requirements outside of the state of Florida. Non-residents of Florida must verify nursing licensure requirements for their state through its state board of nursing.

University of West Florida RN-BSN courses are asynchronous giving students the flexibility to log in at any time to watch lectures, complete readings and assignments, and respond to discussion boards. Courses are delivered through the Canvas online learning management system (LMS). RN-BSN students also participate in 45 direct care hours which include nursing care directly with patients and working with healthcare providers to meet set outcomes.

Major courses include Health Assessment and Promotion; Professional Nursing Practice; Pharmacology; Essentials of Evidence-Based Nursing Practice; Gerontological Nursing; Population-Based Public Health Nursing; Systems Based Nursing Leadership; Health Education in the Community; Pathophysiology; Law and Ethics in Nursing; and Academic Writing in Nursing I-II.

Prerequisites include Anatomy and Physiology I-II plus Labs; Human Development Across the Lifespan; Fundamentals of Human Nutrition; Fundamentals of Microbiology plus Lab; Elements of Statistics; one science course from CHM, BSC, BCH, PCB, or PHY; and one social science course from PSY, SOP, SYG.

The University of West Florida is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). The online RN to BSN program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).