Now you’ve decided it’s the right time to earn your Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Shenandoah University’s School of Nursing has a flexible online, RN-to-BSN program for you.
Our nursing program is run by nurses, for nurses.
We understand who you are and how you work. As active members of the nursing profession, our faculty understand how students must balance life, work and school.
We also know that going back to school can be tough, so we begin every new cohort with a summer immersion weekend, where you’ll meet your professors, find out everything you need to know about how our program operates, familiarize yourself with the technology you’ll use, and take your first four-credit class.
We offer advanced placement for RNs who hold an associate degree or a diploma in nursing. You may receive transfer credit for prerequisites, general education and nursing courses from accredited institutions of higher education.
I worked full time while completing Shenandoah University’s online hybrid RN to BSN program in order to meet my educational goals in a very short time. The university reviewed my transcripts and gave me credits for coursework already completed. This helped me to focus on new material and kept me moving along in the BSN program. I appreciated the flexibility, support and the variety of options they offered to help me complete my program in the shortest time possible. The faculty was so supportive and flexible, and the online format was clear and easy to follow. If I had questions, they were right there helping me resolve the issues. The coursework was relevant and applicable to my work, and the interaction with fellow nurses gave me a better understanding of current healthcare issues.”
Julie L. Miller | RN-to-BSN, BSHA, MHA, CNOR
Director Ambulatory and Endoscopy Services, Surgi-Center at Winchester Medical Center
Learn More About This Program
The RN-to-BSN program offers Registered Nurses the opportunity to complete a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing, which increases career options and broadens leadership opportunities. Throughout the program, study, communication, leadership, ethics, genomics, concepts of research and evidence-based practice are included, along with community practice and emergency preparedness. The School of Nursing offers advanced placement for Registered Nurses holding an associate degree or diploma in nursing. For RNs admitted into the program, advanced placement by transfer of credit is offered for general education and nursing courses from other accredited institutions of higher education. Students may complete the program on a full-time or part-time basis. Once prerequisite courses are completed, students may complete the BSN degree in two semesters of full-time study or three to six semesters of part-time study. Offered in Winchester; fall entry only.
Career and Salary Possibilities
Nursing is the fastest-growing occupation in the U.S. and the demand is expected to rise through 2020. Graduates enjoy high starting salaries and flexible schedules in terms of hours and locations. As a nurse, you’ll have numerous opportunities for specialization and career advancement.
The B.S.N. degree is the entry-level degree for many health care organizations. It prepares you to perform clinical practice in today’s high tech health care environment, using clinical reasoning and critical thinking along with a caring demeanor.
The Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing prepares you to deliver, manage and lead nursing care in a variety of health care settings and participate in personal and professional development. You will be ready to do this in many settings, such as hospitals (acute care), clinics, medical practices, health departments, hospice and the military. You can work in international care, home care, trauma care or school nursing (you may teach in vocational LPN programs) and pursue graduate studies in advanced practice nursing, nursing education and research.
Career and Salary Examples for Nursing Majors:
- Nurse with BSN: $50,000-$75,000
- Nursing Manager: $81,831
- Nurse Case Manager: $67,342
- Family Nurse Practitioner (NP): $87,866
- Clinical Nurse Manager: $77,671
- Emergency Room Nurse: $67,546
In my senior year, Shenandoah’s School of Nursing helped me land my dream job with everything from resume development to interview skills, and helped me prepare for the NCLEX with a comprehensive review program. At graduation, I felt very confident, already having a job lined up, and I felt prepared to pass my boards!”
Anne O’Hare ’18 | RN-to-BSN
Inova Fairfax Surgical Telemetry Unit
The Career Services Office provides a comprehensive range of services and resources to assist Shenandoah students in their career search. Services offered include resume and cover letter building, mock interviews, and professional dining etiquette workshops.
Classes
Take a quick look at our program, designed for registered nurses transitioning to the next level:
- $410 per-credit-hour tuition (2019-2020) makes the program’s total cost competitive with other regional RN-to-BSN programs. A payment schedule can be arranged.
- The 30-credit program can be completed in just two semesters of full-time study or four semesters of part-time study.
- Course work is a combination of face-to-face and online learning for optimum schedule flexibility.
- When course work or meetings bring you to campus, you’ll study in the university’s 71,000-square-foot Health & Life Sciences Building, featuring state-of-the-art simulation suites and opportunities for interactions with myriad other students in the health professions.
- You will study as part of a cohort in a close-knit, collaborative community of students and faculty.
- The one community clinical (96 hours) is arranged to meet the working nurse’s schedule during the final semester of the program.
Our Nursing program has small classes, and focuses on Ethics and Genomics which is the future of nursing. We also offer Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief courses which is very rare. Many schools have one skills lab, whereas our students complete three. We don’t just teach skills, we give a reasoning behind the skills, and then perform them in real world simulations.
As soon as I knew that I had to develop a patient wait time app, I wanted to focus all of my energy into it. Instead of shutting me down, the faculty allowed me to integrate this idea into projects for other classes so that they could help me continue to explore and develop the possibilities and also move forward with learning the other lessons and develop the other skills that I needed to be an RN. They really individualized my experience to ‘be my best me’ and catered to my personal interests and career goals while also helping me to become an ER nurse.”
Brianne Casey ‘16 | RN-to-BSN
Emergency Room nurse at Winchester Medical Center and CEO/Founder of Checked In, LLC
You’ll learn to:
- analyze knowledge associated with professional nursing practice and membership within the nursing profession
- demonstrate skill in the delivery, management and leadership of professional nursing care
- demonstrate values consistent with the ethical delivery of professional nursing care
- exemplify unique meanings associated with professional nursing
- actively and intellectually engage in professional nursing experiences
| Course Title | Credit Hours |
| Summer | |
| Essential Concepts for Professional Practice | 3 |
| The following courses are offered in eight-week sessions. Curriculum may be taken full-time or part-time | |
| Health Assessment | 3/1** |
| Pathophysiology | 3 |
| Theory, Reasoning and Research in Nursing | 3 |
| Ethics and Genomics in Nursing Practice | 3 |
| Health Disparities | 3 |
| Community Health Nursing | 3/2** |
| Leadership and Management in Professional Nursing Practice | 3 |
| Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Nursing | 3 |
|
Total Nursing Credits: 30 Total Credits needed for BSN: 121 |
|
** Denotes a clinical course. The first number refers to the didactic portion of the course and the second number refers to the clinical portion of the course.
It is recommended that the students take additional credits of free electives. Students are required to have 121 total credits (from General Education, Prerequisite, and Nursing courses) to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. A minimum of 30 credits must be taken at Shenandoah University. No grade lower than “C” will be transferred.
Additional requirements upon admission to the program consist of a current physical examination, current immunizations, a criminal background check, random urine drug screens, and current American Heart Association CPR for Healthcare Provider.
Learning support services are available to all students in every course at Shenandoah. Free peer tutoring with a student who has previously succeeded in the course is available for any course across the university. The Writing Center is available for every stage of the writing process from thesis development to proofreading and bibliography assistance. The Math Enrichment Center is available for math and science assistance. Professors and Academic Advisors across the university also have office hours and open door policies to ensure Shenandoah students succeed academically.
Faculty
We have a low faculty-student ratio with small classes and clinical groups so you’ll receive personal attention from faculty. The result is a close-knit, collaborative community of nursing students, faculty and clinical preceptors.
There’s a special bond between Shenandoah University students and their professors. You’ll enjoy close relationships with faculty members who will mentor you in and out of the classroom. This remains a hallmark of our nursing education.
Shenandoah’s experienced and practicing faculty take every opportunity to provide you with the academic foundation you’ll need to meet the standards and rising expectations for practice in the nursing profession. They provide an environment where you can be inquisitive, grow and excel.
All preceptors are BSN-prepared clinicians with expertise in their specialty. Under the preceptor’s guidance, students learn to apply their knowledge to complex patient care and prepare for their transition to professional practice in a variety of settings.”
Assistant Professor of Nursing Lisa Levinson, RN, MSN
I would have to say the relationships and connections I built with professors and classmates was the most memorable part of my program. Being such a small school, you have the opportunity to develop close relationships with your peers and create lifelong friendships. When you are surrounded by faculty that want to see you succeed as well as friends and classmates who support you throughout your college and post grad life, you can’t help but feel grateful for the strenuous program that brought you together.
Kelsey Van Sickler | Nursing, ’14
Application Information
Shenandoah University works on rolling admissions and accepts applications throughout the year. Applications are reviewed individually and holistically.
Submit your application, review required admissions materials, find our admissions standards, and learn more about our Transfer Nursing Application Information.
Nursing N 201 Health Assessment Challenge RN- BSN
Shenandoah University’s School of Nursing offers to students admitted to the RN-BSN or program the option to challenge the N 201 Health Assessment course for credit. Students may take and pass the Health Assessment NLN Standardized exam for advanced placement. Students will pay the examination fee of $75 to the Shenandoah University Business Office and must also meet the 30 credit residency required to graduate from Shenandoah University.
Purpose: Evaluates understanding of the general health assessment and physical examination techniques used to evaluate the health status of adults and children. Reflects nurse-client encounters in a variety of healthcare setting, using a body systems approach for evaluation physical data-gathering techniques. Includes items on interviewing , obtaining health history, general screening, and documentation. Health status and developmental stages of clients are also considered.
Format: 102-Item, Four-Option Multiple Choices.
Administration: Can be administered in two hours.
Scoring: A total score (decision score) is provided to be used when awarding credit for advanced placement in an RN nursing program. A decision score of 78 or 50th percentile is a passing score. To register, please contact the Administrative Assistant for Undergraduate Programs to schedule a proctored exam through NLN.org at 540-678-4374.