Registered Nurse (RN) to Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

Bachelor of Science Completion
RN-B.S. with a Major in Nursing

The baccalaureate degree (B.S.) graduate is prepared at the professional level to function in a leadership role with other team members in varied and complex healthcare settings.

The education and experience of the registered nurse (RN) are valued at IPFW. The Bachelor of Science Completion RN to B.S. with a major in nursing program is an online program.  In the final semester of the program, there is a required one day seminar on campus to present your capstone project.

Admission Criteria

Admission into the RN to B.S. completion program requires that the applicant be a graduate of a NLNAC accredited associate degree or diploma program in nursing and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.3 on a 4.0 scale.  Students entering the RN to B.S. Completion program must have obtained RN Licensure or be eligible to take the NCLEX.  Students who are eligible to take the NCLEX must obtain their RN license by the end of the first semester in the program.  The first semester, students must take NUR 36101, RN to BS Transitional Course and NUR 37700, Prof Sem II: Concepts and Trends in Healthcare Delivery.  

Including your transfer hours from your associate-degree institution, you will need at least 122 credit hours to graduate:

• Nursing credits from A.S. in nursing – 47 credit hours

• Nursing Pre-requisite courses – 24 credit hours (see below)

• Nursing courses in RN to B.S. – 33 credit hours

• Non-nursing in RN to B.S. – 18 credit hours

Nursing Prerequisite Courses (24 credit hours):  The following courses may have been taken in your associate program.  The courses need to appear on a Credit Transfer Report through IPFW Admissions.  If they have not been taken, they must be completed before taking Nursing coursework.     

• ENG W131 Elementary Composition (3 cr.)
• PSY 12000 Elementary Psychology (3 cr.)
• BIOL 20300 Human Anatomy and Physiology (4 cr.)
• CHM 10400 Living Chemistry (3 cr.)  or CHM 11100 General Chemistry (3 cr.)
• BIOL 20400 Human Anatomy and Physiology (4 cr.)
• SOC S161 Principles of Sociology (3 cr.)
• BIOL 22000 Microbiology for the Health Sciences (4 cr.)

Academic Advising

Advising is personalized. Make an appointment to have your transcripts and nursing experience evaluated.

In order to help the student be successful in their path to graduation, an advising hold will be placed on students every semester.  This will allow you to speak to your advisor about your plan of study and to receive assistance with registering for your courses.  We request you contact a nursing advisor prior to registering every semester. If you choose not to contact an advisor, you are responsible for your curriculum decisions.

Opportunities to talk to nursing faculty are available during office hours, via email, or by appointment. IPFW e-mail is the official means of communication with students; make sure to check your e-mail regularly for important information.

RN to B.S. Completion with a Major in Nursing Curriculum

Read a full listing of required courses for the RN to B.S. Completion with a Major in Nursing.

Text version listing for RN to B.S. Completion with a Major in Nursing.

Course Descriptions

Course descriptions can be found in the IPFW Undergraduate Bulletin.

General Education Requirements

A list of courses that fulfill the General Education Area IV and General Education Area V requirements can be found in the IPFW Undergraduate Bulletin. 

NUR elective Requirement

For a list of the courses that fulfill the NUR elective requirement.

Procedure for Requesting Establishment of Credit by Examination for Nursing Courses

1. Student must meet University and department eligibility criteria for taking a nursing course challenge exam.
2. The student should schedule an appointment with the appropriate course coordinator to review eligibility and discuss documentation and verification procedure.
3. Once the student has been declared eligible by the faculty, the student should schedule a time to take the written challenge exam, and if, eligible, the clinical validation.
4. Challenge exams should be scheduled during the regular fall or spring semesters as no opportunities for clinical validation are available between May and mid-August.
5. Students who do not take the challenge exam at the agreed upon time may forfeit their right to take or reschedule the exam.

Clinical Requirements:

Before beginning NUR 46100, RN to BS Capstone Experience, the student must turn in the following clinical requirements by August 15 (fall semester) or December 15 (spring semester) to LA 345 or scan and e-mail to nur@ipfw.edu

• 1-step TB
• CPR (healthcare provider or professional rescuer)
• Substance abuse screening
• Clinical agency orientation
• Health Record Form (which includes physical exam and immunizations)
• Student Check: Healthcare Student Background Check
• Purdue Confidentiality Form
• Flu immunization – due by Dec. 15 (spring semester) or by Nov. 15 (fall semester)

Admission to IPFW and Cost of Tuition

To apply to IPFW and view the cost of tuition, apply for financial aid and find scholarship information go IPFW Admissions.

Handheld Digital Device

A handheld digital device is required for the nursing program.  The handheld digital device can be an Ipad, Ipod, Iphone, tablet or Blackberry.

Health Sciences Technical Standards

RN to B.S. students must meet the Health Sciences Technical Standards.

Summer Courses

Some non-nursing and nursing courses are offered and may be taken during summer sessions. Not all courses are offered during summer sessions.

Part-Time

Persons who wish to complete the RN to B.S. completion as part-time students must meet with the accademic advisor to develop an individual plan of study.

Distance Education

To provide flexibility, select courses are offered online. The Web-based courses facilitate greater availability and accessibility for students seeking a degree in nursing.

Participation

Nursing students have the opportunity to impact decisions within nursing and on the campus by committee participation. Committee openings are announced in classes and posted on the nursing web site. The B.S. Curriculum Committee is an example of one committee that invites and names a student representative and an alternate.

Undergraduate Student Information Manual

Students are held to the information and policies in the IPFW Nursing Undergraduate Student Information Manual. 

Criteria for Dismissal from Nursing

Per Dept. of Nursing policy, if a student earns two grades below C- in the same or any combination of two courses required in the nursing curriculum, the student will be dismissed from the nursing program.  A student who had earned the second grade below C- will be ineligible for admission into the nursing program for a period of five years from the date of dismissal.  Know that, even if a course with a D or F is retaken, that original D or F still counts as one of the grades below C-.