Nursing instructor and student examining mannequin

Nursing (RN to BSN)

Bachelor's Completion Program

If you’re a registered nurse (RN) with an associate degree in nursing or diploma in nursing, a BSN from Mercyhurst will prepare you to deliver enhanced outcomes for your patients and advance your career as a clinician, manager, educator or scholar. Mercyhurst’s blended RN to BSN program combines online courses with in-person learning, making for a flexible program that works with your schedule. With a new discounted tuition rate, plus tuition benefits for employees of certain area hospitals, there’s never been a better time to build on your education and experience and earn your BSN!

Program Overview

The RN to BSN completion program is a flexible option for registered nurses who wish to earn their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in two additional years. As part of our professional identity, we value interdisciplinary collaboration and teamwork to promote effective communication and shared decision-making. We believe nurses use information and technology to communicate, access resources, promote patient safety, and engage in continuous quality improvement. Professional nurses adhere to the established standards of practice and are accountable within the legal and ethical framework of the profession. Inherent in this is the belief that professional education is a continuous life-long process necessary to integrate the best current evidence for clinical practice. In keeping with the core values of Mercyhurst University, we believe nurses are ambassadors of service demonstrating the values of social mercy, global responsibility, intellectual creativity, and reflective awareness.

We believe learners are self-directed and build on prior knowledge and life experiences. Learning is facilitated by various teaching strategies which consider individual learning preferences and varied teaching and educational methodologies, including synchronous and asynchronous distance learning. The faculty encourages and supports the spirit of inquiry to challenge the status quo and question underlying assumptions.

Fast Facts

Your online experience includes opportunities to interact with classmates and professors in real time through applied projects, review sessions and presentations.
You’ll be a full Mercyhurst student, with the same access to the university’s amenities, library system, writing center, career services, health services, etc., as a traditional student.
Whether you’re attending class meetings in person or online, you’ll benefit from a supportive atmosphere and meaningful connections with your peers.

Learning Outcomes

Implement and promote safe practice through the use of system and individual resources to minimize risk to the client, family, and healthcare team
Apply client care technologies and information systems to support a safe practice environment

Advocate for compassionate care and engage the client as an empowered healthcare partner
Implement holistic client-centered care that reflects an understanding of human growth and development, pathophysiology, pharmacology, medical management, and nursing management, across the health-illness continuum and lifespan, as well as in all healthcare settings

Use information and technology to communicate, access resources, support decision making and prevent error

Integrate best current evidence, clinical expertise, and patient values to promote optimal patient outcomes
Synthesize evidence, clinical judgment, interprofessional perspectives, and patient preferences in planning, implementing, and evaluating outcomes of care

Collaborate with the healthcare team to foster open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision-making to achieve quality care

Use meaningful data to achieve quality nursing care and promote quality and safety in a healthcare environment
Integrate the value of pursuing practice excellence, lifelong learning, and professional engagement to foster professional growth and development

Balancing Work, Family, and Education

Earning a BSN is a major step in advancing your nursing career, and we understand that fitting coursework and study time in your schedule can be a challenge. Mercyhurst’s RN to BSN program strives to accommodate working nurses, with online coursework and class meetings structured to work around your schedule, leaving you time for family and career commitments.

Students and professors in the program benefit from the close-knit community and sense of camaraderie in our department. Each student will have the support of an experienced full-time Mercyhurst RN to BSN professor to advise and mentor you throughout your time in the program. We’ll get to know you as an individual—your strengths and challenges, and personal and professional goals—as we work together to make the most of your time at Mercyhurst.

Undergraduate Course Catalog

Nursing Student Policy Manual

Academics

Explore Nursing Programs

More and more hospitals are requiring the majority of their Registered Nurses to be educated at the BSN level. In fact, the Institute of Medicine’s reports recommend the nursing profession increase the number of nurses with a BSN to 80 percent. The report found that BSN-prepared nurses are better equipped to handle the increasing complexity of 21st century nursing care. In The Impact of Education on Nursing Practice, The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) cites a number of studies that demonstrate better nursing education is linked to better quality of patient care.

Applicants for the RN to BSN completion program must have an unencumbered RN license (any state), all official transcripts from accredited higher education institutions, and an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) degree OR diploma.

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Mercyhurst REACH and outREACH (39 credits)

Some major requirements may also fulfill components of the REACH curriculum. The RN to BSN curriculum builds on the student’s associate degree or diploma in nursing and requires a total of 120 Credits. All previous student transcripts will be reviewed, and the student may need to take specific liberal arts courses to fulfill the REACH curriculum. Each student will be advised of specific requirements at the beginning of the program.

Nursing (RN to BSN) Major Core Courses (10 courses; 31 credits)

NURS 208: Experience of Chronic Illness (3 credits)
NURS 255: Health Promotion & Prevention (3 credits)
NURS 300: Professional Advancement (3 credits)
NURS 301: Research & Evidence-Based Practice (4 credits)
NURS 302: Introduction to Nursing Informatics (3 credits)
NURS 402: Multicultural & Global Perspectives in Healthcare & Global Health (3 credits)
NURS 405: Community Health Nursing (4 credits)
NURS 406: Community Health Nursing Clinical (2 credits)
NURS 407: Leadership in Nursing (4 credits)
NURS 408: Nursing Leadership Clinical (2 credits)

The RN to BSN program at Mercyhurst University is accredited by the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA) located at 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037. 202-909-2487.

Nursing Facilities

Our recently renovated nursing space on Mercyhurst’s campus in Erie, Pennsylvania, houses one of the best nursing facilities in the region. Two clinical skills labs provide the abilities necessary for you to have a safe transition from classroom learning to a real-world setting. You'll practice critical nursing skills using computer-controlled mannequins, medical equipment, task trainers, and low-fidelity mannequins in the clinical skills lab. Our simulation suite contains high-fidelity mannequins, debriefing rooms, video-recording equipment, and medical equipment that closely mimics the clinical environment.