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RN to BSN Degree

Linfield College offers an RN - BSN degree for the registered nurse. This degree program employs a variety of delivery formats to overcome barriers you encounter in accessing higher education – work schedules, proximity to a college, responsibilities to family. You can complete all of the courses in the RN to BSN degree through online classes. This allows you to achieve your educational goals via the technological innovations available to us wherever you are in the United States.

Linfield now offers an accelerated RN to BSN program.

• RN to BSN Program Overview
• Philosophy & Expected Competencies
• RN to BSN Curriculum Plans
• Required Courses
• Credit Overview
• Transfer Equivalences for Prerequisites
• Program Costs, Financial Aid & Cost Comparison

RN to BSN Program Overview

The Online RN to BSN Program is Linfield College’s BSN degree completion program for practicing RNs. It is provided by the Linfield-Good Samaritan School of Nursing in partnership with the Linfield Adult Degree Program. The program is based on the high quality on-campus Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree that began in 1982. We offer a visionary, innovative and holistic curriculum that is based in the communities where RNs are practicing health promotion and wellness principles, as well as illness treatment.

Who is it designed for?

The RN to BSN program is designed for Registered Nurses (RNs) who are seeking the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (BSN). Reasons for earning the BSN vary. You may be ready to take on more responsibility, pursue positions that require the BSN, increase your compensation, or prepare for graduate school. The RN to BSN program can help prepare you for all of these, and you won’t have to wait until graduation to put your new skills to work. Linfield’s innovative community-based nursing curriculum provides opportunities to practice leadership and management skills in your community and become involved in a new clinical area of your choosing. You and your employer will notice a difference!

Am I eligible?

You are eligible for admission to the program if:

• You are a registered nurse with an unencumbered RN license
• You have a 2.75 grade point average in prerequisite and Linfield Curriculum courses
• Your supervisor will provide a letter of reference.

Is the program accredited?

The Linfield-Good Samaritan School of Nursing is accredited by the Oregon State Board of Nursing and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Can I take my entire program online?

Yes. Nursing courses are taught entirely online. Senior practicum courses, NURS 416 and NURS 419, have both online learning components and on-site clinical experiences in your community. Frequently these can occur at your place of employment, although they must be in a different department than the one in which you work. If you need other non-nursing courses to meet Linfield bachelor’s degree requirements, these are available online and do not require any face-to-face sessions.

Individually designed on-site clinicals are required in the final two terms of your program. They may take place wherever you are located in the United States. Clinicals focus on your vision of your professional future.  Linfield faculty wants these clinical experiences to be particularly meaningful to you.

What is the online learning format like?

We recommend that you read the Guide to Online College for Adults before beginning an online RN to BSN degree. Here is a summary of what to expect in Linfield's online classes:

•    Online courses are perfect for students with schedules that demand flexibility.
•    Online classes will require you to post assignments by a certain time each week. You can do most of the work on your own schedule.
•    You will have separate links for submitting homework, group discussion, and personal communication with your instructor, and tests are done online.
•    With Internet access you can work from anywhere in the world.
•    Expect to spend the same amount of time in an online class as you would in a face-to-face class, and expect to adhere to similar homework deadlines.

Can I count my prior college work?

You can transfer in a maximum of 72 semester credits (108 quarter credits) from community college courses and all college transfer credits from four-year colleges with a grade of C or higher. Nursing credits completed in your associate degree or hospital-based diploma program are evaluated separately from transfer credits. They are considered part of the Credit for Prior Learning award whereby you receive 36 semester credits of Linfield Nursing coursework upon successful completion of NURS 309, Transition to Professional Nursing. 

What is credit for prior learning?

Credit for Prior Learning equates knowledge demonstrated through experience with actual Linfield courses. Linfield College awards credit for your knowledge of nursing gained while you are in training to become a registered nurse in an associate degree or hospital based diploma program, and applied on the job through your experience as an RN. You receive the credit for prior learning award as 36 semester credits of Linfield nursing coursework.

Your knowledge is evaluated throughout the course, NURS 309, by the teaching faculty. Linfield has a standard evaluation/transcripting fee of $40.00 per credit for the Credit for Prior Learning Award, totaling $1,440.00. You receive a billing statement when the credits have been added to your transcript and will have the entire next semester to pay the fee.

When and How Do I Apply?

Note: The deadline to apply for the RN-BSN 2010 Spring cohort is January 31. 

1. First contact an Enrollment Specialist or a Linfield Academic Advisor to get answers to your questions and information regarding prerequisites. Ask for your free Preliminary Transcript Evaluation to ascertain that your prerequisites are all in place or to help you decide how to complete them. The Enrollment Specialist, Gloria Flower, can be reached by phone at 503-287-3191 or email.

2. Apply online or download the application form and mail it to Linfield College DCE, 900 SE Baker St., #A456, McMinnville, OR 97128. Submit the following documents to the same Linfield address:

•    A letter of reference from your current supervisor or faculty.
•    Official transcripts from all colleges and/or schools of nursing attended.

3. When all materials are received and an admission decision is made, you will be notified by mail. Preference will be give to applications for the spring cohort that are received by January 31 and by July 1 for the fall cohort. If you are enrolled in a prerequisite course during the term that you apply, you must supply proof of enrollment, followed by proof of completion at a C or above at term’s end. Failure to complete any of the steps will result in your space being given to someone else.

As you prepare to join the RN – BSN cohort with whom you will take the Linfield nursing courses, we want you to be aware of the Health Passport documents that are required by the Linfield-Good Samaritan School of Nursing to be received prior to starting NURS 309.

Are there prerequisites?

RN - BSN prerequisite courses are:

College Writing
Anatomy & Physiology with Lab
Microbiology with Lab
Developmental Psychology
Fundamentals of Sociology
Cultural Anthropology
Statistics
Nutrition
Computer Proficiency

More information about the BSN degree requirements is listed on the RN to BSN Credit Overview Page.

You can be admitted to Linfield College prior to completing prerequisite courses, but you must complete them prior to NURS 309. Linfield provides online, evening, and weekend courses to complete prerequisites and other degree requirements. You also can meet requirements with community college courses as long as you meet the required residency credits at Linfield. There are also pre-admission computer proficiency requirements.

How long does it take and what are the graduation requirements?

RN students take nursing courses with their cohort (see below), completing the courses in 15 months (spring cohort) or 20 months (fall cohort). To graduate, Linfield Curriculum (LC) and nursing major requirements must be completed. These are detailed under “Courses in the Nursing Major”. Overall, 125 semester credits are required for a bachelor’s degree; a minimum of 30 of these credits must be completed at Linfield for a first bachelor’s degree, 35 credits for a second bachelor’s degree.

What is a cohort?

A cohort is a group of students who take the same nursing classes together for the entire program. Being part of a cohort means you are sustained by a supportive group of like-minded individuals as you travel the road to your BSN.

Can I continue to work full-time?

The majority of students in the program are fully employed RNs. They report that mixing full-time work and a part time academic program is demanding at times, but doable. The online nature of the program allows you the flexibility to work varying schedules, participate fully in your academic program, and have time for other commitments such as family.

Program Philosophy & Expected Competencies

Linfield College Mission Statement

Linfield College advances a vision of learning, life, and community that:

•    Promotes intellectual challenge and creativity.
•    Values both theoretical and practical knowledge.
•    Engages thoughtful dialogue in a climate of mutual respect.
•    Honors the rich texture of diverse cultures and varied ways of understanding.
•    Piques curiosity for a lifetime of inquiry.
•    Inspires the courage to live by moral and spiritual principles and to defend freedom of conscience.

Philosophy of the Linfield-Good Samaritan School of Nursing

Professional nurses are leaders among health care professionals in promoting health, preventing disease and healing illness among persons and populations; to these ends, nurses act as stewards for health care within local, national and global communities.   Nurses are unified by their commitment to caring and an approach to those cared for that is holistic and honors human diversity.   Based on core professional values, nurses integrate theory, clinical experience and research to make decisions and provide quality care within the varied contexts of health care.

Learning is a complex, life long process.   A liberal arts education provides learners with the opportunity to develop a comprehensive knowledge base, the ability to access and utilize information, to think and communicate effectively and practice skillfully.   Learning is best achieved within a supportive community that facilitates intellectual curiosity, ethical perspective and respect for diverse viewpoints.   Praxis is a key educational modality within the nursing curriculum that supports these liberal arts values and goals and strengthens the development of the professional nursing worldview and nursing roles.

Linfield-Good Samaritan School of Nursing Curriculum Outcomes (Competencies)

The graduate of Linfield-Good Samaritan School of Nursing:

1. Practices as a professional nurse with a commitment to personal and professional growth consistent with a liberal arts education.
2. Communicates effectively and collaboratively in professional nursing practice.
3. Demonstrates respect for persons and commitment to human dignity in the practice of professional nursing.
4. Utilizes clinical judgment to make effective decisions in professional nursing practice.
5. Implements nursing strategies based on sound judgment and available evidence to ensure high-quality nursing care.
6. Advances a global healthcare perspective to promote the health of communities and service to society.

RN to BSN Curriculum Plans

You can view the RN to BSN curriculum plan either as a PDF or on the RN - BSN curriculum page.

Courses in the Nursing Major

NURS 208 Therapeutic Communication in Health Care
Interdisciplinary approach to the study of therapeutic communications as applicable to the health sciences.   Introduction to specific therapeutic interviewing techniques for improving interviewing skills, promoting understanding of human suffering, and enhancing listening sensitivity.   3 credits

NURS 309 Transition to Professional Nursing
A transition to baccalaureate nursing education for the Registered Nurse student. Course includes an examination of professional nursing, baccalaureate education, and concepts from Linfield-Good Samaritan School of Nursing curriculum. Topics include community and family assessments, health promotion, professional trends, ethics and evidence-based practice, among others.   6 credits.

NURS 314 Research Methods I
Methods used in formulating and conducting research on problems arising within health care.   3 credits.  

NURS 416 Nursing in a Global Society: Stewardship of the Community
Theory and application of principles of professionalism, ethics, leadership and management, health care policy, and health care finance in the care and service of aggregate populations.   Includes the study and practice of activism within the profession. Requires 84 clinical hours precepted with a nurse leader/manager.   5 credits.   (MWI)

NURS 419 Reflective Practice in a Global Society: Senior Practicum
Reflective practice in an area of nursing selected by the student with an emphasis on synthesis of concepts integrated throughout the nursing curriculum.   Focus on clinical decision-making with a global perspective. Requires 168 clinical hours with a preceptor.   5 credits. Prerequisites: Cumulative BSN GPA of at least 2.5 and completion of NURS 309.

Credit Overview

Transfer Equivalences for Prerequisites

Current Program Costs

Financial Aid

Tuition assistance may be available through your employer. Also, it is very likely that you are eligible for federal student loans. The one condition is that you complete at least 6 semester credits during each semester in which you want a student loan. Loans generally are sufficient to cover tuition, fees, and books. To apply for financial aid, submit an online Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA - school code 003198) and the Linfield Application for Financial Aid (LAFA). Linfield financial aid counselors are available to assist you with planning. Contact the Office of Financial Aid at 1-888-471-2225 or 503-883-2225 or visit our Financial Aid page. Download the LAFA and the link to file the FAFSA online. In addition, you will need to complete a year-long academic plan with your advisor to be submitted to Financial Aid.

Tuition Comparison with Other RN to BSN Programs
2009 - 2010 Tuition Costs*

* Tuition costs typically increase each Fall. Based on the minimum number of credits "residency" that must be completed at the institution for a first bachelor's degree.

I'd like to find out more. What is the next step?

Please contact us and one of our knowledgeable admissions and enrollment specialists will be in touch with you shortly.

Congratulations on taking the first step to completing your bachelor's degree in Nursing!