Lincoln University School of Nursing RN - BSN Program

RN-BSN Admission Criteria

Requirements for admission to Lincoln University and the RN-BSN program are specified in the Lincoln University Undergraduate Bulletin. In order to be admitted the applicant must:

1. Be admitted to Lincoln University.
2. Have a current RN license in good standing in the state where the practicum will be completed
3. Complete the RN-BSN Application Form
4. Have at least 60 hours of college credit and be eligible for junior standing. Courses must include the following:

Nursing = 25 credit hours

• Medical-surgical
• Obstetrics
• Pediatrics
• Mental health

*Non-Nursing

• English composition I and II = 6 credit hours
• Science: including anatomy & physiology, microbiology, & chemistry = 16 credit hours
• Sociology = 3 credit hours
• Psychology = 3 credit hours
• Mathematics = 3 credit hours
• Other (including 3 credits in history/government) = 8 credit hours

*Students who have not completed the specified non-nursing courses listed above may be admitted if they have accumulated 64 hours of college credit.

Students must plan their program of study to include any general education courses required for a bachelor's degree that they have not had as a part of their previous education. Transfer credits from other colleges and universities will be evaluated on an individual basis for equivalency to current program requirements.

Transcripts from diploma programs are also evaluated on an individual basis. The School of Nursing can grant up to 34 hours of lower division nursing credits for nursing courses taken through a diploma program. Additional college credits may be awarded for the sciences, social sciences, and humanities after transcript evaluation.

Students are expected to plan their program of study in conjunction with a RN-BSN program option advisor.

RN-BSN Program Objectives

Upon completion of the program, the graduate will be able to:

1. Employ concepts from the arts and sciences to form the basis for clinical reasoning. (Essential I: Liberal Education for Baccalaureate Generalist Nursing Practice)
2. Apply leadership concepts, skills, and decision making in the provision of high quality nursing care, health care team coordination, and the oversight and accountability for care delivery in a variety of settings. (Essential II: Basic Organizational and Systems Leadership for Quality Care and Patient Safety)
3. Integrate evidence based practice (EBP) in planning, implementing, and evaluating outcomes of care. (Essential III: Scholarship for Evidence Based Practice)
4. Demonstrate skills in using client/patient care and information technologies, information systems, and communication devices that support safe nursing practice. (Essential IV: Information Management and Application of Patient Care Technology)
5. Demonstrate knowledge of healthcare policy, finance, and regulatory environments that influence healthcare trends.  (Essential V: Health Care Policy, Finance, and Regulatory Environments)
6. Apply effective communication techniques, including negotiation, collaboration, and conflict resolution to produce positive professional relationships. (Essential VI: Interprofessional Communication and Collaboration for Improving Patient Health Outcomes)
7. Use clinical prevention and population focused nursing to improve health.  (Essential VII: Clinical Prevention and Population Health)
8. Demonstrate core nursing values to achieve optimal health outcomes by applying the professional standards of moral, ethical, and legal conduct. (Essential VIII: Professionalism and Professional Values)
9. Demonstrate knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for practice as a member and leader of the interprofessional health care team. (Essential IX: Baccalaureate Generalist Nursing Practice) 

• The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice (AACN, 2008; 2021), Scope & Standards of Practice (ANA, 2010; 2021), Code of Ethics with Interpretive Statements (ANA, 2001;2015; 2025) provide the foundation for the professional standards, guidelines, and competencies in the BSN program.
  

Graduation Rate / Program Completion

Job Placement Rate

Sample Degree Pathway
Leading to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-BSN)

Semester 1

• NUR 310: Concepts of Professional Nursing (3 credits)
• NUR 322: Essentials of Health Assessment (3 credits)
• CHM 103: Living with Chemistry (3 credits)
• MAT 117: Elementary Statistics (3 credits)
• SPT 206: Fundamentals of Speech (3 credits)

Total: 16 credit hours

Semester 2

• NUR 350: Pathophysiology (3 credits)
• NUR 360: Introduction to Nursing Research (3 credits)
• NUR 335: Death and Bereavement (3 credits)
• SA 200: American Cultural Diversity (3 credits)

Total: 12 credit hours

Semester 3

• NUR 420: Leadership/Management in Nursing (3 credits)
• NUR 430: Professional Nursing Practice/Practicum (5 credits)
• SPT 209: Introduction to Theatre (3 credits)
• PHI 303: Health Care Ethics (3 credits)

Total: 14 credit hours

Semester 4

• NUR 460: Legal and Ethical Issues in Professional Nursing (3 credits)
• NUR 470: Community Health Nursing/Practicum (5 credits)
• HIS 101 or HIS 102: World Civilization I or II (3 credits)
• PED 224: Upper Division Elective (1 credit)

Total Required Hours: 59

RN-BSN Application

Completed applications may be emailed to FLW@LincolnU.edu or mailed/hand-delivered to:

For your reference:

RN-BSN Advisement Worksheet (to be submitted by advisor)

School of Nursing Student Handbook