University of La Verne to Offer Differentiated Bachelor’s Degree Program for Registered Nurses to Address Demand for More Skilled Nurses in Southern California
The University of La Verne announced today it is now accepting applications for a new bachelor of science in nursing program for registered nurses (RNs) who are ready to further their careers and enhance their leadership skills with a bachelor’s degree. The first cohort of students will begin fall 2022.
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing: RN to BSN program coursework is fully online so that working nurses can attend the 11 courses and complete assignments around their own schedules. It can be completed in as few as 15 months, with classes offered year-round in accelerated 8-week sessions. The program includes an in-person clinical component.
“Rapid changes in the healthcare landscape, both in private and public health, have accelerated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, creating shortages of all types of healthcare positions, including nurses,” University of La Verne President Devorah Lieberman said. “As more hospitals seek Magnet status, more nurses will be required to have a bachelor’s degree or higher, which many do not. This degree will help nurses improve their knowledge and skills, as well as aid job security and mobility.”
The RN to BSN degree program will place special emphasis on teaching how health inequities and social determinants can negatively impact health and well-being outcomes at the individual and community levels.
Students will learn to apply knowledge of how social determinants can impact health, as well as health informatics, leadership, aging, nutrition, and health advocacy to their existing jobs, or use these highly sought skills to seek advancement in their organizations or in the marketplace.
The RN to BSN degree is open to recent graduates of associate degree in nursing (ADN) programs who are just starting their careers as well as experienced working nurses. Applicants must be licensed as an RN in good standing or be eligible for RN licensure prior to beginning classes.
As a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution, the University of La Verne is uniquely suited to train a diverse student population to understand and meet the needs of a growing multicultural region.
The University of La Verne partners with many Southern California health care providers and community colleges to provide scholarships and smooth transfer of college credits for employees or students from the partner organizations.
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing: RN to BSN is being offered through the University of La Verne’s new College of Health and Community Well-Being, which is slated to officially open this summer. This degree is one of 10 bachelor’s and graduate degree programs offered by the new college, all of which are designed to meet the growing need for skilled and culturally agile health care professionals in the Southern California region.
Additional new programs in nursing and other health and well-being related fields are planned for the next few years, including a pre-nursing program for freshmen in fall 2023. The second cohort for the RN to BSN degree will begin in spring 2023.
The University of La Verne is a pioneer in adult education and has provided flexible degree programs for working adults for more than 50 years.
To learn more about the Bachelor of Science in Nursing: RN to BSN, visit univ.lv/rnbsn.
