California RNs with associate degrees in nursing programs from 73 community colleges are increasing opportunities to advance their careers by obtaining a degree, while BSN working full or part time.
The association American College of Nurses strongly supports these programs and back a trend in some states to allow students to obtain BSN nursing degrees in some community colleges, often in collaboration with four-year institutions. In most states, however, students enter college degree programs through a broad articulation agreements that ensure the seamless transfer of their community college credits to school offered by BSN.
In California and 17 other states, school to school articulation agreements exist to facilitate the transfer of credits from community colleges to universities with BSN programs. In general, the covenants to allow the transfer of 60 semester credits, which is consistent with agreements between two four-year institutions for other academic disciplines.
Sharon Johnson, RN, PhD, associate degree nursing program director at Santa Rosa Junior College said that the state of the joint program allows community college graduates to transfer some universities with the knowledge that most of their claims will be accepted. "They only have to complete courses at higher levels."
About 62% of Santa Rosa de nursing students to implement programs BSN during his last semester, usually near the Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, Johnson said. One third of the 85 students who enroll annually in the associate degree program also have a college degree in another field, and some qualify for a fast-track a master plan studies, without going through the BSN.
Foster BSNs
"We are well prepare nurses for the direct care of patients, probably better than anyone, but if they want to become a supervisor, educator, or public health nurse, they need an advanced degree," says Johnson. "From day one, we encourage all our students to get their BSN."
With 600000 U.S. dollars in two years capacity-building grants and tuition, Santa Rosa JC is to enroll 60 students in each spring and fall classes in 2006 through a selection process that has made the school one of the best results in state with a low of 10% wear and a rate of 97% NCLEX pass rate.
Johnson said, and graduates often have jobs as RNs in local hospitals and pursue their BSN degrees from attending classes part-time and via Internet and distance learning.
At CSU San Marcos, a period of two years, part-time RN to BSN is being launched in autumn 2007 with an initial class of 24 to 27 students, said Laurie Lindeneau, adviser and coordinator of outreach for the school of Health and Human Services Department. She expects that most applicants will be working with nurses and degrees of community colleges in San Diego County. "The program is designed so that nurses can work and come to school a couple of days a week in the afternoon or evening," says Lindeneau.
Grades long distance
California State University, Fullerton has 387 students in its BSN program, all of whom are RNs with a community college and degree, but 232 of them are not walking to classes on campus. Instead, we are working in hospitals across the state and taking a mix of videoconferencing and online courses.
"The nurses choose our program of distance education first because it is so convenient," says Jo-Anne Andre, RN, MSN, the principal of distance education. "The courses are offered frequently at the place where he is employed and conducted in a cohort model of one night per week."
Andre said that the part-time distance program gives nurses a BSN in three years through a unique combination of learning through interactive video broadcasts, online surveys, and face to face physical evaluations of school instructors travelling to nurse workplace. Those attending classes on campus can get a BSN in two years, with flexible schedule that includes afternoon and evening courses.
The programme of distance education has doubled from registration for five years and videoconferencing courses are now held in state hospitals selected Kaiser, as well as Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, St. Joseph's Hospital in Orange, Children's Hospital in Los Angeles, and Anaheim Memorial Hospital.
Pressing higher
"There is much interest in the program," Andre said, adding that some hospitals require a certain number of nurses with BSNs that can be promoted or put in leadership positions. "I would think there is a big boost for nurses to get BSNs."
The AACN said future nurses need to go beyond the criteria of associate degree which makes them good bedside nurses due to the increasing demands of the profession. "BSN nurses are valued for their skills in critical thinking, leadership, case management and health promotion, and his ability to practice across a variety of inpatients and outpatients," says a recent document AACN position. "Clinical environments throughout the country are the differentiation of practice and advertising positions that either require or prefer the BSN for employment."
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