California RN to BSN Bridge Programs
Being a nurse means always adapting to new research and policies for the benefit of your patients. Taking your education to the next level with California RN to BSN bridge programs may help you offer evidence-based care to a larger patient base. For example, nurses with bachelor’s degrees can work in specialties like labor and delivery, women’s health, pediatrics and oncology. Use this page to learn more about this degree and then get in touch with programs!
With BestNursingDegree.com you can find and compare nursing programs in California that offer an RN to BSN track. Take some time to learn more about earning your BSN, then find schools from all across the state, including those that offer online nursing classes. You can request information from as many nursing schools as you like, and this will help improve your chances of finding the one that is right for you.
Why Earn a BSN?
RNs can make a powerful impact on the health of California. You act as a healthcare provider, patient advocate, and agent for change within the nursing profession. As new challenges develop as a result of healthcare reform, nursing leaders are needed to provide solutions to the demands being placed on nurses. When you move from an RN to BSN, you can build on your experience to assume leadership, advanced clinical practice, and patient management roles.
According to a white paper by The American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 39% of hospitals and other healthcare settings require new RNs to have a bachelor’s degree, and 77% strongly prefer applicants have one. That’s why you should consider earning your BSN if you have long-term goals in nursing.
There has been an increase in enrollment in many of the RN to BSN programs in California. Nursing schools across the nation are expanding their efforts to make earning a (BSN) an achievable goal for working RNs. To learn more about RN to BSN options in CA, request information from the schools on this page.
Curriculum of RN to BSN Programs in California
Transitional RN to BSN programs, also called RN to BSN bridge programs or BSN completion programs, are designed to credit experienced RNs for their current knowledge and experience as you move towards a bachelor’s degree. Advanced care management, medical ethics, and courses in the humanities can prepare nurses to pursue a career in advanced practice, nurse executive positions, or specialty areas and certifications.
Many nursing schools in CA offer RN to BSN programs, and typical curriculum may include the following:
- Developmental psychology and sociology
- Algebra, statistics and math related to pharmacology
- Nursing management of complex health issues
- Foundations in nursing informatics
- Health assessment and diagnostic reasoning
- Pathophysiology concepts for nursing
Nurses typically finish an RN to BSN program in approximately 18 months. Pre-requisites are usually counted towards your degree credit. You are awarded 60 credits for your ADN and the BSN degree is typically 123 credits total. Depending on the program you select, the length of the clinical practicum varies and is required for graduation. If you choose an online RN to BSN program in CA, you may have some additional freedom in choosing your clinical location, which will likely be a chosen from a list of strategically partnered nursing schools and healthcare delivery sites.
Careers for RN to BSN Graduates in California
After graduating from nursing programs in California the majority of RNs work in hospitals, but employment in physician offices and home health care is growing fast. Many positions outside of acute care prefer, if not require, a BSN degree. A BSN degree can open new opportunities for Registered Nurses like you, and since there are many RN to BSN programs to choose from, it pays to do your homework before you even select a school.
Certain specialty areas, nursing administrative positions, and certain advanced practice roles are generally reserved for professional nurses with BSN degrees.
California hospitals also prefer Baccalaureate prepared RNs in many of the following positions:
- A Nurse Researcher conducts research that improves the field of nursing and designs studies, analyzes data and reports their results at Sharp Healthcare hospital or clinical research organizations
- Advanced Clinical Nurses work in an advanced capacity in intensive care, cardiac care and emergency rooms
- Occupational Health Nurses are needed by large corporations such as A&M records and Fortune 500 companies
To find out more about RN to BSN programs in California, and how you can begin the journey back to nursing school to earn your Bachelor’s degree, request information from the California nursing schools on this page.
Nursing Programs in California to Consider
- San Diego State University: The RN to BSN program is generally completed in less than two years (including all upper division requirements). Many courses have an online component. Several courses, such as community health and nursing care of the complex, high acuity or critically ill patient require clinical time.
- California State University – Bakersfield: This largely online program accepts applicants once a year and takes twelve months to complete. Students complete 100 clinical hours at a public health department during winter term. Forty top-ranked students are admitted each year. The program is available to students in surrounding areas (Antelope Valley & Tulare/Kings County).
- California State University – Chico: The program takes about 15 months of part-time study to finish. Most of the classes are online, although limited campus attendance – one or two days per semester – is required. The public health/community course requires 135 contact hours and may be arranged at a site convenient for the student.
