School of Nursing jumps 50 spots in U.S. News ranking of best online programs

By Sarah Goldthrite

The School's RN to BS program climbed 50 spots in the rankings this year. The program was also ranked in 2015, the first year the school was able to report data on the program.  

The RN to BS program, which can be completed in a one- or two-year sequence, is a distance-learning program offered in an asynchronous format that allows practicing nurses to maintain employment while attending school.

"The future demands on the nursing workforce will increase as health care becomes more complex and the population ages, is sicker and more frail. The baccalaureate prepared nurse has a broader range of competencies, as well as an understanding of the regulatory, political and health care systems factor that influence the delivery of safe and quality health care," explains Susan Grinslade, assistant dean for undergraduate education at the School of Nursing.

"Additionally, several research studies...have demonstrated a significant relationship [between] an increased percentage of baccalaureate-prepared nursing workforce [and] decreased levels of morbidity, failure-to-rescue, length of hospital stay, post-operative complications and other indicators of quality health outcomes."

Grinslade adds, "The American Organization of Nurse Executives, the Council of Physician and Nurse Supply, the Tri-Council of Nursing, and the National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice have all recommended a baccalaureate prepared nursing force for the purpose of improving patient safety and achieving quality health outcomes."

The program, which admitted its first cohort of students in the 2012-2013 academic year, builds on the knowledge of an RN's previous education and experience and encourages leadership and lifelong learning in the field of nursing, aligning with the School's mission to develop nurse leaders in an environment of academic and scholarly excellence.

Visit the RN to BS program webpage for more information or to apply.