Home > Degree Programs > College of Health & Public Administration > Nursing

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Helpful articles and useful tips for adults considering a college degree.

Thank you for signing up for our newsletter!

You will soon receive an email
confirming your request.

Nursing

Franklin University Nursing RN-BSN degree completion program banner Program OverviewProgram DetailsWhy Choose Franklin

Improve patient outcomes by building on your nursing background

There’s a new reality for nursing: baccalaureate-level education matters. A national goal set by the Institute of Medicine recommends preparing 80% of the nursing workforce with a bachelor’s degree by the year 2020. Why? Because studies show that when the percentage of baccalaureate-prepared nurses is higher, so are patient outcomes.

Prepare for management with our RN-BSN completion program

Franklin University’s B.S. in Nursing (RN-BSN) degree completion program is designed specifically for registered nurses with an associate’s degree (ADN) or nursing diploma. Our accelerated BSN Program is comprised of a series of six-week, online courses that fit your life and schedule. There are no requirements for precepted clinical experience within our curriculum.

And thanks to the industry’s need for quality nurses to replace an aging workforce combined with organizations seeking Magnet Recognition, employers are becoming more selective about their hires. Many are looking to hire, promote, and retain nurses who’ve earned their BSN. That’s why demand for credentialed nurses and nurse leaders is projected to grow at a rate faster than the national average through 2020.

Engage in rigorous coursework that takes you to the next level

Franklin’s rigorous coursework is an efficient way to build on your existing education and experience, helping you acquire the expertise needed to advance your career. You’ll gain the skills healthcare providers are actively looking for in these key areas: healthcare management, clinical performance, personalized medicine, community health, health informatics, and healthcare law and ethics.

You’ll complete your degree online through a series of engaging, media-rich, hands-on classes. And because Franklin’s RN-BSN Degree Program addresses current nursing trends and evidence-based practice, your education and credentials will be more attractive to hiring managers.

Get prepared to meet contemporary, on-the-job challenges

With the latest technology-based learning and assessment tools, our RN-BSN Major features simulations, gaming, video, audio, and live classroom activities through a convenient online format.

In fact, you’ll be involved in clinical scenarios through a virtual community called “The Neighborhood.” Through rich descriptions of community members’ lives and relationships, as well as social and health issues, you’ll immerse yourself in following characters start-to-finish through health issues, using what you learn the same as if you were assessing and planning care in a real clinical situation.

Learn under a leading, industry-standard curriculum

Franklin’s RN-BSN Program is top notch, with curriculum reflecting The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice, as established by The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). Our program curriculum meets other national industry standards and guidelines as well, and is informed by the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics, Healthy People 2020, and Quality and Safety in Education of Nurses (QSEN), so you can be confident your degree will prepare you with the up-to-date knowledge you need to advance your nursing career

Earn your degree from a university built for busy adults

Earn your degree on your terms by taking classes 100% online. Regionally accredited and nonprofit, Franklin was built from the ground-up to satisfy the needs of adult learners. A seamless transfer process and personal academic advisors help ease your transition into becoming a student, while our flexible course schedules help to balance your education with work, family, and life. Get started on your future today.

Gain The Skills Employers Desire

  • Healthcare Management
    • Promote patient care environments that optimize safety to reduce likelihood of medical errors
    • Employ evidence-based practices to achieve desired clinical and financial outcomes
    • Develop and maintain effective administrative structures and processes in support of nursing activities, delivering benchmark nursing care based on results of current nursing research
    • Lead and direct quality management activities in support of hospital regulatory compliance and patient care quality measures
    • Promote organization-wide strategic planning, maintaining integrated services systems focused on patient recovery and collaborative care
    • Develop, communicate, and model clear missions, visions, values, and strategic goals through leadership initiatives and interdisciplinary collaboration
    • Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team to evaluate options and provide recommendations for best-practice operational models
    • Create and manage quality assurance, performance improvement, and customer satisfaction programs through interdisciplinary collaboration
    • Use multidisciplinary expertise to participate in design and improvement of systems and processes, identifying required staffing and other resources
  • Health Informatics
    • Perform as nurse leader by providing clinical information systems support to nurses and allied healthcare professionals throughout the health system
    • Employ collegial and collaborative efforts to ensure accurate flow of data and knowledge to improve foundation of nursing care and administrative systems
    • Support clinical staff in the use of technology to promote patient safety, confidentiality, and efficiency, developing policies and procedures in support of best practices
    • Work closely with IT to manage new informatics solutions to ensure the delivery of safe, high-quality patient care
    • Collaborate with clinical information systems users, information technology personnel, and others in optimizing information management and communications
    • Collect and analyze data, monitoring clinical information systems in support of effective delivery of information and quality outcomes
    • Coordinate data reporting and conduct analyses in support of records management, performance improvement, and departmental decision-making with respect to management and leadership positions
    • Evaluate information shared with outside nursing personnel and allied services for continuity of patient care, ensuring that HIPAA and other guidelines, policies, and standards are followed
  • Healthcare Law & Ethics
    • Advocate on behalf of patients, families and staff, promoting adherence to the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics
    • Keep privacy, confidentiality, and security of patient, associate, and organizational data
    • Maintain up-to-date knowledge of standards such as JCAHO and HIPAA, understanding the legal implications of computerized information systems
    • Ensure facility compliance with regulatory requirements
    • Facilitate compliance with care standards, preparing and coordinating materials for state audits, and accreditation review processes in capacity as nurse manager or leader
  • Community Health
    • Establish and maintain therapeutic relationships with patients, families, and communities
    • Assure delivery of essential public health services and nursing care in community venues
    • Provide health promotion education and nursing services to individuals and groups within communities to reduce health risks and communicable diseases
    • Conduct community-based nursing activities for outreach purposes, including providing referrals and other resources to the community
    • Develop and implement plans for teaching and counseling individuals, families, and groups regarding good health and disease-prevention practices
    • Participate in strategic plans that promote public health priorities, such as improving immunization rates, reducing obesity, providing domestic violence education, eliminating infectious diseases, and preparing for emergencies
    • Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, including physicians, community agencies, and families, to assess care needs and develop appropriate plans of care based on best practices
  • Clinical Performance
    • Oversee clinical plans of care to conform to evidence-based practice and regulatory requirements
    • Identify quality indicators, monitoring, and evaluating performance in achieving outcomes
    • Ensure appropriate, efficient use of financial, supply, and staff resources
    • Coach others in clinical performance improvements related to better patient outcomes, satisfaction, and safety
    • Collaborate with other nurse leaders and mentors to plan, implement, and evaluate processes related to performance improvement, effectiveness, fiscal management, competence, and patient service outcomes
    • Facilitate staff participation in systematic, interdisciplinary, and ongoing evaluations of policies, procedures, and outcomes toward providing safe, high-quality patient care
  • Personalized Medicine
    • Keep current with genetics findings and activities, recommending and implementing enhanced clinical practice standards based on current evidence and best practices
    • Offer clinical and scientific information to help guide therapeutic decisions in the nursing management of patients with hereditary conditions
    • Develop protocols and promote standards of care using multidisciplinary teams for patients with or at risk for genetic or congenital conditions
    • Use current evidence as framework to understand and apply moral, ethical, and legal frameworks to recent advances in genetic engineering, gene therapy, and reproductive technology
    • Provide continuous education to healthcare providers to increase patient access to genetic and personalized medicine tests
  • Health Assessment
    • Create, support, and maintain integrated, interdisciplinary patient care processes, providing holistic, culturally sensitive, best practice care
    • Conduct effective, data-driven case management assessments, identifying best practice opportunities and creating goal-oriented action plans to promote health and prevent disease
    • Develop tracking systems for comprehensive assessments and care plans to improve timeliness and accuracy of patient care
    • Assess medical disorders, conditions, and diseases across developmental stages, including newborn, pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric, in order to provide safe, high-quality patient care across the lifespan
    • Promote recovery of patient health and return to community through patient care needs assessments that include cultural sensitivity and ethnic awareness
    • Demonstrate critical thinking and clinical judgment in identifying clinical, social, safety, psychological, and spiritual issues for patient care within an episode of care in order to provide holistic care
    • Use professional communication techniques to translate and articulate patient condition to other care providers

Career Opportunities

  • Nurse Manager

    Nurse Managers plan unit activities and supervise personnel charged with nursing care services.

    View Salary Trends
  • Director of Nursing

    Directors of Nursing oversee nursing, social, and activity services, ensuring they meet physical, emotional, and psychological needs of patients.

    View Salary Trends
  • Nursing Unit Manager

    Nursing Unit Managers direct nursing activities for a specific unit of a facility, such as critical care or pediatrics, ensuring appropriate clinical practices and quality patient care.

    View Salary Trends
  • Clinical Nurse Leader

    Clinical Nurse Leaders evaluate patient outcomes in order to develop and implement patient care improvement plans.

    View Salary Trends

Employment Outlook

From 2010-2020 jobs in Nursing are expected to increase by 21%. By 2020, there will be an estimated 3.3 million jobs in Nursing.

Source information provided by Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI)

Our Recipe For Your Success

Academic & Industry Experts

Classes are taught and designed by credentialed professionals with real-world experience.
 

  • Programs are designed by combining the insight of industry leaders with the academic expertise of our faculty, ensuring what you learn translates into on-the-job success.

  • Academic concepts and theories are brought to life through our teaching faculty’s professional expertise, and can be immediately applied in your career.

  • Faculty with industry experience teach our courses, not graduate students or life-time academics, so you learn not only the theories behind the practice but also how to apply them in real-world situations.

Relevant & Consistent Curriculum

What you learn is a reflection of the program you choose, not the format in which it’s applied.
 

  • All programs are designed for learning outcomes to flow from the program level into actual coursework.

  • This top-down approach allows credentialed professionals to customize assignments based on trending industry topics without deviating from a program’s core outcomes.

  • Regardless of your professor or the format of your class, you receive the same quality education.

Hands-On Learning Experience

Franklin's coursework teaches not only theories and concepts, but also how they apply to practical situations.

 

  • Professional course designers ensure that class activities such as learning simulations, case studies, interactive videos, and group exercises are relevant and appropriate.

  • A curriculum development team is dedicated to making sure all courses are intuitively designed so content is taught in a logical manner that facilitates your success in the classroom and beyond.

Continuously Evolving Programs

Consistent program reviews ensure our programs stay at the forefront of industry trends.
 

  • Survey results and feedback from student and faculty assessments are reviewed regularly so that our programs are always improving and up-to-date.

  • A structured review process helps identify industry gaps that guide curriculum enhancements allowing our academic and industry experts to regularly implement new industry trends.

  • Regular assessment provides hard data that is used to improve student learning and teaching methods.

Get the details

Read course descriptions, learn about degree options, and meet program faculty.

View Program Details