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Hospitals and medical clinics around the country are pushing to hire registered nurses (RN) with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), in response to an ever-increasing complexity of care that’s needed. According to RegisteredNursing.org, leaders in the field of nursing have encouraged associate’s and diploma level nurses to pursue a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. Research has proven that nurses with this degree experience improved job satisfaction, improved patient outcomes, and fewer clinical errors.
This push is leading many nurses who hold an associate degree to return to higher education while still working in the field. Trying to balance full-time work, family and other responsibilities makes completing a degree online an appealing option.
Enter Millersville University, ranked by RegisteredNursing.org as the No. 4 Online RN to BSN Program in Pennsylvania. Millersville is the only PASSHE school ranked in the category.
“Our faculty are dedicated to the success of each student,” says Dr. Kelly Kuhns, chair and professor of the nursing program at MU. “While an online program, our faculty frequently meet via Zoom or other methods to assist students. We make real connections with our students no matter where they are. Faculty advisors recognize the many needs of working professionals, so we’ve designed our program for flexibility while achieving excellent academic outcomes. One unique aspect of our program is focus on examining the intersection of our environment and our health.”
RegisteredNursing.org highlighted Millersville’s flexibly, which offers nine nursing courses for a total of 31 credits. The curriculum focuses on healthcare technology integration, legal and ethical issues, nursing research and concepts in evidence-based practice to help nurses reach their professional goals.
Millersville’s nursing department offers both an online and face-to-face format for its RN to BSN program. Both programs provide individualized analysis of previous credits to ensure the most efficient path to a degree.
The rankings were compiled using data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) and the Council for Community and Economic Research.
Once data was compiled, the organization accounted for factors such as:
- If the institution is accredited.
- If the institution offers online programs.
- Ratio of total nurse program completions vs. total program completions awarded by the institution, sorted from higher to lower ratios.
- Annual tuition and fees adjusted for each county’s cost of living, sorted by lowest to highest.
- Ratio of instructional faculty that are tenured.
- Acceptance rate percentage for the College/University.
- Graduate rate at 150% of normal time.
Millersville also offers other degree programs in healthcare, like an MSN program for nurse practitioners, Post-Master’s Certificate, Doctor of Nursing Practice, School Nurse Certification, and School Health Supervisory Certification Program.
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