R.N. to B.S.N.

The program will admit full- or part-time cohort groups to a flexible modular curriculum. Convenience and accessibility are maximized for the working nurse by scheduling courses in convenient blocks of time. Up to three days on campus per semester may be required for orientation and testing, i.e. Health Assessment. Additionally, all core nursing courses are reflective of the needs of the adult learner. Students who choose full-time study can complete the 120-credit-hour program in 18 months.

Clinical practica focus on projects that meet community needs, and suitable projects are identified in collaboration with students and community health care organizations. Student outcomes reflect enhanced ability to do complex problem solving (particularly in teams); increased professionalism; more sophisticated leadership and management skills; and change process skills. Students are encouraged to engage in a process of self-transformation in an atmosphere of support and team process. Students are partners with the faculty in their educational process and outcomes.

Admission Criteria

1. Graduation from a state board of nursing-approved school of nursing.
2. Current licensure as a registered nurse in the United States and eligibility for licensure in Missouri.
3. Cumulative grade-point average of 2.5 (4.0 scale) from the basic school of nursing and all previous/subsequent college coursework.

General Education Requirements

The University requires that all students complete a three-hour constitution course. UMKC courses that currently satisfy this requirement include: Hist 101, 102, 360R -or- Pol Sc 210. In addition, students must complete:

• English Composition I & II
• Logic OR Philosophy
• Statistics (upper-division)
• Pathophysiology (upper-division)

Nursing Education Requirements

• Direct transfer from a National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) associate degree program.
• Completion of specific coursework for graduates of diploma programs and non-NLNAC associate degree programs.

Thirty-six hours of upper-division nursing credits are required. The UMKC School of Nursing has developed an innovative program where students, as a cohort group, progress through four "blocks" of coursework. Rather than traditional, individual courses, the curriculum is integrated and based on concepts integral to successful nursing in the changing health care system. Both full- and part-time plans are available.

The nursing curriculum consists of:

N401 Health Assessment (3)
N476 Scientific Inquiry (3)
N481 Tools for Personal Effectiveness (6)

• Professionalism
• Historical Roots of Health Professions
• Power Bases and Image
• Time and Stress Management
• Career Mapping
• Standards
• Moral Development and Values
• Critical Thinking and Decision Making
• Informatics
• Internet and Bibliographic Databases
• Word processing

• Conflict Resolution and Negotiation
• Communication Skills and Theories
• Managing Change
• Ethics
• Groups and Teams
• Legalities of Health Care
• Marketing
• APA Style
• Presentation software

• Theories Used in Care of Humans
• Cultural Competence
• Case Management
• Community Based Care/Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Health Promotion and Restoration
• Health Care Policy
• Using Spreadsheets

• Quality Management
• Systems Theory
• Health Care Delivery Systems (managed care)
• Organizational Theories and Culture
• Politics, Use of Legislative System
• Leadership Styles and Theories
• Budget and Health Care Finance
• Impact of Future Managerial and Societal Paradigm Changes on Health Care
• Using Databases and Information Systems