Basic Baccalaureate BSN Program

Nursing students

Join a High-Quality Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program

The Basic Baccalaureate Program is the traditional program designed for high school graduates and transfer students. This program integrates knowledge of the arts and sciences with nursing theory to provide a framework for professional practice. The program is designed to be completed in four years. The three major elements of the nursing curriculum are general education courses, cognate courses and required nursing courses. 

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Accreditation

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master’s degree program in nursing, and Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Rhode Island College are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).

Frequently Asked Questions

Students who are admitted to Rhode Island College as intended nursing majors must complete and submit a Nursing Program Application Form to the Zvart Onanian School of Nursing by the deadline that is on the application of the semester prior to the semester they expect to begin nursing courses. At the time of their application, students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or better and have completed or be enrolled in the cognates BIOL 231, PSYCH 230 and CHEM 106, with a grade of C or better, and an overall cognate GPA of 2.67 or better.

Undergraduate nursing majors of superior scholastic ability are eligible to participate in the Departmental Honors Program in nursing. During the junior and senior years, qualified students may pursue independent study or advanced work in the field. Upon completion of the program, a student will be awarded the B.S.N. with honors in nursing. Details of the application process and program procedures are available on our Honors Program page.

No, many of our students choose to enroll part time on a semester-by-semester basis while preparing to enroll in the nursing program. Once admitted to the program, students are expected to pursue a full-time schedule of study.

  1. Rhode Island College’s B.S.N. program is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
  2. We offer a strong liberal education and preparation for professional nursing practice.
  3. Our clinical placements occur in nationally recognized health-care facilities and local community agencies.
  4. The program has transfer agreements with community colleges and provides a foundation for graduate study.
  5. Our graduates go on to practice in a variety of settings.
  6. Rhode Island College is financially affordable.

Graduates of the program are eligible to apply to take the NCLEX-RN examination for licensure as a registered nurse in any state.

Our students represent great diversity in age, nationality, race and prior educational accomplishment.

We have 37 full-time faculty teaching in the Zvart Onanian School of Nursing, each with a master's degree in a nursing specialty. Twenty-three of our faculty are doctorally prepared. Many hold national certifications.

Students who wish to change their major to Nursing IM must meet with the Undergraduate Program Director to review the nursing program plan of study and the process of admission to the SON. The student must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 at RIC and overall GPA of 3.0 (if courses have been taken at other institutions) to be eligible to change the major. The minimum GPA to apply to the SON is 3.0 hence the need for students changing their major to have a minimum 3.0 GPA. Once the major has been changed the student will be assigned an advisor.

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Interested in Nursing?

Rhode Island College is an exclusive member of the Common Application.

Program Details

Admission Requirements

  1. Students must complete the College Mathematics and Writing Requirements.**
  2. Students must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 in courses taken at all colleges/universities.
  3. Students must have completed BIOL 231, CHEM 106, and PSYCH 230, with a minimum grade of C and a minimum overall grade point average of 2.67 (B-) in the three courses.

* Students may apply to the nursing program no more than three times.

** Refer to the Rhode Island College Catalog for descriptions of the Math Competency and Writing Requirements.

Application Process

Students who anticipate enrolling in the beginning nursing courses, Nursing 220, Nursing 222 and Nursing 225 for the Fall 2024 semester need to submit a completed Nursing Program Application by April 15, 2024. All admission requirements must be completed by the end of the spring semester. 

Fall Application

Students who anticipate enrolling in beginning nursing courses – NURS 220 and NURS 222 – for the Fall Semester need to submit a Nursing Program Application Form by the deadline that is on the application.

Spring Application

Students who anticipate enrolling in beginning nursing courses – NURS 220 and NURS 222 – for the Spring Semester need to submit a Nursing Program Application Form by the deadline that is on the application.

Application Instructions
  1. Students must submit a Nursing Program Application Form signed by their faculty advisor by the deadline that is on the application. 
  2. Students must attach a student copy of their current Rhode Island College transcript. Transfer students must attach transcripts with grades for all courses taken elsewhere – an official or legible student copy is acceptable.
  3. Students must email their completed application with attached transcripts electronically to their faculty advisor prior to the deadline for applications (this date can be found on the application). The faculty advisor will review the application materials and make an appointment to discuss the application with the student. The advisor will then submit the application and transcripts to the School of Nursing.
  4. Students who choose to withdraw their application to the nursing program must submit the completed Withdrawal of Application form. The fillable form should be submitted electronically to NursingAdmissions@ric.edu.

Handbook for Undergraduate Students in Nursing

Health Requirements

Every year students must provide health services with evidence of a negative PPD test or compliance with treatment. Before beginning some clinical nursing courses, students may be expected to meet additional health requirements. All nursing students must have the following information on file in College Health Services:

  • An admission physical exam.
  • One dose of tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis (Tdap).
  • Two doses of live measles vaccine (preferably MMR) or a blood titer confirming immunity.
  • Two doses of mumps vaccine (preferably MMR) or a blood titer confirming immunity.
  • One dose of rubella vaccine or a blood titer confirming immunity.
  • Three doses of hepatitis B vaccine. A hepatitis B surface antibody titer to confirm sero-conversion is recommended on-to-two months after the final dose.
  • Provider documented proof, including date or age, of chicken pox disease or a varicella titer confirming immunity or two doses of varicella vaccine.
  • An initial 2-step PPD** tuberculin skin test and yearly PPD updates (or chest x-ray if PPD positive and yearly TB assessment, which is completed at College Health Services).
  • Flu vaccine every Fall Semester.
  • Complete COVID vaccination.

*Health-care workers born on or before Dec. 31, 1956, are only required to have documentation of one dose each of measles, mumps and rubella or titers confirming immunity.

**2-Step PPD – two separate PPDs planted at least a week apart but not more than a year apart prior to entering into nursing clinical.

Download a printable copy of this checklist.

Students will not be admitted to the first class meeting of a nursing practicum course without having complied with the health requirements. Proof of immunization may be obtained from your physician, high school, previous college or university, military record and/or from blood titers.

Nursing majors should follow the guidelines on the college immunization form or call College Health Services at 401-456-8055 for further information. Once all required information is complete, students may pick up their laminated identification cards at College Health Services.​

Recommended Plan of Study

Students must consult with their advisor each semester before registering for courses.

Nursing Requirements
NURS 220 Foundations of Therapeutic Interventions 3
NURS 222 Professional Nursing I 3
NURS 223 Fundamentals of Nursing Practice 4
NURS 224 Health Assessment 3
NURS 225 Introduction to Writing and Research in Nursing 2
NURS 340 Psychiatric / Mental Health Nursing 6
NURS 342 Adult Health Nursing I 6
NURS 344 Maternal Newborn Nursing 6
NURS 346 Nursing of Children and Families 6
NURS 370 Public and Community Health Nursing 6
NURS 372 Adult Health Nursing II 6
NURS 374 Contemporary Professional Nursing 3
NURS 375 Transition to Professional Nursing Practice 6
Prerequisites and Cognates
BIOL 108 Basic Principles of Biology 4
BIOL 231 Human Anatomy 4
BIOL 335 Human Physiology 4
BIOL 348 Microbiology 4
CHEM 105 General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry I 4
CHEM 106 General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry II 4
PSYC 110 Introduction to Psychology 4
PSYC 230 Human Development 4
College-Wide Requirements
  Math Competency  
General Education Core
  First Year Seminar (FYS) 4
  First Year Writing (FYW) 4
  Connections (C) 4
Distribution Requirements
  (A) Arts-Visual and Performing 4
  (H) History 4
  (L) Literature 4
  (M) Mathematics 4
  (NS) Natural Science (Bio 108) 4
  (SB) Social and Behavioral Science (Psych 110) 4
SECOND LANGUAGE REQ.
  Foreign Language 4

Program/Learning Goals

Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:

  • Engage in continuous education in the arts and sciences to inform decision making as a professional nurse and member of a global society.
  • Apply concepts of leadership, quality and safety to improve health-care outcomes in a cost-effective, safe and caring organizational environment.
  • Demonstrate critical thinking in evaluating and integrating evidence and interprofessional perspectives to improve health-care outcomes.
  • Use patient care technologies, information systems and communication systems to facilitate safe, efficient and effective nursing practice.
  • Promote professional nursing practice that addresses policy development, legislative process, health-care financing and reimbursement and political activism within an ethical framework.
  • Perform in the autonomous and collaborative role of the professional nurse to enhance the interprofessional team. 
  • Participate in activities that promote health, prevent illness and injury and provide population-focused interventions that provide effective, efficient and equitable health care.
  • Demonstrate professional behaviors that encompass accountability, responsibility, adherence to standards of moral, ethical and legal conduct and the pursuit of lifelong learning.
  • Possess the knowledge, skills and attitudes to provide nursing care in a variety of settings to a diverse group of patients of all ages, cultures, genders and religious backgrounds.

Writing in the Discipline

In what ways is writing important to your profession?

Writing is essential to communicating as a nurse. Professional nurses write as care givers, advocates, teachers and researchers. Nurses write to provide high-quality, safe care to patients and communities; to propose improvements to health-care delivery; and to promote changes in health-care policy.

Which courses are designated as satisfying the Writing in the Discipline (WID) requirement by your department? Why these courses?

NURS 225: Writing and Research in Nursing is the foundational WID course for the nursing major. In this course, students are introduced to the conventions of writing in nursing, APA formatting and the role of evidence-based nursing practice. All nursing courses that follow NURS 225 continue to develop students’ writing skills over time.

What forms or genres of writing will students learn and practice in your department’s WID courses? Why these genres?

The forms of writing taught in the nursing program are clinical writing (or workplace writing), academic writing and reflective writing. Through various types of clinical writing, including care plans, charting and discharge summaries, nurses describe and document patient care. Clinical writing may also include promotional materials and policies developed to serve groups and communities. Professional nurses use academic writing to disseminate new knowledge in the discipline and promote evidence-based practice. Reflective writing, such as journaling and informal responses, serve as a way to learn (“writing to learn”) and as a means to self-understanding and professional growth.

What kinds of teaching practices will students encounter in your department’s WID courses?

Some of the teaching practices students will encounter will be journaling, low-stakes and high-stakes writing assignments, peer reviews, scaffolded assignments and opportunities for revisions and incorporating feedback into later drafts.

When they’ve satisfied your department’s WID requirement, what should students know and be able to do with writing?

Upon completion of the B.S.N. program, graduates will be able to: 

  • Effectively communicate in writing in the various professional nursing roles.
  • Accurately and precisely document professional practice in clinical settings.
  • Prepare thoughtful and effective research papers in the discipline of nursing.
  • Prepare oral and written presentations individually and collaboratively to achieve a specific purpose.
  • Engage in reflective writing for personal professional development​​​​​​.