Nursing (B.S.) (RN to BSN Completion)
Middle Georgia State University's (MGA) RN-BSN Completion Program is approved by the Georgia Board of Nursing and accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). The address for the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) is 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, GA 30326, (404) 975-5000. www.acenursing.com
The purpose of the RN-BSN Completion Program is to provide Central Georgia Registered Nurses the opportunity to complete a baccalaureate nursing program. As a result, the program will provide Central Georgia health care facilities with baccalaureate- prepared nurses. Middle Georgia State University is committed to offering a flexible schedule of RN-BSN Completion courses with classes being taught via traditional classroom delivery and online.
Admission and Progression: RN-BSN Program
Admission to the RN-BSN Completion Program is competitive. In order to be considered for admission to the Middle Georgia State University (MGA) nursing program, applicants must:
- (a) be fully admitted to the University according to current catalog guidelines in "good academic standing" and must have a minimum overall GPA of 2.5 and a minimum GPA of 2.5 in all nursing core courses and the courses required for the nursing program. An applicant cannot be a transient student.
OR
(b) be admitted to the University for the first time as a transfer student in “good academic standing” with a minimum transfer GPA of 2.5 and minimum cumulative academic GPA of 2.5 in courses required in the nursing curriculum.
AND
(c) student MUST submit an online application to the nursing program by the deadline posted at https://www.mga.edu/health-sciences/nursing/apply-instructions.php
AND
(d) Applicants must be fully admitted to the university by the posted nursing application deadline. All admission materials must be properly executed and submitted to the Admissions Office and Registrar including, but not limited to, official transcripts mailed directly from each institution attended.
- Students are required to complete all Bachelor of Science Degree Nursing core requirements.
- Students must have graduated from an ACEN accredited Associate Degree or Diploma Nursing Program or fulfilled the Georgia RN-BSN articulation requirements.
- Students must have a current and valid unrestricted RN license to practice in the state of Georgia. Students must maintain a current and valid unrestricted RN license throughout enrollment in the nursing program.
- Student must submit a copy of their RN license to the Nursing Program.
- A student who has withdrawn with a (W), a (WF) or failed with a (D or F) in any two (2) nursing courses in any nursing program will not be eligible for re-entry or admission in the nursing program at MGA.
- Using all available data, including but not limited to the application, SAT scores, high school GPA, or college academic GPA in courses required in the nursing curriculum, the Admissions, Recruitment, and Retention Committee of the nursing program will evaluate all applicants who meet the admission criteria. Acceptance into the Nursing Program is highly competitive.
- Applicants who are accepted for admission into the RN-BSN Completion Program but do not enter the nursing class must reapply for admission.
- The Nursing Programs Admissions, Recruitment, and Retention Committee will evaluate all applicants who meet the admission criteria and select the best qualified applicants.
Articulation Model
The RN-BSN Completion Program adheres to the Georgia RN-BSN Articulation Plan for the admission and acceptance of students into the nursing program. Students who do not meet eligibility requirements to be accepted into the nursing courses will need to complete the following requirements prior to acceptance into the RN-BSN Completion Program:
- Completion of validation testing will be required of all associate degree or diploma graduates who graduated from non-ACEN accredited schools outside the state of Georgia, who graduated more than four years ago, and have less than 1,000 clinical practice hours. Successful completion of the four subsets of the National League for Nursing (NLN) Nursing Acceleration Challenge Exams (NACE) I & II Exams for RN-BSN students is required to validate current knowledge in the areas of Nursing Care of Child, Nursing Care of Childbearing Family, Nursing Care of the Adult Client, and Nursing Care of the Client with Mental Disorder. Interested individuals can contact the MGA RN-BSN Program Coordinator by calling 478-471-2762 for a bulletin regarding the NACE Exams.
- Clinical competencies will be validated through psychomotor skills evaluation by faculty. A list of selected skills and evaluation criteria will be provided to students prior to examination. Evaluation of psychomotor skills will occur prior to acceptance into the RN-BSN Completion Program.
- Upon successful completion of examination and skills requirements, admission to the RN-BSN Completion Program, and completion of NURS 3100, Advanced Standing Course Credit ranging from 1-30 hours for NURS 3600 will be awarded. RN-BSN Completion Program students will then follow the Progression, Dismissal and Readmission standards applicable to all nursing students.
- Students have one opportunity to demonstrate clinical competencies on the psychomotor skills exams. If a student is not successful in completing one or more components of the required NLN NACE II validation tests, an individual remediation plan will be developed. After completion of the remediation plan, the student will have a total of two opportunities to successfully complete the required testing in each area in which they were unsuccessful.
Special Standings
Students enrolled in the sophomore year of an Associate Degree Nursing Program may take up to six semester credit hours of selected upper-division RN-BSN nursing classes prior to graduating with the Associate degree. This will allow Associate degree students who have completed core courses for a baccalaureate of science degree and have a minimum GPA of 2.5 to begin baccalaureate nursing studies.
Courses that students are permitted to take in "special standing" are:
| NURS 3210 | Physical Assessment, Health Examination, & Documentation Practices for the Professional Nurse (4-3-5) | 5 credits |
| NURS 3440 | Introduction to Nursing Research (3-0-3) | 3 credits |
Students will be encouraged to apply for the RN-BSN Completion Program upon successful completion of the NCLEX-RN exam. Course credits received under "Special Standing" status will apply if accepted in the RN-BSN Completion Program. Students will be subject to Admission and Progression requirements.
Curriculum for Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN Completion)
Core Curriculum (Credit: 42 hours)
Area A: Essential Skills (Credit: 9 hours)
| ENGL 1101 | English Composition I | 3 credits |
| ENGL 1102 | English Composition II | 3 credits |
| Area A Math Elective | 3 credits |
Note: Courses required for Area A must be completed within the first 30 hours.
Area B: Institutional Options (Credit: 4 hours)
| Perspectives Elective | 4 credits |
Area C: Humanities/Fine Arts (Credit: 6 hours)
| Literature Elective | 3 credits |
| Area C Elective | 3 credits |
Area D: Science, Math, and Technology (Credit: 11 hours)
| Lab Science Elective (Preferred CHEM 1151K; Acceptable BIOL 1001K, BIOL 2107K, CHEM 1211K or PHYS 1111K - must be lab course) | 4 credits |
| Lab Science Elective (Preferred CHEM 1152K; Acceptable BIOL 1002K, BIOL 2108K, CHEM 1212K or PHYS 1112K - must be lab course & sequence to first science course) | 4 credits |
| MATH 1200 | Elementary Statistics | 3 credits |
Area E: Social Sciences (Credit: 12 hours)
| HIST 2111 | United States History to 1865 | 3 credits |
| OR | |
| HIST 2112 | United States History since 1865 | 3 credits |
| | |
| POLS 1101 | American Government | 3 credits |
| PSYC 1101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 credits |
| Area E Elective | 3 credits |
Area F: Lower Division Major Requirements (Credit: 18 hours)
Major Field
Area F Elective Credit: 3 hours
Select from
| SOCI 1101 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 credits |
| SOCI 1160 | Introduction to Social Problems | 3 credits |
| SOCI 2293 | Introduction to Marriage and Family | 3 credits |
Upper Division Nursing Courses Required for RN-BSN Completion Program (Credit: 30 hours)
| NURS 3100 | Transition to Baccalaureate Nursing Practice (5-0-5) | 5 credits |
| NURS 3210 | Physical Assessment, Health Examination, & Documentation Practices for the Professional Nurse (4-3-5) | 5 credits |
| NURS 3440 | Introduction to Nursing Research (3-0-3) | 3 credits |
| NURS 4100 | Nursing Care of Special Client Populations | 8 credits |
| NURS 4300 | Evidence- Based Practice: The Application of Nursing Research into Practice (5-12-9) | 9 credits |
Total Hours: 90