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Coursework Required for a BSN Degree

Higher Education Articles March 21, 2015

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees are four-year degrees devised for students that do not have any prior nursing experience. Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) that want to earn a bachelor’s degree should look into LPN-to-BSN degree completion programs. Registered nurses (RN) that want to earn a bachelor’s degree should look into RN-to-BSN degree completion programs.

Information About BSN Degree Programs

Over the 2012 – 2022 decade, a faster-than-average job growth rate of 19% has been predicted for RNs (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). BSN programs involve the completion of extensive classroom work and clinical practice. Graduates of BSN programs are required to obtain a valid nursing license before they can seek employment.

Common Coursework

Common coursework in a BSN program is listed below:

Course Related to Adult Nursing Care

This course teaches nursing interventions related to caring for adults that suffer illness or injury. Demonstrations and classroom lectures teach proper nursing procedures addressing chronic and acute conditions in numerous environments, including long-term care facilities and hospitals.

Students also learn about provision of nursing care before, during, and after a surgical procedure. Nursing programs usually include this as a required class at an early stage. Students are also usually required to complete a clinical component.

Course Related to Community Nursing

The focus of this required class is on the direct or indirect prevention and management of illness and disease in communities, groups, families, and among individuals that are at risk. Coursework includes discussions on biostatistics, epidemiology, budgeting, public health and policy considerations, and provision of care. The program introduces students to the concepts of program evaluation, measurement, implementation, development, and planning.

Course Related to Leadership and Management Skills for Nurses

This program imparts an understanding of the practical application and theory of management and leadership concepts, such as delegation and organizational behavior. The focus of this lecture-based class is on the ways leadership can be demonstrated among populations served as well as within the workplace by nurses.

Students also learn about the need for legal awareness of certain legal requirements before they delegate responsibilities and ways of motivating and supporting clients and colleagues. This class is a required component in most programs.

Course Related to Nursing Across Cultures

This class is devised to develop students’ skills related to the provision of nursing care while displaying understanding and respect for others’ religious, social, or cultural attitudes toward wellness and health. Some BSN programs may require this class that is usually at the end of the degree program.

Course Related to Nursing Intervention for Women and Families

The focus of this class is on family-centered care. Taken midway through a degree program, this class helps students with hands-on training in the provision of supportive health intervention care to families, children, and women through a combination of clinical experiences, labs, and classroom lectures. The focus is on health interventions aimed at supporting the treatment and prevention of general wellness and illness for children and women.

Course Related to Professional Nursing Skills

This class, usually taken early in the degree program, focuses on the examination of a broad overview of the current state as well as history of the profession. Legal considerations regarding patient care, professional ethics, and common types of nursing interventions feature in the discussions alongside an examination of the role of nursing in prevention of illness and general health maintenance and management.

Course Related to Surgical Nursing

The adult nursing care class introduces pre-, intra-, and post-operative skills that are then built up through this required class that emphasizes the provision of team-based health care.

The class combines clinical experiences, labs, and lectures to allow students to hone intensive care skills for acute patients in dynamic and challenging settings.

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