BSNC-ASN2BSN - Bachelor of Science in Nursing - RN to BSN

The RN-BSN program is designed for nurses who have earned an Associate of Science in Nursing degree and wish to return to school for their BSN. Given the advances in healthcare, increasingly complex patients, expansion of community health, and intricate technologies, many nurses desire to further their education. The program is designed to enhance nurses’ knowledge regarding disease processes, evidence-based practice, professionalism, ethics, informatics, community health, and leadership. The program prepares nurses to further their careers or continue their education in graduate studies.

The program courses are hosted fully online; however, the last course of the program, Capstone, requires 45 in-person clinical hours. These hours can be completed at a variety of locations around the region.

College of Coastal Georgia’s RN-BSN Program is part of the University System of Georgia RN-BSN Collaborative. The collaborative hosts five (5) RN-BSN courses each session during the fall and spring semesters, and once during the summer semester.

Students who are interested in the RN to BSN program must meet the college admissions requirements listed in the Admissions section of this catalog. Interested applicants may view program and admission information through the nursing website. For additional questions, please contact the Department of Nursing office at (912) 279-5860. Thirty (30) credits of upper-level courses must be completed at CCGA.

Accreditation

The baccalaureate and associate nursing programs at College of Coastal Georgia, located in Brunswick, Georgia, are accredited by the:

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)                                                                                                                                                                                                      

3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30326

(404) 975-5000

The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the associate and baccalaureate nursing programs is: Continuing Accreditation. 

 View the public information disclosed by the ACEN regarding the programs at www.acenursing.org

General Information
There are two ways to earn your RN-BSN degree: the ASN Pathway and the Licensed Pathway. The ASN Pathway is for students who are currently enrolled in College of Coastal Georgia’s ASN program, who wish to take the BSN general education courses with their ASN courses and start the RN-BSN courses post-licensure. These students must pass the general education courses with a C or higher. If students are unsuccessful with their ASN nursing courses, they will be removed from the RN-BSN ASN Pathway and will have to apply to the Licensed Pathway after graduation from the ASN program.

ASN students interested in the ASN Pathway of the RN-BSN program must contact the ASN and RN-BSN Program Coordinator during their second semester of the ASN program for conditional acceptance. Full acceptance to the RN-BSN program will occur after graduation from the ASN program and licensure.

The Licensed Pathway is for ASN program graduates who have successfully passed the NCLEX-RN exam, hold an unencumbered Registered Nurse (RN) license, and have all BSN general education courses near completion. Students may have 4 credits of outstanding general education courses and be fully accepted to the RN-BSN program. Students must complete the outstanding general education credits within the first semester of the RN-BSN program.

Students applying to the RN-BSN Program: Licensed Pathway must have an active, unencumbered Georgia RN license or an active, unencumbered RN license from their primary state of residence.

Out-of-State Students

If you will be living outside of Georgia while taking classes, our ability to offer online programs or clinicals to you may be limited. We are not legally able to offer programs or courses if we are not able to meet the regulatory requirements for activity in the state where you will be physically located. State Authorization Online programs must seek State Authorization and Board of Nursing authorization to offer programs in other states (besides Georgia). If, during the program, you will be physically living in, or planning to practice in a state other than Georgia or where you currently live when you were accepted, please let the RN to BSN program coordinator know as soon as possible. We will need to make sure we have authorization from that state to offer the program and/or to learn if there are any requirements we need to fill. The College of Coastal Georgia's programs are designed to meet the requirements of the GA Board of Nursing. The ability of our professional licensure programs to meet state educational requirements for licensure or certification may be limited in other states.

To find out whether the College of Coastal Georgia is able to offer the RN-BSN program in the state where you will be living, or if the program will meet state educational requirements for licensure or certification in your state, see the section below.

The RN-BSN program is currently approved or exempt from approval, and meets the regulatory requirements to be offered to students who are physically present in the following states:

• Alabama

• Arkansas

• California

• Connecticut

• Delaware

• District of Columbia

• Florida

• Hawaii

• Illinois

• Indiana

• Iowa *

• Kansas

• Kentucky

• Maryland

• Massachusetts

• Michigan

• Minnesota

• Mississippi

• Missouri

• Montana

• Nebraska

• Nevada

• New Hampshire

• New Jersey

• New Mexico

• North Carolina

• North Dakota

• Ohio

• Oklahoma

• Oregon

• Pennsylvania

• Rhode Island

• South Carolina

• South Dakota

• Texas

• Vermont

• Virginia

• West Virginia

• Wisconsin

* For Students Physically Present in IOWA: 655 Iowa Administrative Code 2.10(6) requires that we notify prospective students in Iowa that nursing courses with a clinical component may not be taken by a person:

• who has been denied licensure by the board.

• whose license is currently suspended, surrendered, or revoked in any U.S. jurisdiction.

• whose license/registration is currently suspended, surrendered, or revoked in another country due to disciplinary action.

The RN-BSN programs cannot enroll students who are physically present in:

• Arizona

• Colorado

• Idaho

• Louisiana

• New York

• Oklahoma

• Tennessee

• Utah

• Washington

SARA Approved Institution

College of Coastal Georgia is approved to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements. NC-SARA is a voluntary, regional approach to state oversight of postsecondary distance education.

Program Admission Information and Requirements
Applicants must meet specific requirements to be considered for admission to the RN to BSN program. Complete the College of Coastal Georgia admission process. Application for admission is available at www.ccga.edu. The College of Coastal Georgia must officially accept a student before the student can apply to the RN-BSN program. The RN-BSN Program application is located in the student portal, under Student Forms.

Submit all required documents online as instructed. Students should verify that all transcripts have been submitted to the Registrar’s office prior to submitting an application to the RN to BSN program. Likewise, students may need to communicate with the Registrar’s office to ensure proper articulation of all transfer courses. Applications will be reviewed until all open spaces are filled with qualified applicants. Applications will be considered based on qualifications and space availability. The Department of Nursing office will notify students who are accepted or denied acceptance into the program electronically through the Self-Service Center. Meeting minimal admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the RN-BSN program.

Applicants must:

1.      Complete the College of Coastal Georgia admission process. Application for Admission is available at ccga.edu. The College of Coastal Georgia must officially accept a student before the student can apply to the RN to BSN program. Students may not have more than 4 outstanding general education credits.  All required general education core courses must be completed prior to starting semester 2 in the RN-BSN program.

2.      Complete the RN to BSN application, available at www.ccga.edu in the student portal. Submit all required documents online as instructed.

3.      Be a graduate of an institution accredited and recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, or by a US Department of Education, and a national nursing accreditation agency (ACEN or CNEA). Students must submit proof of nursing accreditation during the application process.

• ACEN Verification Process can be completed via this link and submitted during the application process. https://www.acenursing.org/students-public/verification-accreditation-request-status.

• CNEA Verification can be found using this link and submitted during the application process. https://cnea.nln.org/accredited-programs.

4.      Have a current Georgia or primary state of residence unencumbered Registered Nurse license.

5. Have a minimum grade of C in all required core courses.

6.      Undergo and pass a background check and 10-point drug screen through PSI Background Screening services, as required by individual clinical agencies. The cost will be the responsibility of the student. Background checks could result in denial to clinical sites and inability to pass a course or the program.

Once accepted into the RN to BSN Program, students are required to:

1. Develop a plan (with a nursing advisor) for progression through the nursing courses, choosing a three or six-semester option. Additional semester options are available on an individual basis.

2. Submit proof of the following before the stated deadline (form provided upon acceptance):

   • Yearly TB skin (PPD) test or TB screening. The student must keep this current throughout the program.

   • A current physical health examination by a healthcare provider. The required "Student Health Exam Form" will be provided to the student by the Nursing Department.

   • Any additional immunizations required by the program or clinical agencies.

   • American Heart Association Healthcare Professional Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR Certification (the student must keep this certification current throughout the program). 

   • Professional liability insurance (included in tuition and fees).

   • Health insurance is required. Students must provide proof of personal health insurance and maintain it throughout the program. The USG has a health insurance program that is available for students to purchase if needed.

3. Adhere to the student guidelines specific to the RN to BSN program as outlined in the RN-BSN Student Handbook.

4. Maintain an active, unencumbered Georgia or primary state of residence RN license throughout the program.

Continuation and Progression in the RN to BSN Program

1.      Continuation in the RN to BSN Program requires a minimum grade of C in all nursing courses. A student earning a grade of less than C, W, or WF in a nursing course must repeat the course.

2.      After successful completion of the first 6 credit hours of RN-BSN courses, advanced standing course credit of 30 hours will be awarded for the ASN degree.

3.      The RN to BSN program uses the following grading scale in all nursing courses (NURS):         

A = 89.5-100    B 79.5-89.4    C = 75-79.4    D = 65-74.9   F = 65% and below

4.      Management of failures is as follows:

• Withdrawal or Failure of one class requires a student to meet with their advisor to establish an academic plan.

• Permission to re-enroll in any nursing course is contingent on space availability and recommendation from the faculty, and therefore is not guaranteed.

5.      It is highly encouraged that all nursing courses be completed within four years of the date of entry into the first RN-BSN nursing course.

6.      Students must complete all collegewide Graduation Requirements.

In addition to the above, students must also complete all college-wideGraduation Requirements.