Nursing classes meet once per week for 3 semesters. Once you begin the program your nursing class time will remain the same as long as you progress in sequence.

We require only three clinical courses (management, community health, and capstone) which may be done in your community and in your areas of interest. Clinicals are project based and are not repetitious of previous learning. Upon completion of the transitional course (NURS-B331), RN to BSN students are given special credit for previous nursing coursework at no cost to the student.

Courses completed in your associate program count toward general education regardless of when they were completed as long as a grade of C or higher was achieved. Remaining general education requirements may be taken before, during, or after the completion of nursing coursework. These courses may be taken at IU East, other institutions, or online. The use of adult learning principles and flexibility are the keys to student success.

Every graduate of the RN to BSN Program is expected to demonstrate that he or she is:

• A critical thinker who demonstrates intellectual engagement and uses evidence as a basis for clinical reasoning and decision making.
• A culturally sensitive individual who provides holistic individual, family, community, and population-centered nursing care.
• A knowledgeable care coordinator who facilitates access to resources across the continuum of health care environments in order to meet the evolving health care needs of individuals, families, communities, and populations.
• An individual who understands and considers the impact of health care policy, finance, and regulatory environments on care delivery.
• An individual who embodies the professional identity of the nurse and who translates the inherent values of the nursing profession into the ethical and legal practice of nursing.
• An effective communicator who collaborates with interprofessional team members, patients, and their support systems for improved health outcomes.
• A competent care provider who is prepared to practice to the full capacity of the professional nurse role in diverse health care environments.
• An accountable leader and manager who applies principles of systems and organizational processes and who balances resources to promote quality care and patient safety.
• An individual who embraces and employs innovations in information management and technology in the delivery of quality patient care.

Baccalaureate nursing education provides a broad foundation in the sciences and liberal arts, which is necessary for preparing professional nurses who are capable of practicing in a competent and responsible fashion as informed citizens in a dynamic and diverse society.

Graduates of the baccalaureate nursing program are expected to demonstrate competency in being a critical thinker; a culturally competent person; a knowledgeable coordinator of community resources; a politically aware professional; a beginning practitioner whose actions are consistent with professional legal and ethical standards; an effective communicator; a competent provider of health care; a person who exemplifies a positive public image; and a responsible manager. These competencies are consistent with the 1998 “Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice,” established by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the 2004 “Standards of Nursing Practice,” established by the American Nurses’ Association (ANA), along with the ANA 2001 Code of Ethics.

Baccalaureate graduates assist individuals, families, and communities in attaining mutually established health goals and in facilitating the highest level of functioning for individuals, families, and communities toward the maximization of their health potential. Baccalaureate education must prepare graduates to be knowledgeable workers and processors of information, and to navigate complex health care systems using available technologies as they design and develop, independently or in conjunction with others, more efficient and effective approaches to the delivery of health care services.