Mount Mary University to offer RN to BSN Completion Program

Mount Mary University will offer a RN to BSN Completion program beginning in Fall 2016.

In response to the demand for quality nursing in the southeastern Wisconsin region and beyond, Mount Mary University will offer a RN to BSN Completion program beginning in Fall 2016.

Many Registered Nurses (RN) opt to pursue higher education and complete their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in order to maximize their skill set and position themselves for higher earning potential. Of all nurses statewide, 36.2 percent of nurses are RNs and 44.1 percent are BSN-certified, according to the Wisconsin Center for Nursing's 2014 survey of registered nurses.

In terms of salary, BSNs can earn $69,000 while RNs earn a median of $39,100, according to salary analysts PayScale, Inc. Additionally, hospitals are eager to add BSNs to their staff; having a high percentage of nursing staff with BSN degrees or higher is among the criteria for hospitals wishing to earn Magnet designation with the American Nurses Credential Center. Additionally, nurse managers and leaders are required to have a BSN or higher nursing degree. Locally, several hospitals have or are seeking Magnet designation.

While options for completion programs abound, both locally and online, Mount Mary's program for working professionals has been constructed with an emphasis upon health care-specific leadership skills needed to prepare nurses for supervisory, administrative and other management roles. Other features of the new program include:

  • Accelerated, 8-week classes, which allow students to complete the program in as little as two years
  • Accommodating schedule for working nurses that requires only two days on campus
  • Blended classroom and online format
  • The ability to transfer up to 64 credits toward the BSN
  • Up to $12,500 per year in Mount Mary scholarships
  • A campus setting located within Milwaukee's health care core, which offers easy collaboration with some of the most prestigious health care organizations in the region

""The health care industry needs bold nurses who can lead with confidence to provide the exceptional and unique care that nurses bring to patients," said Cheryl Bailey, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Natural and Health Sciences. "We have created a program that places tremendous value on the real-world experience of our student-professionals, because they have the ability to leverage their experience and their desire for advanced patient care to become true leaders for tomorrow."

The leadership-focused curriculum includes topics directly relevant to the health care industry, including communication, technology, ethics, patient-care, nutrition, business and advocacy. The clinical capstone experience focuses on areas of nursing leadership where students will have the opportunity to partner with case managers, nurse managers, clinical nurse specialists and others who serve within leadership roles within health care.

For information about this program visit mtmary.edu/bsn.