By Courtney Morris
Are you a licensed registered nurse looking for more job stability, marketability, and professional growth? These perks await you in San Jacinto College’s new Bachelor of Science in nursing (RN-to-BSN) program.
Beginning fall 2020 at the Central Campus, the BSN program will be the College’s first baccalaureate degree. The BSN degree is becoming the most common route to enter nursing, and the new program is a cost-effective, convenient pathway to earn the credential.
The application period for the first cohort will be March 16 to June 30, 2020.
Gateway to Opportunities
A nursing educator for more than 50 years, San Jacinto College is expanding its credentialing trajectory to meet today’s need.
“At San Jac, associate degree nursing is our launching pad, not our landing pad,”
Dr. Veronica Jammer, RN-to-BSN department chair, said. “BSN is really the natural next step.”
After earning their BSN degree, RNs will have more opportunities to specialize in advanced practice or leadership positions.
Not only will program graduates have better professional options, enhanced credibility, and increased earning potential, but they may also work in direct patient care, public health, inpatient/outpatient services, education, and management.
Instrumental in creating the BSN program were (from left) Dr. Edward Nichols, Nisha Mathews, Dr. Veronica Jammer, Katherine Hayes-Daniels, Susanne Benisch-Tolley, and Dr. Rhonda Bell. (Photo by Courtney Morris/San Jacinto College)
Low Cost, High Quality
San Jacinto College’s BSN classes will cost the same low tuition rate as the College’s other credit courses. The hybrid program will build on working RNs’ experience through eight-week courses that combine in-person and distance learning.
“You are an ideal candidate for the BSN program if you are driven, already working in health care delivery, and want to make a greater impact,” Dr. Jammer said.
The program will be learner-centered, engaging students through self-directed learning and appreciative inquiry. Faculty will concentrate on these concepts:
- Community health nursing
- Nursing research
- Public and global health policy
- Informatics
- Leadership
As a capstone project, the program will require students to determine a community health need, collect data, and design a project to meet that need.
BSNs in High Demand
In 2010, an Institute of Medicine (IOM) report highlighted necessary changes so nurses could keep pace with the evolving health care industry. IOM recommended that 80 percent of RNs hold a BSN degree by 2020. In 2017, the Texas Legislature authorized community colleges to offer workforce-related bachelor’s degree programs, including BSN.
Not only is nursing the largest health care profession in the U.S., but Texas and Houston boast some of the highest employment and pay rates for RNs nationwide. And demand is growing, especially for nurses with higher credentials. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, an estimated 44 percent of health care organizations require new nurses to hold a BSN degree.
Dr. Rhonda Bell, Central Campus dean of health and natural sciences, said San Jacinto College has always answered the call of area workforce needs. But the BSN team also designed the program to answer the call of busy RNs.
“Why would a student want to come to our program? It’s because of how we’ve designed it,” Dr. Bell said. “We’re nurses. We know how it is to juggle families, school, and work. From the very beginning, we made sure not to lose that vision. We want the nurses in this community to have the opportunity to return to school, but we also want the school to meet them where they are.”
Apply Now
Applicants must have completed all bachelor’s degree prerequisites to qualify for the first cohort in fall 2020. Although the program is designed for completion in one year, students who are interested in part-time status should contact the department chair.
Interested in applying for the BSN program? For prerequisites, admission requirements, and other information, visit www.sanjac.edu/bsn or email [email protected].
San Jacinto College’s BSN program has received all required approvals from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Texas Board of Nursing, and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
