cULTIVATING AN ONLINE RN-BSN PROGRAM TO FLOURISH WITHIN

A COMPETITIVE MARKET: CURRICULUM, ADVISING & FINANCIAL INCENTIVES

Chris-Tena M. Perkins PhD, RN, ANP, CNE and Laura Vasel RN, MSN, CPNP, CNE
Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing

BACKGROUND Bon Secours College of Nursing

is located in Richmond, Virginia METHODS
and afliated with Bon Secours
Health System. The College of
Nursing has over a 50 year
history as a diploma program CURRICULUM
and progressed into a traditional A full curriculum revision was
BSN program track started in completed in 2014 and focused on:
2010 followed by a fully online A direct care practicum
RN-BSN program track in 2011. experience with a vulnerable
As part of the Bon Secours population
Catholic healthcare ministry, our An indirect care practicum
experience implementing a
mission is to provide excellent change project
nursing education that Quality and Safety Education for
promotes the development of Nurses (2007)
clinicians, scholars, and leaders Institute of Medicine (IOM, 2000, 2001,
dedicated to offering service 2004)
that enriches health and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2002)
Joint Commission (2002)
wholeness for the global Bon Secours Leadership
RESULTS community. Nursing Education Experts

ADVISING
Revised advising model to better
support students to include:
Sanfords theory of Challenge
and Support
Narrowed down number of
advisors
4 goals were established:
1. Achieve an annual return rate of
90% or greater for RN-BSN
students
2. Achieve a registration rate of 75% of
students 2 weeks prior to semester start
date for students on new model
3.Create a plan for identifying at risk
students by end of year 2016
4. Achieve graduation rate of 75% or
higher for RN-BSN

FINANCIAL INCENTIVES
CONCLUSION College and Health System
Leadership collaborated to:
Change tuition reimbursement
process to tuition waiver. This
eliminates the need for students
to pay tuition at the start of the
semester and wait for
reimbursement
Provide full time RNs have a
American Association of Colleges of Nursing . (2012).
maximum benet of $5000 per
REFERENCES Joint statement on academic progression for nursing students and graduates. calendar year
Retrieved from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/news/articles/2012/academic-progression Credit application fee to account ($95)
Hitchcock, T. (2013). Advising as teaching for advisors. Academic Advising Today, 36(3).
Provide a 20% Tuition discount
Retrieved from http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Academic-Advising-
Today/View-Articles/Advising-as-Teaching-for-Advisors.aspx
http://www.bsmcon.edu/students/cataloghandbook