Loma Linda University’s School of Nursing has reduced tuition for its RN-to-BS degree program by nearly half in order to make the program more accessible for working nurses.
Tuition was reduced to $19,600, down from $35,000, to attract more working nurses who wish to complete their bachelor of science degree in nursing, said Joanna Shedd, PhD, CNS, RN, program director of the school’s RN-to-BS in nursing program.
Nurses who complete the program open the door to greater professional opportunities including working as a nurse manager, supervisor or charge nurse, Shedd said.
She said nurses practicing with an associate’s degree who have been unable to complete their BS degree due to high tuition costs or because of stringent prerequisite requirements are encouraged to try again.
The school’s RN-to-BS degree program is now fully online and is structured to accommodate schedules of working nurses by allowing them to complete it full- or part-time.
Students in the program will explore areas of professional interest, including public health nursing, management and research under the guidance and instruction of expert and caring faculty. The faculty is committed to helping each student reach the highest level of success possible, Shedd said.
“Our faculty care about every student,” she said. “The students in our program are not just a number.”
Student evaluations support this. “The professors are easy to meet with or reach via phone or email,” wrote one student.
“The teachers get to know the student and care in this program,” commented another.
Program vitals
School of Nursing faculty are taking great care to decrease the anxiety of nurses who are considering going back to school to pursue a BS degree after having strong experience as a professional nurse, said Andreia Lofthouse, executive director of student and alumni relations for the school.
Nurses who may have inquired about the program several years ago will benefit from changes to program requirements, she said.
Applicants are no longer required to have taken physics or a second language, and there is no longer a five-year limit to have completed science courses if they are working full-time as a nurse, Lofthouse said.
Nurses are encouraged to contact the school’s office of admissions before submitting an application. “We are committed to students even before they apply,” she said. “We review transcripts and provide guidance as nurses complete prerequisites for the program in schools in their area.”
For more information, visit the RN-to-BS program website.