Nursing

Trine University accepts an online application only. It can be accessed via the Internet at Trine RN-BSN. Online applications may be sent by following the directions given on our website. The RN-BSN program follows the University’s transfer admission policy outlined in the Trine University Catalog as well as the following criteria. There are two options below.

For students that have completed an Associate or Diploma Degree in Nursing: 

• Earned Diploma or associate degree in nursing from a state-approved, institutionally accredited college or university. 
• Have a current, unrestricted RN license in the state where the student plans to complete your practicum requirements. If licensed in more than one state, all must be unencumbered. The Director of Nursing has the discretion to admit graduated students pending NCLEX. 
• Achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale in Diploma or ASN degree courses verified on those transcripts. 
• If an applicant's GPA is below 2.5, the student may be admitted on a probationary basis, as established by the guidelines of the University. 
   

For students that are currently in an associate degree in nursing program from a state-approved, institutionally accredited college or university, concurrent enrollment requirements:

• Acceptance in an associate degree in nursing program.
• Must meet a cumulative minimum GPA of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 grade scale on all college coursework completed prior to admission.
• Once accepted into the RN-BSN program, concurrent enrollment has the following requirements:
  
  • Maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher.
  • RN licensure is required before taking the RN-BSN clinical courses of NRS 414 and NRS 484.  

 RN to BSN Application

 

See the Courses page for course details.

For a complete description of the above requirements, please go to the Course Catalog.

	Mission	Vision
University	Trine University promotes intellectual and personal development through professionally focused and formative learning opportunities, preparing students to succeed, lead and serve.	Trine University will be recognized as a premier private university, characterized as engaged, dynamic, growing and adding value.
College of Health Professions	The College of Health Professions at Trine University, by providing high quality, professionally focused and formative undergraduate and graduate science learning opportunities, enables its students, graduates and faculty to make a positive impact on the community through service, leadership, and scholarship.	The College of Health Professions at Trine University will be recognized as a premier provider of undergraduate and graduate science education, adding value to the lives of its graduates and community.
RN-BSN Program	The RN-BSN Program at Trine University will provide a quality, innovative educational experience that produces professional nursing graduates capable of delivering safe, culturally and contextually relevant, evidence-based care in a variety of environments, while also preparing them to positively impact individuals, groups, and communities through scholarship, leadership, and service.	The RN-BSN Program at Trine University will be recognized as a premier provider of nursing education characterized by dynamic and engaging learning experiences, improving the lives of its graduates and community.

Trine University RN-BSN program aspires to meet the following goals:

1. Program Completion Rate: 70% of full time RN-BSN students will graduate within 4.5 semesters, beginning with enrollment in the first nursing (NRS) course, not including periods of non-continuous enrollment.

   Outcome MET: 100% of full-time students have graduated within 4.5 semesters for AY 2020-21, AY 2021-22, AY 2022-23.

2. Program Completion Rate: 70% of part time RN-BSN students will graduate within 9 semesters, beginning with enrollment in the first nursing (NRS) course, not including periods of non-continuous enrollment.

   Outcome MET: The program has not had any part-time students during the AY 2020-21, AY 2021-22, and AY 2022-23.

3. Employment rate: 70% of RN-BSN graduate respondents will be employed in nursing within six to twelve months following graduation.

   Outcome MET: 100% of graduates for AY 2020-21, AY 2021-22, and AY 2022-23 were employed within six months post-graduation.

4. Graduate satisfaction: At least 70% of RN-BSN graduate respondents will rate their overall level of preparedness, knowledge, skills, and attitudes in the role of the professional-level registered nurse as 3.0 or higher on a 5.0 scale.

   Outcome MET: 100% of graduates for AY 2020-21, AY 2021-22, and AY 2022-23 rated satisfaction with the program at >3.5/5.

5. Employer satisfaction: At least 70% of employer respondents will rate RN-BSN graduates’ overall level of preparedness, knowledge, skills, and attitudes in the role of the professional-level registered nurse as 3.0 or higher on a 5.0 scale.

   Outcome MET: 100% of employers for AY 2020-21, AY 2021-22, and AY 2022-23 graduates rated satisfaction with the program at >3.5/5.

By the end of the program, the student will be able to meet the outcomes expected of the Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education. Accomplishment of such will enable graduates to assume the roles of an entry-level nurses that can practice in diverse settings and within each of the four spheres of care:

Domain 1: Knowledge for Nursing Practice

Descriptor: Integration, translation, and application of established and evolving disciplinary nursing knowledge and ways of knowing, as well as knowledge from other disciplines, including a foundation in liberal arts and natural and social sciences. This distinguishes the practice of professional nursing and forms the basis for clinical judgment and innovation in nursing practice.

Competencies:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the discipline of nursing’s distinct perspective and where shared perspectives exist with other disciplines.
2. Apply theory and research-based knowledge from nursing, the arts, humanities, and other sciences.
3. Demonstrate clinical judgment founded on a broad knowledge base.

Domain 2: Person‐Centered Care

Descriptor: Person‐centered care focuses on the individual within multiple complicated contexts, including family and/or important others. Person‐centered care is holistic, individualized, just, respectful, compassionate, coordinated, evidence‐based, and developmentally appropriate. Person‐centered care builds on a scientific body of knowledge that guides nursing practice regardless of specialty or functional area.

 Competencies:

1. Engage with the individual in establishing a caring relationship.
2. Communicate effectively with individuals.
3. Integrate assessment skills in practice.
4. Diagnose actual or potential health problems and needs.
5. Develop plans of care.
6. Demonstrate accountability for care delivery.
7. Evaluate outcomes of care.
8. Promote self-care management.
9. Provide care coordination.

Domain 3: Population Health

Descriptor: Population health spans the healthcare delivery continuum from public health prevention to disease management of populations and describes collaborative activities with both traditional and non‐traditional partnerships from affected communities, public health, industry, academia, health care, local government entities, and others for the improvement of equitable population health outcomes.

Competencies:

1. Manage population health.
2. Engage in effective partnerships.
3. Consider the socioeconomical impact of the delivery of health care.
4. Advance equitable population health policy.
5. Demonstrate advocacy strategies.
6. Advance preparedness to protect population health during disasters and public health emergencies.

Domain 4: Scholarship for Nursing Practice

Descriptor: The generation, synthesis, translation, application, and dissemination of nursing knowledge to improve health and transform health care.

Competencies:

1. Advance the scholarship of nursing.
2. Integrate best evidence into nursing practice.
3. Promote the ethical conduct of scholarly activities.

Domain 5: Quality and Safety

Descriptor: Employment of established and emerging principles of safety and improvement science. Quality and safety, as core values of nursing practice, enhance quality and minimize risk of harm to patients and providers through both system effectiveness and individual performance.

Competencies:

1. Apply quality improvement principles in care delivery.
2. Contribute to a culture of patient safety.
3. Contribute to a culture of provider and work environment safety.    

Domain 6: Interprofessional Partnerships

Descriptor: Intentional collaboration across professions and with care team members, patients, families, communities, and other stakeholders to optimize care, enhance the healthcare experience, and strengthen outcomes.

Competencies:

1. Communicate in a manner that facilitates a partnership approach to quality care delivery.
2. Perform effectively in different team roles, using principles and values of team dynamics.
3. Use knowledge of nursing and other professions to address healthcare needs.
4. Work with other professions to maintain a climate of mutual learning, respect, and shared values.

Domain 7: Systems‐Based Practice

Descriptor: Responding to and leading within complex systems of health care. Nurses effectively and proactively coordinate resources to provide safe, quality, equitable care to diverse populations.

Competencies:

1. Apply knowledge of systems to work effectively across the continuum of care.
2. Incorporate consideration of cost-effectiveness of care.
3. Optimize system effectiveness through application of innovation and evidence-based practice.

Domain 8: Information and Healthcare Technologies

Descriptor: Information and communication technologies and informatics processes are used to provide care, gather data, form information to drive decision making, and support professionals as they expand knowledge and wisdom for practice. Informatics processes and technologies are used to manage and improve the delivery of safe, high quality, and efficient healthcare services in accordance with best practice and professional and regulatory standards.

Competencies:

1. Describe the various information and communication technology tools used in the care of patients, communities, and populations.
2. Use information and communication technology to gather data, create information, and generate knowledge.
3. Use information and communication technologies and informatics processes to deliver safe nursing care to diverse populations in a variety of settings.
4. Use information and communication technology to support documentation of care and communication among providers, patients, an all system levels.
5. Use information and communication technologies in accordance with ethical, legal, professional, and regulatory standards, and workplace policies in the delivery of care.

Domain 9: Professionalism

Descriptor: Formation and cultivation of a sustainable professional nursing identity, accountability, perspective, collaborative disposition, and comportment that reflects nursing’s characteristics and values.

Competencies:

1. Demonstrate an ethical comportment in one’s practice reflective of nursing’s mission to society.
2. Employ participatory approach to nursing care.
3. Demonstrate accountability to the individual, society, and the profession.
4. Comply with relevant laws, policies, and regulations.
5. Demonstrate the professional identity of nursing.
6. Integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion as core to one’s professional identity.

Domain 10: Personal, Professional, and Leadership Development

Descriptor: Participation in activities and self‐reflection that foster personal health resilience, and well‐being, lifelong learning, and support the acquisition of nursing expertise and assertion of leadership.

Competencies:

1. Demonstrate a commitment to personal health and well-being.
2. Demonstrate a spirit of inquiry that fosters flexibility and professional maturity.
3. Develop capacity for leadership.

Trine University RN-BSN faculty aspire to meet the following goals:

1. Provide an educational experience that affords students the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to practice successfully as a registered nurse as evidenced by data results from the End-of-Program surveys reflected in the Systematic Plan of Evaluation (SPE).

   Outcome MET: 100% of the graduating nursing students for AY 2020-21, AY 2021-22, and AY 2022-23 rated satisfaction with various components of the program, such as overall satisfaction, learning, and instructional effectiveness at ≥ 3/5.

2. Prepare generalist nurse who demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to practice professionally as evidenced by data results from the End-of-Program, Graduate, and Employer surveys reflected in the SPE.

   Outcome MET: 100% of graduating students rate an overall level of preparedness in the role of the professional-level registered nurse at 3 or higher on a 5.0 scale.
   
   100% of graduate respondents rated their overall level of preparedness, knowledge, skills, and attitudes in the role of the baccalaureate registered nurse at 3 or higher on a 5.0 scale.
   
   100% of employer respondents for nursing alumni rated Trine nursing graduates’ overall level of preparedness, knowledge, skills, and attitudes in the role of the baccalaureate registered nurse at 3 or higher on a 5.0 scale.

3. Promote academic excellence through creative, high-quality learning experiences as evidenced by data results from the Annual Faculty evaluation reflected in the SPE.

   Outcome MET: 100% of full-time faculty met the University expectations for facilitating high-quality learning experiences during the AY 2020-21, AY 2021-22, and AY 2022-23.

4. Contribute to the improvement of nursing education through the scholarship of teaching, application, integration, and discovery as evidenced by data results from the Faculty Scholarship Report reflected in the SPE.

   Outcome MET: 100% of full-time faculty contributed to the scholarship of teaching, application, integration, and discovery during the AY 2020-21, AY 2021-22, and AY 2022-23.