Charter Oak to Offer New Online RN/ADN to BSN!

Charter Oak State College building

Competency-based Curriculum to Graduate 'Nurse of the Future'

Charter Oak State College is proud to announce the launch of a new online RN/ADN to BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) program in the Fall of 2019.  The program will be offered to Connecticut residents at the College’s affordable in-state rate.   Interested candidates can fill out an online inquiry form here -  www.CharterOak.edu/rn-adn-to-bsn - to receive program updates including admissions requirements and advance notice of when online applications will be accepted.  

This program joins a portfolio of Charter Oak online healthcare-focused degree programs including a CAHIIM-accredited B.S. in Health Information Management and a B.S. in Health Care Administration.

Ed Klonoski, President, Charter Oak State College said, “Offering career-relevant degree programs that increase an employee’s marketplace value and help employers address skills gaps is Charter Oak’s focus.  Data shows a need to increase the number of baccalaureate (BSN) prepared nurses in CT 25% by 2020[1].  Klonoski further clarified that a recent nursing workforce study shows that registered nurses (RNs) who possess a BSN are eligible for 88% of all nursing positions, while ADN and diploma prepared nurses are eligible for 51% .[2]

In Connecticut, the Department of Labor projects healthcare employers will need to hire 2,100 nurses a year through 2026.  The annual average salary of a BSN-educated RN in CT is $94,000.[3]   

The 120-credit program’s core nursing discipline courses have been developed to meet the Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Practice (CCNE, 2008) using the Massachusetts Nurse of the Future Core Competencies (MA DHE, 2010,2016) as a curricular framework.  Online courses combined with a clinical practice component, will provide students with the opportunity to apply newly acquired knowledge and skills.

Linda Perfetto PhD, RN, FAADN, CNE, CNOR, Director, Charter Oak State College RN/ADN to BSN Program said, “The nurse-developers of the program sought to address the delineated gaps between associate (ADN) and baccalaureate degree nursing programs by providing an in-depth focus on these areas in the courses.  Nurses who graduate from Charter Oak’s program will have acquired the latest and most relevant skills as outlined by the Massachusetts Nurse of the Future Core Competencies (MA, DHE, 2016), endorsed statewide and used as the framework for the curriculum.  Nursing courses address the role of the baccalaureate nurse, healthcare policy, evidence-based practice, population health, continuous quality improvement, safety, interprofessional collaboration, and leadership within the healthcare system. 

“The RN/ADN to BSN curriculum was built to provide a contemporary, seamless pathway to the baccalaureate for RNs with an associate degree. Though the program has been designed in alignment with the Connecticut Community College Nursing Program (CT-CCNP) curriculum, it is open to any RN who has earned an associate degree or diploma in nursing from any nationally accredited program in the United States.” Perfetto continued, “In addition to offering coursework that builds upon prior education, we focused on approaches that meet the busy lifestyles of today’s working nurses that may reduce the time and cost of obtaining a BSN; to this end the online medium is ideal.”

Dr. Jane Gates, Provost of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities related that the program is just another step to assist Connecticut’s adult learners to meet their educational goals within the state’s public higher education system. Dr. Gates added, “Charter Oak’s excellent reputation for quality online programs is a perfect match for the need of many of Connecticut’s RNs to advance to the BSN. The program is eligible for accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and is currently working toward this goal for the first graduating class.”

Charter Oak plans to open the Application process to interested candidates in January 2019.  Students would begin courses in August 2019 as part of the College’s Fall Term 1 semester.

[1] The Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce, Educating Connecticut’s Nurses; 2016

[2] BurningGlass.com

[3] Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2017