The RN to BSN program is designed for registered nurses with an associate's degree or diploma in nursing who are looking to further their education. With significant changes in the delivery of health care in the United States today, the need for lifelong learning and professional renewal has never been more important. As discussed in the 2010 IOM Future of Nursing report, nursing is at the forefront of new delivery methods to address complex needs along the continuum of care. In support of many of these changes, hospitals are now pursuing Magnet® status and seeking nurses prepared with a BSN.

The format and courses of the regionally accredited program are tailored to meet the needs of the adult learner RN, and to maximize the strengths that the working RN possesses. Courses are taught by practicing nurses and experts in their respective fields who share knowledge and experience in areas of clinical patient care, health care management, and professional nursing practice and leadership.

Students will apply concepts, theories, and research in the RN's clinical practice. Both the science and art of nursing are integral components of the program and are woven throughout. Graduates of the program are prepared to become leaders in the nursing profession, filling roles such as a charge nurse, nurse manager, unit supervisor, division nurse leader, director of nursing for a facility, or patient educator. Nurses with BSNs are found in a variety of settings including hospitals, ambulatory care centers, health service organizations, community care settings, long-term and rehabilitative settings, in case management as well as in the home.

GCU‛s RN to BSN program focuses on the application of clinical reasoning, research, evidence based practice, collaboration and leadership. Students in this program will explore effective communication strategies demonstrated through inter-professional practices, critical thinking, ethical decision making, spirituality in health care, nursing management and servant leadership. Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of concepts through relevant experiential learning and practice experiences that foster opportunities in disease prevention, quality improvement, information management and leadership development; all of which are aligned to the Baccalaureate Essentials requirements determined by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (Expectations for Practice Experiences in the RN to Baccalaureate Curriculum, 2012).