North Park College

Nursing Programs Offered

RN to BSN Program Details

Specifically designed for registered nurses without a BSN, students can complete a BS with a Major in Nursing. Candidates to the RN-BS Program come to North Park University with a variety of educational and experience backgrounds, including the following:

-Registered nurses who have achieved a diploma from a hospital school of nursing
-Registered nurses who have graduated from an associate degree nursing program
-Registered nurses who have completed a bachelor degree in another area (such as Health Science, Biology and others)

The RN to BS program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Benefits of the Baccalaureate Nursing Program for Registered Nurses include:

-The same high-quality, caring instruction as found in North Park University's traditional undergraduate and graduate nursing programs.
-Convenient scheduling options— nursing and general education courses are offered during the evenings, and at different locations.
-General education coursework offered in a seven-week accelerated, evening format through the School of Adult Learning (SAL).

BSN Program Details

The North Park University School of Nursing has a rich tradition of preparing its graduates for lives of significance and service through baccalaureate and graduate education. North Park graduates are leaders in a variety of health care settings and roles, including acute care institutions, public health organizations, long-term care, professional organizations, churches, and serve as entrepreneurs, consultants, and researchers. The School offers a pre-licensure baccalaureate nursing program, an RN-completion program for RNs to obtain a bachelor’s degree, and a Master’s program that prepares nurse administrators and leaders, community specialists, and nurse practitioners. The RN-completion program and the graduate program are offered on the main campus and the Graduate program is also offered in Arlington Heights.

Our strong reputation is largely due to our talented and caring faculty, most who are doctorally prepared and/or certified within their specialties. The mission of the School of Nursing is to prepare professional nurses for lives of significance and service through baccalaureate and graduate education. The educational philosophy of the School of Nursing values the whole person, and encompasses beliefs about persons, health, environment, and community that are based on the uniqueness of the university’s mission as urban, multicultural, and Christian. Through their educational and clinical experiences in a variety of settings, students have the opportunity to grow and develop as individuals and as professionals. We are located in one of the most culturally diverse neighborhoods in Chicago, and our student body reflects this diversity as well. Students also have the opportunity to participate in an international exchange program in Sweden, and to participate in other international courses.

Please arrange to visit our campus and talk with our faculty and staff. We are confident you will experience the caring and competence that is a hallmark of North Park University School of Nursing.

MSN Program Details

Through the Advanced Practice Nursing track, graduate students focus on the essential principles of the advanced nursing role. This program prepares professionals to apply knowledge of the healthcare system and nursing issues to the practice of the nursing profession and to participate in the formation and refinement of nursing science.

Nurse practitioners are an integral part of the interdisciplinary healthcare team and provide front-line, primary health care in a variety of settings such as community centers, HMOs, schools, workplaces, homes, clinics, hospitals, and industry. Nurse practitioners focus on health promotion and maintenance, and they diagnose and manage acute, episodic illness and injuries as well as stable chronic conditions. Nurse practitioners are widely recognized for offering high-quality, cost-effective services.

Upon successful completion of this concentration, graduates are qualified to take the ANP certification exam offered through the American Nurses' Credentialing Center (ANCC) or American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).

Accelerated MSN Program Details

In the state of Illinois, candidates must already possess the equivalent of a BS degree in nursing in order to continue into an MS program in nursing. Many schools advertise as having “bridge” programs in which students complete any necessary undergraduate nursing coursework and the MS coursework together.

At this time, North Park University does not offer an advanced or accelerated nursing program for non-RNs or career-changers. If you are not yet an RN, you have the option to apply to North Park University as a transfer student for the traditional, on-campus undergraduate program. This traditional program is not offered in an accelerated format, nor is it geared toward the needs of the returning adult student. This traditional program is the only option at North Park University for students who are not already RNs, even if they have completed a Bachelor Degree in another field of study. North Park University encourages transfer students to apply and every year many are accepted into the traditional nursing program. Once accepted into this traditional Nursing Program, it is a two-year program. While your first bachelor's degree may have taken four years, the nursing program could only take two and a half years.