Orvis School of Nursing - University of Nevada

Nursing Programs Offered

RN to BSN Program Details

Our completion program is fully online. Whether you want to complete your Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing to advance your education, expand your skills or open up new career opportunities, the University of Nevada, Reno RN-BSN program is designed to meet the needs of the working professional nurse. As a fully on-line program, you are able to schedule the additional demands of studying and course work around your personal and professional life. All clinical experiences are community-based and can happen in your local area. The entire educational experience is very interactive and collaborative, allowing you to use your experience as a platform for professional growth.

BSN Program Details

The bachelor’s degree program is designed to provide the high school graduate, as well as graduates of associate degree and diploma nursing programs, with the opportunity to obtain a baccalaureate degree in nursing. The bachelor’s degree program is the basic preparation for professional nursing practice and leadership positions in nursing. After completing the program and passing the RN-NCLEX, the graduate is qualified for nursing positions in public health agencies, schools, hospitals and other health-care agencies. Nursing school graduates may also earn commissioned status in the military services, as well as admission to graduate education. The bachelor’s degree program major is four semesters with admissions occurring both spring and fall semesters.

MSN Program Details

Admission requirements to the program include those set by both programs, i.e. 3.0 GPA or higher in the undergraduate degree program and submission of GRE scores. Both programs require course work in the undergraduate program in statistics, research, and lifespan growth and development. Both require three letters of reference and must meet UNR Graduate School admission requirements. For nursing, the student's undergraduate degree must come from a CCNE or NLNAC accredited school and applicants must have completed an undergraduate course in health assessment. For the MPH, international students must have a TOEFL score of at least 600 (250 on the new scale) and applicants must have completed 12 credits of undergraduate work in health and wellness-related disciplines with a grade of "B" or better in each.

Doctor of Nursing Practice Program Details

The Doctor of Nursing Practice degree is designed to be a terminal practice degree for clinically practicing nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and nursing leaders in health care organizations. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) suggests that the current level of preparation necessary for advanced nursing practice be moved from the master's degree to the doctorate level by the year 2015.The Institute of Medicine's 2002 report on Health Professions Education recommended strategies for restructuring all clinical education in the health professions to be consistent with the principles of 21st century health systems. These recommendations stressed that health science students and all working professionals develop and maintain proficiency in 5 core areas: delivering patient-centered care, working as part of interdisciplinary teams, practicing evidence-based medicine, focusing on quality improvement, and using information technology.