Liberty University RN to BSN online courses, course by course

NURS 220, Advanced Nursing Communication, is often one of the first courses. Its course guide builds an APA paper in pieces across the opening weeks, adds a group PowerPoint presentation, a personal presentation, a self-plan of care paper and four forums, and places a short Worldview Checkpoint in every week.

The course doubles as an APA bootcamp. Title page, abstract, outline, reference page, draft, final paper and an APA quiz are all graded separately.

NURS 225, the research course, introduces evidence-based practice. Its guide lists a three-part EBP project built on the Iowa Model, a two-part research critique, three forums and a worldview self-reflection paper.

The research course asks nurses to read studies critically: design, sample, findings and how far the results apply to practice.

NURS 215 covers pathophysiology at the post-licensure level, and NURS 105 adds medical terminology, both building on knowledge most nurses already use daily.

NURS 325 offers nursing concepts credit as part of the program's design for licensed nurses.

Together these courses set up the writing, research and APA habits that the later courses grade.

Students who transfer in many credits may reach NURS 220 and NURS 225 in the same sub-term. Taking them together doubles the APA and research load, so some nurses separate them.

NURS 440, Strategies for Community Health Care, is the largest course in the sequence at four to five credits. Its guide includes a staged community assessment, a cultural assessment group project, a family assessment, an epidemiology case study, a health education program, a disaster response presentation and a community clinical experience with a log.

The community clinical is the one part of the RN to BSN with practice hours, and it is completed by the student at an approved site.

NURS 445, Contemporary Issues in Nursing and Healthcare, covers genetics, genomics, geriatrics, end-of-life care and culture from a Christian worldview. Its guide lists a pedigree project, a senior mentor project, six forums, an end-of-life reflective paper and a group cultural presentation.

NURS 489, Leadership in Nursing, uses Benner's novice to expert model alongside De Pree's leadership writing. It grades five forums, three group project benchmarks, nursing peer interviews and a final group project.

NURS 491 covers nursing management, adding budgeting, staffing and quality to the leadership material.

These middle courses carry the most group work in the program, which matters for nurses on rotating shifts.

NURS 445's senior mentor project carries the most points of any single item in that course, so plan the contact with your older adult mentor early in the term rather than in the week the write-up is due.

NURS 492, Advanced Concepts of Nursing Practice, is the program's capstone. It asks students to pull together what they have learned and apply it to their own practice.

Its guide lists four forums, a two-part paper titled Research: The Science of Nursing, a paper titled Caring: The Art of Nursing, a Connecting Your Faith PowerPoint and a final reflection paper.

The research paper carries the most points in the course, especially its second part, so it deserves the earliest start.

The caring paper asks for a nursing theory or philosophy of care applied to real practice, and graders look for a clear link between the theory and the nurse's own patients.

The faith presentation and reflection paper close the program by asking how a Christian worldview has shaped the student's understanding of nursing.

Readings come from Buresh and Gordon on the public voice of nursing and from Doornbos and colleagues on Christian nursing.

Because it is the final course, NURS 492 often coincides with job changes or graduate school applications, which makes planning important.

Graders in the capstone expect the polish of a final course: tight APA, current nursing research and a clear voice. Comments from earlier courses on citations or structure are worth reviewing before the first paper is due.

Most RN to BSN students work full time, many on twelve-hour shifts. The eight-week format helps, but one course a sub-term is a realistic pace for many.

Look at each course guide before the course opens and mark the large items. NURS 440's community assessment and NURS 492's research paper are the two biggest writing loads in the program.

Group projects in NURS 220, NURS 440, NURS 445 and NURS 489 need a team plan in week one. Share your shift schedule with your group early.

Arrange the community clinical site for NURS 440 well before the course begins, since the guide asks for the location in Module/Week 1.

Use your workplace for examples. Assignments that ask about leadership, communication or community needs score well when they draw on real experience.

Keep a folder of graded papers and instructor comments. Later courses build on the same APA and research skills.

When a run of night shifts collides with a NURS 440 deadline, some nurses bring in a writer for the papers, forum posts or their slice of a group project. The quizzes, the clinical hours, the log and the uploading remain the nurse's own.

If your employer offers tuition benefits, check whether they require a minimum grade or proof of completion each term. That can affect whether you take one or two courses at a time.