The Olympic College Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program prepares graduates to provide safe direct patient care as a Bachelor-prepared Registered Nurse (RN). The BSN Program is comprised of two pathways. The Veterans and Licensed Practical Nurse to BSN (VL-BSN) Pathway provides for upward mobility and professional growth for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) as well as military medics. The Nursing (RN-BSN) Pathway provides working RNs advanced skills of leadership and population health, offering flexibility with one, two, or three-year plans to complete the degree.
Earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree provides multiple benefits including:
- Facilitates a broad scope of practice as a result of enhanced clinical reasoning and analytical skills.
- Enhances leadership skills.
- Educates the BSN student in issues surrounding population health, health care delivery systems, and health care policy.
- Develops understanding and participation in research methods leading to evidence-based practice.
- Enhances health care delivery and health promotion for clients and populations that BSN-prepared nurses serve.
The Olympic College BSN Program is accredited by:
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
655 K Street NW, Suite 750
Washington, DC 20001
202.887.6791
http://www.aacnnursing.org/CCNE
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of a BSN Pathway, students will be able to:
- Synthesize empirical and theoretical knowledge from nursing, including a foundation in liberal arts, natural, and social sciences to form the basis for clinical judgment and innovation in nursing practice.
- Integrate person-centered care and principles of population health, supporting and improving equitable outcomes.
- Incorporate foundational elements of quality, safety, and value in the coordination and delivery of care to achieve quality person-centered outcomes.
- Leverage clinical informatics and healthcare technology to enhance person-and population-centered care through system efficiency and effective allocation of resources.
- Transform healthcare systems by applying principles of leadership through interdisciplinary collaboration in the unique role of a nursing professional.
- Pursue a spirit of inquiry, reflection, self-care, and resiliency that fosters professional growth and accountability.
To support and document progress toward accomplishing these outcomes, each graduating student is required to submit a portfolio of work completed during the student’s enrollment at OC.
Selection and Admission into the BSN Program Pathways
The OC Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program admits applicants to the RN-BSN Pathway on an ongoing basis in fall, winter, spring, and summer quarters, based on the number of applicants and classroom space. Student selection is competitive and determined by meeting admission requirements, GPA in prerequisite coursework, academic and/or clinical background, personal essay, and professional recommendations.
Admission Requirements
Admission to the RN-BSN Pathway is based on the following:
- Submission of RN-BSN Pathway Application and all supporting documents
- Meeting the admission requirements
- Academic background
- Personal essay
- Professional Recommendations
Applicants who took sciences (Chemistry or Biology with a lab, Microbiology, Human Nutrition, or Anatomy and Physiology I and II) at a non-SBCTC college or who took nursing courses at a college or university other than Olympic College will need to complete a course review process.
Students with disciplinary action at Olympic College must include a petition letter, addressing the disciplinary action, contributing factors, and a mitigation plan to promote future success. If admitted, students with past disciplinary action will meet with the Associate Dean of Nursing and a Mutual Action Plan will be established prior to orientation. Nursing Program entry is NOT an option if the student was disciplined due to a critical safety element.
RN-BSN Pathway
Students are admitted to the RN-BSN Pathway throughout the year, based on the number of applicants and classroom space. An admission score is determined for each applicant based on the following criteria:
- Current unrestricted licensure as a registered nurse in the State of Washington.
- Provisional admission is offered to students in the last year of an associate degree program in nursing). Successful completion of the NCLEX (RN) exam is required by six months after graduation.
- One year of clinical practice (nursing school clinicals apply as experience).
- Completion of the following prerequisite courses with a minimum grade of 2.0 in each course: CHEM&121; BIOL&241, BIOL&242, and BIOL&260; ENGL& 101; and PSYC&100 or PSYC&102.
- A minimum of 35 quarter-credits completed of general education requirements.
Application Process
Application to the BSN pathways is a separate, additional procedure to the Olympic College application. Because enrollment capacity in the pathways are limited, admission to Olympic College does not guarantee admission to the BSN program. The application packets are accessed online at www.olympic.edu/bsn.
Applications and materials are submitted to BSN Admissions and are accepted throughout the year. To be considered for fall priority admissions, applications must be received by March 31.
To be considered for admission to a BSN pathway, the following must be submitted to the Admissions Office:
- RN-BSN Pathway application application when registered for the final prerequisite course(s).
- One official transcript from all previous academic and nursing coursework. High school transcripts should be submitted if world language was completed in high school.
- Résumé outlining nursing, healthcare, and/or academic clinical experience.
- Essay describing applicant’s personal and professional experiences. Include leadership, special achievements, accomplishments, special skills, previous work in diverse communities or disadvantaged populations, and professional and educational goals.
- Three recommendations from licensed healthcare professionals capable of evaluating nursing practice. (Forms available in application packet)
- Petition letter for students with a past disciplinary action at Olympic College.
- Course review for applicants with sciences taken at a non-SBCTC college.
- Course review for applicants with nursing courses taken at colleges other than Olympic College.
It is the student’s responsibility to request all transcript(s). Transcript(s) and/or credentials must be official and must be sent DIRECTLY to the Office of Admissions by the issuing institution(s).
If accepted into the Olympic College RN-BSN Pathway, a student’s application to other Nursing pathways will be removed by Admissions, and that student will no longer be considered for the Practical Nursing or Associate Degree Nursing Programs.
Course Review
- Submit the following documents to the Healthcare Pathway Success Coach via email ablake@olympic.edu:
- Unofficial transcript showing the listed courses (and labs) and grade received.
- Course syllabus (not course description) for each course.
BSN Student Selection Process
Once the application and supporting documents listed under “Application Process” are received, an admission score is determined, and candidates are ranked according to the RN-BSN Admission Factoring System accessed online at www.olympic.edu/bsn.
Petition letters from applicants with a history of disciplinary action at Olympic College will be assessed according to the BSN Program: Past Disciplinary Action Admission Petition Rubric used to guide selection deliberations by the BSN Admissions Committee. Nursing Program entry is NOT an option if the student was disciplined due to a critical safety element. If a petition for admission is denied, the applicant is not considered a qualified applicant and is ineligible to reapply to the program as a new or returning student.
Qualified applications are reviewed by the BSN Admissions Committee quarterly for RN-BSN applicants. The BSN Admissions Committee consists of the Credentials Evaluator, Associate Dean of Nursing, Nursing Administrative Assistant, and full-time tenure-track BSN Program faculty. If there are more qualified applicants than spaces available in the pathway, the factoring system will be utilized to determine applicants admitted. Provisional acceptance letters are sent to the selected applicants by Selective Admissions. Applicants are given two weeks from the date of the letter to accept admission for the specific quarter/year. Any declined spots are offered to the next applicant on the ranked list until the cohort is full or class capacity is met.
BSN Student Enrollment Process
Applicants who officially accept admission are activated into the RN-BSN Pathway by Registration. Nursing administrative staff communicates instructions to register for required first-quarter courses to admitted students.
Acceptances in the RN-BSN Pathway are granted for a particular quarter and year. Applicants not enrolling for the specified quarter and year as noted in their letter of acceptance must reapply for admission to the pathways.
Proof of the following is required after provisional acceptance into a BSN pathway:
- Current immunizations
- American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support for Health Care Providers Certification
- Non-refundable liability insurance (available through OC Cashier)
- Proof of personal health insurance
- Criminal History Information Background Inquiry Check
- Completion of the Conviction/Criminal History Form
