Lindsay Larsen, lindsay.larsen@maine.edu, serves as the advisor to RN to BS Students and the Student Services & Clinical Health Requirements Coordinator. Contact her for general program questions, course registration issues, graduation questions, transfer credit questions, and more.
2019-2024- RN to BS Sample Plan of Study (students admitted to the major before fall 2025)
2025-2026 RN to BS Samle Plan of Study (students admitted to the major fall 2025 to present)
NUR 308, NUR 309, NUR 310 (taken together)
these courses must be taken concurrently
NUR 308: concepts of professional nursing practice, 3 credits
Description: This course will explore the historical foundations, current issues, and future direction of professional baccalaureate nursing practice within the context of the current healthcare system. An emphasis is placed on the continued development of critical thinking, written, and oral communication skills for the baccalaureate nurse.
NUR 309: Health Assessment for RNs, 2 credits
Description: This course provides the RN student with knowledge and skills essential to conduct in-depth bio-psycho-social-cultural health assessments of well individuals. The course includes examination of the concepts of wellness and health promotion across the life span.
NUR 310: Health Assessment Lab for RNs, 2 credits
This course provides the opportunities for the RN to apply knowledge and skills necessary to conduct total health assessments.
offered only in the fall semester, all on one day of the week in a hybrid format with a mix of in person and online course coursework
NUR 321 Health Related Research
3 credits
offered 100% online in the fall, spring, and summer semesters, sometimes offered in person
requires that MAT 120 statistics or a directly equivalent course be completed prior to taking NUR 321
Description: Introduction to health-related research with an emphasis on understanding the research process and becoming a consumer of research. Critique of health-related research findings to health professions and their application to professional practice is a major component of this course.
NUR 356 Community Health
3 credits
offered 100% online in the fall, spring, and summer semesters, often offered in person in the fall and spring semesters
must be completed before taking NUR 419
Description: This course introduces the concepts and principles basic to the development and maintenance of the community’s health. The epidemiological process guides the survey of current major health issues. The course focuses on the health issues of groups in the community at local, state, national, and global levels.
NUR 419 Community Nursing Partnerships for RNs Clinical
2 credits
offered only in the spring semester, hybrid with a mix of in person and online course coursework
Description: This course incorporates the concepts of partnership building, risk identification, risk reduction, and health promotion within a community based context. Students work with selected communities that are developing long-term solutions to previously identified health problems. Open to RN students only.
NUR 370 Theory for Clinical Practice
3 credits
offered only in the summer, 100% online course
Description: This course focuses on the nursing profession and the process of knowledge development within the profession. The intent is to provide participants with opportunities to explore the processes of inquiry in nursing. Participants will have opportunities to explore various modes of nursing inquiry, including scientific, philosophical, and historical. Praxis, or the development of knowledge through the cycle of acquiring experience, reflecting on experience, and enhancing practice is central to understanding what influences nursing. Relationships between practice, theory, and research are explored. Four foundational concepts: personal meaning, ways of knowing, time/transitions, and context/culture serve to focus critical reflections in this course. In recognizing multiple ways of developing knowledge, participants have the opportunity to explore how practice may differ within varying perspectives.
NUR 474 Professional Issues: Leadership, Management, and Organizations for RNs
3 credits
offered fall only, hybrid with a mix of in person and online course coursework
NUR 309, 309 and 310 must be completed before this course
Description: This course provides the RN student with an overview of the theoretical frameworks of management and leadership roles in nursing practice with a major focus on organizational analysis. The Focus is on leadership and change theories, conflict management, and quality improvement for the delivery of health care services.
NUR 476 Theory Related to Clinical Specialty for RN's
3 credits
offered in the fall only, sometimes 100% online, other times hybrid
NUR 309, 309 and 310 must be completed before this course
Description: This course allows the RN student to develop and enhance clinical theory, knowledge, and practice using a self-designed study with a focus on a self-selected clinical specialty. An overview of current theoretical models of care, nursing therapeutics, and evidence-based practice is provided and then used to develop a broader understanding of practice and care issues unique to the clinical specialty.
How do I register for graduation?
Please register for graduation here : Graduation registration
You need to complete it by April 1st for May graduation, November 1st for December graduation, and August 1st for August graduation. Also please let Lindsay Larsen know you are graduating. Email Brandon Blount at brandon.blount@maine.edu if you have questions about the School of Nursing pinning ceremony.
How do I track my progress towards graduation?
Lindsay Larsen can fill out and send you a course grid showing what you have completed and what you need to complete. Contact her for more info. Prof. Kim Mantlow can also help.
How many credits do I need to graduate?
You need 120 credits in total to graduate, and 30 of those must be from USM (a residency requirement). If you are having issues and are missing a credit or two, please let Lindsay Larsen or Prof. Kim Mantlow know. There are one credit exercise classes (RHF) and classes on Excel (LOS) and other options available.
How do I know what semesters classes are offered?
321 - always offered 100% online fall, spring, & summer occasionally offered in person
356 - offered both in person and 100% online fall and spring, 100% online 7-week summer course
308, 309, 310 - fall only, hybrid meeting approximately 50% in person and 50% online
370 - summer only, 100% online
419 - spring only, hybrid, how much is online vs. in-person can be variable by semester
474 - fall only, hybrid, how much depends on the instructor
476 - fall only
I'm having trouble registering for classes - who can help me?
Email Lindsay Larsen and she can register you! (Lindsay.Larsen@maine.edu)
I haven't taken classes in a few years - what do I do?
While you can take breaks from this program, if you take a break longer than 2 years, you are no longer considered active in the program and need to reapply to the major. Please keep this in mind when trying to complete the program. If you are interested in restarting, please contact us!
Unless otherwise stated, all policies applicable to students in the baccalaureate program also apply to students in the R.N. to B.S. program.
Once a student is matriculated, the student is required to notify the Coordinator of Nursing Student Services of any change in status of their RN license.
In order to take NUR 419, R.N. to B.S. students must comply with any requirements of those health care agencies to which they are assigned for clinicals, which may include criminal background checks. Affiliates have the right to deny clinical placement based on criminal background.
GPA Requirements
Students in the R.N. to B.S. program are required to maintain a USM cumulative GPA of 2.50.
Retention Policies
The School of Nursing requires its part time and full time students to maintain academic standing according to hours completed. The following requirements are exceptions or additions to University policies:
A student who does not maintain a USM cumulative grade point average of 2.50 may be reviewed by the School of Nursing Undergraduate Admissions and Advancement Committee who may recommend probation, suspension, or dismissal. If placed on probation, a student has a maximum of two semesters to achieve a 2.50 cumulative USM GPA, or the student may be suspended or dismissed from the School of Nursing. While on probation, the minimum semester GPA must be at least 2.50 or the student may be suspended. If a student is suspended for one semester, the student may be dismissed at the end of the next enrolled semester if the GPA requirement is not met.
Graduation Requirements
To be eligible for graduation with a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in nursing, the student must have successfully completed all requirements and a minimum of 120 credit hours with a minimum grade point average of 2.50.