Rhode Island College (RIC) School of Nursing

In 1854, Rhode Island College, a public institution, was founded.

Undergraduate

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Traditional

The Basic Baccalaureate program is designed for high school graduates and transfer students and is a traditional program. The program is designed to be completed within four years. Graduates are able to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) and become eligible for state RN licensure.

Admission (not all inclusive)

• College Mathematics and writing requirements as outlined by the SON
• Minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0
• Biology 231, Chemistry 106, and Psychology 230, with minimum grade of 'C' and minimum overall GPA 2.67 (B-)

Accelerated BSN

The Basic Baccalaureate program for Second Degree candidates is designed for applicants that already hold a degree in a non-nursing. Graduates are able to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) and become eligible for state RN licensure.

RN to BSN

This flexible RN to BSN program is for the RN with an Associate Degree in Nursing or a Hospital Diploma Graduate. RN students can apply as a transfer student and are awarded 37 credits for being RNs and completing the coursework in their prior programs.

Admission (not all inclusive)

• Nursing 207, with a minimum grade of 'C'
• College Mathematics
• Minimum cumulative GPA 2.50
• Current unencumbered RN licensure

Graduate

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

Adult/Gerontology with an Acute Care Emphasis

There are two specialized tracks from which to choose: Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) or Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP).

Graduates will be eligible to apply to take the following certification examinations:

1. American Nurses Credentialing Center Adult Acute (NPs)
2. American Association of Critical Care Nurses
3. Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP
4. American Nurses Credentialing Center Adult / Gerontology CNS
5. American Association of Critical Care Nurses Adult / Gerontology Acute CNS

Population/Public Health

Graduates are eligible to practice in leadership roles in the community and additionally as Nurse Educators who instruct community/public health nursing in academic settings.

Certificate in Nursing Care Management

The Nursing Care Management Certificate of Graduate Studies (CGS) is designed to prepare nurses for nurse care/case manager.

Certificate in Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety

This certificate expands the nurse's understanding of quality and safety and a key.

MSN Admission (not all inclusive)

• BSN from an NLNAC or CCNE accredited program
• Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate records
• Statistics (MATH 240 or its equivalent) with a minimum grade of 'C'
• Minimum cumulative 3.00 GPA of 3.00 in undergraduate course work
• Official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Miller Analogies test (MA) scores
• Current unrestricted RN license in Rhode Island
• Resume
• Three professional references
• Letter of intent/statement of goals
• Interview may be required
• Admission requirements for the Certificate programs are the same as for the MSN, with the exception that the Miller Analogies Test or the GRE are not required

Nurse Anesthesia

Graduates will be eligible to sit for the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA) Nurse Anesthesia certification exam. The program is in collaboration with St. Joseph Hospital School of Nurse Anesthesia (SJHSNA).

NOTE: The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs requires that all students matriculating into a nurse anesthesia educational program on January 1, 2022 or thereafter be enrolled in a program approved by the COA to award a practice doctoral degree. The program plans to submit its application to the COA in 2020 for approval to award the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree by January 2025.

Admission (not all inclusive)

• Meet admission requirements of the RIC MSN program
• Massachusetts RN license
• Personal interview is required
• Preferred undergraduate science GPA of 3.0
• Three required references; one must be from a clinical supervisor
• Current ACLS certification
• Minimum of 1 year critical care experience (equal to or greater than 30 hours/week)

Critical Care Experience

Must be obtained in a critical care area within the United States, its territories, or a US military hospital outside of the United States. A critical care area is defined as one where, on a routine basis, the RN manages one or more of the following: invasive hemodynamic monitors (such as pulmonary artery catheter, CVP, arterial); cardiac assist devices; mechanical ventilation; and vasoactive drips. The critical care areas include intensive care units. Those who have experience in other areas may be considered provided they can demonstrate competence with invasive monitoring, ventilators, and critical care pharmacology.

Additional Admission Requirements for Nurse Anesthesia (not all inclusive)

• Due to clinical rotations at hospitals in MA, a license is required
• Personal interview
• Chem 105, 106 within the last 10 years; minimum grade 'C'
• Preferred undergraduate science GPA 3.0
• 3 References
• Current ACLS certification
• Minimum 1-year critical care experience; accepted critical care experience found on the SJHSNA website

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

The focus of the RIC SON DNP program is on leadership in advanced practice nursing.

Admission Requirements (not all inclusive)

• MSN in advanced practice specialty from a nationally accredited CCNE program; Certification as an advanced practice nurse; OR MSN from a nationally accredited CCNE program and submission of narrative to demonstrate advanced knowledge and clinical expertise in a defined area of practice
• Master's GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Current licensure as an RN in the state of intended practice
• Letter of intent
• Current CV
• Transcripts from all post-secondary study
• Three letters of recommendation
• Number of supervised clinical hours from prior advanced practice MSN program
• Graduate level inferential statistics within the prior 3 years

Accreditation

The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) accredited Rhode Island College.

The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accredited the BSN and MSN programs.

The St. Joseph's Hospital School of Nurse Anesthesia is fully accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA). The next review is in 2026.

Rankings

US News & World Report (2019) ranked Rhode Island College #142-#187 in Regional Universities North.

Forbes (2019)

• #618 Top Colleges
• #228 in Public Colleges
• #197 in the Northeast

NICHE (2019)

Best Value Schools (2018) named RIC as #1 Most Affordable College in New England.