Regis University Nursing School Review

Regis University, a Jesuit school, was originally founded in 1877 in New Mexico. It was moved to Morrison, CO, in 1884, and settled into its current home in Denver in 1887. Regis currently enrolls 16,000 students and offers traditional classroom classes as well as online options for undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate programs.

The Loretto Heights School of Nursing is part of the Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions (RHCHP).

Nursing Programs

Traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

The BSN program at Regis is a four year program for those who have no prior nursing experience or degree. Applicants are chosen competitively based on academic performance, recommendations, writing skill, and healthcare and volunteer experience.

To graduate, students must complete 128 semester hours of general education, science, and nursing courses. Students will also have over 750 hours of clinical experiences to gain real life experience in health care facilities throughout the Denver area. After earning their BSN degree, graduates are eligible to sit for the state licensing exam (NCLEX-RN) to earn their Registered Nurse (RN) license.

Accelerated BSN (ABSN)

Students that have a non-nursing bachelors degree are eligible for the Accelerated BSN program. This full time, one year program requires over 750 hours of clinical practice and 57 semester hours of nursing courses. After completion of the program, students are eligible to take the state RN licensing exam.

CHOICE BSN

The CHOICE (Connecting Health Occupations with Innovative Curriculum and Experience) BSN program is for students who are currently working in health care and want to continue to do so while they earn their degree. Students do not have to have a degree prior to starting the program. Classes are offered two evenings per week with clinical rotations on the weekends, for six consecutive semesters. The program will be completed within two years.

RN-BSN Completion

The RN to BSN Completion program is for working registered nurses who want to keep working while completing their BSN. Registered Nurses can be awarded between 33 and 72 hours of credit based on their Registered Nurse (RN) license and previous coursework, per the Colorado Articulation Model. These hours are awarded upon completion of the student’s first practicum experience.

RN to Master of Science, Nursing (MS)

This program combines the RN-BSN program with the Master of Science in Nursing program to allow students to complete both their BSN and MS degrees. Classes are taken on campus or online, and can be taken in an accelerated, eight week format. The campus program meets once a week, and the online program has no set class time.

Students will first earn a BSN, and then the MS degree. In the master’s program, students will select a focus area of either management or education. Each focus area requires a 105 hour practicum class.

MS Nursing Leadership in Health Care Systems

Working RNs with a BSN may earn their master’s degree in Leadership in Health Care Systems, with a focus in either management or education. Classes are offered on campus or online, and can be taken in an accelerated, eight week format. The campus program meets once a week, and the online program has no set class time.

The program consists of 13 courses that will take about 24 months to complete.

MS Nursing Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)

This program is for RNs who hold a BSN degree and who wish to pursue a career in providing family health care. Classes are offered on the main campus every other weekend. Students must take clinical courses beginning the second semester of the program. The clinical courses will total 630 hours, with half of those taken in the last semester of the program.

Part of the curriculum includes preparing for the national certification exam. This full time program can be completed in 22 months.

MS Nursing Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP)

This program is aimed at students with a BSN degree who are interested in a career in providing care for high-risk newborns. This program is two years long and classes are offered in traditional semesters and in eight week sessions. In addition, students will complete 630 clinical hours of study.

MS Completion for Certified Nurse Practitioners

This program is designed for RNs that already hold a bachelor’s degree, are certified as nurse practitioners, and don’t want to change their clinical specialty. The program offers areas of emphasis in ethics, theoretical frameworks, and policy and research. The program consists of at least 39 semester hours and has an optional thesis.

MS Degree in Nursing Articulation for Certified Nurse Practitioner

This program is for the already practicing nurse practitioner without an MS degree who wishes to pursue their MS as a Neonatal Nurse or Family Nurse Practitioner specialist. The program requirements will vary based on the student’s prior education, certification, and clinical practice. The program at a minimum requires 38 to 43 semester hours.

Post Master’s in Nursing Certificate Program

Designed for the MS graduate who wants to specialize in their nursing practice, the Post Master’s Certificate option offers the chance to become a health care educator or nurse practitioner without having to earn another MS degree.

The Health Care Education graduate certificate requires 12 hours of classes and takes one year to complete. The NNP or FNP specialization certificate takes 12 to 34 hours to complete, and graduates of the program are then allowed to take the national certification exam for their focus specialty.

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

The post-masters DNP program at Regis is offered entirely online, and focuses on advanced practice and leadership skills in order to offer service to underserved, vulnerable populations.

The DNP program has two areas of focus: Advanced Practice Nurse, and Advanced Leadership in Health Care. This online program is full time and takes six semesters to complete.

Contact:

Regis University

3333 Regis Boulevard

Denver, CO 80221

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