Governors State University Nursing School Review
Governors State University (GSU) serves the southern suburbs of Chicago, offering associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, and graduate degrees to both full-time and part-time students. Its main campus is in University Park, and satellite campuses that offer some (but not all) programs operate in Kankakee, Chicago, and Naperville. At its main campus, as well as through some distance-learning classes, Governors State University offers nursing programs at the undergraduate and the graduate level. All nursing programs are accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing – RN-BSN
Governors State University does not offer a traditional, pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, but it does offer a BSN completion program for graduates of an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing degree (AASN) or a diploma in nursing program. The program is not open to students who hold a baccalaureate degree in a field other than nursing.
The program takes place completely online, to accommodate working Registered Nurses. A registered nurse (RN) has two options for completing the program: if all their prerequisites and general education courses are complete, they can complete just the nursing classes or they can simultaneously complete nursing courses and general education courses and prerequisites. Registered Nurses (RNs) can transfer in fifty-five credit hours toward the general education courses and prerequisites, and can earn thirty credit hours for their nursing coursework at the associate-degree level.
In addition to this, they must take at least thirty-five credit hours of upper-level nursing and general education courses at Governors State University, for a total of 120 credit hours. The RN to BSN program begins each fall and each spring.
Master of Science in Nursing
The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program is open to RNs who hold a full BSN degree. The program begins each fall and spring, and accommodates the working student with its hybrid (partly online, partly on-site) format. Students may choose to complete the program on either a full-time or a part-time basis. The MSN program consists of core graduate nursing classes, and classes in an area of specialization.
The Nursing Administration concentration trains future healthcare managers; the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) in Adult Healthcare prepares RNs to offer advanced care to adults; and the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) concentration trains nurses to be primary caregivers to people of all ages. Regardless of the area of specialization, the MSN program requires at least forty-two credit hours; a thesis for an additional three credits is optional.
Post-master’s Certification – Family Nurse Practitioner
A nurse who has already earned certification as a CNS through an MSN or doctoral program can become an FNP through the post-masters certificate program. The program requires three classes, for a total of fifteen credit hours. It is only available in the spring.
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Governors State University offers a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program with four areas of concentration: direct practice, community behavior, leadership/administration, and practitioner/educator. The program begins each fall, and is open to RNs with either a BSN or an MSN. Incoming students who hold an MSN degree will need to complete at least forty-four credit hours to graduate.
Students who hold a BSN degree will need to complete coursework at the master’s level in addition to the doctoral coursework; they can choose between specializing as a nurse administrator or a clinical nurse specialist. In total, a student who has a BSN degree needs to earn at least eighty-six credit hours in order to finish the DNP program. The program is available in a hybrid format.
Contact:
Governors State University
1 University Parkway
University Park, IL 60484
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