BSN program takes your nursing career to the next level
In fall 2020, San Jacinto College launched its hybrid Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-to-BSN) program with one faculty member. Much has changed since then. Not only were health care workers toiling on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, but more than half of San Jac’s first BSN students were in nurse residencies after completing associate degrees.
Today, San Jac’s BSN program is 100% online. Of its 65 graduates, 21% have landed more advanced nursing roles, and 8% are pursuing master’s programs.
The BSN program answers the needs of both industry and working registered nurses. Top health care organizations advocate for entry-level nurses to hold BSN degrees, and many health care institutions prefer BSN-prepared nurses for leadership, specialized, and research roles. Meanwhile, most new nurses start with an associate degree or nursing diploma so they can earn a paycheck before continuing their education.
San Jac helps fill the nursing shortage while offering affordability and flexibility through multiple entry points into the nursing field — up to the BSN degree. Thanks to the BSN program, working RNs can maintain their income while getting solid leadership training to advance their careers.
Why choose San Jac's BSN program? Students enjoy smaller class sizes, an easier application process, and a lower cost than a university — while learning from a nationally accredited program and college with a six-decade history of nursing success.
Who are San Jac's BSN graduates?
San Jac’s BSN students work everywhere — from acute hospital settings, rehabilitation centers, drug/alcohol dependency clinics, and dialysis centers to school districts. Most seek either new management roles or higher pay and career advancement under their current employers.
After completing her associate degree in nursing and working as a clinical inpatient nurse for seven years, Kelli Sartin became a nurse educator in San Jac’s vocational nursing program. Then, to advance her leadership skills, she enrolled in a university BSN program.
When Sartin took a break to care for her terminally ill mother, she learned she couldn’t pick up where she’d left off at the university. Instead, she ended up in San Jac’s BSN program — learning where she worked. Since earning her BSN in fall 2023, she encourages her own nursing students to enroll in the program.
“If I can do it, so can you,” Sartin said.
In 2021, Kiri Rohne enrolled in the BSN program after completing San Jac’s certified nurse aide, vocational nurse, and LVN-to-RN transition nursing programs. Once living out of her car, Rohne now works as a board-certified cardiovascular nurse at HCA Health Care Clear Lake Heart Hospital. No longer does she worry about a steady paycheck or a reliable roof.
“I'm proud of my story and how hard I fought to get here,” Rohne said. “When people ask me where I graduated, I'm proud to say San Jacinto College.”
Why should you apply?
San Jac’s 100% online BSN program allows students to learn from where they are. The learner-centric BSN program follows an eight-week course model, which builds on previous education and experience. Professors include Dr. Ardette Creeks, DNP, RN, and Dr. Carliss Ramos, DNP, RN.
The three-semester, 31-credit-hour program focuses on these concepts:
- Community health nursing
- Nursing research
- Public and global health policy
- Informatics
- Leadership
Now serving its seventh cohort, the program admits students every fall and spring. Thanks to a generous endowment from the Katha and Clifton Black family, every accepted BSN student will receive a one-time scholarship.
The application period for the fall 2024 cohort is open now through Aug. 17. For more information, visit sanjac.edu/bsn. Or contact RN-to-BSN department chair Dr. Veronica Jammer at veronica.jammer@sjcd.edu or sanjacbsn@sjcd.edu.
