RN to BSN Program Overview
Registered nurses interested in moving their careers forward can earn a CCNE-accredited Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) online. This 30-credit program prepares nurses for leadership roles in healthcare, empowering them to create change in the workplace and promote high-quality, patient-centered care.
You must have a current, unencumbered RN license for consideration.
Maintain a Work-Life Balance With Self-Paced Learning
With the exception of two clinical courses, our program is composed of asynchronous elements that allow you to complete coursework on your schedule. After a shift or during a long weekend, dive into a course module’s readings, assignments, and quizzes and gain up-to-date knowledge immediately applicable to your career. Your time in and outside of work is valuable, which is why we’re entrusting you to control the pace of your own education.
Translate Nursing Concepts into Clinical Practice
As a student, you’ll be required to complete two clinical courses conducted in person and with a local nurse preceptor of your choice, as long as that person has a BSN and is working in a leadership role. By working closely with a nurse leader, you will further develop the knowledge and skills needed to take on additional professional responsibilities, even if you already have considerable experience as an RN. Clinical courses require no campus visits.
Earn a BSN and an Optional Nurse Manager Certificate
Earning a BSN degree is an honor in and of itself. However, graduates of our program are also able to obtain a Nurse Manager Certificate from Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society, for an additional cost. This prestigious certificate further distinguishes graduates in the competitive healthcare industry.
Alumni Pathways
The U.S. healthcare system is in desperate need of nursing leaders, who play a critical role in advocating for their patients and fellow nurses. As a graduate of our online RN to BSN program, you’ll be equipped with the clinical, communication, and critical-thinking skills needed to make a difference within the medical field. Below are just a few of the healthcare organizations our alumni thrive at:
- MD Anderson Cancer Center
- UMC Health System
- Memorial Hermann
- Ascension
- Medical City Healthcare
- Midland Memorial Hospital
- PermiaCare
- St. David’s HealthCare
- Novant Health
- AccentCare
From One Generation of Nursing Leaders to the Next
Every aspect of our online RN to BSN program caters to the needs of today’s nurses. Courses are designed and led by nursing leaders, all of whom are RNs with first-hand experience of the challenges faced by healthcare practitioners.
As an experienced RN, you can gain a deeper understanding of evolving challenges in nursing, the intricacies of organizational culture, the importance of patient-centered care, and much more in our virtual classroom. Our online RN to BSN program offers a practical way to perfect the skills needed to transition into leadership roles, such as:
3 Credit Hours. Elective course must be related to healthcare, sciences, or leadership. Examples are provided below. Students may also take any HSHP course not already taken.
30 Credit Hours.
Transfer Admission Requirements
- Current unencumbered RN license
- Graduate of a nationally accredited professional nursing program approved by the Texas State Board of Nursing or appropriate state board
- Minimum 2.5 GPA
- Official transcripts from all colleges, universities, and nursing programs attended
Use our transfer calculator to find out how your classes will transfer to UT Permian Basin and which classes will count toward your degree.
Official Transcripts
Official copies of transcripts must come directly from the school in a sealed envelope and should be mailed to:
UT Permian Basin
Office of Admissions
4901 E. University Blvd.
Odessa, TX 79762
Official transcripts in electronic format can be sent to admissions@utpb.edu.
Application Fee
The application fee is $40 and must be paid when you submit your online application.
You may request an application fee waiver if the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) listed on your Student Aid Report is zero.
Texas Core Curriculum Requirements
Students seeking a baccalaureate degree in Texas are required to satisfy Texas Core Curriculum (TCC)* requirements, the collegiate-level general education competencies for undergraduate degree programs. UT Permian Basin Core Curriculum complies with the State law of Texas and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) rules. Courses in the General Education Core Curriculum have been approved by UT Permian Basin and the THECB.
Entering students who are Core Complete or who have previously completed a bachelor’s degree are not required to take additional coursework to satisfy the Core Curriculum.
If a student has an associate degree, it does not necessarily indicate that the student has successfully completed the courses required to be Texas Core Complete when working to earn a bachelor's degree. For example, if a student has completed a nursing program that led them to an associate degree in nursing and the student has successfully passed the NCLEX to be awarded their Registered Nurse (RN) licensure, they may still need to complete the remaining Texas-required Core Complete courses in order to earn their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). These courses must be completed, in addition to the courses included in the RN to BSN online course listing, prior to earning the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
For more information on Texas Core Complete at UTPB, please visit https://www.utpb.edu/academics/undergraduate-studies/core-curriculum. If you have additional questions, please contact an academic advisor for information on what courses you will need to complete. You can reach an advisor by emailing advising@utpb.edu or calling (432) 552-2661.
*The Texas Core Curriculum (TCC) is established in the Texas Education Code, Chapter 61, Subchapter S. Coordinating Board rules regarding TCC are in the Texas Administrative Code (TAC), Title 19, Part 1, Chapter 4, Subchapter B.
Faculty Bios
Adjunct Professor
School of Nursing
bredimus_b@utpb.edu
Dr. Kit Bredimus is the Chief Nursing Officer at Midland Memorial Hospital in Midland, Texas. Dr. Bredimus earned his Doctor of Nursing Practice in Executive Leadership from Texas Tech Health Sciences Center. He is a nationally recognized nurse leader through his various presentations, podcasts, publications, and involvement in professional organizations. Dr. Bredimus was featured on the inaugural list of 20 under 40 by Midland Magazine and is a Texas Nurses Association’s 2020 Year of the Nurse Award winner. Nationally, Dr. Bredimus is a Modern Healthcare’s Rising Star in Nursing Award winner, the American Organization for Nursing Leadership Early Careerist Award winner, and runner-up for Nursing Management’s Hader Visionary Nurse Leader Award. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Texas Organization for Nursing Leadership, Texas Nurses Association, and Permian Basin Great 25 Nurses Recognition Program.
Dr. Bredimus is also an active member and volunteer with several national and regional professional organizations. He is a Master Certified Values Coach with a focus on transformational leadership and personal empowerment, a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, and he holds multiple board certifications in nursing management and executive leadership, along with Emergency and Pediatric Emergency nursing. Dr. Bredimus is married to his high school sweetheart, Heather, and they have four children. He is active in his community, volunteering with several local non-profit organizations with a focus on helping children, especially those in the child welfare system.
Part-Time Faculty
School of Nursing
hall_m@utpb.edu
Dr. Hall has been a nurse since 1995 and has served in various formal nursing leadership roles since 2001. He has presented at national conferences, consulted on state legislature for the Texas Board of Nurse Examiners, and has consulted both nationally and internationally on nursing leadership. He been published in nursing journals for his research on pain management as well as his work on formal recognition programs like ANCC’s Pathway to Excellence.
Dr. Hall is the director of the Center for Advancing Professional Excellence at Midland Health. In his director’s role, he leads nursing education, mental health, patient safety, safe patient handling, clinical data analytics, the Nursing Intern Program, the Nursing Residency Program, the Nursing Fellowship Program, and the Professional Governance Programs. Dr. Hall also leads the formal recognition programs for the hospital including ANCC Magnet, ANCC Pathway to Excellence, ANCC Practice Transition Accrediting Program, AACN Beacon, and DAISY.
Part-Time Faculty
School of Nursing
leftwich_k@utpb.edu
Dr. Leftwich is an adjunct faculty member at UT Permian Basin’s School of Nursing. She has been a nurse since 1996 and is a graduate of Odessa College, Texas Tech University, and Capella University. Her nursing degrees focus on administration, leadership, and management.
She has served in various roles clinically and in leadership, including working bedside for 13 years before transitioning into a nurse educator role. She was the Director for Medical Telemetry and Medical Oncology for five years and had oversight of the Palliative Care Program. Dr. Leftwich currently serves as the Associate Chief Nursing Officer at Medical Center Hospital, where her oversight includes the Center for Women and Infants, Pediatrics, Medical Telemetry, Medical Observation Unit, and Medical Oncology, as well as Care Management and Utilization Review. She serves as the chair of the Clinical Ethics Committee and is the Nursing Chair for the Institutional Review Board (IRB).
Adjunct Professor
School of Nursing
Ms. McQuitty has been a nurse since 2007. Prior to nursing, she worked as a surgical technologist for 10 years. Ms. McQuitty’s nursing career has been in Critical Care, Informatics, and Education. She graduated with her Associate Degree in Nursing from Odessa College in 2007, her BSN from Angelo State University in 2013, and her MSN from Western Governors in 2019.
Ms. McQuitty loves to travel to new places with the beach being her favorite. Family is very important to her, and she always wants to be surrounded by positive people so they can lift one another up.
Clinical Assistant Professor
School of Nursing
saldana_v@utpb.edu
Venessa Saldana is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse with board certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She received her associate degree in respiratory care in 2009, bachelor's in nursing in 2013, and master's in nursing from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in 2019.
As a registered nurse, Ms. Saldana began her career with Midland Memorial Hospital as a staff and charge nurse in the Emergency Department for over seven years. She also has experience working in a primary care practice, urgent care, and aesthetic medicine as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Ms. Saldana has over 10 years of experience in urgent and emergency medicine. She also holds certifications in the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (NRCME).