RN-to-MN

While applicants for the MN program are expected to have a bachelor’s degree in nursing, the Nursing Program recognizes that RNs may have gained experience and knowledge in management and leadership, and/or community health nursing through academic, professional and personal experiences outside of a bachelor’s program in nursing.

Experienced RNs with a baccalaureate degree in a major other than nursing may demonstrate competency equivalent to the bachelor’s degree in nursing by writing a petition for each of the two competency areas to the MN admissions/curriculum committee or by completing the equivalent coursework.

Each petition must demonstrate knowledge and experience acquired through your academic, personal, and professional experiences in the areas of; leadership and care coordination, and population health in nursing. As noted; alternatively, to the written petition(s), you may enroll in the coursework to gain competency in one or both of the areas of leadership and population health.

The committee will review your petitions and recommend admission (upon receipt of a graduate studies application) or recommend taking specific UW Bothell BSN coursework (earning a minimum of a 3.0 grade) for enrollment/application to the program. Submit written petition(s) with resume to the graduate advisor, Celinda Smith @ cesmith3@uw.edu.

Population Health Petition

  • Describe the basic principles of public health and population-based practice.
  • Link your application of practice and experience to theory.
  • Describe with examples social determinants of health to one or more diverse populations within a community.
  • Provide an example of when you analyzed individuals, families, other small groups, and communities as interacting components of larger social, cultural, political, economic, ecological, and health care processes and systems; how did it shape your perspective?
  • Provide an example of when you collaborated with a community partner and/or nursing colleague, and interdisciplinary professionals to assess, develop, coordinate, implement, and evaluate interventions for health concerns within specific communities.
  • Provide an example of when you explored (and for what use) the impact of local, state, national and global policies on the health of a specific community.

Leadership Petition

  • Describe how you have applied leadership concepts and skills to lead teams in the provision of care delivery and for the promotion of a positive workplace culture.
  • Describe how you have been accountable for delegating to and supervising other team members.
  • Give an example of working with an interprofessional team.
  • Provide examples of using coaching, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills to promote effective teams.
  • Describe a time when you have used data to facilitate coordination of care across the continuum of settings.

Your petition is strengthened not only by your description of your professional experience, expertise and education but also by examples. The following list of such examples should be of use to you as you prepare your petition. Please submit an up-to-date resume with your petition.

  • Course descriptions of academic, continuing education, or in-service education courses
  • Clinical examples of research utilization or providing health education
  • Descriptions of community projects
  • An annotated (detailed, descriptive) resume that highlights your professional and community health experiences, whether at work or in your community, in your role as an employee or as a volunteer, with Girl Scouts, Red Cross high school volunteers, volunteer parent/RN providing classes in public or private schools or other educational settings
  • In-service course descriptions and/or evaluation
  • Professional certification, when the exam or requirements for such certification includes knowledge of relevant content or skills
  • Committee membership
  • Volunteer experience
  • Membership and activities in professional organizations

Coursework to demonstrate competency

BNURS 424 Population-Based Health in Community Practice description
B NURS 422 Team Leadership and Care Coordination description

Course details

Both courses are typically offered year-round and meet bi-weekly. Enrollment in BNURS 424 requires the School’s Health and Safety to be complete and up to 70 hours of fieldwork in a community health setting. For more information, contact the graduate advisor, Celinda Smith @ cesmith3@uw.edu.

Review process

  • Petitions are reviewed by the Master of Nursing admission/curriculum committee.
  • The committee reserves the right to ask for additional documentation.
  • If you have cause to appeal, you have the right to do so.