Online RN to BSN

Linda Adams-Wendling’s career path was set about 46 years ago, but she says it doesn’t seem like much time has passed since beginning her journey in health care at a nursing school in rural Iowa. “I remember as if it were yesterday,” recalls Adams-Wendling, the DNP Chief Nurse Administrator and Director at Bay Path University. “From the minute of my first interaction with my first patient, I knew nursing would be my profession for life.” Her plan was to spend her professional career as a nurse, due in part to the influence of her mother and friends also entering the field, and at first Adams-Wendling did just that. But soon she also decided to keep moving along the academic route too. It started with her associate nursing degree from Des Moines Area Community College; then a bachelor’s in nursing at Grandview College, also in Des Moines; a master’s in nursing from Clarkson College, in Omaha; an MBA from Avila University; and finally, her nursing doctorate from the University of Kansas. Along that path, Adams-Wendling made it a priority to become a nurse educator. “I believed that to reach my career goal as a nurse educator, I should acquire as much experience as possible to share with nursing students,” she remembered. Her enthusiasm for nurse education was influenced by the work ethic instilled by her parents—she was raised on a farm in Iowa—by a mentor she had early in her education, and by Florence Nightingale, considered by many to be the patron saint of nursing. After her extensive schooling, Adams-Wendling was recruited as a nurse executive about 30 years ago at a hospital in Emporia, where she met her husband, Joseph Wendling. The two have made their home in Kansas now for decades. She joined Emporia State University in 2000, which then officially solidified her status as a nurse educator in academia. “I remember when I received the call for the interview at Emporia,” she said. “I was so excited when offered the position I could not wait for the opportunity to begin my career as a nurse educator.” Adams-Wending worked her way up through the ranks, from assistant professor, to associate professor, to professor and chair of the department, and now DNP Chief Nurse Administrator and Director at Bay Path University. “Many ask me when I might retire and my response is, this does not seem like work to me because I so enjoy what I do,” she said. “Each day I am inspired by the students I interact with, the incredible faculty that I teach with, and the positive environment of the university.”

You can complete the program in two years, depending on transfer credits. To see the curriculum, view our courses page.

Tuition is $350 per credit hour. You’ll need to complete 120 total credits for a total tuition of $42,000. You may transfer up to 84 credits, which may reduce the total costs. You can review all tuition costs on our tuition page.

Yes, the online BS in Nursing program accepts up to 84 transfer credits. You can learn more about our admissions policy on our admissions page.

You’ll complete 120 credits to earn the online BS in Nursing degree. You can review courses now.

In addition to completing an Associate of Nursing degree from an accredited institution, the online BS in Nursing program requires you to:

• Submit your application
• Submit official high school and college transcripts
• Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7
• Have a current nursing license in good standing
• Complete basic cardiac life support for the health care provider

You can learn more about our admission requirements on our admissions page.

Those who complete the online BS in Nursing degree may pursue a master’s degree in nursing or move into advanced nursing roles such as nursing leader, hospice care nurse, case manager, occupational nurse, and more. According to Payscale.com, registered nurses who complete a bachelor’s degree earn a median annual salary of $91,000. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the field to grow 6% by 2031, creating more than 195,000 new positions. Learn more about your career options by visiting our careers page.