Traditional BSN Program

Traditional BSN Program

About the Program

Become a Registered Nurse through a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

When you choose Sentara College of Health Sciences, you join a nursing program that has provided exceptional education for more than 130 years. We created Norfolk’s first nursing program in 1892 at the 24-bed “Retreat for the Sick” that has since grown into the sprawling and acclaimed Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. As a student in our program, you will learn in this and other award-winning Sentara facilities, providing crucial care to real patients and working shoulder-to-shoulder with renowned Sentara healthcare providers.

Your Educational Experience

As a student, you’ll learn in classrooms, skills labs, clinical settings, and online, thanks to the College’s emphasis on hybrid learning. You’ll learn material when it’s convenient for you, then come together in class to discuss what you’ve learned; or in skills labs, where you’ll apply that knowledge in a safe environment that can simulate nearly any medical condition you might encounter. You’ll gain 900 hours of hands-on experience – far surpassing the requirements for licensure or of other programs. So you’ll graduate from Sentara College uniquely prepared for one of the most challenging and rewarding careers anywhere.

Career Opportunities for Nurses

Registered Nurses enjoy the rewards that come from working in a wide variety of healthcare settings, like hospitals, clinics, long-term facilities, physician’s offices, and health agencies. Registered Nurses are in critically short supply across the country, so the need is great, and stability is exceptional.

As a Registered Nurse, you will provide and coordinate client care, working closely with the physicians and other members of the healthcare team. You will assess client needs, develop plans of care, administer treatments, provide client education, and direct a variety of multi-skilled caregivers. Registered Nursing incorporates the administration, management, and evaluation of healthcare to clients across the life span, from diverse cultural, racial, and ethnic backgrounds, and in various healthcare settings.

Today, Sentara College offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program with opportunities for Early admission for high school seniors.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program at a Glance

    • The Program is offered every January
    • Now accepting applications for January 2025
    • 900 hours of hands-on experience in skills labs, simulation, and clinicals
    • The Program can be completed in 2.5 years (after prerequisite requirements are met at another institution)
    • Graduates obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and are eligible to apply to take the NCLEX licensure exam upon completion of the Program
    • Enjoy priority placement within Sentara
    • 130-year legacy of educating the exceptional nurses in the acclaimed Sentara healthcare system and elsewhere
    • Small clinical groups for maximum personal attention
    • Exposure to all clinical settings in renowned Sentara hospitals
    • Tuition, fees, and total cost of attendance

To learn about this program's state authorizations and compliance disclosures, please click here.

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Quick Facts

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Accreditations & Certifications

Sentara College and the Traditional BSN Program are accredited and certified by:

Sentara College of Health Sciences is institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES)(abhes.org).

Sentara College of Health Sciences is certified to operate an institution of postsecondary education in Virginia by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).

The baccalaureate and master's degree programs in nursing at Sentara College of Health Sciences are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).

Sentara College of Health Sciences' Traditional Bachelor's of Science in Nursing Program and Master's Entry to Nursing Program are approved by the Virginia State Board of Nursing.

Transfer Information

IMPORTANT NOTE: These lists contain courses currently offered at local and online colleges and are intended as a quick reference guide only. This is not necessarily a complete list at the referenced college and does not take the place of a transcript review from our College. Other courses at the referenced colleges below may satisfy our general education course requirements. Sentara College of Health Sciences will assist you with approval of general education courses not on the below list.

All coursework must be completed with a "C-" or higher.

General Education Course Equivalents at Select Colleges

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