Partnership Creates Seamless Path for Nurses to Advance Their Education
Published May 3, 2022
Carolinas College of Health Sciences and Richmond Community College announced a new partnership focused on helping nurses advance their education. The new Fair Transfer Promise Agreement creates a seamless academic experience for community college nursing graduates to complete their bachelor’s degree in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible.
Dr. Hampton Hopkins, president of Carolinas College, and Dr. William D. McInnis, president of Richmond Community College, held a signing event Monday to celebrate the new partnership. Also in attendance were Richmond Community College students who may be a potential fit for the program.
The agreement between the two colleges allows nursing graduates who have received their Associate of Applied Science (AAS) from Richmond Community College to receive guaranteed admission into the Carolinas College RN-BSN program, assuming all conditions below are met. Qualified students will also receive guaranteed transfer of all AAS credits toward their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), meaning they can complete the program as quickly as possible – potentially in as few as 12 to 18 months. All participants must meet the following conditions:
- Applicants must complete a program on or after the effective date of this agreement and must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.25.
- Applicants must have earned a grade of “C” or higher in courses outlined in this agreement.
- Applicants must hold a current unencumbered license as a registered nurse.
Students must have followed a prescribed five-block course list in completing their AAS and must have already completed all required credit hours. Applicants not meeting the eligibility requirements of the Fair Transfer Promise Agreement may apply directly to the Carolinas College RN-BSN program, and transfer credits will be determined on a course-by-course basis.
Carolinas College is working to secure similar partnerships with other college nursing programs in the North Carolina Community College System and, in addition to Richmond Community College, has reached agreements with Fayetteville Technical Community College and Mitchell Community College.
Carolinas College launched its 100% online RN-BSN program in 2020. Graduates are exceptionally prepared to excel in their nursing careers. Nurses who earn a BSN have greater career opportunities with the ability to assume more responsibility, earn a higher salary and lead their colleagues in new ways.