Entering the nursing field is one of the most selfless callings you can achieve. Using your skills to save others in times of need and helping them live longer, healthier lives lets you serve Christ while you make a difference in the world. Nurses are healthcare experts who combine talents in empathetic caring, creative intellect and skilled practice. A dual degree in nursing from Nebraska’s Bryan College of Health Sciences and biology from Concordia University, Nebraska will prepare you for a career as a Registered Nurse (RN) and help you to improve individual, family and community health and wellness by applying evidence-based skills and knowledge in your practice. In the dual degree nursing program offered jointly through BCHS and Concordia, our focus is on helping you apply lessons from your coursework to real-world scenarios in the clinical setting, so you are equipped to pass the NCLEX exam and start working as a nurse soon after graduation, or to continue your education with a graduate nursing or biology degree.
The dual degree nursing program through Bryan College of Health Sciences and Concordia University, Nebraska is a nine-semester program. Your first three semesters will be spent on-campus at Concordia, along with online courses at Bryan College of Health Sciences. The next three semesters will include courses at both Concordia and BCHS, and your last three semesters will be spent entirely at Bryan, with a 0.5 credit Concordia Nebraska online class taken during the seventh semester.
With the dual degree nursing program, you’ll graduate with both a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree from Bryan College of Health Sciences and a bachelor of arts degree in biology from Concordia Nebraska, allowing you the flexibility to pursue future vocations in nursing, natural sciences, biology and other health- and science-related fields.
- Nursing is Concordia’s principle pre-health program. Through the dual degree program, you are able to earn both a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree from Bryan and a bachelor of arts in biology degree from Concordia in just nine semesters, an accelerated timeline from a traditional degree, where you would earn your bachelor of arts degree in four years and then take a separate one, two or four-year nursing program.
- Because you’ll earn two degrees, you’ll also gain increased flexibility in choosing your future career; you can choose to pursue vocations in nursing with your BSN degree or vocations in the natural sciences with your BA degree in biology.
- In addition, the biology program at Concordia University, Nebraska, as with all our science programs, integrates science and faith together, rather than seeing them as opposing ideas. Courses and labs in the nursing prerequisite courses at Concordia Nebraska are taught by faculty who are committed to your academic, personal, spiritual and professional well-being.
- Concordia Nebraska’s pre-nursing program is designed to prepare you to transfer to a BSN program elsewhere, or to provide you with a four-year degree in the science field of your choice, usually biology or chemistry that can prepare you for a health-related career. The purpose of the pre-nursing program is to prepare you for further education in a dedicated nursing program or graduate program after graduation.
- By contrast, the dual degree nursing program offered in partnership with Bryan College of Health Sciences allows you to earn a bachelor of arts in biology degree from Concordia while concurrently earning a BSN from Bryan. The rigorous nine-semester program prepares you for passing the National Council Licensing Examination (NCLEX) after which you can successfully start working in your career as a nurse, or, if you choose, to enter a graduate program to earn your graduate degree in nursing.
- Your first three semesters will be spent as a resident at Concordia Nebraska. You’ll take general education and foundational science courses, with an emphasis on biology. During your third semester, you’ll take a one-credit online Bryan College of Health Sciences course in scientific literacy.
- The next three semesters will include courses at both Concordia and Bryan, both online and in-person. You’ll begin to take more nursing courses, including courses in, foundations of nursing practice and health assessment, pharmacology and medical/surgical nursing.
- Your final three semesters will be spent entirely at Bryan, with a 0.5 credit financial literacy online class taken during the seventh semester through Concordia Nebraska. During these semesters, you will take courses such as issues and trends in nursing, nursing leadership and licensure preparation, in addition to completing your clinical experience.
Core Concepts
The dual degree nursing program at Concordia University, Nebraska and Bryan College of Health Sciences provides students with the knowledge, skills and abilities to function effectively in all areas of nursing practice through quality instruction and clinical experiences. The program equips students to be servants of Christ, able to apply their knowledge in a variety of hands-on and simulated clinical settings and to lay the groundwork for finding a career in nursing or continuing their professional education at the graduate level.
Concordia Nebraska and Bryan College of Health Services PartnershipNursing: Learning Objectives
Students in the dual degree nursing program at Concordia University, Nebraska and Bryan College of Health Sciences will receive a solid foundation in both natural sciences and applied nursing theory and practice.
Students will learn to communicate clearly and effectively with clients, families and health care constituents.
Students will learn to measure, calculate, reason, analyze and synthesize data related to patient care and nursing practice.
Students will learn to uphold ethical principles and practices of education and the profession of nursing.
Concordia Nebraska and Bryan College of Health Services PartnershipNursing: End of Program Student Learning Outcomes
Students in the dual degree nursing program in partnership with Bryan College of Health Sciences and Concordia University, Nebraska will be able to incorporate professional communication in interactions with clients, colleagues and community partners.
Students will understand and utilize scientific knowledge derived from theory and research as it applies to professional nursing care.
Students will be able to assume professional responsibility and ethical accountability in providing health care.
Students will be able to evaluate research critically and use findings selectively in professional nursing practice.
Students will pursue knowledge as a lifelong learner to promote professional growth.
Learn more about Bryan College of Health Sciences BSN in Nursing program
The Bryan College of Health Sciences BSN program meets the educational requirements of certification or licensure in many states. For more details, see the Bachelor of Science in Nursing disclosure.
Concordia Nebraska Nursing: Career Outcomes
Registered Nurse
Registered nurses (RNs) perform patient assessments, collaborate with members of the interprofessional healthcare team, administer medications, implement evidence-based practice through interventions and treatments as prescribed by the healthcare provider, create patient care plans, provide patient education and teaching, and evaluate overall patient outcomes. As an RN, you may work in a clinic, hospital, school, long-term care, or assisted living facility, and would be part of a team of healthcare professionals, focusing on patient care. Depending on where you work, you may also be in charge of supervising Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) or nursing assistants.
Nurse Administrator
Nurse administrators typically manage staff in clinics, hospitals, or long-term care facilities, and complete administrative tasks such as staff scheduling, performance reviews, attending meetings, developing training and personnel procedures, managing a budget and more.
Nurse Anesthetist
After graduate school, you may choose to become a nurse anesthetist. Nurse anesthetists administer anesthesia, monitor patient’s vital signs and oversee patient recovery from anesthesia. As a nurse anesthetist, you may assist anesthesiologists, surgeons or other physicians or dentists.
1 Recent graduates attending graduate school or employed within six months of graduation.
2 Career salary and wages sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.