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, a Master's Entry to Nursing Practice MSN Program for non-nurses with any bachelor's degree, and an online RN to BSN Program for practicing nurses who want their BSN. We even offer opportunities for Early admission for high school seniors. Contact a recruiter to learn more about these or any other programs at Sentara College.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program at a Glance

• The Program is offered every January
• Now accepting applications for January 2026
• 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
• 2024-2025 tuition, fees, and total cost of attendance

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

Interested in applying to this program?

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