MRU's RN-to-BSN: the three preceptorship-model courses
MRU's RN-to-BSN includes 135 clinical hours, 45 in each of three courses completed under indirect supervision in a preceptorship model. MRU publishes the courses and hours but not who arranges the preceptor, so this page sets out what is known and what to ask before your first clinical course.
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Program facts
The RN-to-BSN awards a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. MRU counts it as 120 credits in total, built from 41 credits granted for your RN license, 40 general-education credits and 39 nursing credits, and it runs 12 months over three semesters. The catalog lists onsite and online delivery, and every course description in MRU's 2026 curriculum is marked "(Online)".
Admission asks for an active RN license (MRU does not specify which state) and residence in Florida or a SARA member state for the length of the program.
Your course codes changed in 2026. If a syllabus, transcript or advisor uses NUR3400, NUR4300 or NUR4200, those are the old codes for the three clinical courses below.
The three clinical courses
All 135 hours sit in three 4-credit courses, each labeled "Clinical-Indirect Supervision" in MRU's 2026 curriculum.
| 2026 code | Old code | Course | Clinical hours | Focus | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NUR4269 | NUR3400 | Care of the Aging Population | 45 | Older adults across care settings | RN license, NUR3041, NUR3061, NUR3183, NUR3816 |
NUR4679 | NUR4300 | Vulnerable and Underserved Populations | 45 | Community and population health | RN license, NUR3041, NUR3061, NUR3183, NUR3816 |
NUR4689 | NUR4200 | Community and Public Health Nursing | 45 | Community and public health settings | RN license, NUR3871, NUR4111, NUR4269, NUR4679 |
NUR4269 and NUR4679 share prerequisites and can sit close together in your plan; NUR4689 waits until both are done. The 2026 course codes page explains the renumbering across MRU's undergraduate programs.
What "preceptorship model" means here
MRU describes the clinical work in these courses as completed "under indirect supervision in a preceptorship model". In general terms that means a preceptor in the setting works alongside you while course faculty oversee from outside it, rather than a faculty-led clinical group. MRU's own definition sits in the handbook and syllabus, not on the public site.
The contrast with MRU's pre-licensure BSN is useful. That program has courses with nearly the same titles (NUR4268 Care of the Aging Population, NUR4678 Vulnerable and Underserved Populations, NUR4688 Community and Public Health Nursing), but those are directly supervised. The RN-to-BSN versions are the ones labeled indirect supervision, and each lists an RN license among its prerequisites.
The settings follow the course titles: older adults across care settings, community and population health, and community and public health. None of the three descriptions ties you to a hospital, so community organizations and public-health settings are worth considering.
Who arranges the preceptor
MRU does not say. Its catalog states the own-preceptor rule for the graduate NP tracks and the leadership MSN, and its pre-licensure programs run clinicals through contracted externship agencies, but no public MRU source says which approach the RN-to-BSN follows. Do not assume either way.
The nursing student handbook on the student portal is the most likely place for the answer, and your course syllabus or program chair can confirm it; our handbook page explains how to use it. Ask early, because the answer decides whether you spend the semester before NUR4269 searching or simply waiting for a schedule.
Questions to put to your program before the first clinical course
- Do I arrange my own preceptor and site for
NUR4269,NUR4679andNUR4689, or does MRU? - If I arrange it, who approves the preceptor, and what qualifications must they have?
- Can hours be completed where I work, and if so, under what conditions?
- Which system do I log hours in, and what must my preceptor sign?
- Which clearance items and vendor apply to RN-to-BSN students?
If you end up arranging your own
Should your program confirm that RN-to-BSN students find their own preceptors, match each one to the course population rather than to convenience. MRU has not published preceptor qualifications for these courses, so get the requirements from your program before you approach anyone.
Settings that line up with each course (examples, not an MRU list)
NUR4269Care of the Aging Population: settings where older adults receive care, such as home health, assisted living, long-term care or a practice with many older patientsNUR4679Vulnerable and Underserved Populations: community health centers, outreach programs, shelters or clinics serving uninsured and low-income patientsNUR4689Community and Public Health Nursing: a county or state health department, school health, or a community program with a population focus
Whichever setting you pick, ask the preceptor early whether they can give 45 hours inside the term and sign whatever MRU requires at the end.
Rules that still apply
Being a licensed RN does not exempt you from MRU's externship rules. Every nursing student needs an individual liability insurance policy, with proof due at least 15 days before the externship starts; see the liability insurance page. Immunization proof must come from a Florida-licensed provider, the flu shot is annual, and the immunizations page covers the list.
MRU may run background checks and drug screens at the start and during enrollment, and any change in your record must be reported in writing to the Office of Academic Affairs within 24 hours. At the site, English only during externship hours unless the agency authorizes otherwise in writing, no phones on the floor and no tobacco or e-cigarettes. The clinical site rules page has the full set.
Residence and accreditation
The Florida-or-SARA residence rule covers the RN-to-BSN as well as the graduate programs, and California is outside it because it is not a SARA member. Our SARA residency page explains the rule.
ACEN accredits MRU's baccalaureate nursing program, which covers the RN-to-BSN, but sources disagree on the exact status. The 2025 catalog and the RN-to-BSN web page say "continuing accreditation with conditions". MRU's 2026 accreditation page says "continuing accreditation" for every level, and ACEN's own record shows the baccalaureate program as accredited with no stipulation after an August 2025 action. The accreditation page tracks the detail.
One small code mismatch to know about: MRU says license credits are awarded on entering "NUR4900", yet the 2026 capstone course is numbered NUR4740. Ask the Registrar which code triggers the credit on your record.
Why RN-to-BSN students choose us
If your program asks you to find your own preceptor for any of these courses, we look for someone in aging, community or public-health work near you and help you gather the details MRU will want, so the approval request is complete. MRU gives the final approval. If MRU arranges the placements for your cohort, we tell you so up front and point you to the right MRU contact. Ask through the form below.
Questions MRU students ask
Is MRU's RN-to-BSN fully online?
The coursework is written as online in the 2026 curriculum, and the catalog lists both onsite and online delivery. The 135 clinical hours are a different matter: they take place in real settings with a preceptor, under indirect supervision, so you still need a site that suits each course's population.
Do I need a Florida RN license for MRU's RN-to-BSN?
MRU asks for an active RN license and does not name a state. You must also live in Florida or a SARA member state throughout the program. If your license is from a different state than the one where your clinical hours would happen, ask your program how that is handled before you line up a site.
Are RN-to-BSN clinical hours the same as MRU's pre-licensure BSN hours?
No. The pre-licensure BSN carries 675 clinical hours across 11 courses, several of them directly supervised, because those students are not yet licensed. The RN-to-BSN has 135 hours across three courses, all under indirect supervision in a preceptorship model, and each course lists an RN license as a prerequisite.
What is NUR4900 on my RN-to-BSN paperwork?
MRU's catalog and RN-to-BSN web page say the credits for your RN license are awarded on entering NUR4900, but the 2026 curriculum numbers the capstone NUR4740. It is likely a leftover from before the renumbering. The Registrar can confirm which code your record uses.
Which RN-to-BSN course should I plan clinical hours for first?
NUR4269 Care of the Aging Population and NUR4679 Vulnerable and Underserved Populations come first, since both require only the RN license and the early nursing courses. NUR4689 Community and Public Health Nursing needs both of them completed, so it comes last.
Related pages
Last checked 2026-09-24
We check these pages against MRU's own catalog, addenda and program pages. The nursing student handbook on the MRU student portal and MRU's Office of Academic Affairs have the final word.
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