The College of Nursing at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) has recently earned recognition for two of its online programs. Its RN to BSN program was named by Super Scholar as one of the nation's best online undergraduate nursing programs, while its RN to MSN program made College Choice's list of best online masters of science in nursing programs. Offered entirely online, the RN to BSN program allows nurses with an associate's degree in nursing (ADN) to earn a bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN) in just two semesters. The distinction between the two degrees may not be clear to the average patient, but it can sometimes mean the difference between life and death. "With every 10% increase in the proportion of nurses with a bachelor's degree on the hospital staff, the risk of patient death goes down 4%," says Dr. Haley Hoy, Interim Associate Dean of Graduate Programs, referencing a well-known article by Linda Aiken. And the demand is there, Dr. Hoy adds, thanks to an Institute of Medicine recommendation that hospitals increase the proportion of nurses with a BSN from 50 to 80% by 2020.