Nursing degree, need advice.

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How does a 4 year bachelors degree in nursing work in terms of study?

What are pre reqs and when do you do them?

I have moved from London to NYC and I have GCSEs and A-levels.

Can these not count towards my pre reqs to make my time in college shorter?

If not, is there anything I can do this year to make the degree 3 years and save time? As in could I do my pre reqs or whatever it is I need to do this year?

If so how do I do it and how will it be recognised by the college or university?

Editorial Team / Admin

Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN

6 Articles; 11,663 Posts

Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

You will need to ask the schools to which you apply. What will be accepted and what will not will depend on the individual school's policies.

Firas5

23 Posts

Can you tell me generally what is studied in a 4 year BSN programme?

What Is studied in each year?

Do you become an RN after the 2nd year or not?

And when are pre reqs done?

Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
Can you tell me generally what is studied in a 4 year BSN programme?

What Is studied in each year?

Do you become an RN after the 2nd year or not?

And when are pre reqs done?

I did a 2 year program and then finished my BSN in a bridge program--a program designed for licensed RN so finish up the BSN work. During my 2 year program we had nursing classes (of course) each semester; applicable science classes, e.g. A&P, pathophysiology, microbiology; pharmacology; developmental psych; technical writing; and several general ed classes.

For my BSN, our nursing classes were mostly focused on community based nursing--public health, family nursing, geriatric nursing. We studied research, nursing theory, nursing informatics, ethics, leadership, etc. And then we took a lot more general ed classes.

You can attend an associate's (2-year) program and then sit for the licensure exam. There are BSN bridge programs designed for licensed RNs to finish their BSN. But no, you can't become an RN in the middle of a traditional BSN program. Sophomore/Junior nursing students don't know nearly enough; year 2 into those programs is not equivalent to the the 2nd year of a 2 year program.

Prerequisites must be taken prior to admission into the nursing program.

NICU Guy, BSN, RN

4,161 Posts

Specializes in NICU.

Both the ASN and BSN programs lead to eligibility to take NCLEX and get your RN. BSN programs include all of the classes of the ASN plus Research, Community Health Nursing, and Leadership. A majority of the BSN programs require completion of your pre-requisites prior to being accepted into the nursing program. The pre-requisites include A&P 1 and 2, Chemistry, Microbiology, Psychology, Statistics, and Nutrition. In the US, there is a move by the hospitals to hire BSN nurses over ASN nurses causing the ASN nurses to return to school and attend a bridge program (RN-BSN).

Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

One of the peculiarities of the US is the balance of power between the Federal and State governments. Educational requirements & professional licensure are both areas in which each state makes its own rules. Bottom line? There is no "Standard" nationwide requirement for a BSN. For instance, my state requires a set of core classes for all BS degrees including nursing - including state history & state government. States also mandate the credit hours required for a degree... There is a national movement to limit Associate Degrees to 60 semester credit hours, but not every state has agreed to do so. There is also variation in the number of required clinical hours for each type of degree.

PP's advice is sound. You will need to contact the schools that interest you and obtain information from them.

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