RN to BSN - does it matter which school I pick?

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I will graduate with my ADN come December and plan on applying to RN-BSN programs soon after that. One option I have to attend an rn-bsn program from a fairly well known state university in my state. The program will take 2 years, mostly online, and have clinical portions that would require me drive to the main campus in a town about an hour away from my home. My other option is to attend a completely online private university that isn't nearly as well known as the big name state university (Indiana Wesleyan University). This option is completely online, only one class at a time, and no clinical portion.

I would like to attend graduate school one day; will the school I received my bachelors from affected my chances to attend. Do admissions committees prefer to see big name universities as opposed to small private, evangelical colleges?

Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.

I'm in grad school...major university. My BSN is from Chamberlain...totally online school. I applied to 1 NP program and got in right away. I started and application to a second school but never finished it...they hounded me to finish it and told me I could get started right away. I also almost went for a CNM...I didn't complete my application but went through to the interview. I was told I was being recommend with highest regards. So my BSN at chamberlain certainly didn't hurt me.

I would just make sure that whichever school you choose is nationally accredited.

Both of the schools I listed above are CCNE accredited.

Specializes in Public Health.

I can't see why the heck a nurse needs to do clinicals in a bridge program. That's weird. But I would go with the online one. As long as it's not a ridiculous amount of money

Specializes in Forensic Psych.
I can't see why the heck a nurse needs to do clinicals in a bridge program. That's weird. But I would go with the online one. As long as it's not a ridiculous amount of money

Uh, yes. I've never seen a RN-BSN program with a clinical component (except something like a community health care aspect), and I wouldn't attend one. I have the exact same number of clinical hours as my BSN buddies...I don't need to worry about more while I'm working!

Uh, yes. I've never seen a RN-BSN program with a clinical component (except something like a community health care aspect), and I wouldn't attend one. I have the exact same number of clinical hours as my BSN buddies...I don't need to worry about more while I'm working!

Yeah the online program through IWU used to have a clinical component, but no longer does. My main reasoning is that I will be working full time, as a new grad RN. Having clinicals is one thing, but doing it when you are work full time as a new grad RN is another. Also, my ADN program, though we did not have a dedicated "community health" class, we did do a lot of clinicals in places such as health departments, homeless shelters, etc. Lastly, my ADN program has 2 full semesters of pharmacology, a lot of these bridge programs I see are having you take a pharmacology class all over again.

As long as it is CCNE accredited I don't think that it matters where; I would never go to a RN-BSN program with a clinical component though. I am doing one from the school that I received my ADN at and it is 100% online.

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