ASN to MSN route?

rj_gunner · May 16, 2016

So I'm fresh out of undergrad (Graduated this past Saturday with a degree in biology!) and fresh from being rejected from all 5 of the direct entry nursing programs I applied to. I know exactly why I was rejected- my undergrad record is spotty and thus my GPA is toilet water. This may seem crazy but I've been crafting out a plan for myself all day and would love the thought/input of some nurses and nursing students here who may have considered or know someone who has taken a similar path.
I ultimatly want to be an nurse practitioner, particularly for psychiatry-mental health. I know there's no chance of me getting into a program with my stats as of right now but was thinking of doing a ASN program after getting my CNA license this summer. Its not ideal, but most programs are 5 semesters- including summer and my doing well would show that I can handle the rigor that comes with nursing. Then after completing a ASN program I can apply to either a RN to BSN or RN to MSN program. It's the more round-about way, and I probably won't get a position at any Boston hospitals any time soon, but seeing as I really want to do nursing and I want to show that I am capable of doing this, more time in getting the degrees I need is warranted and will probably help me out in the long run.
My only fear is that I have yet to meet anyone who's done this recently- sure there are nurses with ASN's who are doing it/ have done it and are thriving as nurses now but being of a new generation, will it look bad that I'm going about it this way? Or does one just going through the process to enter nursing, one way or another, show that you have the capability to hack it as a nurse?
Any and all thoughts are appreciated :)

Also, just an FYI, My pre reqs total to a 3.0- so If I did so the ASN route would I be expected to retake those? Or can I transfer those in even though I have a prior degree?

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · May 18, 2016

I applaud the fact that you're open to different strategies. And, FWIW - prior degrees aren't going to make a difference in anything but financial aid. If you already have a degree, your access to subsidized loans & grants will be much more limited. It is not uncommon for second-degree nurses to enroll in generic nursing programs, particularly if their GPAs are not so high. Also - CNAs are not licensed, they are certified. Big difference.

But you may discover that competition to be admitted to ADN programs is just as fierce as all the other programs. If any of your science or math pre-requisites are > 5 yrs old, you may need to repeat them & this could improve your GPA. Otherwise, it may be chancy to repeat courses just to improve GPA because the new grade may simply be averaged with the old one - or worse yet, the school may not even consider any 'repeated' courses unless they had aged out.

Another possible snag. In many parts of the country - hospital jobs are no longer available to ADN nurses. Work in non-acute settings can be much less flexible than hospital jobs... so it would be more difficult to complete that BSN. Just wanted to make sure you consider that.

Best of luck to you on your educational pathway.

benegesserit · May 18, 2016

My only fear is that I have yet to meet anyone who's done this recently- sure there are nurses with ASN's who are doing it/ have done it and are thriving as nurses now but being of a new generation, will it look bad that I'm going about it this way? Or does one just going through the process to enter nursing, one way or another, show that you have the capability to hack it as a nurse?

No, no one is going to think it looks bad. Probably the opposite. There is a level of distrust within the nursing community for direct entry programs, because Nurse Practitioner was originally intended to build upon existing clinical skills and knowledge gained on the job, hence the relatively low number of clinical hours compared to medical or PA school.