Career path help

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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Hi, I am a 40 yr old mom who would like to go back to school to become a np. I was on the medical track in college and life got in the way... I retook anatomy, physio, and micro last year. What is the best and fastest track to take? Should I try online bsn programs? Mepn program (I have an English degree)? Any help would much appreciated! I'm in CA by the way.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Moved to prenursing forum

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If you had a good g.p.a in college with your english degree and did well on your pre reqs. I would suggest an accelerated bachelor of nursing degree (absn). However, they tend to be pretty expensive. They typically range from 12-18 months, which is very fast paced. Online programs are normally for rn with associate trying to gain a bachelors. if your starting from scratch, absn is a way to go. Some also suggest starting from the bottom and working your way up. This all depends on your finances, so community college (asn), then a bachelors programs, then a np program. May I ask, what part of CA do you reside?

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

OP: there are no 100% online BSN programs for prelicensure (in other words- to become an RN). all of the ones in which content is delivered online also require hundreds of clinical hours as well.

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Specializes in Psychiatric and Mental Health NP (PMHNP).

Here are the 2 fastest options:

1. Get an Accelerated BSN (ABSN), then an MSN. The ABSN will take 13 to 16 months, depending on the program. The MSN will take 16 to 24 months, depending on which specialty you choose.

2. Direct-entry master's programs - typically 3 years. The first year you basically complete the equivalent of a BSN and must sit for the NCLEX and pass it before continuing on. UCLA has this type of program.

Also consider going out of state. I live in Calif and went to Hopkins. It was actually cheaper because Calif tuitions are so high now and Hopkins had a lot of scholarships.

Good luck.

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Thanks for the advice and help everyone! I'm from Orange county btw. Would you suggest a direct entry master's program? Are they very competitive to get into?

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Specializes in Psychiatric and Mental Health NP (PMHNP).
Thanks for the advice and help everyone! I'm from Orange county btw. Would you suggest a direct entry master's program? Are they very competitive to get into?

UC Irvine and UCLA have direct entry master's. Many of the Cal State Colleges and Universities, do too. Go to the California Board of Nursing website and find the list of accredited MSN/NP programs and then check each one to see if they offer direct entry Masters.

The direct entry master's programs are generally competitive because they are rigorous programs. The schools want to ensure that applicants can complete the program.

Good luck.

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I had a similar path. I was pre-med with a bachelors of science in child psychology, and decided I wanted to be a nurse practitioner. I wrote an article about the different pathways you can take to become a nurse practitioner based on your current education level. If you search askthepsychnp You will find the article I wrote. I hope you find this helpful and good luck!

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Thank you so much! Will definitely read your article asap :)

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Sorry, I can't find the article. Do you have a link?

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