Is there a way to get a BSN in 3 years instead of 4? If so, how?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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Before anyone tries to give me any flack about this post, NO I am not trying to rush through nursing school. I am just looking for a more cheaper way on getting through nursing school. That's all.

At the colleges that I looked at, the actual nursing part of the program was a set program. Meaning that there was no choice as to which classes were taken when. BUT, the pre-req's can be completed as quickly as you are able to. So if you are highly motivated AND can still maintain a good GPA.... you could finish a BSN in 3 years from start to finish. Please be aware that most nursing programs are highly competitive so be honest with yourself if it becomes too much. I did 78 credits in 2 years... with a 3.9 GPA, so it is very doable. Considering I am an older student, I took 2 remedial Algebra classes and needed foreign language in addition to the regular pre-req's. Had I not needed those other classes, I would have easily finished the pre-req's in 1 year. Taking more than full time does prepare you for nursing school. At my university, we take 17 credits the first semester. It is alot for the students that have never taken above 12.

Good luck!!

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Specializes in nursing education.
Chamberlain College of Nursing offers a 3 year BSN. It a a very good program, but alas it is NOT cheap!

We just hired a new grad from Chamberlain and she is excellently prepared.

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Specializes in ICU / PCU / Telemetry / Oncology.

Yes, it can be done. If you can manage to complete your first 60 credits in less than 2 years (and do well in the process), it's probably the easiest way to get to your goal. This way, when you get into the nursing program you don't have to worry about rushing through that part. Take courses during your first 2 summers, this way you may be able to minimize heavy semester courseloads in your first 4 semesters. I would not overload your nursing semesters if I were you. Then again, you may not be able to since it's quite structured at most all schools.

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Oh ok. Thanks guys! Special thanks to Meriwhen and Wooh too! I will be looking into that. :)

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NAU has a partnership with the Maricopa Community College system where you work on your BSN while taking classes for the ADN. It's basically a 3-year BSN but it does not take into consideration the prerequisites, which must be completed before even applying to the NAU nursing pool. It allows you to bypass the MCC nursing wait list though, which is currently around 2 years.

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