Whats the difference?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

Published

Whats the difference between a A.A.S degree and A.D.N degree? Are they the same? Do i qualify to be able to sit for the nclex-rn? The community college im applying to offers a A.A.S degree

Up Vote Up Vote ×

If you mean ASN and ADN, their are the same.

I've never heard of AAS maybe it means get your AA degree and then apply for nursing program, I'm not sure though.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

An ASN and ADN are the same but an AAS would not qualify you to sit for NCLEX. Contact admissions to be more certain.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
An ASN and ADN are the same but an AAS would not qualify you to sit for NCLEX. Contact admissions to be more certain.

Not true. The local nursing school awards an AAS in nursing and no students have had any issues with being eligible for nursing.

An AAS is an associates in applied science. Other official associates degrees include science (AS) and arts (AA). A diploma from a school is not going to state ADN; that is just a common abbreviation that designates a graduate who holds an associates degree with a focus in nursing.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care, Trauma.

My school is currently phasing out the AAS in nursing degree as a part of Washington's state-wide regulation of nursing courses. New nursing students at my school are now working towards the new associate in nursing (AN) degree.

At my school, at least, compared to the AAS, the AN degree requires an additional 10 social science credits, an additional 5 communication credits, has dropped both the sociology and allied health credits, and now requires all math and science credits to be completed prior to starting the program.

However, students who are about to graduate with their AAS in nursing are just as eligible to take the NCLEX as those who will graduate with a AN.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
An ASN and ADN are the same but an AAS would not qualify you to sit for NCLEX. Contact admissions to be more certain.

An AAS in general studies or whatnot would not, but an AAS in nursing absolutely qualifies one to sit for the NCLEX.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Hospitalist Medicine.
An ASN and ADN are the same but an AAS would not qualify you to sit for NCLEX. Contact admissions to be more certain.

Not true at all. AAS simply stands for "Associate of Applied Science". The community college I attended awarded the AAS in Nursing for the RN program. We sat for NCLEX, passed and all got jobs :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

"ADN" (associate's degree in nursing) isn't a real name of a degree; it's a generic term used informally to refer collectively to AAS and ASN degrees. There's no degree of any kind, anywhere, that includes the word "degree" in the name of the degree (e.g., no school awards a "BSD" (baccalaureate of science degree) or "BAD" (baccalaureate of arts degree) in any discipline, or PhDD (doctor of philosophy degree). Community college nursing programs offer either an AAS (associate of applied science) in nursing or ASN (associate of science in nursing) degree, and either one qualifies you for licensure.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

The degree name really doesn't matter. As long as your school is approved/accredited by your states board of nursing, you complete the required course work and your school sends your transcripts and eligibility to the BON you can sit for the nclex. The degree could say Associate of Space the Final Frontier, but your transcripts need to show that you took the required theory and clinical rotations.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment