Completed BSN prior to applying?

[MBrickle]

Hi All,

I fully intend to research this in a few weeks when my school semester ends and I actually have time again, but does anyone know, generally, if completion of a BSN is required before application to an NP program?

I will complete my BSN in May but many application deadlines are before my end-date so I wasn't sure if I would be able to apply for a Fall 2014 start if my BSN was pending.

Just figured I would thrown this out into the interwebs to see if anyone had experience with this.

Thanks!

[elkpark]

I'm sure it varies from school to school, but I applied for grad school when I was still working on my BSN (same scenario as you, I was on schedule to finish later in the Spring, after the application deadlines for the schools had passed) and got accepted without any complications or difficulties (I'm sure that, if I hadn't graduated successfully as anticipated, that would have changed the situation :)). Neither school I applied to even questioned it.

[TashaLPN2006RN2012, ASN, RN]

I was able to apply to Georgetown, Simmons, and University of Cincinnati prior to having my BSN completed...I was in my last trimester when I applied.

[TashaLPN2006RN2012, ASN, RN]

And was accepted to Simmons with no issues...my BSN is complete as of 12/8 =)

[TammyG]

Every school is different. I remember at the time, Georgetown's FNP program did not require any prior NP experience, but their acute care NP program did. I actually did not start NP school for a few years after that, but read the admission requirements for each of your target schools to find out whether they require a year of NP experience first. Many do.

[Murse901, MSN, RN]

I was provisionally accepted to Maryville U and University of Memphis FNP a few months prior to finishing my BSN. I would just apply to your preferred program, indicate your graduation date, and cross your fingers. The worst they can do is tell you to apply for Spring. Good luck!

[newFNP2015]

I agree with many of the above posts - depends on school, try and see, etc.

I am attending the same school for my MSN that I did for my accelerated BSN. They stressed that if we were interested in continuing straight into a part-time MSN from that program, to let them know. Essentially, those people ended up completing theory courses while earning a year of RN experience before starting clinical. Some schools will offer this option to their alumni. I didn't choose this option, but several people did.

[SandyRN1122]

I was accepted to UTEP and Texas A&M Corpus while in my last semester at UTA. Two other schools turned me down due to not having completed my BSN.