ADN to BSN Question

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I already have a BA and decided to take classes at my community college to sit for NCLEX. (I'm not even getting an ADN degree, actually.) I decided not to go for a BSN right now for a number of reasons, the big one being financial. Anyway, here is my question. If I do want to eventually get a BSN, will I have to have 60 credits at the credentialing institution like most "transfer" students? Or will they give me a BSN with less. My suspicion is that I wouldn't necessarily need 60 credits to fulfill the BSN requirements.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
I had no idea I could sit for the boards without getting an ADN. My counselor informed me of this and said that she thought it would not be worth my while to take the extra associates degree courses. And the courses that I would need to take are not interesting to me. One is state government (I plan on moving out of state in the next few years) and the other is a cultural sensitivity class (I've always lived in major metroplitan areas, including New York City, and have had friends and work associates of all different persuasions for 30 plus years). I'm not saying these classes are worthless, I just don't think I'd get much out of them.

Also, and this was one of the reasons for the post, taking more general education classes will not help prepare me for a BSN. Most colleges have requirements that you take a certain number of courses with them to get a degree. For instance, you can't take 3 1/2 years of courses at a state college, transfer to Harvard for one semester, and get a Harvard degree. A university will only take so many transfer credits. Why do I need more credits that won't transfer? I am pretty sure I am already maxed out.

That's an interesting program that will let you talk all the courses to become a nurse, sit for boards, but won't grant you a nursing degree. That's what some of us are having trouble wrapping our minds around. I among several others have never heard of that option. It must look strange on the resume.

You did mention that you goal was to eventually get a BSN, so I think you should contact a few RN to BSN programs and see if they will transfer your BA into a BSN without having an ADN or those extra credits. Every college is different. I had my ADN but still had to back up take non-nursing courses like Western Civ., Religion and a couple of others to get the BSN at the school I choose.

Good luck!

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What state are you in, firststudent? I'm really curious about all this. Like I posted earlier, in New York, it's not an option....I'm wondering if most states are like NY or if NY is an exception that won't allow it.

No offense intended, hope it's not taken as such, but I still am trying to picture the curriculum that would have you non-matriculated in the nursing program (not actually on the nursing degree path) that would have you taking all the core nursing courses anyway.

How is it that you took all the clinicals, lectures, practicums, etc for nursing, yet were not a nursing student? (if that's what you mean by "having very similar courses, only missing a few" or something to that effect.

What program WERE you matriculated in?

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Hi!

I'm a little confused here. I thought the whole reasoning for accelerated BSN programs was to allow folks who already have a degree(BA, BS)to be graduates of an approved nursing program so they could then sit for the NCLEX. Because that is a requirement for the NCLEX. I'm curious what state you attend school in as well, sure would probably have an influx of nursing applications if a lot of folks found out!LOL ;)

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I think the take-home point is this: First run your plan by your state board of nursing and if you can get it in writing, even better. Then you contact some RN-to-BSN programs that interest you and see what they think.

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I am in Southern California. I am not in an accelerated BSN program because the closest one costs $40,000 and will not give me any scholarship money because I already have a bachelor's degree (which I think is fair, actually). Whereas the ADN program at the community college is giving me a fee waiver because of financial need so it is free. It is actually taking me longer to get my near-ADN (two years) than it would take me to get an accelerated BSN (one year), but those are the breaks when you're broke.

Being able to sit for the board without getting the an official ADN is no great advantage. In order to do this, you have to take all the nursing courses and clinicals and other courses required by the board (public speaking, for instance) plus have previously gotten at least another associates degree at a college or university.

Why does this seem shocking or inappropriate? Basically, the board is just acknowledging that I don't need to take more general education courses to become a nurse if I have already fullfilled those requirements getting another degree.

This is from California's NCLEX application:

B. TO BE COMPLETED BY THE OFFICE OF THE SCHOOL OFFICIAL RELEASING TRANSCRIPTS

The above applicant has applied for a license to practice as a registered nurse in California. Please provide the following information and attach a complete official transcript. Please mail to the Board of Registered Nursing at the above address.

DO NOT SIGN OR SUBMIT THIS FORM PRIOR TO COMPLETION DATE OF THE REGISTERED NURSING PROGRAM.

ENTRANCE DATE:

DATE DIPLOMA/ DEGREE AWARDED:

DATE NURSING REQUIREMENTS COMPLETED:

If degree received prior to entering nursing program, list name of school and type of degree:

NAME OF SCHOOL:

TYPE OF DEGREE:

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Specializes in med-surg, ob,er.

I'm cofused, are you a grad of a nursing program? It is my understanding that you need to have graduated fromn some sort of program, college in order to apply to be seated to take this test.

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Specializes in Surgical/Telemetry.

If you are planning on moving out of state soon, you may want to double check with the planned destination's BON to make sure that you will be eligible to be licensed in said state- If you might move before completing your RN to BSN. Might be a good safety check, as different state BON's may have different opinions on whether the completion of an actual degree/diploma in nursing is required.

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I think I understand what you are saying. You have a previous BA and you are completing an ADN program, minus a few of the humanities classes that are associated with the ADN program.

But because you aren't taking a few of the humanities classes that are associated with the ADN program, you won't officially graduate with an ADN from your school.

I seriously doubt this will ever be a problem for you. If you want to get a BSN, you'll be fine as long as you either take or have taken humanities classes that will fill in for the ones you are missing. The bridge programs are called RN-BSN, not ADN to BSN so as long as you are a registered nurse this won't be an issue. Just bear in mind that each BSN program might require a little something different in the way of pre-requisites. Mostly they are logic, chemistry, etc. If you have those classes from your previous BA, you should be able to transfer them unless it's been a very long time since you got your BA. Some schools want them to be less than 10 years old.

Good luck

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho.

I have to agree with Daytonite. Most BON requirements stipulate the institution has to be accredited to sit for NCLEX. Ultimately it comes down to what your state will allow so check for yourself on your BON website or call them.

Given if you already have gen ed classes out of the way with your BA,, you wont have to do much other than the nursing program itself to earn your BSN/ADN. Also another thing to consider is if you dont get your education through an accredited school, and your state allows you to sit for NCLEX you may still have problems getting a license in a state other than the one you are in now. In order to license you in MY state you will have to have graduated from an accredited program.

Also,, that is also why there has been such a huge drop in the number of diploma programs across the country. They were finding it more difficult to license them when the BON requires certain number of contact credit hours from an accredited institution, and certain number of contact clinical hours.

Check with your BON yourself to make sure that what you were told is really the way it is.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

Why does this seem shocking or inappropriate?

Because 99.99999999999% of who are registered nurses have nursing degrees that are ADN, Diploma or BSNs. Even those millions of us with other degrees. It's just seems weird to be a nurse without a nursing degree.

While "shocking and inappropriate" are exaggerations to some of our feelings, you have to admit it's ususual, and some of us are merely intrigued and need some clarification. In fact so unusual 99% of us haven't heard of it, thus the many questions.

Thanks for taking the time to explain it again and again. No need to get defensive, however, please understand it's an unusual concept which is why we keep asking over and over again "are you sure???? Tell us more.". :lol2:

I agree that taking a couple of gen ed courses just to have an "ADN" title would be a waste of precious time and dollars, if you can become an RN without those silly courses. Good luck!

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lostdruid, you've got it. It's a good point to check with my counselor or other state boards to make sure that once I sit for the NCLEX that I'm good in other states.

While I do almost have th necessary credit to get an ADN, my community college requires certain courses that are idiosyncratic to its program. Schools are all different in this way, some require physical education, government courses, health courses, etc. My concern is that no only will I not be learning much from these courses, they won't transfer if I go to get my BSN. I will have in excess of 150 undergraduate credits when I finish -- taking more lower division undergraduate credits that won't go toward a BSN or graduate education just doesn't seem helpful.

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.
i am an adn student, but i am older and have a ba and have taken courses in a number of colleges/universities

i am in my second year of adn

after reading your previous posts, i see you are indeed in an adn program. when you graduate, you will have fulfilled the requirements for the program with the pre-reqs and/or core requirements for that program and will have the degree of associates in nursing conferred.

you might not be required to take the idiosyncratic and/or mundane course/s for the ones you have already taken might substiitute for those courses in your program. i'm sure this is done in many programs on an individual basis.

this is from california's nclex application:

b. to be completed by the office of the school official releasing transcripts

the above applicant has applied for a license to practice as a registered nurse in california. please provide the following information and attach a complete official transcript.

and, your school will provide the official transcript outlining your completion of the required credits and that you have officially graduated from the adn program.

all said, you will not be allowed to sit for nclex without first graduating from a program and receiving the degree of adn/bsn/msn or diploma. that is a fact for everyone who wants to be an rn ~ in every state.

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