AS or AA ?

klone, MSN, RN · Jun 6, 2015

Why not do a nursing associate's degree, rather than a general associate's?

Alexandrasmiles · Jun 6, 2015

I'm honestly confused on what to do because I've been told just to do an AA and transfer to a university to get a bachelors in science.

klone, MSN, RN · Jun 6, 2015

There are many paths to your goals. It just seems more direct, if you're going to bother with getting an Associate's degree, to get it in actual *nursing* instead of something else. Or you can enroll directly into a university BSN program. Or you can take your non-nursing prerequisites at a community college and then transfer them to a university's BSN program.

I think the best plan is to figure out what institution you want to get your nursing degree and go from there.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Jun 6, 2015

Neither. It is better to just go for the BSN.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Jun 6, 2015

Neither. It is better to just go for the BSN.

Some people need to start working sooner rather than later. For them, getting the Associate's in nursing, going to work as a RN, and getting the BSN at their own pace works better for them. It just depends upon the individual circumstances.

That said, I got my BSN rather than doing the ADN route. But I didn't have to worry about money and I had all the time I wanted to take to get it done. Not everyone has that option.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Jun 6, 2015

Some people need to start working sooner rather than later. For them, getting the Associate's in nursing, going to work as a RN, and getting the BSN at their own pace works better for them. It just depends upon the individual circumstances.
That said, I got my BSN rather than doing the ADN route. But I didn't have to worry about money and I had all the time I wanted to take to get it done. Not everyone has that option.

This poster is asking about getting a general AA or AS. My university's BSN program would not have accepted someone with an associate's degree into the junior year of the nursing program because they wouldn't have taken the classes we started taking freshman year, so getting the AA or AS would make the BSN program longer.

For someone straight out of high school, it makes the most sense to just go to college and get a BSN. An Associate's in Nursing would take longer than 2 years for most students right out of high school, since it's unlikely they have any of the pre-reqs for the program done.

babilidose · Jun 6, 2015

Id suggest just doing prerequisites and a JC and then applying to a BSN. You're super young and assuming you don't have kids, knock it out of the park! The sky is the limit. A lot of junior colleges have programs with 4 year universities. Just do well in your prereqs, and then apply to a nursing program. I don't think having an AA or AS makes you more marketable when you apply to a nursing program.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Jun 6, 2015

This poster is asking about getting a general AA or AS. My university's BSN program would not have accepted someone with an associate's degree into the junior year of the nursing program because they wouldn't have taken the classes we started taking freshman year, so getting the AA or AS would make the BSN program longer.
For someone straight out of high school, it makes the most sense to just go to college and get a BSN. An Associate's in Nursing would take longer than 2 years for most students right out of high school, since it's unlikely they have any of the pre-reqs for the program done.

Yeah, if you know you want to be a nurse, a general associates degree doesn't make sense to me either.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Jun 6, 2015

To be a nurse you can take a number of paths to be eligible to take the NCLEX licensure exam, but all of them are specific, not general. One of the following must be completed before you can think about being admitted to an advanced-practice program for nurse practitioner, AND you will probably find that you will also need several years in practice as an RN to be considered competitive for any advanced practice program.

1) Go directly to a university or college four-year BSN program. If you are still in high school, this is the best choice. Most hospitals are hiring only BSNs

2) Go to a community college with a nursing program and get an ADN/ASN (whichever they call it-- same thing). This will take you about 3-3 1/2 years, because unlike an associate degree in English, you will have to take a lot of science prerequisites before you can start the 2 years of the nursing program.

3) Go to a community college with an integration relationship with a BSN program, so you go directly to the BSN program as soon as you finish your associate's degree in nursing.

4) Go to the ADN program, pass NCLEX, then apply to an accelerated BSN program (ABSN).

BeachsideRN, ASN · Jun 7, 2015

To be a nurse you can take a number of paths to be eligible to take the NCLEX licensure exam, but all of them are specific, not general. One of the following must be completed before you can think about being admitted to an advanced-practice program for nurse practitioner, AND you will probably find that you will also need several years in practice as an RN to be considered competitive for any advanced practice program.

1) Go directly to a university or college four-year BSN program. If you are still in high school, this is the best choice. Most hospitals are hiring only BSNs

2) Go to a community college with a nursing program and get an ADN/ASN (whichever they call it-- same thing). This will take you about 3-3 1/2 years, because unlike an associate degree in English, you will have to take a lot of science prerequisites before you can start the 2 years of the nursing program.

3) Go to a community college with an integration relationship with a BSN program, so you go directly to the BSN program as soon as you finish your associate's degree in nursing.

4) Go to the ADN program, pass NCLEX, then apply to an accelerated BSN program (ABSN).

Not to be a stickler but #4 is incorrect. That would be a RN-BSN bridge not an accelerated BSN. ABSNs are for ppl with non nursing bachelors

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Jun 8, 2015

Not to be a stickler but #4 is incorrect. That would be a RN-BSN bridge not an accelerated BSN. ABSNs are for ppl with non nursing bachelors

You are completely correct. I was originally thinking about the acclerated BS-in-anything-to MN program, and then realized the OP wasn't asking about that but did't change it back. Thanks for the correction!