ASN to NP?

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I am currently going for my ASN. I do not have a lot of money to pay for school and really want to get into nursing now. I am planning to get my ASN then do a tuition reimbursement program to obtain my BSN. I believe that is the best route since I can't afford a BSN right now.

However, I would like to become a NP. How would I go about doing this? Do I need a MSN or just a BSN? Any advice would be great.

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An NP has an MSN. Some schools do offer bridge programs from ASN to MSN, without having to get a separate BSN.

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To become an NP, you will need to complete an MSN degree with a concentration in whichever "flavor" of NP you want to pursue, and then pass the national certification exam for that specialty.

However, there is also talk these days of increasing the minimum preparation for NPs to the doctoral level (DNP) -- there are a few threads here discussing that. It is only a proposal at this point, but that could change in the next few years.

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Specializes in OB.

It would be financially easier to go from your ASN to MSN via a bridge program. You would not have a BSN, though. There are lots of options for bridge programs.

Good Luck!

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