Can u be an rn without degree

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Is it possible to be an rn without an adn, if it is how can you obtain an adn when ur a nurse already

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As per the Department of Labor:

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos083.htm

Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement About this sectionicon_small_help.gif

The three typical educational paths to registered nursing are a bachelor's degree, an associate degree, and a diploma from an approved nursing program. Nurses most commonly enter the occupation by completing an associate degree or bachelor's degree program. Individuals then must complete a national licensing examination in order to obtain a nursing license. Advanced practice nurses—clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, nurse-midwives, and nurse practitioners—need a master’s degree.

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It is not possible to be an RN without an ADN or BSN, at least not in the US.

There is one small exception to this, a hospital diploma program, which are 3 year programs. They are few and far between.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diploma_in_Nursing

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Three-year diploma programs exist for people who would like to become RNs, but the numbers of these types of nursing programs have been rapidly dwindling over the past 30 years. Diploma nursing programs are typically connected with a local hospital.

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Specializes in Psych/Substance Abuse, Ambulatory Care.

There are some hospital-based diploma programs, there just aren't a ton. Your state BON should be able to name some local ones for you. Of the ones I've heard of, they take as long as getting your ADN, but the wait lists are generally non-existant or not as bad.

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when you say "already a nurse", then get ADN......are you talking about an LPN? I'm confused. An LPN doesn't have the ADN or BSN maybe that's what you mean??? Yes an LPN can work as a nurse, as an LPN (different a bit then an RN) and work on an ADN or BSN. Both are nurses, LPN and RN--just different levels.

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Why would you want to take the responsibility of being an RN without the formal education?

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Specializes in critical care.

Diploma programs are available, depending on your location. I'm in PA and there are several well-regarded programs affiliated with hospitals in my area. They do tend to take as long or longer than ADN programs, however. From what I've seen, they offer more clinical hours than the ADN program.

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I am still a student myself so take what I say with that in mind. I would advise getting all the education you can. I think the reason most people try to take the quick way is that they think it is the quickest easiest way to make a good living. I am in an ADN program myself but now that I have been in the program for a bit, I absolutely intend to further my education beyond this. Most people who have never been a nurse or gone through the education for nursing don't realize the extent of a nurses responsibilities. You are liable for your patient's well being and it isn't just your job to know how to place a catheter, IV, give injections, and pass meds. You have to know that the care that you are administering (even if a doctor is the one who ordered it) is safe for that patient. Which means you are responsible to not only know your job but the jobs of everyone around you. Being in the clinical setting and seeing all these amazing nurses and learning the things they are responsible for give me great incentive to learn all I can. Losing your job isn't the biggest concern you have as a nurse. You can lose your license and with it your ability to practice. You can lose your reputation and you can lose everything you own if you don't take the steps to be properly educated and insured. I may be wrong but it has become apparent to me that you need to have a passion for this and not "just" a desire for stable income.

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There are hospital diploma programs which last about 3 years, but most ADN programs are the same length. This is probably the reason there aren't many diploma programs around anymore. You might as well just go ahead and do the ADN. If you just want to get into the field sooner, try an 18 month LPN/VN program.

Here in California, you can actually get an RN without a degree. If you already have an LVN/PN, you can do a 30-unit option program at a community college. It only takes 1 year. Problem is, you will only be able to work in CA...no place else. You can also get your LVN license without school, if you are a CNA and have lots of experience. This is what I did years ago.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Cardiac.
It is not possible to be an RN without an ADN or BSN, at least not in the US.

There is one small exception to this, a hospital diploma program, which are 3 year programs. They are few and far between.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diploma_in_Nursing

Most of the diploma programs in my part of the world are 2 years or less. Mine was 22 months. If you're a diploma RN, no point in trying to finish an ADN, since there are many RN-BSN many of which can be finished in a year or a little more. It seems like some of the ADN programs take about 3 years since there are a lot of prereqs, but I could be wrong about that.

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My ADN program is 16 months, it used to be 15 but they added an extra month to break up Med/Surg into two parts because a lot of students were failing it. Plus it gets us some extra clinical time, so I won't complain.

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