Is it very difficult to get a good GPA in an accelerated BSN?

[Pianoplaya94]

Hey everyone,

I have a BA with a GPA of a 3.65 in my fiinal 2 years (3.7 in my final year). I am thinking of applying for an accelerated BSN program to become an RN but my ultimate goal is to apply to a masters to become an NP. I know that NP programs are very competitive so I am wondering how difficult it is to achieve a GPA of 3.7 in an accelerated BSN so I can be competitive when applying for a masters? Fortunately, I do not have any other commitments. No children or husband and I do not need to work during the program. I will have limited responsibilities as my parents take care of that stuff.

I know the GPA scale differs by school, but in Canada a GPA of a 4.0 is anything that's 85%+. A 3.7 is 80%-84%. A 3.3 is 77-79% etc.

[pro-student]

It's definitely possible to earn a strong GPA during an accelerated program but it will require a lot of effort and a really good understanding of the pre-reqs especially A&P. Many accelerated programs become close as a cohort and form supportive study groups. Another option, if you know you want to be an NP, is to apply to a direct entry MSN program. This is basically an accelerated RN program combined with an NP program in one. The advantage is only having to apply once. One drawback is that you need to know what specialty you want your NP to be since you would need to be at a school that has that program. Generally, schools are going to want you to apply for a particular specialty. If you're not sure or you want to work for a while as an RN first, by all means go for an accelerated BSN. Either way, take full advantage of the resources the school offers especially your peers.

[Pianoplaya94]

It's definitely possible to earn a strong GPA during an accelerated program but it will require a lot of effort and a really good understanding of the pre-reqs especially A&P. Many accelerated programs become close as a cohort and form supportive study groups. Another option, if you know you want to be an NP, is to apply to a direct entry MSN program. This is basically an accelerated RN program combined with an NP program in one. The advantage is only having to apply once. One drawback is that you need to know what specialty you want your NP to be since you would need to be at a school that has that program. Generally, schools are going to want you to apply for a particular specialty. If you're not sure or you want to work for a while as an RN first, by all means go for an accelerated BSN. Either way, take full advantage of the resources the school offers especially your peers.

Thanks for the reply. I definitely know I want to become an NP since I am also interested in the diagnostics side of things. I know that I want to specialize in pediatrics since I have volunteered in a number of different units at a pediatric's hospital for nearly 3 years during my undergrad. I did research for 2 of the years but I did interact with the patients and other nurses. I have looked into the direct-entry MSN program since I would LOVE to do that. Unfortunately, there is only ONE school in all of Canada that does this program and am missing many many pre-req courses for this program But even if I did do the pre-reqs, chances of getting in are very small since there's only one program. So direct entry MSN is not an option ugh