I will let you be the judge if this is wrong or right?

[alison-z]

I will let you be the judge if this is wrong or right? I thought about going for my BSN instead of ASN and I got some shocking information today about a BSN program. I always thought nursing was just like any other program and anyone could go into it if you had good gades and SAT score. Today, someone told me their university requires senior students take the nursing entrance exam and if you don't take it by their senior year than they can't go into nursing. Another words, they are only accepting younger students into nursing. The way it was explained that even if I got my ASN I couldn't finish my BSN there. I am confused about the requirements for the nursing program. I really don't care but it seems this is age discrimination in some ways. It's great to keep high standards but age has nothing to do with keeping standards high. My question is if I finish my ASN, will it be hard for me to get my BSN and anybody ever heard of this rule? All BSN program this way?I thought most universities and colleges went by SAT, GPA and interviews. Our ASN program chose students by SAT, Anatomy/Psychology, and GPA.

:stone

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

I'm gather you're talking about high school here, that you have to take the entrance exam your senior year in high school or not get into the nursing program?

Please clarify it with the university because that person's information could be second hand and could be wrong.

Here in Florida, I can definately say it's not that way in the BSN program here. The RN to ADN program here is very easy to get into if you have an RN and an ADN, not very competetive at all. The BSN program at the university is more competetive as are the ADN programs.

Find out your information from the university. If it is true, I think that's very wrong. They should let anyone, anytime take the entrance exam.

Good luck. For for the BSN if you can. :)

[Roseyposey]

I have never heard of anything like this before. How many high school seniors know what they want to major in? And of those, how many change their majors once they are in college? The most direct route toward answering your question is to check with the university. I would bet that admission criteria for the college of nursing is on-line. If not, a five-minute telephone call will dispel any myths.

[bargainhound, RN]

Check your source. I would not believe it.

[llg, PhD, RN]

Certainly you need to check with the school itself so that you can be sure of your information. However, even if much of your initial impressions are correct, that doesn't mean age-discrimination is going on.

A BSN completion program is a very different thing from a generic BSN program. The 2 groups of students have very different needs and schools don't usually like to mix the groups much because of those differences in learning needs. Some schools may offer one program and not the other because of a shortage of available resources, a lack of interest ("customers") in one type of program, etc. In fact, the whole phenomenon of their being special BSN completion programs is a relatively recent development in nursing history. Only a few years ago, someone with an ADN or diploma who wanted to obtain a BSN would have to complete the entire program for the BSN -- including repeating the introductory nursing courses. The practice of giving credit for the course taken at the ADN/Dip level is only a couple of decades old and the widespread availabilty of BSN completion programs that facilite the process is less than 20 years old.

BSN completion students are experienced nurses who don't need the introductory material. They need some of the upper level content along with the liberal arts content needed for a bachelor's degree. Therefore, BSN completion programs do not include introductory content.

On the other hand, generic BSN students need the basics. A generic BSN program teaches those basics and may incorportate the upper level content into all their nursing courses and NOT have separate classes for just the upper level content. Such a class would not be suitable for a RN just looking to get the upper level content.

So ... it may just be that your local school does not have separate BSN completion program. That's not discrimation ... they just don't have the program you are looking for ... just as they probably don't offer lots of majors or don't have every possible option at he Master's and Doctoral levels.

ddd