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Discussion

Master's entry drop out

Hey all,

Hoping to get a little information here from someone who has had a similar experience. I have been attending a direct-entry Master's program, but since completing the RN portion of the program and beginning to work have decided that I need to take a break for awhile. I'm pretty far along in the program, but have been told that without completing a degree in nursing my license won't transfer to other states. Does anyone know if this is in fact true? If so, I was interested in potentially looking into completing an online RN-BSN program, but was hoping to find one that would accept transfer credits. I've already completed far more than the required BSN requirements at my school, but they are unwilling to grant me a BSN since I am not enrolled in that program. Anyone have any experience with this? I would like to get my BSN to allow me to travel, but not at the expense of having to repeat the classes and clinicals that I've already done. Any information would be very much appreciated.

Thanks!

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You need to direct your questions to your state BON and the boards of any state to which you might move.

It is my understanding that in 49 states, a candidate must have completed a BON approved course of study and earned a diploma or a degree from an approved nursing school in order to be eligible to sit for boards. To my knowledge, CA is the only exception to this rule, in allowing candidates in certain BSN programs to sit for boards once they have completed the basic RN education portion of the program, before taking the management and legal courses necessary to complete their degree. Is your program designed in such a way that you have no degree or diploma? If so, how did you sit for boards?

I can't answer the original poster's question, but I know this is the norm in the direct entry program that is at my school too -- the students are able to sit for boards after completing the required courses, but they do not earn a degree. How she can deal w/it at this point I don't know. Contacting the BON is a good start.

From what I have heard, the BON may not actually have a clear cut answer for you.

However, I believe that something about the "certificate" that they (your school) has to supply to the state in order for you to sit for the NCLEX is considered a degree equivocal in the eyes of the BON.

The one thing I would recommend is to be perseverant, as it seems like schools don't want to give you a clear-cut answer when they know that you AND your tuition money are looking to bail out of the program early.

HTH!

Hmmm, I know this is an old post but I have experience with this so maybe I can at least help future master's entry drop outs. I dropped out of a DE/Master's entry program and have been pretty successful finding jobs at community hospitals. The teaching hospitals are a tougher egg to crack, though I think if you knew someone on the inside you'd have an easier time. Any hospital that hires ADN's and LPN's would probably hire you. Thing is I would think twice before dropping out. I have not found any schools that will accept transfer credit, and only found one MSN program that would accept someone in my educational situation into their program (licensed RN with no nursing degree).

It wil vary from state to state. Here in my state, a candidate for licensure needs to have a Certificate of Completion (diploma program) or a transcript showing the award of a degree (ASN, BSN, MSN) in order to sit for Boards.

We have a Direct Entry MSN program, and the State Board has ruled that those students cannot sit for NCLEX until after they have completed the degree in full.

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I sat for the boards without completing my degree and have not tried to get a license in another state. This might come up in my future. At that time I will deal with it but expect that I may not be able to get a license in the new state.

I was able to reciprocate my license from MA to ME - they look at your license, not your education in that case.

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I was able to reciprocate my license from MA to ME - they look at your license, not your education in that case.

I was surprised by your statement, because, in my experience over the years, states do require (for endorsement) that your nursing education meets their standards for nursing education (and they verify your education), so I checked the ME BON website --

"Information for Licensure by Endorsement for Registered Professional Nurses (RN)

Qualifications

The Board of Nursing may issue a license to practice as a registered professional nurse in Maine if an applicant meets all of the following qualifications:

1. is a graduate of an educational program of study of not less than 2 years in an approved program in professional nursing and holds a degree, diploma or certificate, and

2. has been duly licensed by examination, in English, in another state or territory of the United States, such examination is acceptable to the Maine State Board of Nursing, and such license has not been encumbered, and

3. meets qualifications comparable to those required in Maine at the time of the applicant's graduation." (bolding mine)

http://www.maine.gov/boardofnursing/licensing/lic_endorsement_rn.html

Of course, that doesn't mean that the OP necessarily wouldn't qualify for licensure in any particular state -- just that your education does continue to matter after you're initially licensed, e.g., when you're applying for endorsement in another state.

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I agree with elkpark. The states that I have looked at, have statements on their websites, that say a prospective licensee must show that they have graduated from an accredited program. Have seen this both for new licensees, and those wishing to endorse licenses. I talked to someone about this many years ago and they said that they could not give me an answer until I moved to their state and attempted the licensing process (as if I would move to a state with no means to earn a living!). At the time I struck that statement off as hogwash.

Check with your advisor before doing anything. It may be possible, as per school policy, for you to "stop out" rather than completely drop out and, after a certain amount of time, you can go back and finish your program. Otherwise, could you decrease your class load, maybe to one class per semester, so you can stay in the program, work a bit, and not get caught in an educational limbo?

Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

Not sure what to say, ME did reciprocate my MA license & I know I'm not the first. I do know the BON here has only recently changed the requirements of it's master's entry programs to require a BSN instead of the certificate of completion which MA is allowed to do. Maybe I got in just in time... have a certificate of completion of RN coursework from an accredited program. It's just not a degree. But the prospect of this rug being pulled out from under me somehow (or me being denied licensure when I finally move someplace WARM!) only adds fuel to my fire to get back into a MSN program. As discussed before it has been quite a challenge to even find a program that will accept my non nursing educational credentials. I've just submitted one application though & one more in process...wish me luck!

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Not sure what to say, ME did reciprocate my MA license & I know I'm not the first. I do know the BON here has only recently changed the requirements of it's master's entry programs to require a BSN instead of the certificate of completion which MA is allowed to do. Maybe I got in just in time... have a certificate of completion of RN coursework from an accredited program. It's just not a degree. But the prospect of this rug being pulled out from under me somehow (or me being denied licensure when I finally move someplace WARM!) only adds fuel to my fire to get back into a MSN program. As discussed before it has been quite a challenge to even find a program that will accept my non nursing educational credentials. I've just submitted one application though & one more in process...wish me luck!

Again -- I wasn't suggesting that the quote from the ME BON meant that someone in this situation wouldn't be able to get licensed; I was just disagreeing (in a friendly way :)) with your statement that education didn't matter, just having a license did. That part isn't (necessarily) true. Obviously, your education (whatever piece of paper you got) met their standards, and I'm glad that worked out for you.

But, in the larger sense, your (yours, mine, everybody's) basic nursing education does matter, and will continue to matter, in some occasional circumstances and situations, throughout your entire career. :)

Best wishes for your continuing journey!

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