RN - registered nurse BSN - bachelor of science in nursing The BSN degree allows one to work as a registered nurse, and different schools have different requirements to join their program. To become a registered nurse, there are several paths you can take. One of them is to join a 2 year RN program, which is what many people like to do. That two year program will allow you to work as a registered nurse, but it's not the same degree as a BSN, which takes typically 4 years at a university. Some schools will allow you to apply for a BSN degree without being an RN. There are some good websites out there with this kind of information, but I just realized that I have to jet, so sorry! When I have time I'll try to post some. I hope that this ... sort of clarified anyway.