Question about education

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Jan 14, 2014

Welcome to AN! The largest online nursing community!

There is currently a move towards RN BSN only entry to nursing. Many facilities....depending on where you live...are requiring BSN only apply for new grads. There is NO NURSING SHORTAGE and with a plethora of nursing rads hospitals can hire whomever they wish. You may find that with a ADN/ASN you will have difficulty finding work. In some parts of the country even with a BSN there remains difficulty in finding work with some areas of the country having a 47% unemployment of nurses especially new grads. The market is saturated.

Many facilities are requiring new nurses to get a BSN within a certain amount of time usually about 5 years.

Since you have a bachelors already it might behoove you to look into ABSN/accelerated BSN programs. They are expensive but are usually 2 years in length.

elkpark · Jan 14, 2014

Since you have a bachelors already it might behoove yo to look into ABSN/accelerated BSN programs. They are expensive but are usually 2 years in length.

(Actually, AFAIK, most of them are between 12 and 18 months long.)

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Jan 14, 2014

Do an accelerated BSN program. Depending on where you live, you may not be able to get a job without a BSN. (And no, previous Bachelor's + ADN is not the same as BSN.)

PMFB-RN, RN · Jan 16, 2014

Since you have a bachelors already it might behoove yo to look into ABSN/accelerated BSN programs. They are expensive but are usually 2 years in length.

Esme12 you provided a great answer the OP's question but I don't get this. 2 years in the length of the regular, standard BSN program (assuming one already has a BS degree and doesn't need to do the first two years of under grad). How can a two year program be considered "accelerated" if it is the same length of the regular, standard program?

The two ABSN programs in my state are 12 months.

DoGoodThenGo · Jan 16, 2014

Esme12 you provided a great answer the OP's question but I don't get this. 2 years in the length of the regular, standard BSN program (assuming one already has a BS degree and doesn't need to do the first two years of under grad). How can a two year program be considered "accelerated" if it is the same length of the regular, standard program?
The two ABSN programs in my state are 12 months.

Obviously am not Esme, but if you don't mind...

Least of the programs one has seen in New York City area ABSN/second degree RN programs run one and one half to two years.

Undergraduate BSN programs here usually run four years; two in pre-nursing then another two as a formal nursing student. ABSN programs chop off the first two years by granting credit for previous undergrad liberal arts/general education credits so one is admitted directly into nursing program which run as noted above.

It can actually take longer than two years if a student lacks any of the required "pre-nursing" classes such as the sciences and math. That is if you haven't taken A&P I & II, Psyc, etc... as part of previous undergrad work then you'll need to have completed them with the required grades before applying/being accepted.

Accelerated Second-Degree (A2D) â€" Hunter College

Accelerated Bachelor of Science | NYU College of Nursing

Accelerated Nursing Programs | Lienhard School of Nursing | Pace University

Accelerated Nursing Program

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Jan 16, 2014

Esme12 you provided a great answer the OP's question but I don't get this. 2 years in the length of the regular, standard BSN program (assuming one already has a BS degree and doesn't need to do the first two years of under grad). How can a two year program be considered "accelerated" if it is the same length of the regular, standard program?
The two ABSN programs in my state are 12 months.

Not all states have the same schools...just because the programs in your area are 12 months doesn't mean they all are. Hence the use of the word...usually. My niece just graduated from one in Ohio and it was 2 years....she didn't go to school in the summer it is actually 18 months. She was pre-med and after an internship she didn't want to be a MD

PMFB-RN, RN · Jan 16, 2014

Not all states have the same schools...just because the programs in your area are 12 months doesn't mean they all are. Hence the use of the word...usually. My niece just graduated from one in Ohio and it was 2 years....she didn't go to school in the summer it is actually 18 months. She was pre-med and after an internship she didn't want to be a MD

I think calling a two year BSN "accelerated" is misleading and inaccurate since it is in no way faster or actually accelerated from the regular, standard BSN programs.

Here in Wisconsin a college grad, especially if their degree in a science degree, can enter the regular BSN program as a junior and complete it in two years, or they can choose the accelerated program and be done in a year. Both require the same specific pre-reqs.

It would seem some schools are pulling one over on wannabe nurses by simply labeling the regular program "accelerated".

elkpark · Jan 16, 2014

I think calling a two year BSN "accelerated" is misleading and inaccurate since it is in no way faster or actually accelerated from the regular, standard BSN programs.
Here in Wisconsin a college grad, especially if their degree in a science degree, can enter the regular BSN program as a junior and complete it in two years, or they can choose the accelerated program and be done in a year. Both require the same specific pre-reqs.
It would seem some schools are pulling one over on wannabe nurses by simply labeling the regular program "accelerated".

This has been my experience in a few different states, also. Most traditional (non-accelerated) BSN programs are set up as two years of nursing courses after completing two (or more) years of general ed/prerequisites. People with a previous BA/BS degree (or who simply have completed the necessary prereqs and general ed requirements) can transfer in to the BSN program and complete just the nursing courses in two years, but I haven't personally run into any school that calls that an "accelerated" program. Individuals are just transferring in to the standard, traditional BSN program. To call a two-year BSN program that is the same thing "accelerated" is extremely misleading, IMO.

DoGoodThenGo · Jan 16, 2014

IMHO the "acceleration" part comes in because second degree students are normally (from what one has seen of NY schools at least) exempted from various non-nursing education requirements of the college.

All undergraduate candidates for four year degree usually have the requirements of their major along with those of the college and or even state to be considered for graduation. Those already with a four year degree can have such requirements waived as part of the ABSN.

A quick look between the two Hunter-Bellevue programs (Generic Undergraduate and ABSN) seems to show the latter are not subject to Hunter College's diversity and foreign language mandates that the former including transfer students without a degree must complete.

Do not know if HB has changed the credit residency requirement, but previously transfer students had to complete a certain number of credits at Hunter before being allowed to apply for the undergraduate nursing program. IIRC the rationale for this was to prevent native pre-nursing students from being disadvantaged by those taking classes elsewhere then transferring over.

To me these programs are accelerated because long as one has the required science and other pre-requisite credit you only need the nursing. In short you are getting another four year degree in about two years or less. That is substantially faster than the four years otherwise required.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Jan 16, 2014

I think calling a two year BSN "accelerated" is misleading and inaccurate since it is in no way faster or actually accelerated from the regular, standard BSN programs.
Here in Wisconsin a college grad, especially if their degree in a science degree, can enter the regular BSN program as a junior and complete it in two years, or they can choose the accelerated program and be done in a year. Both require the same specific pre-reqs.
It would seem some schools are pulling one over on wannabe nurses by simply labeling the regular program "accelerated".

Well...take it up with the schools..they consider it accelerated as they don't make them retake all the required courses for a bachelors in nursing...they just take the nursing so the get a 4 year degree in 2 years...they consider that accelerated.

Again when I answer I can only answer to what I know. Hence the use of the word...usually.

DoGoodThenGo · Jan 16, 2014

I think calling a two year BSN "accelerated" is misleading and inaccurate since it is in no way faster or actually accelerated from the regular, standard BSN programs.
Here in Wisconsin a college grad, especially if their degree in a science degree, can enter the regular BSN program as a junior and complete it in two years, or they can choose the accelerated program and be done in a year. Both require the same specific pre-reqs.
It would seem some schools are pulling one over on wannabe nurses by simply labeling the regular program "accelerated".

Think I've got it sorted now! *LOL*

ABSN programs satisfy the need for those whom already had a bachelors to obtain a BSN without basically doing the thing over again.

Yes, long as you are an undergraduate there is nothing to prevent you from transferring and or switching majors, but once you have a degree that ship has sailed. Of course you are free to apply to an undergraduate nursing program and transfer credits, but that is usually a drawn out process and there is no guarantee that everything will be accepted leaving you only with the nursing classes to complete. Think this is probably why so many persons prior to the creation of ABSN programs and even afterwards opt to go for an ADN.

Accelerated programs accept at face value one's prior four year degree (from an accredited college or university) and build the BSN on top.