Published Mar 16, 2017
Itsmelisi
1 Post
I'm a new graduate RN in California and I'm wondering if it would be possible for me to obtain my BSN without working as an RN. I have 3 young children and working full time will be pretty impossible and expensive (childcare) at this time. I'm hoping to start and finish my BSN within the next year or two and then start working. Does anyone know if there is a "clinical" portion to an online BSN? TIA :)
meanmaryjean, DNP, RN
7,899 Posts
Most programs require you to be working as an RN. WGU might interest you. It is 100% online and the only clinical is Community Health which is arranged to suit your schedule.
Online University | Online Degree Programs | WGU
BSNbeauty, BSN, RN
1,939 Posts
I got my BSN from Walden. No clinical just one community health day.
TheCommuter, BSN, RN
102 Articles; 27,612 Posts
It is possible to obtain your BSN degree without ever having worked as an RN, but not advisable due to turning into an "old new grad."
Most new grad residency programs limit their hiring of RNs to those who have been licensed for less than a year. You will have been a licensed RN for a year or two, possibly longer, by the time you obtain the BSN.
An RN who has been licensed for two years with no work experience is undesirable to most employers. You know...the "old new grad" phenomenon.
At the very minimum, obtain a PRN position that allows you to work a shift once a week or even once every two weeks. Finding childcare for a couple of days a month should not break the bank. The important thing is to start accruing experience as soon as you become licensed as an RN.
llg, PhD, RN
13,469 Posts
I strongly agree with TheCommuter on this one. When there is a long time between your school clinicals and the start of your first job ... you become "rusty" and forget a lot of what you learned in school. You also lose confidence in the clinical arena. The "old new grad" is one of the least attractive type of job candidate.
Either take a break between ADN and BSN to get some RN experience right after graduation ... or find a part time job you can do while in school. You need to use those clinical skills right after graduation to solidify them. If you don't, you may find it very difficult to get a good job after you finish your BSN.