seeking exam-only RN to BSN

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Specializes in long-term, sub-acute, med-surg.

Does anyone know of a way to get a BSN by taking an exam rather than doing course work?

I already have a BA and an MFA in English, but I need the BSN for job advancement. I do very well at self-paced learning, and I'd love to be able to teach myself the material and sit for exams for the degree. If such a program exists, I'd love to hear about it.

thanks,

VTRN774

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

If such a degree does exist it wouldn't be worth the paper it was printed on.

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You need to transfer into a BSN program and see which of your prior coursework will transfer. Have you taken all the science prereqs for a BSN? I have a prior Bachelor of Science, in another field, so almost everything will transfer, so I would need 4 Nursing courses only to complete a BSN. The kicker is they need to be completed in order, so it takes 4 semesters to complete them and they are expensive. Some other schools accpeted less tranfer credits and some offer online courses. You have to do the research in your area.

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OP, I understand you want for speed. But the thing you have to remember is that somebody is gonna want substantial money from you for you to get another degree.

If you are good at getting things done, look into various online programs for as much of your BSN work as possible. I also am previously degreed, so I "get" the "all right with it all already, and let's get it done" point of view. I would never short clinical experience or direct pathophys-related study, but would want not to waste another penny if I didn't have to on the "fluff" that costs money. There is nothing wrong with that, just means you see the lay of the land. But they are gonna make you pay for some "fluff" because they have what you want.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

There aren't many degrees you can take a test and earn.. unless of course it is a degree mill.

There are online programs where you can take the necessary classes.. that is the best you'll be able to do. Good luck!

Nothing in life comes easy.

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Specializes in acute/critical care.

My former BSN program had approximately 30 credits of junior/senior level nursing coursework that could not be tested out of. If you have a prior BA/BS (as I did) most of the rest of your degree is done (I had to take 4 credits of statistics since I did not get that in my BS.)

Agree with poster #1. There really isn't any substitute for the BSN core curriculum and I would be wary of any program that would let you test out of these courses. I do think there are some online programs out there that might give you credit for some experiences you may have had, but it is my understanding that they are very expensive and their reputations are not good.

Best wishes with whatever you decide to do.

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Specializes in Trauma, Burn, Crticial Care.

I also had a previous BS degree before entering nursing but still needed the core nursing curriculum, clinical and some additional specific science courses.

There is no way to just take an exam and get there.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Look into Online University | Online Degree | Accredited Bachelor's and Master's Degrees Western Governors University.

They are compentency based, so if you study at your own pace and then test on to the next class, you have to be a working RN for this. I have 3 associate degrees, 1 in nursing, a transfer degree, where I did all of the "fluff" classes so I could get into a nursing program at a university, and a general education degree, so I have well over 100 credits. 97 of the transfered to WGU leaving me with only 23 credits left so I should be done in a year.

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Specializes in long-term, sub-acute, med-surg.

Thank you so much for taking the time to offer a helpful response and a specific suggestion. This program looks very close to what I need at a reasonable cost. I am looking into it.

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Could we please chill the "fluff" language? This has been discussed in other threads and I won't rehash it here. But I find it insulting. I don't think my BSN had "fluff" in it, as if the only difference between an ASN and a BSN are a few useless courses. Sorry, it doesn't work that way. Thank you.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.
Could we please chill the "fluff" language? This has been discussed in other threads and I won't rehash it here. But I find it insulting. I don't think my BSN had "fluff" in it, as if the only difference between an ASN and a BSN are a few useless courses. Sorry, it doesn't work that way. Thank you.

Did not mean to offend, it wasn't directed at the BSN portion of it or meaning the only difference between an ASN and BSN are usless courses. I understand there are classes such as Evidence based practice and research, and other leadership and managment classes, that I believe I will find valuable and helpful in my nursing practice

The fluff I was referring to was Art Appreciation , and music appreciation, why they do make for a more well rounded person, it does not relate to the core of nursing

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No, but it does relate to a degree in the liberal arts and sciences. You want a four year degree, you need to take those classes.

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