The next step after earning an Associate's Degree in Nursing.

Published

Dear Nurses and Nurse Trainees,

After getting your Associates degree, say from a Community College, what options are there from that point. Would one:

  • Try to transfer into a 4-year institution?
  • Try to find work as an RN with an Associate's degree and try to get an advanced degree online?

And if one did work with an Associate's RN degree and work to get their BSN online:

  • How hard is it to get a BSN online?
  • What are some preferred online programs?

Which is better in terms of availability of space (impaction) for earning a BSN?

  • Online or in-classroom?

As for the differences between a BSN and MSN:

  • Is the difficulty of getting an MSN from a BSN similar to getting a BSN from an Associate's?
  • What exactly is the practical difference between a BSN or MSN?

Sincere and grand thanks from those interested in pursuing advanced nursing degrees!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am finishing my ADN in the Spring and will be going back for my BSN shortly after. The vast majority of programs in my area are online or hybrid "mostly online" programs. As far as the difficulty that is completely up to individual interpretation. I would recomend working and getting experience while you work on your BSN unles you 100% know what advanced degree you want. Some programs have an option RN-MSN where you don't need,a bachelor's degree or you earn one along the way. I again would recommend that you look to see what deals your employer might have with local colleges to see if they offer a tuition discount.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thank you. This really helps. I'll definitely think about contacting employers and working with them to get an advanced degree.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I graduated with my associates in the spring and just started working.Had a rough job search due to lack of bsn. Will be starting a bsn program in the spring, program will be hybrid. Just be careful of these online programs, some of them are not legitimate and due to some these program setup , you may not be able to transfer credits for a advanced level degree.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Hospice, Palliative Care.

In our geographic area, many facilities still hire diploma and associate degree registered nurses. So my plan, as God willing I graduate this coming December, is to work full time while I pursue a online RN-BSN-MSN degree.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

johsonmichelle, thanks for the words of warning. I'll be sure to check out all online programs thoroughly if I do go that route.

That sounds like a great plan, pmabraham. I wish you luck. I do have 2 questions: If you are in communication with hospitals, how did you do it and who do you talk to?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU, RNC.

I am graduating with my ADN in 2 weeks (!!!). I will finish my new grad residency, which is approx. 22 weeks, and then pursue my RN-BSN online. I, too, live in an area where ADN have no problem finding acute care positions straight out of school.

Since I haven't started my BSN program yet, I can't answer those questions yet. What I can say is that there is a lot of availability of online programs and the programs that I've spoken with (WGU and GCU) aren't impacted in the way that in-person BSN programs are. You can basically start whenever you want.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Hospice, Palliative Care.
I do have 2 questions: If you are in communication with hospitals, how did you do it and who do you talk to?

Online applications; and many of the job descriptions outright state they will accept new graduate nurses.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in GENERAL.

You've got a lot of good questions there OP.

Just a few ideas that may or may not be applicable to your situation.

1. Do you already have an ADN. If so, are you working and can you get your employer to subsidize the tuition?

2. I would stay away from the for-profits ( I never liked my school to be traded on the stock exchange).

3. Decide if you really need this BSN, if it's worth the expense and time commitment (do you have future academic goals?" if so, Yes.

4. As an ADN you should have no problem with an online hybrid program or not hybrid just pick a reputable school and remember all schools are not alike.

A recent "allnurses" poll found that BSN vs. ADN were represented in the work world at about 1:1 so one degree over the other may for now be of negligible economic value.

Try going to (collegescorecard.ed.gov) and looking around for schools.

Cheers!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion