Will (ADN) RN-MSN programs be phased out?

Nurses General Nursing

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I don't remember where I'd read it, but sometime last year I read an article that mentioned that RN-MSN programs for diploma/adn RN's would be going away since the trend is supposedly toward mandating BSN degrees. In your opinion, is there any truth to this?

Maybe in the future. Nothing on most individual states, although things are trending in that direction. At 22, please complete your BSN.

From a 42 year old ASN student.

Specializes in Public Health.

I don't think that this will happen anytime soon. I forget the exact year, but I think this was supposed to happen back in the 1980s (I think), but obviously it hasn't.

That said, I am heading back to school to finish my BSN.

Most of the ADN-MSN programs I have looked at are the same as ADN-BSN combined with BSN-MSN anyways. So, the only way that would work is to get rid of ADN-BSN programs and I don't foresee that happening. I heard they never got rid of the ADN programs; instead they raised the bar for them. That is what I heard though; not a factual statement.

I heard during school a while ago that North or South Dakota passed a law only allowing BSN degrees for a RN license. It was dropped after 2 years due to the vast drop in available RN's. With the current shortage I don't see a way that will happen anytime soon. So I think it's safe to say that ADN schools and ADN RN will not have to worry about anything for some years to come.

I appreciate having an ASN, but I'm booking it to finish a BSN program ASAP (I'm in my last two semesters.) I avoided the ASN-MSN route because most of them do not award a BSN and what if I got halfway through and could not finish? I'd be back where I was with my ASN.

As things change, it seems likely they could start phasing out ASN-MSN programs. I wouldn't expect it in the next couple of years, though.

I appreciate having an ASN, but I'm booking it to finish a BSN program ASAP (I'm in my last two semesters.) I avoided the ASN-MSN route because most of them do not award a BSN and what if I got halfway through and could not finish? I'd be back where I was with my ASN.

As things change, it seems likely they could start phasing out ASN-MSN programs. I wouldn't expect it in the next couple of years, though.

The programs that I have looked into do award you a BSN, but do not allow you to do a graduation. You must walk the stage all at once. That allows you to work with your BSN while further working towards your MSN and cuts the cost of graduation. I am sure every school has their own ways though. Check and see if you can opt to only do the ADN-BSN and then once you do that, you can do the BSN-MSN. They would never know the difference.

Specializes in SICU/CVICU.

I would say no, not in the near future. I wondered the same thing, but the school that I will be applying to (in Texas) for my masters is actually in the process of making an RN-MS program that will launch right after I graduate from my ADN program. I don't think they would start a new program if they thought it would only last for a very short period of time.

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