How Long Does It Take To Get A Bachelors In Nursing
Traditional, entry-level BSN programs typically take four years to complete.
However, RN-to-BSN programs and accelerated BSN programs are available if you meet certain requirements and need a fast-track BSN option. RN-to-BSN programs are designed for licensed Registered Nurses looking to advance their education. ABSN programs are designed for people with a bachelors degree in a non-nursing major, who are now looking to switch careers to nursing.
At Goodwin University, the RN-to-BSN program can be completed onlineandpart-time injust 16 months. Or, the courses can be customized to meet your scheduling needs. The part-time, online format allows you to continue working while going to school. You can enroll in this program any time after receiving your RN license.
The accelerated BSN program at Goodwin can be completed in as few as 16 months full-time, in an online/on-campus hybrid format. We recognize that ABSN students have spent time in school already, and have designed this accelerated program to help them earn their BSN degree fast.
Full Time Vs Part Time
If you are able to dedicate yourself to your education on a full-time basis you will complete the program in the shortest period of time, but your personal responsibilities or financial situation may make that impossible.
Fortunately, studying part-time offers a solution to both of those challenges, reducing the costs and providing the flexibility to continue working, caring for your family, or attending to whatever other commitments you have.
How Long Is Nursing School
The answer to that question depends on a number of factors including:
- What type of nurse do you want to be?
- How are you going to go earn your degree?
- Are you going to go to school full time?
- Are you going to take classes in person or online?
- Do you want to get some hands-on experience before you move on to a position with more responsibility?
Every nursing degree will prepare you to care for patients, but each does so in a different way. This guide will explain the different types of nursing degrees and how long each will take you to complete each of them.
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Six Furthering Your Nursing Education
Becoming a nurse is often just the first step. Many nurses go on to continue their education. Some immediately after graduation while others take time in between degrees in order to gain much-needed experience or determine exactly the type of advanced practice degree they are interested in.
Here are some of the ways you can advance your education as a nurse:
Specialize Become An Advanced Practice Nurse
Nursing contains many specialties. Theres pediatrics nursing, emergency nursing, geriatrics, scrub nurse, circulator nurse in the operating room, and so many more you can choose from once you pass your NCLEX and become licensed as an RN.
Each has their perks and drawbacks. You learn them during your clinical studies as a hospital.
You may also learn that there are advanced practice nursing specialties that interest you.
For instance: I know that if I did not go to school for medical imaging, I would have went to school to become a nurse and specialized to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist
A CRNA provides anesthesia and anesthesia-related care to patients throughout the entire surgical procedure.
Although a CRNA requires a masters degree, which is an extra two years of school after a bachelors degree, it provides advanced practice capabilities and an environment that interests me.
Advanced practice in nursing does take about 6 years total from start to finish, but it can prepare you for higher paying, higher responsibility jobs such as being a CRNA or a nurse practitioner.
I hope this has answered the question how many years does it take to become a nurse?
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Consequences Of Attending A Non
Graduating from a non-accredited nursing program can be devastating. While it is very difficult for brick and mortar nursing programs to function and not be fully accredited it is often seen in online nursing programs. So, what does this mean for those students?
Jobs Requiring 6+ Years In Nursing School
Advanced practice registered nurses, or APRNs, can include nurse midwives, nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners and nurse educators.
The number of years an APRN spends in nursing school will depend on what kind of degree your speciality requires:
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A masters degree. Jobs such as nurse midwives and nurse anesthetist require at least a Master of Science in Nursing degree, or MSN. MSN programs typically last at least two years, meaning youll spend at least six years in nursing school.
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A doctorate degree. After earning an MSN, you may still need a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree to become a nurse practitioner nurse educators may need a Doctor of Nursing Philosophy degree. Doctoral programs vary by specialty and can last anywhere from two to five years.
Many schools offer part-time graduate nursing programs. If you work while pursuing an advanced degree, you could easily extend your number of years spent in nursing school to double digits.
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Four Choosing A Nursing Speciality
During nursing school, students get to experience working in some different nursing specialties, but definitely not all of them. This can make it difficult for new nurses to pick a specialty when applying for nursing positions.
Its important to take each clinical rotation and the specialty into consideration. Give each rotation an opportunity and a fair shot. But consider if you can see yourself in that specialty. Is this a specialty that will fulfill you and challenge you?
No one can decide what specialty of nursing you should go into but remember your goals. For example:
Master Of Science In Nursing
The Masters of Science in Nursing represents one of the highest levels of nursing education and qualifies RNs to become advanced practice registered nurses . To be accepted into an MSN degree program you must first have earned your BSN, met the minimum undergraduate GPA , and have both professional and academic letters of recommendation.
The course curriculum for an MSN degree program involves advanced courses in topics such as physiology/pathophysiology, pharmacology, health assessment, healthcare policy and ethics, and principles in nursing management. There are also additional specialized courses depending on the nursing specialty that you are pursuing. An MSN degree opens up the opportunity to become a Nurse Practitioner and to pursue managerial, administrative, and managerial roles within nursing.
How Long It Takes:
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How Long Is An Rn To Bsn Program
In addition to pursuing a BSN in a four-year program, Registered Nurses who have earned their ADN and who want to attain further knowledge and training can enroll in an RN-to-BSN program that generally takes less than two years to complete, and which can be taken online to allow them to continue working while advancing their education.
How Quickly You Take And Pass Your Nclex
Earning your BSN degree alone isnt enough to make you into a practice-ready nurse, with the National Council Licensure Exam as a national requirement to legally practice as a nurse. After youve earned your degree, you can apply the skills and knowledge youve gained to the exam and hopefully pass on your first attempt. At CTX, our College of Health Sciences BSN track has proven its effectiveness with a first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate of 100% in 2019.
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Discover The Institute For Applied Health Sciences At Mcmaster
The Institute for Applied Health Sciences is located in West Hamilton on the McMaster campus. The IAHS campus is where the majority of our health programs are taught. Learn more about the IAHS:
Were here for you to support applications and admissions by providing online and virtual service.
Applied and have questions?The admissions team is available to help, you can contact them via Admissions or by phone at 1-844-767-6871.
Contact us or phone 905-575-2460.
Research The Program’s Clinical Partnerships
You spend time in clinical settings with nearly every nursing program, so it’s important to know what kind of medical facility in which you may work. Establishing connections with the medical professionals there also can help you network, learn about nursing opportunities or secure employment. It’s often helpful to think of your time in clinical settings as a potential interview, and many nurses apply for positions at health care facilities affiliated with their school or program.
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How Long Is An Rn To Msn Program
Nurses who have earned their ADN can pursue an RN-to-MSN program that supplements the MSN program with the baccalaureate education that they are missing. This type of program can be completed in two-to-three years.
Similarly, those who already have earned a baccalaureate degree outside of nursing can complete an entry-level MSN program that supplements the MSN program with the nursing education that they are missing can complete it in two-to-three years.
Advancing Your Nursing Career
Working as a registered nurse may be a common nursing career path, but your career doesnt need to stop there. There are many advanced nursing roles you can explore once youre working in the field.
Some of these positions include:
- Clinical nurse leaders
- Nurse educators
- Nurse anesthetists
How long does it take to become a nurse leader or land another advanced nursing role? It depends on your past experience and your desired career path.
In most cases, advancing your career will require not just professional experience, but also an advanced nursing degree such as a Master of Nursing . With an MSN, you could focus your degree on any number of nursing specialties, including:
- MSN – Nursing Education
- MSN – Population Health
Most masters degree programs will take about two years to complete. Depending on your past educational and professional experience, you may be able to complete your degree faster. If you take fewer courses each term, it may take you more than two years to graduate.
Depending on your career path, you may also need to apply for additional certifications and licenses after completing an MSN. To become a nurse practitioner , for example, you must pass an NP licensing exam.
Learn more about what an MSN is.
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Lets Clear The Air About How Long It Takes To Be A Nurse
When we think of a nurse, we think of one who cares for his/her patients and can administer medicine to them. This is a registered nurse an RN it is the standard.
The standard college education for a registered nurse is two years in time.
At that point, youll graduate with an associates degree in an applied science.
Although two years is the minimum required to be an RN, there may be a semester or two added to the overall time because you have prerequisites for nursing school that need to be met.
That said, total time to complete an associates degree in nursing may be closer to 2 to 3 years from start to finish.
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How Many Prerequisite Courses You Must Take
Because of the challenging, accelerated nature of this type of degree track, every accredited nursing school will require the completion of certain prerequisite courses prior to enrollment. is no different s prerequisite courses can be completed online in eight-week sessions. Your previous education determines how many prerequisites you will need to take, with those who have earned a previous bachelors degree in a scientific field potentially not needing to complete any additional prerequisites.
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Types Of Nursing Roles
Nursing is a diversified profession. Theres no right or wrong answer to what type of nurse to be, but knowing what responsibilities and duties that come with each can help you determine which would be best for you. If your dream is to become a registered nurse , both an associates degree and bachelors degree can help you get there. If you have hopes of becoming a nurse educator one day, youll likely need a little more education, including a masters or a doctorate.
One of the many great things about being a nurse is that there are a lot of ways to advance in your career and education. Many of these degrees build upon or transition into one another. This means the credential or degree you begin earning now doesnt have to be the one youre stuck with forever. Common nursing credentials include:
- Licensed Practical Nurse
- Registered Nurse
- Advanced Practice Registered Nurse
There are many nursing credentials that can go deep into various medical specialties and some that stand for certain education levels, so well walk through some of those as well. Lets start with the basics.
How Many Years Does It Take To Become A Nurse
A common question for high school students or those looking to change careers to a medical field is how many years does it take to become a nurse?
Its misleading and confusing reading nursing acronyms like CNA, LPN, RN, CRNA because you have no idea what they mean let along how long it takes to get that nursing designation.
Under most circumstances, an undergraduate education as a nurse takes between 2 to 4 years.
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Graduate Education For Nurses In Other Fields
- Registered nurses with university prepared education, interested in advancing their studies or practice, may choose to study to become physician assistants, at a faculty of medicine in Canada. These nurses may decide to study in this area instead of becoming a nurse practitioner. The physician assistant profession is based more in the medical-model which is similarly modeled after physician education, with theories and practice related directly to medicine. The physician assistant profession is not directly related to nursing. Nurses may pursue this area for a desire to learn the study of medicine in-depth and to practice medicine.
Look At Transfer Credits
An LVN who completed her original coursework in a community college or university might be able to submit those credits to the RN program to avoid repeating courses, especially if both her LVN and RN program are in the same college and she recently completed the LVN program. Courses from vocational-technical schools might not be acceptable in a college or university setting. A college might decide the coursework was equivalent and accept it or require the student to repeat some or all courses. Schools might offer online options for some of the coursework.
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Are Online Programs Available
Nursing is a hands-on profession, but both ADN and BSN degree programs can be completed at least partly online. Clinical hours are the exception. Clinicals are hands-on requirements that place a nursing student directly in a healthcare setting, and these must be fulfilled in person at a clinic, hospital, or other brick-and-mortar facility.
If youre a nursing student in a rural area with no classroom programs within reach, an online program can give you access to a wide range of educational opportunities across the country. And if youre already busy, online learning can give you room to meet responsibilities that prevent you from attending school in person.
How Long Is Certified Nursing Assistant School
Certified Nursing Assistants, or CNAs, are also referred to as Nurses Aides, Patient Care Assistants or Nursing Assistants. As the title indicates, they report to and assist Registered Nurses or Licensed Practical Nurses.
Completing a program to become a CNA generally takes 4-12 weeks. You can become a Certified Nursing Assistant by taking a state-approved training program offered through local hospitals or at community colleges.
After you complete the CNA program, you will be eligible to take a state-administered competency exam that consists of both a multiple-choice written exam and a practical skills exam. Once you have passed this exam you will be certified and eligible to apply for a CNA job and to begin working.
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Which Nursing Degree Does An Rn Need
Registered nurses are required to have a minimum of an Associate Degree in Nursing , but a Bachelor of Science in Nursing may help you secure a job with more responsibility and higher pay.
In this Article
RN Degrees |Tests and Licenses|What Will I Learn?|Online Programs|Prerequisites | Accreditation | CE Requirements | RN Salary
While the RN designation is often referred to as a degree, that is actually incorrect. To become an RN, one must earn an associates degree or a bachelors degree with an emphasis in nursing. Once you have one of those degrees, you are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam to be licensed as an RN.
If Math Isnt Your Strength You Can Still Succeed
If you have math anxiety, you arent alone. Swope suggests students and experienced nurses take advantage of online practice programs, practice workbooks, and tutoring to hone their math skills.
Nurses also have many resources in the clinical area that will be of help, like calculators on their phones, drug information websites, and built-in safety devices within computerized medication storage , she says. And consulting with an experienced colleague is never a bad idea.
With professional insight from:
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