Entry-Level Nursing Degree Programs

There are three different entry-level nursing degree paths into nursing, each offered by a different type of school:

• The 4-year BSN is the preferred entry-level nursing program by most nursing leaders because it provides the best opportunities in today's job market. If you look in the classifieds, you'll find that a BSN is a requirement for many positions and is the entry point for professional nursing practice.

• The 2-year associate's degree focuses more on technical skills than theory and is often a stepping stone to the BSN. The associate's degree allows a student to become a registered nurse and earn money more quickly than a 4-year BSN program, so it works better for many students. It is the entry-level nursing degree for technical nursing practice.

• The nursing diploma, a 2- to 3-year experience was a more common entry-level nursing degree before the 1970s, when there were more than 800 diploma schools in existence. There are now less than 100 such schools. A nursing diploma experience prepares students for work in a hospital or other inpatient facility.

While each of these entry-level nursing degree paths qualifies you to take the RN licensure exam (the NCLEX-RN® examination), you'll find that each qualifies you for different types of jobs.

The chart below will help you distinguish the differences between nursing degree programs:

Choosing an entry-level nursing program is a very personal choice. For many prospective students, the choice involves complex tradeoffs between finances (e.g. need to support a family), your age (high school graduate vs. mid-life career change), and future career plans:

If you are wanting to go into nursing and got your bachelor's in a non-nursing field, then you probably want an Accelerated BSN or Second Degree BSN program. These programs are for students with a previous bachelor's degree in a non-nursing field of study. Accelerated programs are often intense, fast paced courses, and a GPA of 3.0 or higher is required, but they can let you earn a BSN in as little as 12 to16 months.

RN-to-BSN programs are designed for Registered Nurses who are graduates of associate's degree or diploma programs who want to complete their BSN degree. It provides credit for nursing skills already learned through school or work experience. Most often these programs are available with a very flexible schedule designed to meet the needs of working nurses.

Classes might meet only evenings, or weekends. Some schools have "RN-only" classes which are separate from classes taught to pre-licensure students. Many schools have multiple start dates each year for these programs, rather than just one date in the Fall. Several online RN-to-BSN programs are available.

Some schools have LPN-to-Associates or LPN-to-BSN programs. These programs are designed for Licensed Practical Nurses who want to earn a degree that will enable them to sit for the NCLEX® examination. It provides credit for nursing skills already learned through work experience or an LPN program.

_{Source: Dunham, Kelli S. "How to Survive and Maybe Even Love Nursing School."}