Do i have to get an ASN in order to be a RN nurse?

Question

i got to a dual-credit hs, where i will be getting my AS degree and hs diploma soon, I cannot get an ASN degree at my hs whatsoever b/c the school is not based on that. I want to become a nurse specialist but when i looked at the nursing school i preferred i took must of their pre-nursing requisties and met their gpa standard. Does anyone know if i have to get my ASN in order to become an RN first or can i just apply to that school and get my BSN followed by being an RN then? Sources if you can=] thanks!

Answer 1

You should probably contact the school directly to see what their requirements are.

Answer 2

if you want to continue on to one of the 4 nurse specialties most schools require a BSN for the graduate program. you can get your RN with an ASN or BSN. you can get your RN by getting your LPN and then doing a bridge program. a lot depends on your resources and plan for the future. if you can go to school and not have to worry about finances then just go through the BSN and then try to get into a graduate program for one of the specialties. if you need to go to school for the short term and then work a while you can go that route, it will take a little longer but it is a matter of your set of circumstances.

try some of these sites for information:

Registered Nurses

Nature of the Work

Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement

Employment

Job Outlook

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos083.htm

For information on a career as a registered nurse and nursing education, contact:

National League for Nursing, 61 Broadway, New York, NY 10006. Internet: http://www.nln.org

For information on baccalaureate and graduate nursing education, nursing career options, and financial aid, contact:

American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 1 Dupont Circle NW., Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036. Internet: http://www.aacn.nche.edu

For information on the NCLEX-RN exam and a list of individual State boards of nursing, contact:

National Council of State Boards of Nursing, 111 E. Wacker Dr., Suite 2900, Chicago, IL 60611. Internet: http://www.ncsbn.org

For a list of accredited clinical nurse specialist programs, contact:

National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists, 2090 Linglestown Rd., Suite 107, Harrisburg, PA 17110. Internet: http://www.nacns.org

For information on nurse anesthetists, including a list of accredited programs, contact:

American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, 222 Prospect Ave., Park Ridge, IL 60068.

http://www.aana.com

For information on nurse-midwives, including a list of accredited programs, contact:

American College of Nurse-Midwives, 8403 Colesville Rd., Suite 1550, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Internet: http://www.midwife.org

For information on nurse practitioners, including a list of accredited programs, contact:

American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, P.O. Box 12846, Austin, TX 78711. Internet: http://www.aanp.org

For information on nurse practitioners education, contact:

National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, 1522 K St. NW., Suite 702, Washington, DC 20005. Internet: http://www.nonpf.org

For information on critical care nurses, contact:

American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, 101 Columbia, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656. Internet: http://www.aacn.org

Answer 3

You can go either way. If you earn your ASN, you still need to go through the actual nursing program. An ASN on it's own does you no good unless you went through the nursing program of an accredited school. If you earn your ASN and finish a nursing program you will be eligible to sit for your board exam to earn your RN license. Later you can finish your BSN and hopefully whatever employer you're working for will offer tuition reimbursement for you to do that.

Or, yes, you can go directly to a university that offers a BSN nursing program, and you'd have to contact their admissions reps to see exactly how your ASN classes transfer in and what other pre-reqs you might need to take in the process. Same thing, after finishing their program and getting the BSN you would then sit for your exam and earn the RN license.