Earning an ASN Degree

Getting an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) degree is a route in to the healthcare industry. Today, nursing remains among the biggest and quickest growing job areas within the U.S. Based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nursing should see 22 percent growth between 2008 and 2018. In 2009, RNs gained median salaries well over $63,000.

You will find various steps you have to complete to be able to become an ASN. As the actual process can vary with respect to the school and program of preference, you will find six common steps to generating an ASN. The first step is to earn a high school diploma or GED. The fundamental educational requirement of admittance to an associate’s degree in nursing is really a high school diploma or GED. Frequently, many nursing programs need a bare minimum GPA which is between 2.5 and 2.75 (on the scale of four.) to be able to be accepted but the openings are limited and the lower the GPA reduces your chances of gaining entrance in a standard college nursing program. The 2nd step would be to complete either the SAT or ACT. Common scores for program admission include the absolute minimum combined score of 990 on SATs and the absolute minimum score of 21 on the ACT.

For college students moving from another college program, a number of prerequisite courses might be needed before admittance. ASN nursing programs frequently evaluate completed credits for transfer and usually only accept credit for courses in which a grade of “C” or greater is gained. Some ASN programs offer pre-nursing programs that permit students to accomplish their requirements before entering the associate’s degree in nursing program. Some schools require candidates to pass the NLN Pre-Admission Examination (PAX) for Registered Nursing (RN)–the PAX-RN or even the PAX-VN/LPN for Practical/Vocational Nursing. Other schools may need students to pass through the Test of Essential Academics Skills (TEAS).

Once students meet all of the pre-admission needs, application for an ASN program happens. Throughout this method, students must gather all needed materials for example transcripts and recommendations. Organization is essential and striving to accomplish and submit the applying one or two weeks prior to it being due can prevent last-minute scrambles. Once accepted, it’s time to start studying. Programs typically take 2 years to accomplish the required classes and clinical training needed being an ASN.  There are also some accelerating programs offered by educational publishing companies that can provide study guides and even online tutoring to help you pass college proficiency exams to get the college credit needed.