ASN Bridge to BSN

ASN and BSN Nursing Degrees

Registered Nurses deliver various treatments, care, counseling, and health information to patients. They’re educated, trained and certified in a multitude of abilities and areas; however, they don’t come from the same educational nursing path.

You will find 3 primary methods to get your Registered Nurse license. You can get it via diploma, associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree programs. It’s highly suggested to obtain your RN through the associate’s or bachelor in nursing degree path because of the tighter competition in the nursing field nowadays. Employers prefer nurses with degrees rather than diplomas.

If your goal is to become a registered nurse you can either take an ASN or a BSN degree. An ASN degree can be completed in less than two years while a BSN degree may require 4 years or more. If you took the diploma path, you must take another course to be able to qualify for the NCLEX.

The ASN graduate can work early since it takes 1 to 2 years earlier than BSN to be completed. Both the ASN and the BSN may start in the same position once they get a job. The difference between the ASN and the BSN path is that the BSN has more advantages in terms of career opportunities after graduation and getting the license. Once the BSN licensed nurse gets in position, he will enjoy a bigger salary as compared to the ASN licensed nurse.

You’ll hear lots of people say that there’s no difference between the two in terms of opportunities. However, the upgrade and advancement in the healthcare system require registered nurses to have the more complicated skills which are already learned by BSN licensed nurses. If you want to finish a year sooner, or maybe save on the tuition you may prefer the ASN course. However, if you have the chance to obtain the BSN now, then it will be a much better option for you.

Why should an ASN Must Proceed to BSN?

If you already have an Associate Science in Nursing (ASN) degree, then you have a good foundation and skills to become a registered nurse. Once you finish the degree, you are then qualified to take the NCLEX test that will give you your license. Being an ASN gives you a good opportunity to start your career in the field of nursing. The short term program design of the ASN will make it more practical for some since it will allow you to pursue a BSN degree after you graduate.

However, if you already have work in a health care institution as a nurse, you will have a smaller salary as compared to nurses who finished a BSN degree. BSN holder nurses are more respected and more trusted due to their degree. But not to worry, your ASN course is just your stepping stone that will lead you to more advancement in the field. You can take the advancement course to BSN while you work. There are many schools who offer this program in a flexible and convenient way; specifically designed for working ASN or students.

When you become a registered nurse with an Associate of Science degree, you will have a range of demanding and exhausting responsibilities that allow you to assist patients in some way. However, the degree doesn’t train you that much and your skills may not be as advanced as what the BSN nurses have. Nurses with a BSN degree is are only required a short transition time to gain a position as a practitioner. But, you will get there. Just don’t stop studying and improving yourself. Invest in an advanced degree to grow professionally, gain more training to help more people, and, of course, earn a better and higher salary.

Of all the nurses working in the US these days, not all of them made the decision to get into the area as soon as they completed college, and not all of them made the decision beginning on to generate master’s degree in the field. There are many individuals who start out in another profession and change to nursing, and many who start out with an ASN degree become LPNs, and continue their education later. The way that they are able to do this is through a nursing bridge system that is provided by many on the internet and campus-based degree programs.

The most typical nursing bridge programs are stop in either a Bachelor of Science degree (BSN), or a Master of Science degree (MSN):

RN/LPN to BSN
RN/LPN to MSN

The significant benefits of a nursing bridge programs is that you can have an ASN or BSN degree and get your next degree in the area without going through a complete three or four year college program. They are particularly developed for nurses who are RNs and keep an ASN or BSN degree in another area but wish to get their graduate student degree in nursing. Or, they are perfect for those who are already LPNs with an ASN degree and want to get their BSN or even MSN degree.

An excellent nursing bridge program will allow you to obtain both the abilities and information that you need to get your master’s degree, and to become a health professional in a greater paying specialty, such as a certified nurse practitioner. One of the most typical bridge programs is an RN to MSN level. This allows you to go from your ASN or BSN degree to a master’s degree in nursing. This kind of program is not for every health professional out there. You need to have gotten your past nursing degree from a completely qualified program, and you also will need to finish some extra prerequisites, depending on the program.