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How Long Does Nursing Take

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Xavier Absn Program Overview

How Long Does Nursing School Take??? (My Experience)

Our full-time ABSN program builds on your non-nursing bachelors degree, making it possible to earn a quality BSN in as few as 16 months. The program spans four semesters and features a rigorous blend of online and onsite curriculuma total of 63 credit hours.

  • Online courses teach you the fundamentals and theories of the nursing profession.
  • Nursing labs provide a realistic, risk-free platform for you to develop your clinical skills.
  • Clinical rotations provide you with real-world experience in diverse areas of practice.

To be successful in this accelerated nursing program, you must devote between 40 and 60 hours a week to your education. But itll be worth it in the end. Not only will you graduate from nursing school in 16 months, youll also be prepared to enter the profession as a practice-ready nurse.

Everyone knows that nursing school is hard and stressful, but you just have to breathe and relax. This program is actually less intimidating than I thought it would be. Ayana, ABSN Program Graduate, 2020

Rn To Bsn Additional Admissions Requirements

Applicants seeking admission to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program must meet the following admission requirements prior to the start of the first course at Global Campus:

  • Possess a current, active, unrestricted License to practice as a Registered Nurse or its equivalent in at least one U.S. state. Students must maintain an active unrestricted license throughout the program.
  • Have earned a nursing diploma or Associate degree in Nursing from a regionally accredited or approved nationally accredited college or university**.
  • Have earned a grade of C- or higher in Microbiology , or equivalent, from a regionally accredited or approved nationally accredited institution**.

How Long Does It Take To Earn A Master’s Of Science In Nursing Degree

A Masters of Science in Nursing is a post-graduate degree that prepares an RN to be a nurse administrator, clinical nurse specialist , nurse practitioner , or certified nurse-midwife .

To be eligible to go to school for an MSN, you must have already earned a BSN, although some MSN programs will help you achieve both at the same time.

There are several pathways for a registered nurse to complete an MSN, including:

RN to MSN

RN to MSN programs allow a student with an ADN to earn both a BSN and an MSN within the same program .

RN to MSN programs usually take two to four years to complete, depending on the curriculum and clinical rotation schedule.

Also, RN to MSN programs usually require that a candidate have a minimum of 1-2 years of working experience as an RN before applying to a program.

BSN to MSN

BSN to MSN programs allow bachelors prepared nurses to enter directly into a postgraduate MSN program. These programs include:

  • Leadership & Administration
  • Advanced Practice Registered Nursing
  • Nurse-midwife
  • Nurse Anesthetist
  • Nurse Practitioner

The time frame for each program depends on your choice of specialty. Here are approximate timeframes for BSN to MSN programs if attended full-time:

  • BSN to MSN : 24- 36 months
  • BSN to MSN : 24-36 months
  • BSN to MSN : 24 – 48 months
  • BSN to MSN : 24 – 48 months

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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.

Adn To Bsn Bridge Programs

How long does it take to become a nurse

ADN nurses who want to earn a BSN have the option to complete an ADN to BSN bridge program to complete their degree. These programs usually take about two years.

One significant benefit is that many people can complete their education while working as an RN.

However, an important consideration is that some students who completed an ADN have more difficulty obtaining an RN job upon passing the NCLEX exam than a BSN grad. This can result in months or years waiting for employment as a new grad nurse.

For this reason, you may decide that even though a BSN is more expensive and time-consuming, it may make more sense just to achieve a BSN degree from the start.

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Online Master’s In Nursing

An online Master’s in Nursing program is a convenient way for students to earn the degree at their own pace and in the comfort of their homes, as opposed to on campus. It also offers the advantage of allowing the student to continue to work while in school. This can be very beneficial to students already working in a medical setting because it allows them to obtain additional training which may be used as college credits.

Students in an online Master of Nursing program are generally in the program for at least two years but have the option of taking longer. The student who already has a bachelor degree in an area other than nursing can complete the program in three years if he or she studies as a full-time student.

One of the main reasons why students pursue a Master’s in Nursing is for better pay and more job opportunities. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, advanced practice nurses can earn over $100,000 a year in a role with a great job outlook. With this, many nursing students want to earn this degree as quickly as possible because they are aware of the many career opportunities that will open up to them. With so many educational paths available to them, they can often determine on their own how long it will take to earn the Master’s in Nursing.

Nursing Instructors And Teachers

If you choose an education concentration during your BSN to MSN program, you can gain experience and eventually work as a nursing instructor or teacher. Nurses in these roles can work in classrooms or teach patient care through clinicals. These professionals also continue working on their own research, while working in post-secondary institutions such as colleges, junior colleges, medical and surgical hospitals, and technical schools. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nursing instructors and teachers in California earn an annual salary of over $100,000.

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How Long Is A Doctor Of Nursing Practice Program

Nurses who earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree represent the highest level of nursing expertise and leadership. They may serve in a variety of roles, including working in a clinical setting, in administration, in education and in the field of healthcare policy.

Though the requirement has not yet been implemented, there is a growing consensus that the DNP degree should become the standard for direct care Advanced Practice Nursing positions, but DNP degrees are also valued in indirect care settings such as nursing informatics, organizational leadership and health care policy.

The time that it takes to complete a DNP program varies from 2 years for nurses who already have an MSN, all the way up to 5 years from nurses starting at the ADN level.

While those who enter a DNP program after earning their Bachelor of Science in Nursing will need to spend three-to-four years to complete the program, candidates that have already earned their Master of Science in Nursing will be able to complete the program in two years.

Registered Nurses who gained licensure through an ADN path will require supplemental baccalaureate education and may need five years to complete a DNP program.

Other variables to the amount of time that a program takes to complete will include whether a student is pursuing their studies on a full-time or part-time basis, and the specialty area that they are focusing on.

What Do Nurses Do

How Long Does it Take to Become an RN (Registered Nurse)

The question, What does a nurse do? is more complex than it might seem. A question that might be more helpful is, What does an RN do? More helpful information may surface if you specify the type of nursing youre interested in. Here are some responsibilities that are important across many different nursing specialties:

  • Assess the condition of their patients
  • Record patients medical data and relevant behavior
  • Work and communicate efficiently with other members of the healthcare team
  • Effectively use and maintain medical equipment
  • Assist in forming a treatment plan
  • Assess patient and families teaching needs, develop an individualized teaching plan and provide relevant teaching
  • Advise families on the condition of the patient and post-hospital care

For more in-depth information on what nurses do, check our page dedicated to the topic.

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What Testing And Licensing Will I Need

After completing your degree program, youll need to take the National Council Licensure Examination, or NCLEX, to qualify to become a licensed RN, which is administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing .

The test is used to determine whether youre prepared for entry-level nursing and includes a minimum of 75 questions. You may answer up to 265 questions if you havent reached a passing score after the first round.

In order to sit for the exam, youll need to apply for a nursing license from your state board of nursing. Since each state has different eligibility criteria, check with your states agency to ensure youve met the requirements in order to take the exam.

The NCLEX exam covers four categories of needs, according to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing:

  • Safe, effective care environment: Management care and safety and infection control
  • Psychosocial integrity: Coping and adaptation and psychosocial adaptation
  • Health promotion and maintenance: Growth and development through the life span and prevention and early detection of disease
  • Physiology integrity: Basic care and comfort, pharmacological and parenteral therapies, reduction of risk potential, and physiological adaptation

You can find sample tests online or in books, and you can take an NCLEX prep course through various schools and companies.

Salary And Job Outlook For Registered Nurses

After becoming a licensed nurse, there are a variety of different settings for registered nurses. They typically work in hospitals, doctors offices, home healthcare settings, and specific nursing care facilities. There are even many clinic settings with nurses, school nurses, and military nurses.

As of 2018, the median annual salary for a registered nurse is $71,730.00. The career field is expected to grow around 15 percent for the next few years, which is a lot faster than other career paths. Nurses are very needed because chronic conditions are increasing as well as the necessity for health care due to issues of obesity and diabetes.

Becoming a nurse is an exceptional career choice to pursue if you enjoy helping people during their worst times of need. Before making that choice, it is advisable to invest in the time to learn more about the field of nursing and the different programs available to you. Choosing a career is never meant to be an easy choice, so you should take more time to explore the different options and program time lengths within the nursing career field as well.

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How Long Does It Take To Earn Your Bsn To Msn

If you are already a registered nurse with a BSN considering earning your MSN, it can be beneficial to enroll in a BSN to MSN program. You may be wondering how long such a specified program might take, and it is important to know that different programs will vary based on how many units you need to take. However, pursuing a BSN to MSN will usually take you about two years to complete. In order to earn your MSN, you will probably need to complete around 37-50 units of coursework. Since a Master of Science in Nursing is an advanced degree, you will typically select a specific concentration, depending on which direction you want to take your nursing career. The concentration you choose may add a certain amount of units to your required coursework, and could possibly lengthen the time you devote to your BSN to MSN program.

__________Connect with PLNU.__________

If you are passionate about the business or the education sides of nursing, you can choose an MSN program that offers these concentrations. You can also choose to take the Clinical Nurse Specialist track, where you can specialize in: Adult/Gerontology, Family/Individual Health, or Pediatrics. If you do not wish to have a specific concentration, BSN to MSN programs can also provide the opportunity for you to earn your MSN without a certain specialization.

How Long Is The Nclex

How Long Does it Take to Become a Nurse

When you take the NCLEX-RN, you will face a minimum of 75 items and a maximum of 145 items. 15 of these items are pretest items and are not scored. You will be allowed up to five hours to complete the exam.

Your exam is considered complete when one of the three following things happens:

  • The computer stops administering NCLEX exam questions when it has determined with a 95% certainty that you are above or below the passing standard. This is known as the 95% Confidence Interval Rule. This rule can go into effect at the minimum number of items or at any number after that, up to 145.
  • If the computer has not determined at a 95% rate of certainty your competency in relation to the passing standard when you reach the maximum number of items , the computer will ascertain a pass or fail judgment.
  • The last scenario is that you run out of time. If youve yet to show with a 95% certainty that you are above or below the passing standard, and if you havent answered all 145 questions when you get to the five-hour mark, the computer will evaluate the last 60 ability estimates to determined if your answers were consistently above or below the passing threshold.
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    A Shorter Path To Graduation

    Many registered nurses who return to college for their bachelors degree have already completed the NCLEX-RN®, and your previous success on the test can shorten your path to graduation.

    Students in the Global Campus Bachelor of Science in Nursing program can earn up to 20 non-traditional elective credits for completing the NCLEX-RN®. In order to receive credits, you must complete the Application for NCLEX-RN® Exam Credit, provide a copy of your current RN license, and submit a 1- to 3-page essay in which you must explain how the exam contributed to your plans to fulfill the BSN program learning outcomes.

    Applying To Nursing School

    What are the BSN programs in Oregon?

    Oregon Health and Science University offers programs at its Portland campus as well as its partner universities in the Oregon Consortium for Nursing Education around the state:

    • Eastern Oregon University
    • Western Oregon University
    • Southern Oregon University
    • Oregon Institute of Technology

    Several community colleges in Oregon are also partners in the Oregon Consortium for Nursing Education and in addition to the ADN offer the OHSU bachelors degree on their campus with similar prerequisite and entry requirements.

    • Clackamas Community College
    • Mt. Hood Community College
    • Lane Community College
    • Southwestern Oregon Community College
    • Rogue Community College
    • Umpqua Community College
    • Blue Mountain Community College

    There are five private nursing schools in Oregon, all in the Portland area:

    • Concordia University

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    How Long Does Nurse Training Take

    How Long Does Nurse Training Take?

    The training to become a nurse varies with the nursing career being pursued. Some nursing careers require extensive training and students must take years of post-secondary courses in order to meet the educational requirements of the position. This is because some nursing fields carry as much responsibility for primary care as physicians. Other nursing positions require less training, and these can be seen as stepping stone positions because some require as little education as a high school diploma. Between earning a high school degree and completing a masters degree, there are different lengths of time required to train to become a nurse.

    High School Level

    A nursing assistant, also called a nursing aide, can begin work directly upon graduating from high school. Students who are hired into these positions usually have high school curricula that include courses in the biological sciences. Any part-time work in a medical setting will help to make up for the lack of formal nursing training. Some community colleges offer classes that help prepare students become nursing assistants. Although these courses are not required, hospitals and other medical facilities favor applicants who have this additional coursework.

    Two-Year Degrees

    Four-Year Degrees

    Post-Graduate Positions

    Continuing Education

    How Much Money Do Rns Make

    How Long Is Nursing School Really! Advice for future RN Nursing Students

    The salary of an RN can vary greatly depending on their specialty, level of education and experience, additional certification, and workplace location.

    Salaries are also dependent on where in the U.S. you live. Top-paying locations include California, Hawaii, Washington D.C., Massachusetts, and Oregon.

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    How Long Is A Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Program

    Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists are a type of Advanced Practice Registered Nurse that specializes in providing anesthesia-related care before, during and after surgical, therapeutic, diagnostic and obstetrical procedures. They are among the highest-paid nurses, and this is a reflection of the level of knowledge and skill required to perform their duties.

    Though they frequently work alongside anesthesiologists, surgeons, dentists and other medical staff, they are also the primary providers of anesthesia in areas that are medically underserved.

    Completing a CRNA program generally takes two-to-three years after spending several years qualifying for entry to a program. Deciding to become a CRNA requires a significant level of commitment. Before applying to a CRNA program, nurses will need to have earned their Bachelor of Science in Nursing and have a minimum of one year of experience, though most will need to have worked in a critical care setting for three to five years in order to be admitted to a CRNA program.

    Though nurse anesthesia programs were once MSN programs, the standards are changing and in 2025 CRNAs will be required to have a Doctorate level of education, meaning that in 2022 all CRNA programs will switch to Doctorate programs.

    Following the completion of a CRNA program, a nurse anesthetist candidate will need to pass the three-hour-long National Certification Examination which evaluates their knowledge and skills.

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