CNA to RN

[humboldtjake]

Hi,

I have a bachelors degree in journalism from a RA school. I am looking to take a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) class to get my CA license. I would like to combine all my previous units from my BA and CNA license along with Straighterline and complete a Associates or Bachelors in RN so I can get a CA license in RN. I would ultimately like to become a PA or NP.

[sanantone]

There are different names for them, but they're the same. Your options are an accelerated, second degree, or direct/alternate entry BSN. These are BSN programs that don't require an RN license. Another option would be to skip becoming a CNA and become an LVN or paramedic. This would allow you to complete an associates in nursing program at Excelsior or other colleges with bridge programs. Then, you could move on to the BSN or go straight to an MSN program. I think I've seen a couple of MSN programs that let you enter with a non-nursing bachelor's and RN license, but you will have to take bridge courses.

Here's a list of accelerated BSN programs.
https://www.aacn.nche.edu/leading-initia...APLIST.PDF

I can't remember if that list includes WGU, but that's another option for people in certain parts of California.

[clep3705]

Having a CNA doesn't shorten the amount of work it takes to become an RN. Your clinical experiences won't count toward RN educational requirements. I know of one BSN program that required applicants to have a CNA, but they stopped that silliness. (Okay, some pedantic person might be able to cite an associate degree program where having a CNA is required, but you still have to do all of the RN work everybody does.) How do you expect to apply Straighterline to an associate's or bachelor's degree in nursing? Most nursing programs won't recognize credit from Straighterline.

You would like to become a PA or NP? They are different. They have almost completely different prerequisites.

Accelerated BSN programs are a terrible idea. The list Sanantone provided is out of date. It's a smaller list now. Accelerated programs have proven to be abysmal failures with attrition rates of around 50%.

[sanantone]

These lists are a year younger than the one I posted above.
https://www.aacn.nche.edu/leading-initia...BSNNCG.pdf
https://www.aacn.nche.edu/leading-initia...GENMAS.pdf

[clep3705]

That doesn't change the fact that accelerated nursing programs are a bad idea with excessively high attrition rates. The new list is factually incorrect on at least one school. UTHSC in Houston does not have an accelerated nursing program.

Ask nurses and nurse educators what they think of accelerated nursing programs. Go to allnurses.com and see what the nurses (not the wannabees) say about accelerated programs.

[cookderosa]

Having a CNA doesn't shorten the amount of work it takes to become an RN. Your clinical experiences won't count toward RN educational requirements. I know of one BSN program that required applicants to have a CNA, but they stopped that silliness. (Okay, some pedantic person might be able to cite an associate degree program where having a CNA is required, but you still have to do all of the RN work everybody does.) How do you expect to apply Straighterline to an associate's or bachelor's degree in nursing? Most nursing programs won't recognize credit from Straighterline.

You would like to become a PA or NP? They are different. They have almost completely different prerequisites.

Accelerated BSN programs are a terrible idea. The list Sanantone provided is out of date. It's a smaller list now. Accelerated programs have proven to be abysmal failures with attrition rates of around 50%.

All this +1. Also, let me offer a counterpoint to the CNA argument. Even though it won't count for college credit or as clinical towards your nursing degree, you're still touching patients- which is a good way to be sure you're comfortable in a healthcare setting while you do some of your homework in what path is best for you. In addition, working as a CNA gets you a J-O-B which is good, and it might even be worth a gold star on your nursing school application. Also, don't discount the important advice of fellow nurses in your community, working alongside nurses gives you a ton of opportunities to find out which programs are better than others, which have higher pass rates, etc. There are still associate programs that require CNA for admission, so at least you wouldn't be excluded for not having jumped that hoop. Still at the end of the day, I like the idea of you spending time in the field before making a decision. Nursing school is hard, you should be sure, and after doing CNA work you might be certain...or not so much. Anyway, you have nothing to lose.

[sanantone]

That doesn't change the fact that accelerated nursing programs are a bad idea with excessively high attrition rates. The new list is factually incorrect on at least one school. UTHSC in Houston does not have an accelerated nursing program.

If you bothered to look at the list I posted, it is accurate as of Fall 2012. I am providing information to the OP that can aid a search instead of chastising him or her over his or her questions. The OP will still need to research admissions requirements and which programs are online if he/she is interested in distance programs, so he/she will find out which programs still exist.

Assuming that your stat is accurate, there is a reason why half of accelerated nursing students are able to complete while half aren't. These could be differences in personality/intelligence, finances, family situations, quality of the program, etc. It is up to the individual to determine whether or not he or she is a good fit for a certain type of program. Additionally, it would be of more use to research the graduation rates of individual programs since the structure and quality of these programs can vary widely. Online programs often have terrible graduation rates, but it hasn't stopped anyone here from looking into them including yourself. There are certain schools one should avoid, but it doesn't mean you should throw the baby out with the bath water. Also, considering that you need a bachelor's that covers most of the non-nursing requirements and prerequisites to get into these accelerated BSN programs, is spending a year or two on just the nursing portion really that accelerated?

[Jonathan Whatley]

So accelerated nursing programs have high attrition rates. They aren't the only postsecondary program with this. How many self-declared premeds change plans, or Ph.D. candidates go ABD? That's attrition, but doesn't seem to justify going to the internet to tell prospective premeds or doctoral candidates to change their own plans. Nor does it seem to justify dismissing either type of program overall, "throwing the baby out with the bath water."

[sanantone]

By the way, UTHSC - Houston does still have an accelerated BSN; they just redesigned it and changed the name to Pacesetter. It requires 60 credit hours of prerequisite courses which consist of general education and your typical science prerequisites. The program takes 4 semesters to complete.
https://nursing.uth.edu/about/overview/pacesetters.htm
https://nursing.uth.edu/prospstudent/admit-bsn.htm

[sanantone]

Would you look at this?

Only 58% of students entering ADN programs complete the degree.

Factors affecting attrition fr... [Cah Sociol Demogr Med. 2010 Apr-Jun] - PubMed - NCBI