CNA to RN

[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 The list Sanantone provided is out of date.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.