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Nursing is an ever evolving, living and breathing profession. It’s not uncommon that once you’ve earned your license as a registered nurse and have some clinical experience under your belt, your thoughts might turn to furthering your education with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN).
You might be wondering about the difference between RN to BSN and RN to MSN programs, and which option would be the best fit for you. Both programs come with professional benefits and new professional opportunities.
Below, we break down items to consider when asking, “Should I do RN to BSN or RN to MSN?”
The Path from RN to BSN to MSN: Understand Your Options
When deliberating between RN to BSN vs. RN to MSN, consider your motivation for advancing your education and where you want to go next with your nursing career. Is a bachelor’s degree your end goal, or are you planning to use it as a stepping stone to earn an advanced degree that will allow you to teach, research, lead or practice more autonomously? Do you hope to continue with clinical nursing, or specialize and gain additional certifications?
Also, think about your life considerations and what you can take on as far as the length of time to earn your degree, cost and scheduling. Below, we break down the difference between RN to BSN and RN to MSN options at Chamberlain in more detail.
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Who’s It For? RNs, who haven’t yet earned a bachelor’s degree
BSN
Length of Program As few as 3 semesters
Focus
Curriculum Coursework includes general education (social sciences, humanities and quantitative reasoning), as well as nursing courses and electives you select.
Schedule |
Who’s It For? RNs, who haven’t yet earned a bachelor’s degree BSN and MSN
Length of Program As few as 8 semesters Focus Choose between seven specialty tracks in the MSN curriculum: adult-gerontology nurse practitioner, educator, executive, family nurse practitioner, healthcare policy, informatics, population health
Curriculum
Schedule No mandatory log-in times; 100% online coursework with required practicum hours that differ by specialty track |
Who’s It For? RNs, who haven’t yet earned a bachelor’s degree MSN
Length of Program As few as 3 semesters Prepare for a variety of advanced roles in nursing practice, with an option for Clinical Nursing Leadership (CNLTM) to prepare you for the CNLTM certification exam
Curriculum In the accelerated RN to MSN program, you will skip general education courses and electives to focus solely on nursing coursework. View a sample curriculum plan here.
Schedule No mandatory log-in times; 100% online coursework with 144 required practicum hours, or 432 required hours in the CNL Option |
A note on costs for your RN to BSN to MSN journey: if you know upfront you ultimately want to pursue a master’s degree, you can save time and money by pursuing a bridge program like those listed above. It will be more expensive to pursue a BSN degree and a MSN degree independent from one another at Chamberlain. View our current RN to BSN tuition cost and RN to MSN tuition cost.
RN to BSN vs RN to MSN
Whether you are enrolling in an RN to BSN or MSN program, there are some similarities with both programs.
At Chamberlain, you’ll be awarded 77 proficiency credits from your clinical experience as a registered nurse. Additionally, you’ll have your transcript assessed for transfer credits that can cut down on general education courses you need to take before jumping into your advanced work.
Another similarity between the RN to BSN or MSN programs is they are both designed to expand your proficiency in nursing. So how do you choose? Again, consider your motivations for advancing your education – if you believe you’ll ultimately want to earn an MSN and specialize your nursing practice further, you should strongly consider the RN-BSN to MSN or RN to MSN Option to save time and money.
Your Partner in the RN to BSN to MSN Journey
So, how do you make the choice between RN to BSN or MSN? (And with so many acronyms, how do you even keep them all straight?)
We know there’s a lot to consider when advancing your education. Our programs were designed for working nurses like you, and we’re here to help talk it through and find the program that's the best fit for your career aspirations and lifestyle. Call us at 877.751.5783 or request more information about our programs.
By Kate Rice
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