New York, NY - RN to BSN Nursing School Program

RN to BSN programs in New York have a very specific focus: allowing currently employed Registered Nurses to advance their education while remaining in the work force. RN to BSN programs in New York are attractive because they can be completed through night classes and online courses, while also allowing currently working RNs to shorten the education process through NLN Nursing Acceleration Challenge Exams. These standardized exams test current knowledge in various areas of nursing and allow students to receive advancement placement based on where they currently stand with regards to nursing processes and skills, medical and surgical processes and knowledge, pediatrics, mental health and maternal newborn care, and more. This allows currently employed Registered Nurses to tailor individual coursework to their needs and to reach career goals. And it can be completed in just one year.

Forty-four colleges and universities in New York offer RN to BSN programs, and a dozen of them offer online options, meaning they can be completed from anywhere with internet access within the state. Requirements for entry are similar to other nursing school requirements, such as a minimum of a 2.5 GPA. And like an ADN or BSN, admission to general studies is required before applying to a nursing school. After acceptance into an RN to BSN program, students take courses in research, leadership, family and community health, community assessment and upper level electives that allow for further specialization of knowledge during an RN to BSN—topics such as health care law, community health education, pharmaceutical research and more. It is also possible to take any number of electives from a school’s science department; with the right prerequisites RN to BSN students in New York may take anything from upper level physiology to abnormal psychology and philosophy of health.

RN to BSN programs in New York do not have a final test such as the NCLEX, as the NCLEX-RN is the highest level of licensure for a nurse within the state. There are, however, always minimum graduating requirements, which is usually around a 2.5 GPA. And once a student has graduated, many newfound opportunities for career advancement open up. Research and critical thinking skills, a broader scope of knowledge, and further leadership training can lead to both public and private sector research positions and community health programming beyond a hospital or clinical setting. Leadership and management skills offer the opportunity for advancement in current occupational settings as well. And while an average Registered Nurse’s salary sits around $68,000 in New York, graduates of an RSN to BSN program have the opportunity to move to the higher end of the nursing salary scale, which in some cases can reach upwards of $80,000 per year (according to BLS.gov), plus benefits.