The Road Ahead: Transitioning from BSN vs RN to Nurse Practitioner

If you’re a nurse or nursing student, you’ve probably already realized that there are so many different paths in nursing. To become a registered nurse (RN), you can have a diploma, associate degree, or a baccalaureate degree. And guess what? To become a nurse practitioner, you can have a master’s degree or a doctorate! So how do you choose which path to take?

In this post, we’ll break down the paths to becoming a nurse practitioner whether you’re an RN with a diploma, associate degree, or a BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing). We want to help you decide your best journey to becoming a real-deal NP! 💜

What do you need to become an NP?

The minimum degree requirement for a nurse practitioner is a master’s degree in nursing with an NP specialization. So, let’s talk about the paths to get there. 

🎓 Step 1: What is your current degree level?

BSN to Nurse Practitioner

If you have your BSN degree, you’ve got a big stepping stone out of the way! From here you can choose to complete a master’s degree in nursing (MSN) or a doctorate of nursing practice (DNP) degree with an NP specialization. 

RN to Nurse Practitioner

If you are an RN with a diploma or associate degree in nursing, you have two options to transition from RN to nurse practitioner.

The first option is to complete an RN to BSN program, and then build off of the BSN into a master’s or doctoral program. You might choose this path if you aren’t completely certain what advanced degree or education you want to pursue, but you want the solid foundation of a baccalaureate degree. 

The other option is to find a program that is an RN to MSN degree. Those programs are considered bridge programs. Many times, your nursing experience is taken into consideration towards the amount of BSN-level courses you need to complete. But, essentially, you complete your BSN degree and seamlessly continue into your master’s degree. You can usually choose between different MSN degrees, and there are several programs out there that offer MSN degrees with a nurse practitioner specialization. 

🎯 Step 2: What is your goal? (MSN vs DNP)

The next step is to consider what your goal is:

– If your main focus is to practice clinically, then only completing an MSN program is a great goal.
– If you think you want to practice clinically as a nurse practitioner, but also want to pursue research, or policy-making, or leadership roles, then the DNP degree would really suit you!

🗺️ Step 3: Pick your path!

Remember what we said about there being LOTS of paths in nursing? Here are the paths to a degree as a nurse practitioner (MSN or DNP):

– RN to BSN, then BSN to MSN or DNP
– RN to MSN
– BSN to MSN
– BSN to DNP

My own journey has taken me from an associate degree to BSN to MSN to doctorate (EdD) and that’s what worked best for me. There is no wrong answer or wrong path to take! Some are more streamlined, but once you know your starting point, what your end point is, and your time and capacity to achieve them, you can reach your goal!

What should you consider first?

Two big things to think about as you consider your path moving forward are time and cost. What is your timeline to reaching your goals? What other priorities do you have? How could you fit a full-time or part-time program in with your current responsibilities?

And then, money is always a factor. Take a look at the number of credits for each program and then the cost per credit. You can reach out to the campus financial aid office as well to discuss any possible scholarships, grants, or what your student aid package might be. 

Whatever your journey looks like, there are many ways to reach your goal of becoming a nurse practitioner. Best of luck as you move forward and everyone here at SMNP Reviews is cheering for you!

Looking for more info about the transition from RN to NP? Check out this other post on the SMNP Reviews blog, 3 Myths About the Transition from RN to NP!