How Do I Become A Nurse?

There are different pathways to become a nurse.

 

Pursue a second degree (BSN) in nursing after graduation from Rutgers.

Finish your BA at Rutgers, major in any subject you enjoy, and take prerequisites for nursing school as part of your elective/core requirements. During your senior year, apply to an accelerated second-degree nursing program and earn your BSN in 11-18 months.

 

Requirements for most second degree nursing programs:

  • Bachelor’s degree
  • GPA of 3.0 or higher
  • Prerequisite courses in anatomy and physiology, psychology, nutrition, chemistry, statistics, microbiology, and pathophysiology. Please note, these requirements vary from program to program so you need to make sure you fulfill the requirements that will allow you to apply to several programs.
  • Resume
  • Recommendations
  • Essay
  • Interview

 

How much do second degree nursing programs cost?

  • Costs vary, depending on the school and length of the program, ranging from $30,000-$120,000.

 

Where can I find more information?

-The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (aacnnursing.org) has a searchable database of programs. Here is a list of schools in New Jersey that offer accelerated BSN degrees:

 

School

Location

Programs Offered

Affiliations

Caldwell University

Caldwell, NJ

Accelerated BSN
Entry-Level BSN
RN to BSN

https://www.caldwell.edu/programs/bachelor-of-science-in-nursing/

Chamberlain University - North Brunswick

North Brunswick, NJ

Accelerated BSN
Entry-Level BSN

 

Fairleigh Dickinson University

Teaneck, NJ

Accelerated BSN
Master's
BSN to DNP
MSN to DNP
Entry-Level BSN
RN to BSN
RN to MSN

https://view2.fdu.edu/academics/university-college/school-of-nursing-and-allied-health/academic-programs/accelerated-b-s-in-nursing-a-b-s-n/

Felician University

Lodi, NJ

Accelerated BSN
Master's
MSN to DNP
Entry-Level BSN
RN to BSN

https://absn.felician.edu/

Georgian Court University

Lakewood, NJ

Accelerated BSN
Entry-Level BSN

https://georgian.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs/shu-nursing/

New Jersey City University

Jersey City, NJ

Accelerated BSN
Master's
RN to BSN

https://www.njcu.edu/academics/schools-colleges/college-professional-studies/departments/nursing/undergraduate-programs/accelerated-bsn

Rutgers University - Camden

Camden, NJ

Accelerated BSN
MSN to DNP
Entry-Level BSN
RN to BSN

https://nursing.rutgers.edu/academics-admissions/bachelors/seconddegree/

Rutgers University - Newark

Newark, NJ

Accelerated BSN
BSN to DNP
BSN to PhD
CNL
MSN to DNP

https://nursing.rutgers.edu/academics-admissions/bachelors/seconddegree/

Seton Hall University

Nutley, NJ

Accelerated BSN
BSN to DNP
CNL
MSN to DNP
Entry-Level BSN
Entry-Level Master's

https://www.shu.edu/academics/bsn-accelerated-second-degree.cfm

Thomas Edison State University

Trenton, NJ

Accelerated BSN
Master's
RN to BSN

https://www.tesu.edu/nursing/programs/2nd-degree-bsn

William Paterson University

Wayne, NJ

Accelerated BSN
Master's
MSN to DNP
Entry-Level BSN
RN to BSN

https://www.wpunj.edu/

 

Use the AACN searchable database to research other programs: https://www.aacnnursing.org/Students/Find-a-Nursing-Program

 

Other useful resources to find out more about nursing

Nurse.org: https://nurse.org/

American Nurses Association: https://www.nursingworld.org/

National Student Nurses’ Association: https://www.nsna.org/

American Association of Colleges of Nursing: https://www.aacnnursing.org