In this day and age, convenience is key. But for aspiring registered nurses with an associate degree in nursing (ADN), there’s hardly anything convenient about attending two to three more years of school to get a bachelors, and then tacking on another two years for a masters.
What if the same path to a master of science in nursing (MSN) that would normally take five years could be completed in three?
With Frontier Nursing University’s ADN to MSN – Bridge Entry Option, RNs can bypass a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN). In FNU’s unique ADN Bridge Entry Option, an RN will complete a series of courses over 12 months to prepare for a Master of Science in Nursing. The program is designed for registered nurses who do not have a bachelor’s degree in any field but have been practicing for at least one year.
Upon completing the Bridge year, students who enter through the Bridge Entry Option transition directly into the MSN program, saving them approximately two years’ worth of coursework — not to mention the cost of those courses — that they normally would have needed to get their bachelor’s first. These students will then complete coursework for their specialty of choice including certified-nurse-midwife, family nurse practitioner or psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner.
Not only is this path to the MSN convenient, but it’s also cost-saving. A normal path to bachelor’s then master’s costs $75,000 in total, according to Affordable Colleges Online. FNU’s Bridge Entry Option costs $600 per credit hour (as of February 2020, subject to change) for approximately 81+ hours of coursework depending on which MSN specialty path is chosen, totaling approximately $48,000-$51,000. Financial aid and scholarships are available to most students.
Along with the money saved through the ADN Bridge Entry Option, graduates will also enter the workforce two years sooner than through the traditional BSN to MSN route. According to Nurse Journal, a registered nurse with an MSN degree earns an average annual salary of $92,000. Those who wish to further their education through FNU’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program can do so as a continuation of the MSN program with only 19 additional credit hours.
FNU’s distance education model allows students to complete their studies online while maintaining their professional and personal commitments. Three brief stays at our Kentucky campus give students the opportunity to connect with their instructors and classmates without detracting from their home commitments. Students complete their clinical practicum in their own communities, allowing them to serve and develop relationships with patients and providers near to them.
One Bridge alumna, Loy McEachin Watson, credits FNU’s ADN to MSN Bridge with allowing her to build her career in a way that worked for her.
“Without this bridge program, my dream of being a nurse practitioner would have taken so much longer or may have never happened at all. Thank you Frontier for meeting us where we are and ‘bridging’ the gap,” said Watson.
If you are an RN who is looking to further your education but worries about the time and cost, and an ADN is your highest degree, consider FNU’s ADN to MSN – Bridge Entry Option. Not sure if you’re eligible or ready for this next step? Reach out to one of our knowledgeable FNU staff that is ready to answer your questions.
Justin C. Daily, BSN, RN, has ten years of experience in nursing. At the start of his nursing career, Justin worked as a floor nurse on the oncology floor at St. Francis. He then spent two years as the Director of Nursing in a small rural Kansas hospital before returning to St. Francis and the oncology unit. He has been in his current position as the Chemo Nurse Educator for the past four years. He earned an Associate in Nurse from Hutchinson Community College and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Bethel College.
Brandy Jackson serves as the Director of Undergraduate Nursing Programs and Assistant Educator at Wichita State University and Co-Director of Access in Nursing. Brandy is a seasoned educator with over 15 years of experience. Before entering academia, Brandy served in Hospital-based leadership and Critical Care Staff nurse roles. Brandy is passionate about equity in nursing education with a focus on individuals with disabilities. Her current research interests include accommodations of nursing students with disabilities in clinical learning environments and breaking down barriers for historically unrepresented individuals to enter the nursing profession. Brandy is also actively engaged in Interprofessional Education development, creating IPE opportunities for faculty and students at Wichita State. Brandy is an active member of Wichita Women for Good and Soroptimist, with the goal to empower women and girls. Brandy is a TeamSTEPPS master trainer. She received the DASIY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty in 2019 at Wichita State University. 
Dr. Sabrina Ali Jamal-Eddine is an Arab-disabled queer woman of color with a PhD in Nursing and an interdisciplinary certificate in Disability Ethics from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). Dr. Jamal-Eddine’s doctoral research explored spoken word poetry as a form of critical narrative pedagogy to educate nursing students about disability, ableism, and disability justice. Dr. Jamal-Eddine now serves as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in UIC’s Department of Disability and Human Development and serves on the Board of Directors of the National Organization of Nurses with Disabilities (NOND). During her doctoral program, Sabrina served as a Summer Fellow at a residential National Endowment of the Humanities (NEH) Summer Institute at Arizona State University (2023), a summer fellow at Andrew W. Mellon’s National Humanities Without Walls program at University of Michigan (2022), a Summer Research Fellow at UC Berkeley’s Othering & Belonging Institute (2021), and an Illinois Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND) trainee (2019-2020).
Vanessa Cameron works for Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nursing Education & Professional Development. She is also attending George Washington University and progressing towards a PhD in Nursing with an emphasis on ableism in nursing. After becoming disabled in April 2021, Vanessa’s worldview and perspective changed, and a recognition of the ableism present within healthcare and within the culture of nursing was apparent. She has been working since that time to provide educational foundations for nurses about disability and ableism, provide support for fellow disabled nursing colleagues, and advocate for the disabled community within healthcare settings to reduce disparities.
Dr. Lucinda Canty is a certified nurse-midwife, Associate Professor of Nursing, and Director of the Seedworks Health Equity in Nursing Program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Columbia University, a master’s degree from Yale University, specializing in nurse-midwifery, and a PhD from the University of Connecticut. Dr. Canty has provided reproductive health care for over 29 years. Her research interests include the prevention of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, reducing racial and ethnic health disparities in reproductive health, promoting diversity in nursing, and eliminating racism in nursing and midwifery.
Dr. Lisa Meeks is a distinguished scholar and leader whose unwavering commitment to inclusivity and excellence has significantly influenced the landscape of health professions education and accessibility. She is the founder and executive director of the DocsWithDisabilities Initiative and holds appointments as an Associate Professor in the Departments of Learning Health Sciences and Family Medicine at the University of Michigan.
Dr. Nikia Grayson, DNP, MSN, MPH, MA, CNM, FNP-C, FACNM (she/her) is a trailblazing force in reproductive justice, blending her expertise as a public health activist, anthropologist, and family nurse-midwife to champion the rights and health of underserved communities. Graduating with distinction from Howard University, Nikia holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s degree in public health. Her academic journey also led her to the University of Memphis, where she earned a master’s in medical anthropology, and the University of Tennessee, where she achieved both a master’s in nursing and a doctorate in nursing practice. Complementing her extensive education, she completed a post-master’s certificate in midwifery at Frontier Nursing University.
Dr. Tia Brown McNair is the Vice President in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Student Success and Executive Director for the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Centers at the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) in Washington, DC. She oversees both funded projects and AAC&U’s continuing programs on equity, inclusive excellence, high-impact practices, and student success. McNair directs AAC&U’s Summer Institutes on High-Impact Practices and Student Success, and TRHT Campus Centers and serves as the project director for several AAC&U initiatives, including the development of a TRHT-focused campus climate toolkit. She is the lead author of From Equity Talk to Equity Walk: Expanding Practitioner Knowledge for Racial Justice in Higher Education (January 2020) and Becoming a Student-Ready College: A New Culture of Leadership for Student Success (July 2016 and August 2022 Second edition).
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