Accelerated MSN & Direct Entry MSN Programs: Understanding Your Options

Some students know right away that they want to earn a master's degree in nursing. If you are interested in pursuing an advanced nursing specialty, a Direct Entry MSN program can help you reach your goals much faster than completing a traditional BSN degree followed by a full MSN program. An accelerated MSN program is intensive and academically rigorous, but can help motivated students enter advanced practice in a quick and efficient manner.

The Role of the Accelerated MSN Educated RN

The role of the MSN-educated RN is as a provider, leader, and steward of health. Master’s educated nurses are important to the nursing profession because they demonstrate strong leadership roles for nurses.

Master’s educated nurses choose a specialty that determines their role in nursing. These specialties are:

• Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)
• Nurse Anesthetist (NA)
• Nurse-Midwife (NMW)
• Nurse Practitioner (NP)
• Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse (PMH)
• Public Health Nurse (PHN)
• Nurse Educator

What's a Direct Entry MSN Program Like?

If you already hold a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing subject and know you want to enter advanced nursing practice, enrolling in an Accelerated MSN program is a streamlined way to get to where you want to go. If you know you want to enter a niche specialization, the similar Master’s Entry to Nursing Practice (MENP) program may also be a good option. Keep in mind that Accelerated MSN programs require a full-time commitment to intensive study, and are best suited for highly motivated students. Other names for AMSN but may have different applications include:

• AMSN or Accelerated MSN
• Direct Entry MSN or DEMSN
• Entry Level MSN or ELMSN

Tuition

Tuition can range from $70,000 to $120,000. However, the first year of this program for many schools is considered the “non-licensed” year and after completion, the student is eligible to take the NCLEX-RN exam and technically can begin working as an RN. But, working during any accelerated program is not recommended and many schools strictly do not allow it.

Fees to consider which may not be included in tuition include:

• Uniforms
• Stethoscope
• Penlight
• Medical scissors
• White shoes
• School and clinical location parking passes
• Meals
• Gas or transit costs

Program Length

The Accelerated MSN program may take up to 3 years to complete, though some can be much shorter. Clinical hours or a preceptorship are required. Usually, these programs are structured as an accelerated BSN followed immediately by two years of graduate school.

Accelerated MSN Admission Requirements

Admission criteria for the Accelerated MSN program generally include:

• Bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing major from an accredited college or university
• GPA of at least 3.0
• Letters of reference, usually 2 academic and 1 professional
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) within 5 years of application
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) if English is not the student’s primary language

The AACN has developed The Essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing which outlines 9 areas of the core curriculum which must be covered in Master’s-level education. These core curricula are:

1. Background for Practice from Sciences and Humanities
2. Organizational and Systems Leadership
3. Quality Improvement and Safety
4. Translating and Integrating Scholarship into Practice
5. Informatics and Healthcare Technologies
6. Health Policy and Advocacy
7. Interprofessional Collaboration for Improving Patient and Population Health Outcomes
8. Clinical Prevention and Population Health for Improving Health
9. Master’s-Level Nursing Practice

Exam and Licensing

Examinations vary because different specializations exist for the MSN degree. But for all Advanced Practice degrees, each state’s board of nursing will issue and maintain licensure. The state usually requires the applicant to have an RN license.

All state boards of nursing require the Advanced Practice RN to register and receive a state license to practice. However, only the Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Specialist specialties require an examination. These are national exams and are available through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

Nurse Practitioner Examination

To take an NP exam through the ANCC to become certified as a Nurse Practitioner, the applicant must meet these requirements:

• Currently, hold an RN license
• Be a graduate of a nurse practitioner program who is accredited through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) (formerly NLNAC, National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission)
• Completed a minimum of 500 faculty-supervised clinical hours

Have completed these courses:

• Advanced physiology/pathophysiology, including general principles that apply across the life span
• Advanced health assessment, which includes assessment of all human systems, advanced assessment techniques, concepts, and approaches
• Advanced pharmacology, which includes pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacotherapeutics of all broad categories of agents

Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Examination

To take the CNS examination through the ANCC the applicant must meet these requirements:

• Currently, hold an RN license
• Be a graduate of a nurse practitioner program who is accredited through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) (formerly NLNAC, National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission)
• Completed a minimum of 500 faculty-supervised clinical hours

Have completed these courses:

• Advanced physical/health assessment
• Advanced Pharmacology
• Advanced pathophysiology

Once the graduate passes the examination he or she is eligible to be working as an advanced practice RN.

List of All Accelerated MSN Programs

See a full list of accelerated MSN programs by State.