Become an RN

Registered Nursing is one of the few fields left in this economy where employer demand remains strong, and salaries are attractive. It requires serious study, but can be an exciting and rewarding profession, with many opportunities to continue learning, and to specialize in a specific aspect of medical care.

The paths to becoming an RN (Registered Nurse) for people who already possess a Bachelors degree in a non-nursing subject are called "second degree accelerated" BSN (Bachelors of Science in Nursing) programs, and "direct entry" MSN (Master of Science in Nursing) programs.

If you don’t have a Bachelors degree yet, you may want to take a look at our directories of Associate Degree in Nursing programs or Medical Assistant Schools.

This website contains the most comprehensive directory on the web of accelerated BSN (second degree) and direct entry MSN programs. The directory is complete, and unbiased. Enjoy!

If you’re already an RN, we have sister websites focused on Masters in Nursing programs for RNs and RN to BSN (Bachelors degree completion) programs.

Why should I become a Registered Nurse (RN)?

Nursing is one of the few fields where hiring remains strong and job security actually exists. The advanced practice nursing specializations (which require a Masters degree) offer excellent pay and benefits - annual salaries of $80,000+ are the norm. Even entry level Registered Nurses with BSN degrees often make $50,000-$60,000 per year.

There are approximately 3,000,000 Registered Nurses in the US, making it the largest component of the US healthcare field. The profession has evolved significantly in the last few decades. High-paying Masters degree-level specializations such as Nurse Practitioner, CRNA, and Nurse Midwife have gained prominence as the complexity of the care environment has increased.

Other market dynamics (such as rising insurance costs and falling medical school enrollments) have pushed the nursing field and the medical field closer together, which is to say that many functions that were previously performed by doctors are now performed, in many care settings, by nurses. This is especially true in settings that serve rural and/or low income populations, where, for instance, Nurse Anesthetists are often the primary anesthesia providers, and Nurse Practitioners function as Primary Care Physicians.

The country is currently in the throes of a widely publicized nursing shortage. The shortage is most severe at the staff nurse level (the nurses who perform the bulk of the most common day to day tasks); however, the job market remains extremely strong for nurses of all types.

Help us keep our directory up to date!

If you notice that we missed a second degree accelerated BSN or direct entry MSN program, please send us an email and let us know. The schools sometimes make changes to their programs, adding or discontinuing certain ones, and we won’t always find out about those in time to update the database.

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