In case anyone is interested: I just found out (through a post on another sub-forum) about two new BSN programs: Pitt Greensburg and Westminster College. The Pitt program is an expansion of the main campus program to a branch campus. The Westminster program is a joint venture between the college and UPMC Jameson’s School of Nursing. Wilson College also has a new pre-licensure BSN program. Though new, all of these programs are accredited. These schools add three more to the plethora of direct-entry possibilities in Pennsylvania.
Thanks for posting.
Yes, PA. has more direct entry nursing BSN programs than any other state. For students from other states with highly competitive nursing admissions, PA colleges are worth a look.
Moravian College just finished a new nursing building that allowed them to expand their program. King’s College in Wilkes-Barre recently established a joint BSN program with the existing RN program at Luzerne County Community College.
https://www.kings.edu/academics/undergraduate_majors/nursing
Just be aware that some branch campus nursing programs do not allow you to transfer into the nursing program at the main campus. (Normally, for other majors, most students can transfer from a branch to the main campus of Pitt or Penn State after successfully completing a certain number of credits.)
You may want to also check out how they are accredited. a conditional accreditation may not be made permanent and then you would not be able to sit for boards.
^ You are correct that it is a good idea to check into accreditation I believe that all of the schools I mentioned in my previous post are fully accredited: Pitt because it is a branch of an accredited school, Westminster because UPMC Jameson’s School of Nursing is accredited, Wilson because, although the pre-licensure program is new, the college has offered a RN-BSN program for years.
http://directory.ccnecommunity.org/reports/accprog.asp
http://www.acenursing.us/accreditedprograms/programsearch.asp
The two main accrediting agencies have a searchable list of their approved programs. I read that typically if a program is accredited by one of these two organizations, the state will allow you take the certification exam. You may find some for profit online schools claim to be accedited by another organization, that may not be legitimate.
You can also check your state Board of Nursing to see who has conditional/provisional/full approval. I found out that one of the schools on our list - with a good nursing program - got kicked down to provisional for this year. I asked the dean and got a satisfactory answer as to why and what they did to correct what the BON didn’t like.
That might vary state to state, but it’s another option. This was for Ohio.