Two-Year Nursing Program Comparison

Comparing Two-Year Nursing Programs at Loma Linda University

There is more than one path to earning a nursing degree, and the right program often depends on the education and healthcare experience you already have. A student preparing to become a registered nurse for the first time has different needs than a licensed vocational nurse, a current RN or someone who has already earned a bachelor's degree in another field.

Loma Linda University School of Nursing offers several nursing pathways that can be completed in approximately two years, although program lengths vary. These include options for students entering professional nursing, current LVNs and RNs advancing their education, students completing an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), and bachelor's degree holders transitioning into nursing.

Understanding those differences can help you determine which path makes the most sense for where you are today and where you want your nursing education to take you.

Two Year Nursing Programs at a Glance

While several of these programs result in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, they are not interchangeable. Previous education, current licensure and whether you are already enrolled in a nursing program can determine which pathway is available to you.

Which LLU Nursing Program Fits Your Starting Point?

One of the easiest ways to compare LLU's nursing programs is to start with what you have already accomplished.

• If you have completed nursing prerequisites but are not yet a nurse: The traditional BS in Nursing provides a prelicensure path toward becoming an RN.
• If you are already a licensed vocational nurse: The LVN to BS track builds upon your previous nursing education and experience while providing a path toward a bachelor's degree and RN eligibility.
• If you are already a registered nurse: The RN to BS program allows you to build upon your previous nursing education through a fully online bachelor's degree pathway.
• If you are currently completing an ADN at a participating partner school: The RN to BS Concurrent Enrollment track allows you to begin working toward your BS while completing your associate degree nursing education.
• If you already have a bachelor's degree outside nursing: The Entry Level MS Nursing program provides an accelerated route into professional nursing without requiring you to earn another bachelor's degree first.

These different starting points are important because the shortest program is not necessarily the right program. LLU's pathways are structured around what students already know, the nursing credentials they hold and the degree they are working toward.

How Do the Curricula Compare?

Although these programs all involve nursing education, their curricula are designed to accomplish different things.

• The traditional BS in Nursing has to provide comprehensive prelicensure preparation. Students move through foundational nursing science, clinical skills and specialized nursing areas as they prepare for professional RN practice.
• The LVN to BS curriculum can build upon nursing knowledge students have already gained through vocational nursing education and practice. Its bridge structure allows students to progress toward broader RN preparation and baccalaureate level study.
• The RN to BS and Concurrent Enrollment pathways serve students who are already RNs or actively progressing through RN education. Their bachelor's level education can therefore build upon the clinical foundation developed through previous or concurrent nursing study.
• The Entry Level MS has two responsibilities. It first has to prepare someone without previous nursing education for RN licensure and then move that student into master's level education. This is why its curriculum includes both clinical nursing preparation and graduate topics such as population health, research, evidence based practice, policy and leadership.

These curriculum differences are a major reason students should choose a program based on their starting point rather than simply comparing completion times.

Online, Hybrid or On Campus?

Learning format is another significant difference among LLU's nursing pathways.

The traditional BS in Nursing and LVN to BS are full time, on campus programs. This structure supports the classroom, laboratory and clinical experiences required as students develop their nursing skills.

The RN to BS and RN to BS Concurrent Enrollment programs offer online coursework. For current RNs, this can provide greater flexibility to continue their education without a regular campus requirement. Concurrent students can similarly complete LLU coursework online while continuing their ADN education through a partner institution.

The Entry Level MS Nursing program uses a hybrid format. Students complete a combination of learning experiences as they move through both prelicensure and graduate nursing education. Didactic education and many clinical rotations are based at Loma Linda University Medical Center in Murrieta, with other clinical experiences available at the main Loma Linda campus and elsewhere in Southern California.

Rather than one format being better than another, the differences reflect the type of education each student needs. Someone learning clinical nursing for the first time has different requirements from an experienced RN completing bachelor's level coursework.

Take the Next Step in Your Nursing Education

The nursing programs at Loma Linda University School of Nursing provide different routes toward a common goal of advancing nursing education and patient care. The important difference is where each pathway begins.

Students entering nursing for the first time can pursue prelicensure education through the BS in Nursing, while LVNs have a pathway designed to build upon their existing license. Registered nurses can continue toward a bachelor's degree online, and eligible ADN students may be able to begin that process through concurrent enrollment. Students who already hold a bachelor's degree outside nursing can take a different route through the 24 month Entry Level MS Nursing program.

Still have questions?

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