Explore Direct Entry MSN Programs

A Direct Entry MSN program should be:

Approved and Accredited – Confirm your DEMSN program of interest is approved by the school’s state board of nursing and accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). This signifies that the DEMSN program meets quality standards necessary for training you to become a nurse.

Connected to a Trusted Nursing School – Ensure that the nursing school offering your DEMSN has an established track record for nursing excellence. Look for strong job placement rates among all its nursing programs and high NCLEX-RN first-time pass rates. Don’t forget to ask about local clinical placement partnerships, too. Schools should be able to name several partners, indicating they have a strong reputation in the region.

Focused on Hands-On Skills – You’re new to the nursing profession. You want to have plenty of practice and experience with patient care skills so you have the confidence to start your career strong. Choose a DEMSN program that provides extensive hands-on training in labs and simulation settings as well as clinical placement experience that goes above and beyond the state board of nursing minimum requirements. Ask about clinical training facilities at the school as well as what types of clinical experience students tend to complete.

A DEMSN program is an advanced degree for people who know they want to be not just registered nurses, but nursing leaders someday. You’ll need to have a few different qualities to succeed in a program like this.

First, you should have the potential to succeed in graduate-level study. That is, you should be self-motivated and capable of assimilating lots of new technical material while managing multiple assignments.

You should also be ready for the reality of a nursing career. That means you should be capable of providing compassionate care for others even in stressful or upsetting situations. Nursing can also be a very physical career, requiring you to move around a lot throughout your day.

Finally, on entering a DEMSN program, you are preparing to earn an advanced degree in the profession. This means you should be committed to pursuing a nursing career over a long period of time. While you don’t have to know right away which direction you’ll take after finishing your MSN—whether you want to become an administrator or a nurse practitioner, for instance—you should be open to exploring your options.

Yes. Entering nursing with your MSN offers you many benefits. You can:

Open the door to an advanced career path more quickly: with your MSN, you can pursue post-master’s certification in a nursing specialty area, prepare for management career paths, or take the next step toward doctoral-level study in a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) or nursing-related PhD program.

You cannot earn a Direct Entry MSN degree entirely online. This is because, as a new nurse, you need to develop hands-on care skills through in-person instruction before gaining the clinical experience your program requires. You should also expect to commit full-time to your degree, particularly during clinical experience.

However, some Direct Entry MSN programs reduce the amount of time you need to spend on campus by offering some theory coursework online. These “blended” or “hybrid” programs can make balancing life and school more manageable.