Best Online RN to NP Bridge Degree Programs
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NursingNursing Ed.Take your first step down the path to becoming a nurse practitioner by browsing standout schools, specialization options, key features, and more.
You love nursing. You love the work of improving patients’ lives, but you want bigger challenges and the rewards that come with them. Maybe you also hope to fill a leadership role, so putting in the necessary work to become a nurse practitioner (NP) seems a natural next step. But you don’t have the time to commit to a traditional, full-time program — making online programs an attractive option.
In the world of nursing, nurse practitioners are nurse leaders. They go beyond the duties of registered nurses to autonomously diagnose diseases, prescribe medications, and educate patients about health and lifestyle choices.
As a nurse practitioner, you can work in hospitals, medical offices, clinics, and nursing homes, but first, you must earn an advanced degree. At minimum, you’ll need a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) to become a nurse practitioner.
This guide will highlight different degree pathways by spotlighting standout RN to NP online programs. We’ll also examine specialization options and potential earnings for nurse practitioners.
Read this guide to discover more about RN to NP online programs and find the one that’s right for you.
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Standout Online RN to Nurse Practitioner Programs
In the spotlights below, you’ll find high-quality RN to NP online programs you can use to kick-start your program search. Each of these schools is accredited and offers students distinct pathways toward becoming a licensed nurse practitioner. While these are not ranked, they’ll help you begin to see program differences that can help you decide the best school for you.
Chamberlain University
Chamberlain University has an RN to MSN program that can help nurses coming from a variety of educational backgrounds. You’ll also find different learning formats, including full-time and accelerated options. The school’s nursing program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
Features:
- RN-BSN to MSN curriculum allows nurses to choose from nine specialty tracks, including four clinical tracks that are RN to NP online programs.
- Students attending full time and year-round can earn a degree in as little as eight semesters — but students can complete their coursework at their own pace.
- Coursework is completely online, and students apply these methodologies in real-world clinical settings.
Minimum requirements for admission include a 2.0 GPA and an active RN license. For students who have earned a minimum 3.0 GPA, Chamberlain offers an accelerated RN-MSN program with a clinical nurse leadership option. Students can complete their degree in about four semesters in the accelerated pathway.
Old Dominion University
What makes Old Dominion University’s MSN – Family Nurse Practitioner unique is that students have opportunities for interprofessional study and can receive specialized instruction in topics like telehealth for rural areas. The program also provides pathways to a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program for students who want to go further than a master’s.
Features:
- ODU collaborates with Eastern Virginia Medical School’s Standardized Patient Program, offering simulations with more than 115 standardized patients ranging in age from 14 to 84.
- Coursework is completed online, but RN to NP online students must travel to campus for scheduled training and testing at various times throughout the program (usually once per semester).
- Curriculum includes 49 credit hours, a clinical practicum at a physical location, and hands-on training in Virginia Beach.
- Program costs include $599 per credit hour for Virginia residents and $623 for out-of-state students.
ODUs master’s and doctoral nursing programs are accredited by the CCNE; the family nurse practitioner MSN program has been approved by the Virginia Joint Boards of Nursing and Medicine.
Wilkes University
Wilkes University’s online RN to MSN program takes RNs with an associate degree in nursing directly to an MSN – nurse practitioner; no pass-through bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) is granted as part of the program. You’ll be able to choose from three NP concentrations: family nurse practitioner, psychiatric/mental health, and adult-gerontology primary care.
Features:
- Student support at Wilkes takes the form of integrated exam preparation courses that lead to high passing rates.
- The program is online, but students will be required to be in person for clinicals and residencies.
- A dedicated clinical placement team assists students in finding a location for practical experience.
- Students pay $728 per credit and save about $10,000 by enrolling in the RN to MSN program when compared to first getting a bachelor’s degree, then a master’s in nursing.
Applicants must submit a resume or curriculum vitae and official transcripts from an accredited institution where they earned an associate degree. One year of registered nursing clinical experience is required by the start of NP clinical courses (usually year two of the program).
Types of Online RN to NP Programs Online
How should you transition from an RN to NP online? With so many choices out there, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. You can choose an accelerated program, a bridge program, an MSN, or DNP. Learning what makes each option different from the rest can help you make an informed decision about which is best for you. Take a look at your options below.
Accelerated
You’ll appreciate an accelerated program if you want to become a nurse practitioner quickly — typically in about three years, though some programs are as short in duration as one or two years.
In an accelerated timeline, you’ll complete coursework, clinical rotations, and testing like traditional students, but your duration in the program will be significantly shorter.
Spending less time in school also means potentially saving money on tuition, fees, and living expenses.
Bridge
Nursing bridge RN to NP online programs are paths for credentialed RNs who want to upskill and advance their nursing careers.
For example, if you’ve become a licensed RN after completing an associate degree program, you can earn your MSN through an RN-to-MSN bridge program. If you pass your nurse practitioner testing at the completion of this program, you’ll be eligible to become an NP.
Some bridge programs provide a pass-through BSN and others do not, so check with your school for details. Regardless, you won’t have to apply to multiple programs, and you’ll likely save time, money, and energy while you earn your MSN in about three to four years.
MSN
An MSN is a graduate degree in nursing that typically allows students to specialize in an area of healthcare that speaks to their future goals — with many offering nurse practitioner concentrations.
These programs take about two years to complete. For all U.S. states, an MSN is the minimum degree requirement to become an NP, though some states do require a doctorate.
Expert Insight
There has been some recent discussion in the nursing community about the NP role requiring a DNP (rather than an MSN) in the future, but nothing is official as of now. Does this mean you’ll need to return to school for a DNP later if you choose to earn an MSN now? This is unlikely. But it could mean that nurse practitioners with an DNP will have more career opportunities than those with an MSN. Keep this in mind when deciding which degree to earn.
DNP
If you want to earn your doctorate and become a nurse leader, you’ll want to pursue a Doctor of Nursing Practice, or DNP. These programs are designed to teach future nursing leaders how to turn research into practice.
Earn a DNP, and you can work at the highest level of nursing practice to train nurses and improve patient outcomes. From start to finish, DNP programs usually take three to five years to complete.
Paths to Becoming an NP as an RN
No two registered nurses are the same, which means no two paths to becoming an NP are the same. That’s why it’s important to choose the right starting point for your RN to NP online journey based on your educational background. Below, we’ll compare two starting points: the associate degree in nursing and the BSN.
With an ADN
RNs who hold an ADN can take one of two pathways to becoming an NP:
- Enroll in a BSN degree program, which usually takes two years to complete. Afterwards, you can then enroll in a master’s program and specialize in a nurse practitioner track.
- Apply for a bridge RN-to-MSN program, which can expedite your educational journey. Most bridge programs require a minimum GPA in your ADN program, often 3.0 or higher.
With a BSN
If you already hold a BSN, you can go from RN to NP online by simply pursuing an MSN directly through a traditional master’s program. These programs:
- Focus on a variety of nurse practitioner specialties such as adult-gerontology, family health, neonatal health, and psychiatric/mental health
- Typically take two to three years to complete; expect to complete clinical rotations along with coursework and maybe even a thesis or capstone project
- Prepare you for certification as a nurse practitioner once you’ve completed the required testing
Nurse Practitioner Specialization Options
Nurse practitioners can work in a variety of settings, which is often dictated by their chosen area of specialization. You may know which specialty interests you when you enter your program, or it may take some time to figure out what you’re looking for. Below, find four examples of popular nurse practitioner specializations.
Adult-Gerontology Primary Care
Adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioners (AGPCNP) work to promote wellbeing for adults and elderly patients. This means they diagnose and treat patients with illnesses and injuries as well as those with chronic and common health conditions.
Nurse practitioners with an AGPCNP specialty can work in a variety of professional settings, including:
- Hospitals
- Clinics
- Governmental agencies
- Private companies
Sample Course: Primary Care of Adults Across the Lifespan
Family Nurse Practitioner
A family nurse practitioner (FNP) is an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) with a broad scope of practice: They can treat patients at any stage of life, from babies to adults to senior citizens.
FNP responsibilities include:
- Prescribing medications
- Treating illnesses
- Performing physical examinations
- Developing treatment plans
According to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), the top clinical focus areas for FNPs are family, primary, and urgent care, and the top practice settings are hospital outpatient clinics, private group practices, and private physician practices.
FNPs can look forward to careers in fields that include:
- Primary care
- School nursing
- Rural nursing
- Community or public health nursing
Sample Course: Primary Care of Adolescents and Children
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
Neonatal nurse practitioners (NNPs) provide advanced care to babies and young toddlers up to age two. You’ll often find NNPs working in:
- Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs)
- Emergency rooms
- Delivery rooms in pediatric clinics and hospitals
Because the core of their work often happens in a NICU, one of the fundamental skills needed to be an effective NNP is the ability to communicate with family members and teach them important life skills for when a baby is released home. Empathy and assessment skills are also among an NNP’s foundational abilities.
Sample Course: Embryology and Developmental Physiology
Psychiatric/Mental Health
Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs) are advanced practice registered nurses trained to provide psychiatric care to patients facing mental health challenges.
What differentiates PMHNPs is specialized education that prepares students to diagnose patients with mental health conditions, meeting the mental health needs of patients of all ages.
Psychiatric nurse practitioners work in various settings including:
- Psychiatric hospitals
- Private practices
- Assisted living facilities
- Mental health centers
Sample Course: Mental Health Diagnosis and Management
Expert Insight
As a nurse practitioner, you can open your own medical practice in some states. This means you can treat patients independently without the supervision of a physician. This can be in a clinic or virtual setting. Check with your state’s board of nursing to determine if you’ll have “practice autonomy” once you become an NP.
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Salary Comparison Between a Registered Nurse and Nurse Practitioner
Now that you’ve explored various RN to NP online programs, how those programs operate, and specialties you can choose as a future nurse practitioner, how can you expect your salary and job growth opportunities to change, after graduation? There are currently far more registered nurses in the United States than nurse practitioners, with more than 3 million of the former and just over 250,000 of the latter — but the nurse practitioner field is growing substantially more than the RN field, at a projected rate of 44.5%, compared to 5.6%. This means you’ll have a wealth of new job growth opportunities once you’ve moved into a nurse practitioner role. Additionally, you’ll likely see a big jump in salary, too. Nationwide, nurse practitioners make a median salary of $126,000, which is about $40,000 more than the median registered nurse salary. The jump in salary stays around $30,000–$40,000, when you go from a registered nurse position to a nurse practitioner position, no matter if you’re in the 10 percentile or 90th percentile of earners. Check out more details in the tables below.
| Occupation | Area | Curr. Jobs | Proj. Jobs | New Jobs | Growth % | Avg. Ann. Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | United States | 3,172,500 | 3,349,900 | 177,400 | 5.60% | 193,100 |
| Nurse Practitioners | United States | 266,300 | 384,900 | 118,600 | 44.50% | 26,300 |
Source: Projections Central
Data based on national numbers, not school-specific information.
| Occupation | Area | 10th Percentile | Median | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse Practitioners | U.S. | $94,530 | $126,260 | $168,030 |
| Registered Nurses | U.S. | $63,720 | $86,070 | $132,680 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Data based on national numbers, not school-specific information.
