Becoming an RN in Ohio

One becomes a registered nurse in Ohio by completing an approved educational program and then passing the NCLEX exam. There are four different types of RN programs in the state of Ohio. If nursing is your first degree, you can select from an ADN, BSN, or diploma program. If you already have a degree in another field, you have the additional option of pursuing a direct-entry master’s degree.

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While all of these programs qualify you for the same licensing exam, some provide more career options and opportunities for advancement than others. The MN, an advanced generalist degree, may also qualify you for certification as a clinical nurse leader. Magnet hospitals will often prefer candidates with at least a BSN. Of course, if you intend to pursue advanced practice later, a degree at the BSN level or higher will put you a step closer than an associate’s or diploma will. It used to be that job postings simply asked for an RN. Increasingly, though, they are identifying RNs by level of education.

Before you are admitted to the clinical program, you will be expected to take some prerequisites. At the heart of professional nursing are strong science aptitude and strong communication ability. Make sure you receive high grades in the science disciplines.

Registered Nursing Academic Paths

Previous nursing experience at the practical or vocational nursing level will shorten your path to RN status. In Ohio, the same is true of licensing as a paramedic. If you meet entrance requirements, including prerequisites, you are sometimes allowed to join an ADN program at the second year level. Policies vary by institution. Some ask you to complete a transition course, and, upon successful completion, award credit for several lower level clinical courses.

One reason LPNs may want to pursue RN training is that there is a better job market for registered nurses within the state. In a 2008 report, the Ohio Center for Nursing noted that RN and LPN represented two extremes of the Ohio health care market. It was a challenge to find enough qualified RNs, even though the supply of lesser trained LPNs significantly exceeded jobs.

Some second degree students opt for a BSN, but want to complete it as quickly as possible. Ohio has a number of accelerated BSN programs.

Registered Nursing Career Outlook in Ohio

The Ohio Center for Nursing declared in 2008 that health care is remarkably resilient to recession. It’s a big industry within the state. Ohio has a greater concentration of health care workers than the nation as a whole does; this may have occurred for a combination of reasons, including high unemployment in other industries in the region. In some parts of the state, though, it appears that health care is actually an export industry with people coming from elsewhere for services.

While the number of positions and the number of RNs entering the labor market were very close in the years examined (2005 to 2006), the Center of Nursing expected a shortage in the near future, driven by changes in demographics. The population of Ohio is also older than that of the nation as a whole.

The Application Process for Schools in Ohio

Admission procedures vary from school to school and by level and type of program. Some programs admit all students who meet stated requirements, but maintain waiting lists due to limited slots. An example is the Paramedic to RN program at Clark State. Some community colleges, like Cuyahoga, award slots to qualified applicants on a first come, first serve basis, even for general ADN programs.

Other nursing programs are quite competitive. Universities like Ohio State have a multidimensional review process, considering academics, work and volunteer experience, as well as leadership. A HOSA representative notes that professionalism is among the skills that nursing schools value.

In some cases, an excellent academic record will gain a student early admission. At Cleveland State, a student will be considered for early review if they have a 3.25 average in prerequisite courses. Ultimately, students with strong academics and health care backgrounds can expect to have more choices among Ohio schools.

ADN Programs Approved by the Ohio Board of Nursing

Bryant & Stratton College

Graduates of the Associate’s in Nursing program will be eligible to sit for the NCLEX exam and receive their license to practice as a RN in the state of Ohio. The program is approved by the State of Ohio Board of Nursing.

Programs Offered: Associate’s Degree in Nursing

Akron Institute (ADN)
1600 S. Arlington Road
Akron, OH 44306

ATS Institute of Technology
AAS in Nursing
325 Alpha Park
Highland Heights, OH 44143

Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences
2600 6th Street SW
Canton, Ohio 44710

Belmont Technical College- ADN Program
120 Fox-Shannon Place
St. Clairsville, OH 43950

Bryant & Stratton College – Department of Nursing
27557 Chardon Road
Willoughby Hills, OH 44094

Central Ohio Technical College – ADN
1179 University Drive
Newark, OH 43055

Chamberlain College of Nursing- ADN
1350 Alum Creek Drive
Columbus, Ohio 43209

The Christ College of Nursing and Sciences
2319 Auburn Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45219

The Cincinnati State Technical & Community College
Bethesda School of Nursing
3520 Central Parkway
Cincinnati, OH 45223

Clark State Community College- ADN
570 East Leffels lane
Springfield, OH 45501

Columbus State University
550 East Spring Street
Columbus, OH 43216

Cuyahoga Community College- ADN Program
2900 Community College Avenue
S&T 332
Cleveland, OH 44115

Edison State Community College- ADN
1973 Edison Drive
Piqua, OH 45356

Galen College of Nursing
100 E- Business Way Ste 200
Cincinnati, OH 45241

Good Samaritan College of Nursing and Health Science
375 Dixmyth Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45220

Hocking Technical College
3301 Hocking Parkway
Nelsonville, OH 45764

Hondros College- School of Nursing- ADN
7600 Tyler’s Place Blvd
West Chester, OH 45069

James A. Rhodes State College – ADN
4240 Campus Drive
Lima, OH 45804

Kent State University
ADN Program
113 Henderson Hall
Kent, OH 44242

Kettering College of Medical Arts
3737 Southern Blvd
Kettering, OH 45429

Lakeland Community College
ADN Program
7700 Clocktower Drive
Kirtland, OH 44094

Loraine County Community College – ADN
1005 North Abbe Road
Elyria, OH 44035

Marion Technical College
1467 Mt. Vernon Avenue
Marion, OH 43302

Mercy College of Northwest Ohio-
2221 Madison Avenue
Toledo, OH 43604

Miami University – Assoc Degree in Nursing
1601 University Blvd.
Hamilton, OH 45011

North Central State College
ADN
2441 Kenwood Circle
Mansfield, OH 44901

Northwest State Community College- ADN
22-600 State Route 34
Archbold, OH 43502

Ohio Academy of Holistic Health
2380 Bellbrook Avenue
Xenia, OH 45385

Ohio University – ADN Program
Grover Center W365
Athens, OH 45701

RETS School of Nursing
555 E Alex Bell Blvd
Centerville, OH 45459

Owens Community College
P.O. Box 10000, Oregon Road
Toledo, OH 43699

Shawnee State University – ADN Program
940 Second Street
Portsmouth, OH 45662

Sinclair Community College
ADN Program
444 W Third Street
Dayton, OH 45402

Southern State Community College- Associate Degree Nursing Program
100 Hobart Drive
Hillsboro, OH 45133

Stark State College of Technology
6200 Frank Avenue, NW
Canton, OH 44720

Terra State Community College- ADN
2830 Napoleon Road
Fremont, OH 43420

University of Cincinnati- Assoc Degree in Nursing
9555 Plainfield Road
Cincinnati, OH 45236

University of Rio Grade Holzer School of Nursing – ADN
PO Box 500
Rio Grande, OH 45674

The University of Toledo- ADN Program
2801 W Bancroft Street
Toledo, OH 43606

Washington State Community College
710 Colegate Drive
Marietta, OH 45750

Ohio Board of Nursing Approved BSN Programs

Case Western Reserve University Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing

The BSN and MSN programs are approved by the Ohio State Board of Nursing and accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC). The Nurse Anesthesia program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Education Programs (COA) and the Nurse Midwifery program is accredited by the ACNM Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education.

Programs Offered: BSN, RN to BSN, Direct Entry MSN, RN to MSN, Part-Time MSN, MSN – (Specializations: Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP) w/ Subspecialty: Flight Nursing or Subspecialty: Cardiovascular Nursing, Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner w/ Subspecialty: Cardiovascular Nursing or Subspecialty: Infection Control or Subspecialty: Gerontology, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) w/ Subspecialty: Cardiovascular Nursing, Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP), Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) w/ Subspecialty: Cardiovascular Nursing or Subspecialty: Gerontology, Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP)), MSN Joint Degrees – Master of Science in Nursing/Master Business Administration, Master of Science in Nursing/Master of Arts in Anthropology, Master of Science in Nursing/Master of Arts in Bioethics, Master of Science in Nursing/Master of Public Health, DNP, PhD, BSN to PhD, Post-Master’s Certificates

Case Western Reserve University Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106-4904

Chamberlain College of Nursing

Chamberlain College of Nursing in Columbus, OH offers a BSN program for new students interested in becoming a Registered Nurse. Graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX exam. This program is approved by the Ohio State Board of Nursing and is accepting new nursing student applications. The BSN program in Columbus, OH is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Get started by requesting info today!

Programs Offered: BSN – Columbus, OH

Indiana Wesleyan University

Indiana Wesleyan University holds institutional accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association.

Programs Offered: BSN, RN-to-BSN, MSN, MSNA, MSNE | Nursing, Nursing Admin, Nursing Education, Primary Care

Capital University – BSN
1 College and Main
Columbus, OH 43209

Case Western Reserve University
10900 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44106

Cedarville University
251 N. Main Street
Cedarville, OH 45314

Chamberlain College of Nursing
1350 Alum Creek Drive
Columbus, Ohio 43209

Cleveland State University
BSN Program
2121 Euclid Avenue, Rte 915
Cleveland, OH 44115

The College of Mt. St. Joseph
5701 Delhi Road
Cincinnati, OH 45233

Franciscan University of Steubenville, BSN Program
1235 University Blvd
Steubenville, OH 43952

Hiram College – Department of Nursing
PO Box 67
Hinsdale Hall Rm 136
Hiram, OH 44234

Kent State University
School of Nursing, BSN
113 Henderson Hall
Kent, OH 44242

Lourdes College, BS in Nursing
6823 Convent Blvd
Sylvania, OH 43560

Malone College
515 25th Street – NW
Canton, OH 44709

MedCentral College of Nursing
335 Glessner Avenue
Mansfield, OH 44903

Mercy College of Northwest Ohio
2221 Madison Avenue
Toledo, OH 43604

Miami University- BSN Program
1601 University Blvd.
Hamilton, OH 45011

Mount Carmel College of Nursing
127 S. Davis Avenue
Columbus, OH 43222

Mount Vernon Nazarene University – School of Nursing and Health Sciences
800 Martinsburg Road
Mount Vernon, OH 43050

Muskingum College – BSN
163 Stormont St. Montgomery Hall
New Concord, OH 43762

Notre Dame College
4545 College Road
South Euclid, OH 44121

Ohio Northern University – BS in Nursing
Getty College of Arts and Sciences
525 S. Main Street
Ada, OH 45810

The Ohio State University, College of Nursing BSN Program
1585 Neil Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210

Otterbein Nursing Program
One Otterbein College
Westerville, OH 43081

The University of Akron
302 Buchtel Common
Akron, OH 44325

University of Cincinnati, BSN Program
3110 Vine Street
Cincinnati, OH 45221

The University of Toledo College of Nursing
3000 Arlington Avenue
Toledo, OH 43614

Ursuline College
The Breen School of Nursing
2550 Lander Road
Pepper Pike, OH 44124

Walsh University, BSN
2020 Maple Street NW
North Canton, OH 44720

Wright State University – Miami Valley
3640 Colonel Glenn Highway
Dayton, OH 45435

Xavier University
3800 Victory Parkway
Cincinnati, OH 45207

Youngstown State University
One University Plaza
Youngstown, OH 44555

Firelands Regional Medical Center
1912 Hayes Avenue
Sandusky, OH 44870

Huron School of Nursing
13951 Terrace Road
East Cleveland, OH 44112

Springfield Regional School for Nursing
2615 East High Street
Springfield, OH 45505

Tri-Rivers School of Nursing Diploma Program
2222 Marion Mt – Gilead Road
Marion, OH 43302

Trinity Health System School of Nursing
380 Summit Ave
Steubenville, OH 43952