Nursing Education - Career Options
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Nursing Education:
- Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN)
BSN programs are offered by colleges and
universities, and most courses take four years
to complete. When starting out student nurses
should choose their courses carefully. Some
advancement opportunities are only available to
nurses with Bachelor degrees such as
administrative positions. Also if you decide to
enroll in a continuing education program in the
future such as research, teaching or consulting,
often a Bachelor's degree is a prerequisite.
Additionally Bachelor's Degree graduates have
training in many of the management areas of
nursing such as leadership and communication,
which are in demand skills for senior level
nurses.
- Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)
ADN programs are offered by community and junior
colleges. Associate Degrees take from two to
three years to complete, and focus more on
practical and technical skills than theory. Once
qualified, associate degree graduates can become
Registered Nurses in less time that completing a
BSN program. Some ADN graduates feel restricted
when applying for senior level positions. There
are bridging programs available to upgrade your
ADNs to a Bachelor's Degree program (BSN). A BSN
can open more doors in a nurse’s career than an
ADN.
- Diploma Programs
Diploma Programs are administered in hospitals
and are two to three years in duration. Before
degree programs were available all nurses
qualified by completing diploma courses in
hospitals. Diploma programs prepare students to
work in a hospital, clinic, or other inpatient
facility. This is the quickest method of
entering the Nursing Profession and earning a
living, but your career options will be limited
unless you join one of the above degree
programs.
Further/Continuing Education:
Once qualified, Registered Nurses can then
continue with their studies and qualify to work
in specialty areas by completing continuing
education courses. Specialty areas include,
Clinical Nurse Specialists, Nurse Anesthetists,
Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners,
Continuing Education may help improve a Nurse’s
career advancement opportunities. Master’s and a
Doctoral Degrees in Nursing are also available
for qualified nurses who wish to further their
careers.
- Certification in a specialist area is often
required to apply for positions in that area.
Certification is available for the four advanced
practice nursing specialties, Clinical Nurse
Specialists, Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives,
and Nurse Practitioners. National Certification
is usually achieved on completion of the
educational programs and in some states
certification is required to practice that
specialty.
- Master's Degree in Nursing. A master's degree
in nursing is required to practice as a
specialist nurse e.g. nurse anesthetists.
Master's programs are two years in duration and
require the student to have a Bachelor's degree
as a prerequisite. Some Master's programs
require that the student has a minimum of two
years of clinical experience.
- Doctoral Degree in Nursing / PhD. A PhD is
required for Nursing Executive Positions along
with clinical research, and advanced clinical
practice positions. PhD programs can take from
four to six years to complete.
Find a Nursing School / College:
Use the red search box above, to find schools
and colleges in your area that offer nursing programs.
Preview different types of positions:
Search and review the different types of
Nursing Jobs &
Health Care Jobs posted on our
jobsite, for an idea of the duties and
responsibilities, education/skills required,
salary and benefits associated with Health Care
related, Medical & Nursing jobs in USA.
Below is a list of some of the various types of
medical nurses / assistant nurses: |
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