Career Training Schools: How to Become a Nurse, Qualifications Needed, Nursing Career Choices
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How to Become a Nurse - Qualifications Needed

How to Become a NurseHow to Become a Nurse: There are three ways to qualify as a Registered Nurse and apply for entry level nursing positions. They are as follows:

1. Completing a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing (BSN), 
2. Completing an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), or 
3. Completing a Diploma Program in a hospital.

Registered Nursing Programs: All registered nursing programs include classroom instruction and block experience in hospitals or clinics. Typical subjects studied by student nurses include:

Chemistry, Nutrition, Psychology, Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology, Behavioral Sciences, and Nursing.

During the practical block of a nurse's education, student nurses are supervised in a hospital department, and usually rotate around such departments as pediatrics, psychiatry, maternity, and surgery. Nurses with an Associate Degree can later choose to enter a Bachelor's program, this will allow for more career and educational opportunities in the future.

Bachelor's of Science Degrees in Nursing programs are also available for individuals with a primary degree in another field. Some universities offer transfer credits to students who may have previously completed some of the modules in another science degree program. Transfer credits are at the discretion of each university.

Qualifying: In the past, most nurses qualified by completing diploma programs. Due to advances in Nursing practices, today most Nurses qualify by completing an associate degree or bachelor degree program. Once a student nurse obtains a degree or diploma, he/she must then obtain a nursing license by completing a national licensing examination, known as the NCLEX-RN.

NCLEX-RN: This test is a computer-based test, designed to measure the skills and knowledge of potential nurses. This test can ask between 75 and 265 questions depending on the student nurses knowledge. The more questions he/she gets right the quicker he/she will move through the levels. If a question is answered wrong, the student nurse will stay at that level until he/she displays that they have a enough knowledge to move onto the next level, or the time runs out. Student Nurses should allow six hours to take the test. It will not take long if he/she is very knowledgeable on the subject matter.

Some state laws have previously dictated that to work in a state other than where the Nurse qualified in, he/she would have to sit an additional license examination. Today many states have entered into an agreement known as The Nurse Licensure Compact Agreement. This agreement allows nurses who are licensed by one member state to practice in another member state without obtaining any additional license.

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:

Links to Types of Nursing Careers

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