Nursing degree

Why nursing?

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the nurse's job market will continue to grow at nearly 20%, much faster than most other professions. The median salary for a nurse is around $70,000 a year. A comfortable salary and decent job outlook draw more people to the nursing field.

It requires an entire staff of experts to tend to the nation's medical care requirements, and nurses will be the crucial link that keeps the medical care system operating carefully. They offer to act as liaisons between clients and doctors and, in some instances, also complete physicians' duties. Nonetheless, there are various kinds of nurses, and their particular career paths suggest just what education they have obtained, what they specialize in, and the location they will be working in.

Types of Nursing Degrees - Nursing Diploma, ADN, BSN, MSN, DNP

Nursing Degree	Duration	Job duties/Training/Career
Nursing Diploma	1 year	Talking to patients and recording the signs and symptoms. Assisting RN and LPN
Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)	two years	Same duties as nurses with Nursing Diploma but they can become BSN faster
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)	4 years unless the candidate has a previous related qualification	Can take NCLEX-RN test to become an RN
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)	2-3 years depending upon the previous experience	Range of opportunities
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)	4-6 years	Range of career options in nursing management

Nursing Diploma

The nursing degree that requires the least education is the Nursing diploma. It is an undergraduate program provided by hospitals or vocational centers to teach the students the everyday duties of a nurse. The duration of a nursing diploma course is one year, which is the shortest nursing course out there. Suppose the course is affiliated with a University. In that case, however, the student can receive college credit for future education, which comes in handy while pursuing an ADN or BSN degree later.

ADN - Associate Degree in Nursing

ADN is an undergraduate program provided by community colleges to teach students the everyday tasks of a nurse. It is a two-year program and a popular way to enter nursing. ADN is a college degree. Many ADNs go back to earn their BSN. Many Universities provide Accelerated BSN courses for ADNs, which are similar to BSN but have a duration of as less as 12 months, compared to the 48 - 60 months needed for a regular BSN course. The course is usually specialty-specific, giving in-depth knowledge of a particular field, such as maternal care or behavioral health.

Top colleges providing ADN

• Sullivan County Community College, Loch Sheldrake
• Gateway Technical College, Kenosha
• Mt. San Antonio College, Los Angeles
• Valencia College, Orlando

BSN - Bachelor of Science in Nursing

BSN requires four years of tertiary education, although it can be completed sooner if the student has a prior ADN or Nursing diploma. BSN is specialty-focused. The university might require the student to take some prior courses before enrolling in a BSN program. It all depends upon the University and the specialty being chosen.

Top colleges providing BSN

• Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore
• University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• University of California, San Francisco
• University of Washington, Seattle

These are generally competitive schools, so students must have high standardized test scores and high GPAs to be admitted. Johns Hopkins, the University of California, and the University of Pennsylvania, in particular, only admit about 10-15% of all applicants. It is not uncommon for students to have a GPA of over 4.0 and near-perfect SAT scores.

MSN - Master of Science in Nursing

MSN is an advanced nursing degree in a chosen specialty. It is a specialized degree with technical skills to focus on a specific area of health. Possible career paths include nurse anesthetist, nursing administrator, nurse-midwife, or nurse practitioner. This advanced knowledge of a particular specialty and previous nursing experience puts the nurse above all levels. Interestingly, an MSN degree can be obtained regardless of your previous degree. An MSN can be acquired in one of the following ways:

Direct Entry MSN: If the student does not have any prior background, they can still obtain an MSN, provided they have a graduate degree in any field. This program takes anywhere from 24 to 36 months.

ADN-to-MSN: If the student already holds an ADN, they can sign up for this course, which takes three to five years to complete the course.

BSN-to-MSN: After earning a BSN, nurses can complete an MSN. Most of these programs are two years long if nurses choose to complete them full-time. However, most continue to work while earning the degree.

Top colleges providing MSN

The best schools to receive your MSN are the same schools to receive your BSN. These schools are:

• University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore
• University of California, San Francisco
• University of Washington, Seattle

Some of these programs offer degrees to students who are changing fields. For instance, Johns Hopkins has programs designed solely for students with an undergraduate degree in a major other than nursing. For the most part, though, applicants need to be a licensed nurse with a bachelor's of science in nursing. GPA needs to be above 3.0. Some require a GRE, but many do not. An online application and letters of recommendation are also usually necessary.

DNP - Doctor of Nursing Practice - An Advanced course in nursing

Nurses may also choose to receive a DNP, a four to six-year commitment. DNP is very specialty-focused since the student must write a dissertation based on the chosen research topic. A current RN license is a must in most Universities. DNP provides the academic knowledge as well as the practical knowledge of nursing. Nurses who complete a DNP can have careers in Nursing administration/management. Whether the student holds MSN or ADN, there is a path that they can take to expedite their journey towards being a DNP.

Top colleges providing DNP

• Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore
• University of Washington, Seattle
• Columbia University

What are the available Nurse Licenses?

There are various nursing licenses based on the type of training and examination taken.

Nursing License	Job Profile
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)	Basic non-clinical duties like making sure patients are comfortable etc. Salary:$30,000 Requirements: High school diploma or GED Must complete state approved education program Certificate: CNA Certification
Licensed Practical Nurses/Licensed Vocational Nurse (LPN/LVN)	Administering injections, inserting a catheter, collecting samples, administering IV, etc. Salary:$50,000 Requirements: High school diploma or GED Certificate: (NCLEX-PN)
Registered Nurse (RN) People generally associate the term "Nurse" with them.	Assist and work with the physicians and surgeons Salary:$70,000 Requirements: Degrees like BSN and MSN Certificate: (NCLEX-RN)

CNA - Certified Nursing Assistant

As the name suggests, CNAs assist an LPN or an RN in daily tasks. This license requires a minimal amount of training. No degree is needed to pursue CNA training, but a high school diploma or GED and nursing assistant training are necessary. CNA credentials are issued by the state, so it's essential to check if the program being chosen is state-approved. After the CNA training program is complete, the candidate has to take the CNA certification exam, which is divided into two parts: written and practical. The written test is a 90-minute test, while the practical test is 30 minutes long.

National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN)

This license, provided by NCLEX, is for aspirants looking to become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN). The exam is five hours long with short breaks in between. The number of questions in the exam depends upon the answers given by the candidate. The questions relating to a single scenario may keep popping up until the system is aware of the candidate's competency. That said, the number of questions in the exam can be anywhere from 75 questions to over 200 questions. There are also 15 trial questions included in the 75 questions that don't count towards the score, but they are embedded in the exam and are unable to be identified. The duties of an LPN include assisting RNs and following their directions, such as administering medicine to a patient or taking vitals.

LPN vs LVN
There is always some confusion about these two terms and their similarity and differences. Truthfully, they are precisely the same. The title LVN is used in the states of Texas and California, while the title LPN is used in the other states. Both licenses require the candidate to pass the same testâ€"NCLEX-PNâ€"and the duties and salary are precisely the same.

National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN)

This license, also provided by NCLEX, is for nursing candidates looking to become Registered Nurses. The NCLEX exam for RNs has the same course as the PN exam. While RNs focus on decision-making skills in a situation, PNs focus on following the directions of an RN and being able to assist them successfully. The exam duration is six hours with short breaks in between, and the number of questions in the exam varies, just like in the NCLEX-PN exam.

How to become a Nurse Practitioner?

A nurse practitioner (NP) is an advanced-level nurse. Nurse Practitioners can diagnose and check patients, mostly in an office setting. They can refer a patient to a specialist. The scope of duties of an NP depends on the state the NP is working in since the NP license is state-dependent. In a few states, a nurse practitioner can work independently, while in others, they need to work under a doctor to refer a patient.

To become a Nurse Practitioner, the RN has to have a graduate or Associate degree and work towards earning an MSN or DNP. There are many ways to fast-track this process, and many institutions provide online accelerated courses. Once that is done, a Nurse Practitioner license has to be earned. The NP license is offered by individual states, and they have different rules and requirements.

Is nursing a good career?

First and foremost, nursing is a very rewarding career if one has patience and a caring attitude. A nurse brings care, comfort, and happiness into people’s lives, caring for them in many ways. Overall, most nurses report a high level of job satisfaction. It is a career filled with opportunities and challenges.

The salary of a nurse varies by the state and the number of years of experience they have. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that a nurse earns anywhere from $50,000 to $111,000 annually, with the median salary being $70,000. These numbers are based on the statistics from 2019. Although rewarding, a career in nursing requires a lot of hard work and time. Nursing would always be high in demand because of the growing population and ever-increasing demand for health care professionals.

Facts about Nursing:

While we discussed right in the beginning how rewarding nursing school is, there is also a cautionary tale. It would be best if you were ready for the commitment.

• Be ready to burn the midnight oil. Nursing school is tough. You need good GPAs/grades and scores to get in. While students earn credits, they need to also clock in clinical hours. Sometimes, students are forced to take accelerated courses and have to take multiple tests. Before entering nursing school, make sure you are prepared for this situation. Gear up for the uphill climb and take it in your stride. Prepare and go for tests, and don’t bite off more than you can chew.
• Also, keep your focus on the end goal. Nursing school can be exhausting. There are many ways to reach your nursing goal, so plan the best way since it's a long journey.
• You will become desensitized to people's trauma as well as suffering. You are also considering undiagnosed ailments, hospital bureaucracy, health care and insurance inequalities, bloody injuries, or gross illness. This is part of being in the nursing industry. You have to take it with a pinch of salt.
• With the hectic schedules and work hours, nursing school is where you will be making friends for a lifetime. It would be best to have someone to lean on and have your back. You may also have to stay under the same roof as your mates. Being positive, friendly, and focused will help eliminate distractions and unnecessary confrontations.