Nursing jobs and nursing education

Ever wanted to be a nurse? Ever wondered about nursing education or a nursing degree? Then keep reading!!

Nursing Education and Nursing Degrees

In almost all countries, students must complete an approved nursing education course and pass a nursing examination in order to obtain a nursing licence. Some nursing qualifications will be valid in countries other than the one in which the qualification was gained, but in others additional examinations will need to be taken. In any event, most countries will require regualr renewal of qualifications and licences, which may involve continuing nursing education and examinations.

In the US, there are three major educational paths to registered nursing:

A Bachelor’s of Science degree in Nursing (BSN). BSN programs, offered by colleges and universities, take about 4 years to complete.
An Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN). ADN programs, offered by community and junior colleges, take about 2 to 3 years to complete.
A nursing diploma. Only a small and declining number of programs offer diplomas.

Generally, licensed graduates of any of the three types of educational programs qualify for entry-level positions as staff nurses.

The Bachelor's nursing degree allows you to participate in a broader range of nursing, and therefore many ADN- and diploma-educated nurses will go on to undertake bachelor’s nursing degrees. Sometimes, they will begin work as an RN, and take advantage of tuition benefits to further their nursing education by working towards a BSN through one of the many RN to BSN programs.

Accelerated Nursing Degrees

Accelerated BSN programs are available to individuals who have a bachelor’s or higher degree in another field and who are interested in moving into nursing. Accelerated BSN programs last 12 to 18 months and provide the fastest route to a BSN for individuals who already hold a degree. Accelerated master’s degree programs in nursing are also available and take about 3 years to complete.

The Benefits of the BSN Nursing Degree

Budding nurses should carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages of enrolling in a BSN program, because, if they do, their advancement opportunities in nursing are usually broader. In fact, some nursing career paths are open only to nurses with bachelor’s or advanced degrees. A bachelor’s nursing degree is often necessary for administrative positions and is a prerequisite for admission to graduate nursing programs in research, consulting, teaching, or a clinical specialization.

What a Nursing Degree entails

Nursing education includes classroom instruction and supervised clinical experience in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Students take courses in anatomy, physiology, microbiology, chemistry, nutrition, psychology and other behavioral sciences, and nursing. Course work also includes the liberal arts.

Supervised clinical experience is provided in hospital departments such as pediatrics, psychiatry, maternity, and surgery. A growing number of programs include clinical experience in nursing care facilities, public health departments, home health agencies, and ambulatory clinics.

What it takes to be a Nurse

Nurses should be caring, sympathetic, responsible, and detail oriented. They must be able to direct or supervise others, correctly assess patients’ conditions, and determine when consultation is required. They need emotional stability to cope with human suffering, emergencies, and other stresses.

Experience and good performance can lead to promotion to more responsible positions. In management, nurses can advance to assistant head nurse or head nurse and, from there, to assistant director, director, and vice president. Increasingly, management-level nursing positions require a graduate or an advanced degree in nursing or health services administration. They also require leadership, negotiation skills, and good judgment. Graduate programs preparing executive-level nurses usually last about 2 years.

Career advancement in Nursing

Within patient care, nurses can move into a nursing specialty such as clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife, or certified registered nurse anesthetist. These positions require about 2 years of graduate education leading to a master’s degree.

Some nurses move into the business side of health care. Their nursing expertise and experience on a healthcare team equip them with the ability to manage ambulatory, acute, home health, and chronic care services. Employers—including hospitals, insurance companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and managed care organizations, among others—need RNs for health planning and development, marketing, consulting, policy development, and quality assurance. Other nurses work as college and university faculty or conduct research.

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