All About Nursing

Diploma Nurse to BSN ? A Good Idea?

2009-03-16T20:36:00.001-07:00

(My Original Blog Post: -*http://www.my-nursing-career.com/nursing-school/diploma-nurse-bsn-good-idea/)
The diploma nurse and the associate-degree nurse (ASN) receive essentially the same education. Diploma nurses get their professional entry-level training at a hospital-based nursing school, after which they may take the NCLEX-RN examination and apply for a license as a Registered Nurse (RN). Both diploma programs and ASN programs take about two years. While the number of nursing schools based in hospitals has decreased, but they do still exist. Some require applicants to complete their non-nursing educational prerequisites at other schools before admission.

The Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) is also an entry-level nursing degree, and it can usually be earned at a community college. Students who complete the ADN courses may also take the NCLEX-RN license examination. Recently, some hospital-based nursing programs have changed their course offerings to provide the ADN instead of the diploma.

The debate about whether a diploma or ADN nurse should go for the BSN has been going on since professional authorities suggested the BSN as a prerequisite for professional nursing practice in 1923. Diploma nurses and ADNs have always been very proud of their accomplishments and skills and often state that they know more about actual patient care and clinical procedures than any new BSN graduate!

However, the professional landscape for nurses has changed. The health care field is becoming more complex and technology-oriented, and there is a trend toward placing more responsibility on the shoulders of nurses. Health care is moving from a primarily hospital-centered inpatient institution to a system focused increasingly on primary and preventive care in the community. Particularly at the entry level, a nurse needs more skills in community-based primary care, health promotion, and coordinate, cost-effective patient care.

This means that nurses must be able to function professionally both in and beyond the hospital setting. They may need to practice their profession in many different facilities, make more clinical decisions, handle case management, supervised unlicensed health care aides, and educate patients about complicated health issues. Modern nurses need to be more confident about their abilities and more independent in their decision-making than nurses in the past.

As a result, nurses who have earned the BSN degree are better prepared to meet the needs of the modern nursing profession. The major difference between the diploma nurse or ADN and a BSN is the latter’s focus on leadership and management education and on community-based nursing. BSN degree programs prepare students to handle health promotion, prevention of disease, disease management, and patient education. As the health care field moves further and further into these areas, the demand for professionals with the BSN degree increases.

The BSN degree provides nurses with many more career advancement opportunities – and higher pay – than the diploma or ADN degrees. The health care industry faces a growing demand for nurses on the front lines of primary care, managed care, and cost-effective care. While every diploma nurse or ADN need not pursue the BSN degree – and at the initial stages of a nursing career, the benefits of the BSN may not be apparent – more education will lead to more responsibility, higher standing in the profession, and more opportunities for career advancement and higher salaries. Some states are already requiring a BSN degree for all new hires, and some industry observers believe that the diploma and ADN programs will eventually disappear altogether.

It’s possible for working nurses to earn a BSN without taking time away from their current jobs or sacrificing their regular income by enrolling in accredited online RN-to-BSN programs. And often, a current employer may provide education benefits that can be applied to cover the costs of these programs. Many four-year nursing school programs offer “fast-track” programs that allow practicing nurses with the diploma or ADN to get a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in about two years.

Practicing nurses must adapt to changes in the health care industry, and the best way to prepare for future changes is to obtain additional skills and more education.

Otorhinolaryngology (Head and Neck) Nurses

2009-02-19T16:25:00.001-08:00

(My Original Blog Post: -*http://my-nursing-career.com/nursing-specialities/otorhinolaryngology-head-neck-nurses/)

Otorhinolaryngology nurses care for patients having medical and surgical procedures involving their ears, nose, and throat.

Otorhinolaryngology Nursing Jobs and Median Annual Salary

Find all Otorhinolaryngology Nursing jobs near you.

Otorhinolaryngology Nurses earn an average salary of $57,280.

Educational Requirements

To become an Otorhinolaryngology Nurse, you need the following educational requirements: RN, CORLN, BSN.

Find the right nursing degree to become a Otorhinolaryngology Nurse.

Browse our nursing school directory.

Related Otorhinolaryngology Nursing Organizations

American Academy of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery

American Head and Neck Society

Featured Books

Ophthalmic Nursing

2009-02-19T16:20:00.001-08:00

(My Original Blog Post: -*http://my-nursing-career.com/nursing-specialities/ophthalmic-nursing/)

Ophthalmic nurses care for patients who have diagnosed with eye disorders. They treat conditions such as blindness, glaucoma, and eye trauma. They may be involved in a range of activities from patient education to assisting in surgery.

Ophthalmic Nursing Jobs and Median Annual Salary

Find all Ophthalmic Nursing jobs near you.

Ophthalmic Nurses earn an average salary of $52,330.

Educational Requirements

To become an Ophthalmic Nurse, you need the following educational requirements: RN, CRNO.

Find the right nursing degree to become a Ophthalmic Nurse.

Browse our nursing school directory.

Related Ophthalmic Nursing Organizations

American Society of Ophthalmic Registered Nurses

American Academy of Ophthalmology

Featured Books

Oncology Nursing

2009-02-19T16:14:00.001-08:00

(My Original Blog Post: -*http://my-nursing-career.com/nursing-specialities/oncology-nursing/)

Oncology nurses care and support patients who have been diagnosed with cancer. They administer chemotherapy and manage the symptoms related to the disease.

Oncology Nursing Jobs and Median Annual Salary

Find all Oncology Nursing jobs near you.

Oncology Nurses earn and average salary of $59,281.

Educational Requirements

To become an Oncology Nurse, you need the following educational requirements: RN, AD, BSN.

Find the right nursing degree to become a Oncology Nurse.

Browse our nursing school directory.

Related Oncology Nursing Organizations

Oncology Nursing Society

International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care

Featured Books

Occupational Health Nursing

2009-02-19T16:09:00.001-08:00

(My Original Blog Post: -*http://my-nursing-career.com/nursing-specialities/occupational-health-nursing/)

Occupational health nurses are responsible for on-site care of workers. They combine public health and nursing theory to prevent illness and accidents and to keep workers healthy. They also manage workers' compensation records, work to meet the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), conduct environmental surveys, and care directly for employees. They also promote health education and counsel workers.

Occupational Health Nursing Jobs and Median Annual Salary

Find all Occupational Health Nursing jobs near you.

Occupational Health Nurses earn and average salary of $52,330.

Educational Requirements

To become Occupational Health Nurse, you need the following educational requirements: RN, COHN.

Find the right nursing degree to become a Occupational Health Nurse.

Browse our nursing school directory.

Related Organizations

American Board for Occupational Health Nurses

American Association of Occupational Health Nurses

Featured Occupational Health Nursing Books

Nurse Entrepreneurs

2009-02-19T16:01:00.001-08:00

(My Original Blog Post: -*http://my-nursing-career.com/nursing-specialities/nurse-entrepreneurs/)
Nurse entrepreneurs teach and mentor future nurses. They work in classrooms and in practice environments, prepare lessons plans, and inspiring and encouraging nursing students. They also have an impact on the quality of patient care through educating future nurses.

Nurse Entrepreneurs Jobs and Median Annual Salary

Find all nurse entrepreneur jobs near you.

Nurse Entrepreneurs earn and average salary of $52,330.

Educational Requirements

To become Nurse Entrepreneurs, you need the following educational requirements: RN.

Find the right nursing degree to become a Nurse Entrepreneur.

Browse our nursing school directory.

Related Organizations

National Association of Independent Nurses

National Nurses in Business Association

Nurse Entrepreneur Books

Nurse Educators

2009-02-19T15:53:00.001-08:00

(My Original Blog Post: -*http://my-nursing-career.com/nursing-specialities/nurse-educators/)

Nurse educators teach and mentor future nurses. They work in classrooms and in practice environments, prepare lessons plans, and inspiring and encouraging nursing students. They also have an impact on the quality of patient care through educating future nurses.

Nurse Educators Jobs and Median Annual Salary

Find all nurse educator jobs near you.

Nurse Educators earn and average salary of $57,502.

Educational Requirements

To become Nurse Educators, you need the following educational requirements: RN, CNE.

Find the right nursing degree to become a Nurse Educator.

Browse our nursing school directory.

Related Organizations

National Nursing Staff Development Organization

Nurse Educator Magazine

Featured Books

Nurse Attorneys

2009-02-19T15:43:00.001-08:00

(My Original Blog Post: -*http://my-nursing-career.com/nursing-specialities/nurse-attorneys/)

About Nurse Attorneys

With degrees on both law and nursing, these professionals help to create health care policy and/or represent health care interests in the court system.

Nurse Attorneys Jobs and Median Annual Salary

Find all nurse attorney jobs near you.

Nurse Attorneys earn and average salary of $52,330.

Educational Requirements

To become Nurse Attorneys, you need the following educational requirements: RN, JD.

Find the right nursing degree to become a Nurse Attorney.

Browse our nursing school directory.

Related Organizations

The American Association of Nurse Attorneys

American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics

Featured Books

Nurse Anesthetists

2009-02-19T14:51:00.001-08:00

(My Original Blog Post: -*http://my-nursing-career.com/nursing-specialities/nurse-anesthetists/)

Nurse anesthetists provide care and services similar to those provided by anesthesiologists. They are trained and certified to provide anesthesia during surgery. Nurse anesthetists may work in hospitals, out-patient surgery facilities, group practices, or independent practice. They work together with physicians or as part of an anesthesia team to provide patient anesthesia.

Nurse Anesthetists Jobs and Median Annual Salary

Find all nurse anesthetists jobs near you.

Nurse Anesthetists earn and average salary of $140,013.

Educational Requirements

To become Nurse Anesthetists, you need the following educational requirements: RN, BSN, CRNA

Find the right nursing degree to become a Nurse Anesthetist Nurse.

Browse our nursing school directory.

Related Organizations

American Association of Nurse Anesthetists

International Federation of Nurse Anesthetists

Featured Books

How to Become a Nurse In the United States

2008-07-18T18:30:00.001-07:00

One way to help solve the nursing crisis in the US is to get more nurses here. Here is an article for foreign trained nurses on how to become a nurse in the United States.

The Real World of Forensic Nursing

2008-06-06T14:38:00.001-07:00

The Real World of Forensic Nursing

Forensic nurses care for crime victims, collect evidence, and provide health care inside the prison system. They may have special expertise, such as that of a nurse coroner, sexual assault nurse examiner, legal nurse consultant, forensic psychiatric nurse, or correctional nursing specialist. The responsibilities of a forensic nurse range from death investigations to domestic violence, from work with prison inmates to counseling school children who have used guns. Often, work as a sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) is a springboard to the profession of forensic nursing. Read more about forensic nursing and find all forensic nursing jobs.

2008-05-05T15:34:00.001-07:00

Pre-launch or relaunch of the all-in-one career site for nurseshttp://ping.fm/VWVLC

How to Pay for Nursing School

2008-03-18T17:05:00.000-07:00

Nursing is a fulfilling career and offers many great career opportunities for those with the necessary education and skills. The decision to begin or continue your nursing education is a big one, and how you plan to pay for school is an important element of that decision.

You shouldn't be discouraged in pursuing your goals by lack of funds. Public sources for financial aid include federal and state scholarships and loans, as well as work study programs. In addition, many nursing schools and universities have their own financial aid packages, while community groups and membership organizations offer special scholarships and loans.

To initiate the application process, get a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) directly from the school to which you are seeking admission. The FAFSA is the one standardized form that all colleges and universities require and will be used to determine most of the financial aid that you will receive. Submitting the form means that you are applying for federal and state need-based grants and loans, federal college work-study, state merit scholarships, and institutional grants and scholarship programs.

Be sure to read and complete the form because errors will be costly in terms of time and missed opportunities. You should fill out and submit the forms as soon as you and your family have collected financial records for the current tax year because the amount of aid available at each school is limited. You will receive a report after about six weeks about your eligibility for financial aid.

When shopping for financial aid, check the accreditation status of the nursing and the school's eligibility for aid. All accredited programs qualify for federal funding, but an institution may have limited access due to high default rates.

Grants

Federal grant programs provide funds that don't need to be paid back. The application process may be more difficult but the payoff is significant. When you apply to some schools with your FAFSA, they may consider you for grants.

Pell Grants offer substantial support, depending on your financial need. You should apply for Pell Grants as soon as possible after January 1, although deadline for application submission is May 1 for the fall semester.

Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG) are available to students with exceptional financial need and enrolled at least half-time in an eligible undergraduate program. The participating school determines the amount up to $4,000 a year.

Scholarships

If you can qualify for scholarships, this would be a great source of finance for your nursing education. Competition is tough, though. Professional associations for particular nursing specialties may offer scholarships to qualified persons. Other good sources are religious and other philanthropic organizations.

Nursing Scholarships

According to the minority nurse Web site, the most important rule for winning a nursing scholarship "is to apply." "Searching for scholarships and filling out applications is indeed time-consuming, but the hours invested can pay off in thousands of dollars." There are many private scholarships available for nursing students. Visit my-nursing-career.com for a list of over 750 scholarship just for nursing.

College Work-Study Programs

The federal program supports part-time employment in participating schools. The school provides you an on- or off-campus job paying at least the prevailing minimum wage and sets the number of hours to be worked.

To qualify you should submit completed applications early in the calendar year.

College Loans

There are low-interest college loans. These entail some commitment, but they also provide you with the means to accomplish your dreams. You usually apply at your chosen school.

Nursing Student Loan Program, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provides loans up to $2,500 a year (freshman and sophomore) or $4,000 a year (junior and seniors). Repayment of these low-income loans begins 9 months after graduation, over 10 years at 5% interest annually.

Perkins Loans can lend up to $4,000 per year of undergraduate study. Repayment begins 9 months after graduation at 5% interest; you have up to 10 years to repay the loan.

Stafford Loans, PLUS Loans (Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students), and SLS Loans are loans you will have to arrange privately through banks and other lending institutions. These carry a maximum interest rate of 8.25%. Usually, there is a total loan limit of $23,000 for all 4 years of study.

Tax Credits

The Lifetime Learning Tax Credit and the Hope Scholarship Tax Credit are the two most common tax credits for students. You can not receive both tax credits at the same time for the same person.

The Lifetime Learning Tax Credit can be claimed for qualified tuition and school-related expenses for each student in the taxpayer's family. The maximum credit a taxpayer may claim is $2,000. In other words, the credit is equal to 20 percent of the taxpayer's first $10,000 out of pocket tuition and related expenses.

The Hope Scholarship Tax Credit can be claimed for qualified tuition and school-related expenses for each student in the tax payer's family. The student must be enrolled half-time and be in either the first or second years of a post-secondary education program that will lead to a degree or certificate. The maximum credit a taxpayer can claim is $1,500 for each student in the family.

For the latest listing of loan, grant, and over 750 nursing scholarship resources to help pay for nursing school, see http://www.my-nursing-career.com

Find all advertised nursing jobs, all nursing schools, and nursing degrees on my-nursing-career.com

Top Ten Solutions to the Nursing Shortage

2008-01-28T16:14:00.000-08:00

A crisis in the health care industry is brewing, and it is called the nursing shortage. But when you hear that over 42,000 nurses were turned away from nursing school last year, you have to wonder why there is still a nursing shortage. The nursing shortage is all about the education bottle neck that keeps nursing out of training.

Here are the top ten ways to get nurses trained and into the work force:

Teach More Nurses Online
In a regulated profession like nursing, starting a new nursing school is not easy. But a dozen fully accredited, highly regarded nursing schools already offer their programs online. The academic portion of the program is completed online while the clinical portion is completed locally. A greater capacity to teach nurses today, would significantly ease the nursing crisis facing us in the coming years. Opening more online nursing schools would help resolve the nursing crisis at its core.

Schools like Indiana State, which was named by Princeton review as one of the best schools in the Mid-West. Jacksonville University for the third year in a row was named by US News and World Report as one of America's best colleges. The National League of Nurses and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) have accredited each of these schools respectively. There are many more fully accredited nursing schools offering their programs online.

Not only is the capacity for teaching nurses online higher than that of teaching them on-campus, nurse educators can leverage their time better, the programs are less expensive, and most of these programs have no waiting list.

Not only is the the capacity for teaching nurses online higher than that of teaching them on-campus, nurse educators can leverage their time better, the programs are less expensive, and most of these programs have no waiting list.

What you can do: Tell your friends and colleagues who aspire to become a nurse about the great online programs available.

Teach More Nurse Educators
In January of 2007, Tennessee Governor Philip Bredesen launched a $1.4 million campaign to fund a scholarship program to help registered nurses earn degrees needed to teach nursing. A few months earlier, Illinois did the same to ensure that the state could educate, recruit and retain nurses.

The capacity for most nursing programs to expand is limited by the ability of qualified nurse educators. However the number of programs teaching current nurses the skills to teach aspiring nurses is not enough. Through a combinations of pubic and private incentives and partnerships, schools need to increase their capacity to teach more nurse educators.

By raising the effectiveness of the Tennessee and Illinois programs to other states and the Federal government, more nurse educators would have the opportunity to teach.

What you can do: Write your state and congressional representative about the successes of the Tennessee and Illinois programs and get one funded for your state.

Educational Strategies
In a study that appeared in Health Affairs, the study authors found that 97 percent of hospitals were using education strategies to address the shortages of nurses at the hospitals. These strategies included partnering with nursing schools, subsidizing salaries, reimbursing the nurses for advancing their education and providing flexibility to allow staff to attend classes that can further their career. Already the private sector is doing what it does best, squeezing the most productivity out of a situation that needs it. Best practices can be shared among the different organizations.

What you can do: Work with your current hospital to make them aware of the options available to them. Increases in productivity will justify the capital outlays to get the programs started.

Capital Grants to Schools
In an effort to increase the number of students and nursing faculty, many states are beginning to offer capital grants to hire and retain nursing staff, purchase new equipment, enhance audiovisual ability, and recruit students.

What you can do: Write your state and congressional representative about the successes of other state programs for the hiring and retention of nursing and help to get similar programs in place.

Change Nursing Laws
In 2002, the Nurse Reinvestment Act was passed that allowed new and expanded programs that target the nursing shortage in an effort to reduce it. It is important that the government must fund these programs and expand the Nurse Faculty Loan Program, Nurse Scholarship Program and others. Increase the the percentage and number of foreign trained nurses to enter the United States.

The percentage of foreign trained nurses in the US is far less than most of us think it is. The fact is that there are many very well trained nurses who wish to work in the United States. The process for screening well qualified candidates is already in place. The biggest barrier is the limitations on the number of nurses allowed into the United States.

What you can do: Encourage your employers to sponsor more foreign trained nurses. Let your congressional representative that you no longer want unreasonable caps placed on working visas for nurses.

Create Healthy Work Environments
The current working environment for many nurses is a stressful one. A nursing shortage only makes this worse. The mental and emotional state of individuals who have to work in a stressful environment causes a drop in the quality of medial care. Management needs the freedom to create dynamic working environments, and come up with creative solutions so that the current nursing work force can perform in a healthly environment.

What you can do: Stop complaining. Management may seem to always be about the bottom line, but when shown the productivity gains, the slower attrition rate associated with a healthier working environment, change is much more possible.

Develop More Public-Private Partnerships
The public may not know this, but they are deeply vested in solving the nursing shortage. As critical as the shortage is now, if it gets much worse, the quality of medical care will fall. Not only is the shortage a contributing factor in rising health care costs, the public at large will be the ones most severely affected if the shortage gets any worse. A heightened awareness about the rise health care costs along with a potential drop is quality of medical care, the entrepreneur spirit that drives the private sector can be used to help find solutions to this crisis.

Develop Strategic Partnerships
Nursing colleges and universities need to begin developing strategic partnerships to help expand student capacity and bulk up the nursing workforce. In one example, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida gave $600,000 in funding to the University of North Florida to fund their nursing education. Ramping up online degree programs at already accredited institutions would go a long way toward getting the current nursing population better educated.

Getting more of the 42,000 nurses who were turned away from nursing school last year into online nursing school is the core of solving the nursing crisis. Nursing schools are not accredited overnight. Nurse educators are in short supply. But given the clear need to resolve the nursing crisis, coordinating public and private resources will go a long way toward resolving the nursing crisis.

Nurses Launch National 'CheneyCare' Campaign

2008-01-13T01:15:00.000-08:00

New Print, Online Ads Jumpstart Petition Drive for Guaranteed Health Care

The California Nurses Association

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 — The California Nurses Association (CNA)/National Nurses Organizing Committee (NNOC) launched a national campaign today in favor of what the group has dubbed "CheneyCare" -- guaranteed, publicly-funded health care for all Americans.

The campaign was inspired by the success of the group's Iowa ads declaring that Vice President Dick Cheney "would be dead" if he did not have publicly-funded health care. A new version of the Iowa ad asking Americans to sign a petition for "CheneyCare" will run today in eight New Hampshire papers before going national in the New York Times, Washington Post, and USA Today, as well as leading political blogs, on Monday.

"All Americans have the right to the quality of care that our Vice-President, President, and Congress already have," said Rose Ann DeMoro, Executive Director of CNA/NNOC and a vice-president of the AFL-CIO. "All the leading Democratic proposals fall well short of "CheneyCare," keeping insurance companies at the apex of power and allowing them to deny care that can save lives. The Republican proposals are even worse."

The ad uses recent headlines about Vice-President Dick Cheney's latest heart procedure to point out the difference between the government-funded health care that the nation's leading politicians enjoy and the precarious health care situation in which most Americans find themselves.

A news article about Cheney's recent treatment for heartbeat irregularities provides the context with the headline: "If he were anyone else, he'd probably be dead by now." The text highlights that factors such as the patient's history and prognosis would likely lead to a denial of private insurance claims for most Americans, assuming that they had coverage in the first place.

The ad asks readers to go to http://www.CheneyCare.org and sign a petition in support of CheneyCare for all Americans. The blog ads cut to the chase, with the tagline "CheneyCare for all."

The campaign plans to continue running ads in all the early primary states. Once the presidential candidates are chosen, the petition will be delivered to the both the Democratic and Republican nominees' state campaign offices around the country.

CNA/NNOC has been critical of "universal health care" proposals by top Democratic presidential hopefuls Senator Hillary Clinton, Senator Barack Obama and John Edwards, which continue to rely upon the wasteful inclusion of private insurance companies.

Earlier in the campaign season, CNA/NNOC teamed up with Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) to air television ads during Democratic presidential debates in Iowa and New Hampshire. The three "Speechless" ads featured regular Americans describing the costs, burdens and financial pressures that the current health care system is putting on them to one of the leading democratic candidates. They then ask the candidate what she or he is doing about it. The camera then cut to a cardboard cut-out of candidates Clinton, Obama or Edwards, with a voice-over that says, "The longer nobody

talks about single payer, guaranteed health care for everyone, the longer we are going to wait to get it."

CNA/NNOC is part of the Leadership Conference for Guaranteed Health Care, a new umbrella group for labor, advocacy and health care professionals committed to working to pass legislation that will guarantee access to health care for all Americans.

About California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee: Founded in 1903, the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee today represents over 75,000 members nationwide. It is the largest and fastest-growing organization of direct care Registered Nurses in the country and is dedicated to providing a voice for nurses and a vision for healthcare.

SOURCE The California Nurses Association

Become a Nurse

2008-01-02T22:24:00.000-08:00

Registered Nurse (RN) Degrees Career Profile, Salary, & Education

Nursing in general is an applied science that combines aspects of medicine, biology, pharmacology and even psychology in the delivery of health care to individuals in physical distress. Nurses assist and complement physicians, and work in all the same areas and specialties as doctors, while retaining a professional identity separate from doctors and unique to their own occupation.

Of the several types of nurse, by far the most predominant is the Registered Nurse (RN), a highly trained health care professional who possesses the education, skills and competency to practice all aspects of the care and recovery of the sick and the maintenance of well-being in the healthy. RNs ensure that patients receive care that is appropriate, timely, and professional, in a variety of settings.

Registered nurses perform a number of essential and basic functions, including treating and educating patients, recording symptoms and medical histories, performing diagnostic tests and analyzing the results, and administering treatment and medications under the supervision of a physician.

RNs are not limited to employment as bedside nurses in hospitals. Registered nurses are employed by physicians, attorneys, insurance companies, private industry, school districts, ambulatory surgery centers and fire departments, among others. Some registered nurses are independent consultants who work for themselves, while others work for large manufacturers or chemical companies. Research Nurses conduct or assist in the conduct of research or evaluation (outcome and process) in many areas such as biology, psychology, human development, and health care systems.

Find the right accredited registered nursing degree, rn to bsn, or rn to msn degree for your career goals.

Registered Nurse Degrees, Education and Training

There are three major educational pathways that lead to a Registered Nurse certification. These paths begin with an associate degree in nursing (ADN), a bachelor's of science degree in nursing (BSN), or an RN diploma.

Associate of Science Degree in Nursing (ADN)
The quickest and most frequent educational path to an RN degree begins with a two-year Associate of Science in Nursing. About 846 community and junior colleges currently offer ADN programs.

Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN)
There are currently more than 674 accredited nursing programs that offer a four-year course of study culminating in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.

RN Diploma Program
Also referred to as a "hospital diploma," these specialized programs last about three years, with a strong focus on core studies, intensive nursing classes, and clinical training and internships. Until about a decade ago, most RNs in the U.S. were initially educated in one of these diploma programs.

Although requirements vary from state to state, licensed graduates of any of these three programs qualify, generally speaking, for entry-level positions as staff nurses. In all 50 states and the District of Columbia, once the student has graduated from an approved nursing program, he or she must then pass the NCLEX-RN, a national licensing examination, in order to obtain a nursing license. Most states also have their own additional qualifying requirements beyond these national requirements. There are also numerous opportunities to move beyond these basic degree programs, as about 417 nursing schools currently offer master's degrees, and 93 offer doctoral degrees in nursing.

To find out more available certificates and degrees that can lead to a RN degree, visit the Nursing Degrees and certifications page.

Explore Career Opportunities in Registered Nursing

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 2004, about 2.4 million people were employed as registered nurses, making this the single largest occupation in the healthcare field. Nearly 60 percent of RNs were employed in hospitals.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment of registered nurses is expected to grow "much faster than average for all occupations" during the upcoming decade. Due to the large number of nursing jobs that will be created, registered nurses are predicted to create the second largest number of new jobs among all occupations in the U.S. Job opportunities for registered nurses will be excellent, to the point that the industry is even now experiencing difficulty attracting and retaining an adequate number of RNs.

U.S. Department of Labor figures indicate that the median annual salary of registered nurses in 2004 was $52,330, with a range running from less than $37,300 to a high of more than $74,760. The highest median wages were paid by employment services ($63,170) and hospitals ($53,450).

Numerous specializations lie within the scope of the RN, including:

Other popular specializations for Registered Nurses include:

Emergency Room Nurse
Medical emergencies requiring immediate treatment can occur at any time. Emergency room nurses work with emergency room physicians and with paramedics to ensure timely care in crisis situations.

Hospice Nurse
Hospice nurses work for hospitals or services evaluating and providing care and emotional support to the terminally ill. They also provide grief counseling to critically ill patients and their families.

Rehabilitation Nurse
These registered nurses specialize in restoring physical functionality to patients who have suffered from some form of physical disability, due to illness, stroke, or accident.

School Nurse
Many elementary and secondary schools, and most colleges and universities, are required to have a registered nurse on site to provide immediate care to students suffering from illness or a medical emergency.

All About Nursing

Diploma Nurse to BSN ? A Good Idea?

Otorhinolaryngology (Head and Neck) Nurses

Otorhinolaryngology Nursing Jobs and Median Annual Salary

Educational Requirements

Related Otorhinolaryngology Nursing Organizations

Featured Books

Related Links

Ophthalmic Nursing

Ophthalmic Nursing Jobs and Median Annual Salary

Educational Requirements

Related Ophthalmic Nursing Organizations

Featured Books

Related Links

Oncology Nursing

Oncology Nursing Jobs and Median Annual Salary

Educational Requirements

Related Oncology Nursing Organizations

Featured Books

Related Links

Occupational Health Nursing

Occupational Health Nurses

Occupational Health Nursing Jobs and Median Annual Salary

Educational Requirements

Related Organizations

Featured Occupational Health Nursing Books

Related Links

Nurse Entrepreneurs

Nurse Entrepreneurs Jobs and Median Annual Salary

Educational Requirements

Related Organizations

Nurse Entrepreneur Books

Related Links

Nurse Educators

Nurse Educators Jobs and Median Annual Salary

Educational Requirements

Related Organizations

Featured Books

Related Links

Nurse Attorneys

About Nurse Attorneys

Nurse Attorneys Jobs and Median Annual Salary

Educational Requirements

Related Organizations

Featured Books

Related Links

Nurse Anesthetists

Nurse Anesthetists Jobs and Median Annual Salary

Educational Requirements

Related Organizations

Featured Books

Related Links

How to Become a Nurse In the United States

The Real World of Forensic Nursing

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