Most concentrations require additional certifications. Professionals should prioritize organizations with accreditation from the National Commission for Certifying Agencies or the American Board for Specialty Nursing Certifications.
A subsidiary of the American Nurses Association , ANCC awards internationally renowned certification in several specialty practice areas. Specialties include cardiac-vascular, medical-surgical, pain management, and psychiatric-mental health certifications. Learn More. The ABNS represents approximately , certified nurses globally. The board awards specialty nurse certifications, promotes career development, and advocates for improved healthcare outcomes and patient safety.
CCI aims to improve patient outcomes and awards perioperative nursing certification in several focus areas. Specialty practice areas include ambulatory surgery, surgical services management, and the perioperative central nervous system.
The association also provides free continuing education opportunities. ONCC-certified nurses can pursue specialties such as advanced oncology, pediatric oncology, blood and marrow transplant, and pediatric hematology. Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing Sigma represents , members globally as the first national organization to fund nursing research. This organization offers its members career advice, education opportunities, and leadership programs.
The National Student Nurses Association NSNA serves nursing students seeking career resources and graduates preparing for their initial nursing licensure. The association also advocates for high-quality, affordable, and accessible healthcare.
The American Nurses Association ANA represents the interests of the nation's four million RNs as one of the largest professional nurse organizations in the country. The National League for Nursing NLN, the oldest professional nurse organization in the United States, advocates for nursing education in postsecondary institutions and healthcare organizations. The organization provides continuous education, networking opportunities, and career advice to its members.
Collapse All Expand All Can you be a nurse without a degree? To become an LPN, you need a certificate or diploma in nursing, plus licensure. What are the different levels of degrees in nursing? How many nurse prerequisites are needed? Nurse prerequisites vary with program level, school prestige, and program length. Licensed practical nurses and licensed vocational nurses are entry-level nurses; which title they use is dictated more by geography than job function.
They might feed or bathe patients, monitor patient vitals and check and apply bandages. Some states also permit practical nurses to administer certain medications.
Registered nurses are the most prevalent nurses in the profession and often serve as a fulcrum of patient care. They work with physicians and communicate with patients and their families.
They engage in more sophisticated care than LPNs. Board certification allows RNs to become highly specialized in areas like critical care, oncology, geriatrics, neurology and other key health disciplines. Neonatal nurses are typically RNs who are certified to care for infants born prematurely or with other health complications. Neonatal nurses may also calm anxious parents, explain conditions and procedures and teach families how to care for their babies upon discharge.
Some neonatal nurses offer lactation support to moms visiting and feeding patients in the intensive care nursery. Working with small and sometimes underdeveloped infants and newborns requires specialized skills, training and equipment. Organizations like the American Association of Critical Care Nurses and the National Certification Corporation offer additional RN certifications in neonatal care, pediatrics and critical care.
As some of the most advanced nursing professionals, nurse practitioners make more decisions when it comes to exams, treatments and next steps. They go beyond the reach of RNs and may work with physicians closely. Some states with large rural populations or shortages in primary care physician have even passed legislation allowing NPs to stand in for physicians in certain situations.
They also earn additional certifications in specialized disciplines such as critical care, family medicine and pediatrics. Nursing has long been a hot job, but aging baby boomers, health care reform and medical advances have kicked demand for these professionals into even higher gear. The Bureau of Labor Statistics BLS expects employment for registered nurses, licensed practical and vocational nurses and advanced practice nurses, including nurse practitioners and clinical nursing specialists, to significantly outpace the national average in the decade preceding These groups also include a number of more specialized nurses, such as the following:.
As the list above suggests, nursing is a tremendously diverse field extending well beyond the traditional hospital circuit. It is not uncommon for new nurses and nursing students to stumble across fields they did not even know existed.
Here are just a few of these specialized professionals, along with their job functions, earnings and training requirements. These professionals help design, develop and modify software and systems to make them more efficient and improve patient outcomes. In other words, informatics nurses ensure the technology other nurses rely on is practical, reliable and safe.
Nurse midwives provide gynecological and obstetrical care to women of nearly all ages, but their birth-related services have become especially popular among women seeking a more personalized birth experience or fewer medical interventions. To say this trend is creating new opportunities for midwives in hospitals, birthing centers, private practices and even home-based care would be an understatement: The Mayo Clinic reports that demand for nurse midwives has grown exponentially in the last two decades and is expected to soar through at least There is a reason CNN once named nurse anesthetist among the best jobs in America: These professionals typically enjoy solid earnings and booming demand.
Nurse anesthetists support surgeons and physicians in a number of ways, but their primary role is administering anesthesia and monitoring patients during and after sedation. This work carries a great deal of risk, which at least partly contributes to their heftier-than-average paychecks. It also explains why they are considered advanced practice nurses and are required to complete more education than RNs and many other specialized nurses.
Nursing can be a tremendously rewarding career both personally and professionally. However, it is also tightly regulated. States and employers have strict training requirements that dictate not only whether nurses can practice, but also what types of duties they can perform.
This table helps readers considering nursing school determine which educational path makes sense for them. Demand for qualified nurses is soaring. A study published in Health Affairs projects a shortage of between , and 1 million nurses by — greater than any nursing shortage experienced in the United States in more than half a century.
Nursing schools offer an array of degree options, from associate degrees through postgraduate programs. Each level is designed to meet different career needs, so courses, curricula, and skills learned vary. Understanding how nursing degrees differ--and how these differences translate to the workplace--allows future nursing students to choose programs that are in line with their goals and interests.
In addition to the degree information provided below, students can visit this nursing program search tool and rankings page to help round out their research. Registered nurses hold a valuable role in the healthcare field. Learn how to become a registered nurse in this guide. Becoming a registered nurse RN presents an opportunity to join a growing workforce of more than three million, make a direct impact on patient outcomes, and earn a respectable salary.
While an associate degree serves as the minimum requirement, some employers and states only hire nurses with a bachelor's degree. A licensed RN has completed the educational requirements—either an associate in nursing degree or a bachelor's in nursing degree—clinical nursing requirements, and has passed the NCLEX-RN to earn licensure in their state.
RNs provide round-the-clock direct care to patients in hospitals, physicians' offices, outpatient care centers, and residential care facilities. Their job consists of recognizing abnormalities, assessing patients, and administering medication while maintaining communication with a team of healthcare professionals. They can gain specialized training in oncology, acute and critical care, gerontology, or pediatrics.
After earning a graduate nursing degree, RNs can advance to become clinical nurse specialists, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, or nurse anesthetists. Learn more general information about what RNs do and where they work in our registered nurse career overview. While every RN follows similar steps to earn licensure, the specific requirements vary by state. Certain states, such as New York , require RNs to hold at least a bachelor's in nursing degree.
The following list covers the process necessary to become a registered nurse. Whether nursing students choose an ADN or BSN degree , they must complete liberal arts, math, and science prerequisites. Common prerequisites for nursing school include basic anatomy, physiology, biology, psychology, and anatomy.
Nursing schools often require that incoming students earn a minimum "C" grade in these courses. A four-year BSN degree offers an in-depth education in multiple disciplines and training in leadership, interpersonal communication, and clinical nursing. A two-year ADN degree covers nursing fundamentals and offers the fastest track to becoming a registered nurse, aside from an accelerated BSN program which lets those who hold a bachelor's degree in a non-nursing field graduate in as little as one year.
This computerized test requires test-takers to complete a minimum of 75 questions. They have up to six hours to finish the exam. If you're already practicing in the field as an RN or working in another career, you may consider attending an online nursing school that can offer you greater flexibility than you might get on a traditional college campus.
Taking online courses that operate on short term lengths with weekly requirements can allow you to advance your nursing career on your schedule, and there are many time management strategies you can practice to keep yourself on track.
The length of nursing school depends on the degree you choose. Different positions require different levels of nursing education. Ultimately, the type of degree you need to become a nurse depends, in part, on the kind of nurse you want to be. Fortunately, there is a range of options: from the bedside to the boardroom, hospitals to hospices, schools to specialty niches, and opportunities in between.
Some types of nurses and their required level of education include:. The key is to identify your personal career goals and aspirations and then build on your credentials and experiences along the way. The number of terms your school offers each year, coupled with the number of courses you can take, can also adjust your timeline. If you have any transfer credits from an unencumbered RN license or previous college experiences, you may be able to finish faster if you attend a transfer-friendly school.
If you pursue an associate degree in nursing, that's typically a two-year program that prepares you to sit for the NCLEX exam — a requirement for licensed nurses. The timeline all depends on your pacing and the institution in which you begin your nursing education.
Some nurses obtain their RN license before moving on to a bachelor's degree. If you choose to become an RN first, you can start practicing in the field while working toward your next credential — pairing your experience with your education. The program you are pursuing determines the number of credit hours it takes to earn a nursing degree.
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