Deciding on a nurse career is a great way to make a living while helping other people. Every year demand for nurses in the healthcare industry increases. This is especially true now that the baby boomer generation is aging. In the United States, the demand for nurses far exceeds their supply. As a result, nursing salaries have seen significant increases in the past 10 years. Many hospitals and doctors offices will actually give nurses sizable signing bonuses. Many nursing students are given jobs before they even graduate. From a financial and job security standpoint, nursing is a great way to go.
Getting Into Nursing School
Starting your nurse career means that you first have to get accepted to a nursing school. There are thousands of nursing schools around the country. Some nursing students go to nursing school right after high school, others go to nursing school after getting a college degree. Every school has different requirements. However, there are many nursing schools that accept high school graduates. It's always a good idea to ask your guidance counselor for help. They should be able to tell you which schools allow high school graduates.
Some nursing schools require students to take certain high school, junior college or college classes before being admitted. The National League for Nursing (NLN) test is often a prerequisite for getting into nursing school. Again, you guidance counselor or the admissions clerk at the nursing school should be able to tell you if you need to take this test.
Pursuing a Basic Degree
You can start your nurse career with any number of degrees. You can get a full four-year degree from a college, a hospital diploma, or any number of licenses. Your nursing options increase with the amount of nursing school you take. Graduates from a four year program get a Bachelor of Science Nursing or (BS/BSN). A BS/BSN prepares students for management positions such as nurse researcher, public health nurse or clinical nurse specialist. A hospital diploma, on the other hand, is a two to three year program that can be earned at a community college. This degree teaches basic nursing skills that prepare the student to handle day-to-day medical issues. Sometimes these programs work in conjunction with an Associate's degree.
Nurses don't have to stop advancing their nurse career after getting a four-year degree. Many hospitals encourage their best nurses to pursue Master's degrees. These programs are usually specialized. Nurses that go after this degree are typically placed in administrative positions, which are very different and usually more intense than dealing with patients. Administration can be an undesirable nurse career for those who want to spend the majority of their time interacting with patients.
