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Becoming a nurse requires a natural ability to care for others. Many nursing programs seek potential students with specific personality traits and temperaments suited for a career in the rigorous and challenging field of nursing. Prospective nurses must be compassionate, composed, and sympathetic with pleasant and affable personalities. Prospective nurses must be self directed, able to handle stress, possess common sense, and have great leadership skills. Prospective nurses also must be able to follow directions and work well within a team in a variety of settings. Nurses are responsible for caring for the sick and injured, administering medicine, treating wounds, and emotionally supporting patients and their families. Nurses must observe, report, and assist patients with symptoms, medical treatments, and medical testing.

Preparation for a career as a nurse requires a sound high school educational background. Candidates who apply their personal best to high school academics and earn good grades demonstrate their ability to meet the challenges within nursing careers. Potential nursing students must begin preparing while still enrolled in high school, as many online colleges and traditional college or university nursing programs require a high school diploma or GED. Studying algebra, biology, chemistry, physics, and health give potential nurses an increased chance at acceptance and success in nursing school. A guidance counselor within a high school is a valuable resource for answering any education related questions and directing students toward career goals. Contacting an admissions representative from prospective nursing schools also assists in determining requirements for specific nursing schools. Many colleges and universities require high school students to successfully pass entrance exams to measure aptitudes and likelihood of success within educational and future career settings.

There are three options to train for a career in nursing. A less common educational route some prospective nurses pursue is studying nursing through a hospital diploma plan. Often times this route allows candidates to work alongside nurses and educators in a clinical setting while supplementing their education with core educational college classes at a local community college. This type of program is rare, very hard to find, and generally takes one to three years to successfully complete. A candidate who earns a LPN degree through a diploma program and course requirements within a community college is qualified for licensing examinations through the National Council Licensure Examination or NYCLEX-PN. The NCLEX-PN is administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. The exam is computer based, varied in length, and covers four major categories of: safe and effective care environment, health promotion and maintenance, psychosocial integrity, and physiological integrity. Eligibility for licensure varies from state to state and is determined by state wide Board of Nursing.

Earning an associates degree in nursing at a community college, technical program, or through an online college allows prospective nurses to advance career and educational goals through a two or three year program. Studying core courses in English, mathematics, and science during a first year college degree program enables students to secure a solid educational background. A second year of specialized training in anatomy, chemistry, nutrition, psychology, medical-surgical nursing, pediatrics, obstetrics, pharmacology, first aid, nursing theory, patient care, and other basic nursing concepts. A LPN encompasses classroom and clinical training, qualifying individuals earn an associates degree. Following degree completion, a candidate must pass a written and clinical exam to allow for state specific certification requirements. An associates degree opens careers in for “hands on” training as a LPN as health care generalists who can gain employment in hospitals, nursing homes, private physicians’ offices, treatment centers and other health care facilities. A LPN must pass a National Council Licensure Examination or NCLEX-PN in order to gain employment. The exam is developed and given by the National council of State Boards of Nursing. This computer based exam varies in length and covers four major categories including: safe and effective care environment, health promotion and maintenance, psychosocial integrity, and physiological integrity. Eligibility for licensure varies by individual state and is determined by state wide board of nursing. An associates degree as a license practical nurse allows candidates entry level jobs in a multitude of health care settings to further educational pursuits or career opportunities. An entry level LPN job offers a salary of $39,030 yearly.

A traditional bachelors degree program in nursing offers a broader knowledge of in nursing education. Pursuing a career as a registered nurse through online colleges or traditional “brick and mortar” college and university programs by earning a bachelors of science in nursing allows for many personal and career opportunities. A prospective nurse studies core courses in mathematics, English, and science as a first year student. A second year of training allows for specialization in anatomy, chemistry, nutrition, psychology, and nursing theory. Nurses then further training in 12 to 18 month long programs offered through hundreds of colleges and universities. Required courses in communication, leadership, and critical thinking as well as pharmacology, anatomy, chemistry, nutrition, psychology, medical-surgical nursing, pediatrics, obstetrics, first aid, nursing theory, patient care, and other nursing concepts assist in training candidates to further degree goals. A bachelors degree program trains prospective nurses by combining classroom theories with hands on, supervised clinical training. Successful completion of a Bachelors of Science in Nursing allows prospective nurses to take the Cational Council Licensure Examination or NCLEX-PN. The NCLEX-PN exam is a computer based program focused on four major categories of: safe and effective care environment, health promotion and maintenance, psychosocial integrity, and physiological integrity. Pending successful completion of the NCLEX-PN exam, candidates are then eligible for state licensure depending upon state Board of Nursing requirements. A candidate with a bachelors of science degree and licensing may work as a registered nurse in a variety of health care settings and earn a yearly salary of $62,650. A registered nurse may also choose to further educational goals for administrative positions, consulting, teaching, research, or higher paying job opportunities. An added incentive to attaining a bachelors degree is that many health care employers offer tuition reimbursement benefits.

A registered nurse with a bachelors degree often chooses to pursue a higher educational degree necessary for administrative, research, consulting or teaching positions. A masters degree in nursing is a widely available program which allows prospective students the ability to achieve their educational and career goals through online or traditional colleges and universities. A masters degree in nursing focuses on specialization and typically require a 2 to 3 year time investment. Masters of Science Nursing degree programs are only available to students who hold a bachelors degree. A combination of classroom instruction and supervised clinical experiences designed to refine nursing expertise and experience to manage ambulatory, acute, home based and chronic care in a number of hospital departments including: pediatrics, psychiatry, maternity, and surgery. Many programs allow students to train in nursing care facilities, public health departments, home health agencies, and ambulatory clinics to gain clinical experience in a supervised setting. A nurse with a masters degree can advance in four nursing categories including clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetist, nurse midwives, or as nurse practicitioners. Courses of study while pursuing a masters degree include health services administration, long term care administration, health sciences, public health, public administration, or business administration. A nurse seeking a masters degree can become a clinical nurse specialist who provides direct patient care by combining clinical expertise with specialized training depending upon field of study. Clinical nurse specialists are required to adhere to state licensing requirements and may even be able to prescribe medicine as defined by State regulations as determined by each state’s board of nursing practices. Candidates with specialized graduate training may also manage other registered nurse and health care staff by advancing their career in the business aspect of health care as a vital manager of a medical team, as a researcher at a college or university or as an educator. A nurse with a masters degree has the potential to earn a salary of $80,240 yearly depending upon field of specialization.

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