Tips to find the Right BSN/ MSN Program for You
Nurses have outstanding and diverse job opportunities in health care industry today. Nurses continue to enjoy prosperous employment growth even in today’s competitive job market amidst the recession. The shortage of qualified nurses in the U.S. continues to provide more job opportunities in the specialized health care service. So, if you are planning for a recession proof career, this is the perfect time to start your studies in this rewarding nursing career.
Nursing degree programs are of the following types:
- One-year certificate or diplomas
- Two-year Associates degree in Nursing
- Four-year Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN )
- Post-graduate Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN)
- Ph.D. in Nursing.
Which Nursing Program to Choose?
Graduates of a two-year degree and upwards is necessary for a nurse to go for the Registered Nurse (RN) licensure exam. To appear for Licensed Practical Nurse exam (LPN), student has to take up one-year degree or a diploma.
Direct Entry MSN are generally for non-nurses who hold a bachelor’s degree in another field; they can complete their nursing education through a direct entry MSN, and complete the degree typically in three years. Direct entry MSN give students get credit for having completed undergraduate liberal arts requirements.
RN-to-MSN course is designed for registered nurses who want to receive their MSN immediately after their BSN. Nurses receive as much advanced placement credit for their BSN degree as possible. This helps to eliminate overlapping of their BSN and MSN courses.
Nurses that graduate with an MSN are called Advanced Practice Nurses. These APNs deliver health care services which are delivered by physicians previously. They normally focus on any one of the following four advanced practice areas:
- Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)
- Nurse Practitioner (NP)
- Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)
- Certified Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
In general for traditional or online BSN programs have the following prerequisites
- A 2.0 -3.0 GPA (depending on the school)
- 2 years of high school foreign language
- 4 years of high school English
- 3 years of high school math(algebra II and geometry) and science(chemistry and biology)
- SAT or ACT exam; minimum scores vary widely by school
MSN, RN to MSN and RN to BSN, programs generally require the following:
- A current RN nursing license
- Graduation from a National League of Nursing
- Minimum GPAs range from 2.5 -3.0
Whichever nursing degree you choose will have a significant impact on your career. Take closer a look at various nursing masters’ degree options and learn about what a masters’ degree in nursing can offer, before you decide on a nursing degree program. For all your nursing degree requirements, online nursing degrees and programs are available.
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As nursing is a recession proof career, many people these days are enrolling into nursing degree programs. Nowadays, it is the right time to become a nurse looking at the huge demand for the nurses and the shortage of nurses. The huge demands for nurses is going to create thousands of new jobs. This demand for nurses is already raising the nursing salaries.
However, many people find it difficult to pursue a college based nursing degree program. That may be because they already have a job, or because they do not have a nursing college near the place they live or they may not be able to afford the nursing college fees. For all these types of people, online nursing degrees is a viable option for pursuing a degree in nursing from home. Online nursing degrees permit you to improve your career and income. And, there are online nursing schools which allow you to work managing your current schedule. The option of online education is as demanding as traditional education of nursing course.
Online nursing programs also allow many nurses to get an advanced degree at home by completing course according to their convenience. Many nurses with family responsibilities cannot afford to attend school. The option of online nursing saves time. Particularly the students from rural areas who can not find nursing colleges close to the place where they live can save their time as they don’t have to commute long distances. In online nursing programs, course content is generally the same as that of traditional courses.
Many student are skeptical of enrolling in online course as there is no personal interaction with their instructors and classmates. However, with modern technology, they can communicate via email or paricipate in online discussions provided by their instructors. These online discussions are as good as the interactions in a traditional course. Moreover, students in online courses are rewarded with instructors’ lectures in written form, which is a clear advantage. In many online education programs for nursing, non-clinical part of the course is completed via online classes. A medical facility near your home is generally assigned for your practical clinical requirements.
Some institutions offer many advanced degree and certificate in nursing for students seeking online education. The most familiar online nursing degrees offered are RN to BSN programs and MSN degrees. You may have to work with an academic advisor to plan your curriculum, if you are enrolling in an online nursing degree program.
In online nursing program, you can start any time if the class or degree program you’re enrolled is self-paced. However, many online degree programs and classes are run like traditional degree programs or classes. Many online programs affiliated with traditional universities require their online students to maintain the same quarter or semester schedule as of their campus counterparts. In such cases, students get a designated start date. Many online classes are structured much like traditional courses with series of assignments and examinations, but generally classes are structured in such a way that the course will be completed with minimum of six to eight weeks.
When you decide about online nursing degrees, you have many choices like pediatric nursing, cancer nursing, geriatric nursing, school nursing, neonatal nursing or home health Nursing. You should carefully select the online nursing program which matches your needs.
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The worldwide recession is still continuing and has affected the American workers drastically. More than 15 million Americans are jobless now, and on an average they they remain out of work for 28 weeks. The unemployment rate in the United States last month was the highest since April 1983 at 10.2%. Worst sufferers were the construction sector and manufacturing.
Forbes recently compiled a list of the most recession proof jobs. They took a snapshot of the current job market and developed a list of recession-proof jobs. As per their findings, the health care industry in the United States was leading in the job gains, and the job of a registered nurse was the most recession proof.
Registered nurses (RN) are in high demand as there is a shortage of nurses that will become more severe as baby boomer generation ages and need more health care. According to The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, health care employment is increasing by about 30.000 jobs every month. Other health care professionals like occupational therapists, who assist patients perform daily activities like dressing and eating ranked fifth on the list of most recession-proof jobs. The bureau has estimated over one million nursing new positions over the ten year period ending in 2016. Registered nurses get an average salary between $55,000 to $90,000 per year.
Most registered nurses work at hospitals and other health care facilities, where they assist doctors in treating patients. Nurses also record patients’ medical histories, help perform diagnostic tests and analyze results, check symptoms, administer medications and treatment and help with patient rehabilitation. They also provide advice and emotional support to patients’ family members.
But to enter the nursing field, one has to overcome the barrier of getting the right education to meet the profession’s exhausting demands. Many Americans these days opt for training programs in Nursing and related healthcare fields, as they can count on this occupation, no matter where they relocate, or what happens to the economy. People having a tight budget may opt for doing clinical work and simultaneously studying in a two-year nursing degree program to become a registered nurse.
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The demand for skilled and qualified nurses in various nursing jobs is huge by any standards, and this demand will increase steadily for another 10-20 years. According to the recent estimate, by the year 2020, there will be scarcity of about 800,000 nurses in the United States. So, there are plenty of job opportunities in the nursing and health care field, which will continue to exist for many more years.
Decrease in the mortality rates all over the world has resulted in people living for longer years and thus many more people to take care of. That makes a job in the Health care field as one of the best options which would not be affected by the recession. More than 150,000 positions are available in health care field, so nursing as a career is definitely one of the best to opt for. Due to shortage of nurses in the United States and other developed countries, many nursing positions are filled by immigrant nurses from countries like the Philippines and India.
Due to the increasing demand for nurses, many hospitals are even offering around $13,000 as signing bonus for experienced nurses. Nursing jobs have flexible schedules and even the fresh nurse graduates can expect to get salary somewhere around $18 to $20 per hour. Some hospitals hire new nurses at remuneration of $800 to $1000 per week. Many hospitals also offer part time nursing jobs, on call positions and weekend shifts for those who cannot work for 40 hours a week.
Nursing Schools and Colleges are required to keep up with the ongoing demand and are ready to offer you number of ways to get your degree. You can attend two year associate degree programs in nursing offered by many community college and tech schools. Another option is to g for a general four year degree program in nursing. These days, you can even opt for a online nursing degree which you can complete at a faster pace. Moreover, by undertaking an online college program in nursing, you will soon be on your way to a high paying nursing job and it can be done at times convenient for you.
Nursing is a highly regarded profession for honesty and ethical standards among various professions. If you want to work in an environment that is challenging, rewarding and most importantly interesting, a career in nursing is your perfect destination.
If you are interested in finding a job which offers better salary then you should consider nursing as your career, as healthcare jobs are one of the best paying jobs in the world. Apart from the usual salary, many perks and extra benefits are also offered for nursing jobs. Apart from good salary, you will have this satisfaction of making a difference in other people’s lives. So, if you’ve got an interest in caring for people, you should definitely consider nursing as a career.
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Welcome to NursingCollegePrograms.com ! If you are interested in getting information about Nursing Schools, College nursing programs for getting a nursing degree, then you have come to the right place.
There is a big demand for qualified nurses as there are many unfilled nursing jobs everywhere. And this demand is going to last for many more years. There are plenty of Nursing jobs at present, but we expect to see a much more dramatic growth in the number of nursing jobs over the next 10 or 20 years. This will happens as a result of shift in population caused by retirement if baby boomers – thus creating a huge need for nurses to take care of elderly patients entering nursing homes and hospitals. Thus RNs (Registered Nurses) are one of the fastest growing professions in the United States.
In this blog, we will provide information and resources about accredited Nursing Schools, Nursing Colleges offering Degree Programs in Nursing which will help you to become a Registered Nurse (RN). We will cover top nursing schools, colleges that offer these degree programs – both campus based and online. We will also provide information about the demand for Nursing jobs, typical job description of a Registered Nurse, average salaries of registered nurses and other career opportunities related to nursing such as Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA).
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