One of the fastest growing careers in the health care industry today is nursing. Job growth overall in this field is expected to average 19 percent between now and 2018. Registered nurses, however, will enjoy 22 percent job growth by 2018. This means, the talent pool of 2,618,700 registered nurses will grow to 3,200,200 by 2018.
Job growth isn’t the only benefit to becoming a registered nurse. These professionals earn anywhere from $40,250 per year for an entry-level position up to $83,440 or more. The average salary for a registered nurse is around $60,000 per year.
Ninety percent of all registered nurses hold an associate degree or higher. Of the 90 percent, 55 percent hold a bachelor’s degree. It is important to note that most hospitals, private practices, and other healthcare facilities prefer a bachelor’s degree. So, to get started on a career as a registered nurse, you must enroll in a nursing certificate program or Bachelor of Science degree program in nursing (BSN). After completing your program, you must obtain the registered nurse (RN) designation. Each state has it’s own requirements, but in general, you must pass several exams to receive the RN designation.
Your nursing program should prepare you for the exams, so be sure to study the curriculum before enrolling in any given program. You should also make sure the program has been accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission. These are the top accrediting agencies for nurses and they are recognized by U.S. Department of Education website (ED.gov).
Accredited nursing programs require 128 units of study consisting of core curriculum requirements in the areas of communications, math, science, humanities, literature, history, social science, and fine and performing arts.
Pre-licensure requirements include:
- -Pharmacology
- -Introduction to Pathophysiology
- -Nutrition
- -Maintenance
- -Restorative Health
- -Nursing Therapeutics
- -Clinical labs I and II
These are lower division requirements. Upper division requirements consist of nursing research, family health, principles & methods of practice, senior care, and 5-7 lab courses. Require support courses are required including human anatomy, microbiology, survey of human physiology, and general psychology.
To locate the best accredited nursing degree programs, visit college review sites such as Petersons.com and Princetonreview.com.
