Diploma In Practical Nursing
Earning your diploma in practical nursing is the fastest way to jumpstart your nursing career as a licensed practical nurse . LPNs provide basic nursing care and work closely with registered nurses and physicians in a wide variety of healthcare settings, including hospitals, doctor’s offices, nursing homes, hospice and urgent care clinics.
Demand for LPNs is expected to grow by 12 percent through 2026, adding more than 88,000 new jobs, according to 2018 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The median annual wage for LPNs was $46,240 in May 2018, with the top ten percent earning more than $62,160. Find the average licensed practical nurse salary in your state.
Many nurses start out by becoming an LPN before choosing to advance their education and nursing career through an associate, bachelors or masters degree program.
Compare LPN vs. RN and discover the main differences so you can better determine if youd like to start out as an LPN or start working towards becoming an RN right away.
Do You Need A Masters To Get A Phd
You do not always need a masters to get a PhD. Admissions criteria vary by each university, and some programs, typically bridge or direct-entry programs, admit students with just a bachelors degree.
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Schools with bachelor-to-PhD programs generally admit undergraduate students who have an impressive application and a completed bachelors degree. There has been a rise in the number of bachelors-to-PhD programs available, so you may want to research the admissions requirements of the universities that interest you.
How Do Clinicals Work In Nursing School
Clinicals are similar to an internship or work-study experience. Clinicals allow students to gain practical, hands-on experience and are a requirement to work in the nursing field. Clinicals may be organized through your degree program, or you may need to arrange this yourself if your online program does not offer clinical hours. You will have an instructor with you during your shift or rotation to answer questions, but you will mainly be shadowing a member of the nursing staff with his or her patients.
Most clinical programs conclude with a practicum or preceptorship where you will be required to demonstrate the skills you have learned during the program. You may spend this time dedicated to a single unit or work with a small group of patients. This practicum is usually around 180 hours.
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University Of San Francisco
Acceptance Rate: 64.6%
Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
The School of Nursing and Health Professions follows the University of San Franciscos mission to provide a liberal arts education founded in the Jesuit culture of diversity, justice and global perspectives.
In advancing this mission, students in the School of Nursing and Health Professions form part of one of the most exciting and diverse cities for progressive health care delivery in the nation. All their graduates serve as knowledgeable, innovative and experienced practitioners in health care.
As a school, they uphold a strong educational culture that helps students engage in a learning environment that promotes knowledge. Hence, they are nothing short of an exceptional nursing school.
Acceptance Rate: 57.5%
Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Saint Louis University has a national reputation for innovative and pioneering bachelors, masters, post-masters nurse practitioner certificate and doctoral programs.
SLUs Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing programs have gained national recognition due to their innovative and comprehensive curricula. For a long time, this school has played a vital role in advancing the growing field of nursing research.
Acceptance Rate: 48.8%
Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
What Is The Fastest School For A Degree In Nursing
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Degree Finder
IMAGE SOURCE: Wikimedia Commons, public domain
One of the advantages of a career in nursing is the opportunity to get started quickly and then keep advancing your education and your career at your own pace. You might be surprised how quickly you can earn different nursing degrees in some cases, through accelerated and even online degree programs.
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Top 10 Most Affordable Traditional Nursing Degree Programs
If you turn to Google in search of the best nursing degree programs available, chances are youre likely to find a link to the U.S. News and World Report rankings of the best nursing colleges and universities throughout the country. These rankings are quite popular because they take into account a variety of important factors, such as student engagement and student-to-faculty ratio. However, these rankings often do not account for costs and affordability. With tuition rates rising across the country, affordability is one of the most important factors taken into consideration by todays nursing students.
How Long Does It Take To Get A Doctorate
The time it takes to earn a doctorate degree differs for each individual and their chosen field of study. According to North Central University, the average student takes 8.2 years to complete their doctorate degree. According to U.S. News, in 2017, 5.8 years was the median amount of time it took students to complete their doctoral degrees. The median amount of time that it took for students to complete a doctorate degree such as Humanities and Arts was 7.1 years, according to a recent census of recent research doctorate recipients.
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South Dakota State University
Acceptance Rate: 92.4%
Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
One of the easy nursing schools to get into this 2022 is South Dakota State University. SDSUs nursing faculty started with six students in its undergraduate program. Today, the college currently boasts an enrollment of more than 1,800 students in pre-nursing, undergraduate and graduate programs. Additionally, they have online programs and four face-to-face program delivery sites.
South Dakota State remains committed to the interlocking missions of education, scholarship and service. In the same vein, the nursing field at SDSU has consistently devoted its resources to these three important areas. The College of Nursing was the states first program to develop a capacity for nursing research.
As a practical program, nursing students converse with members of the community to learn critical thinking, problem-solving, child care skills and a lot of other skills to prepare them to enter the workforce upon graduation. Nursing education at SDSU has been beneficial to residents of the community.
The colleges undergraduate and graduate programs keep growing and integrate advances in health, health care and nursing science. Hence, they are one of the easiest nursing schools to get into.
Acceptance Rate: 89.2%
Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission
Acceptance Rate: 76.9%
Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
How To Find Jobs As A Nurse
Once youve graduated from school, youll want to find your first job as a nurse. Many nursing programs offer career counseling to help you identify potential employers, prepare your resume and ace the interview. Its important to note that new nurses can face hurdles since employers often look for experienced staff.
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How We Determined The Easiest Bachelors Degrees
Theres no set way to universally determine how easy a bachelors degree is, as every major and every school has its own level of rigor. That being said, we used available statistics on GPA to determine our rankings of the easiest bachelors degrees.
According to a study by Cornell University, most science majors tend to have lower than average GPAs, while the college majors weve selected for this list have a higher than average GPA. That means that for many students, achieving a higher GPA in these majors is not as difficult as it is in other majors.
Lets take a look at our list of the easiest majors.
Icu Nurse: Annual $95000 Or $5075/hr*
ICU nurses require a specialized set of skills since they literally deal with life-and-death matters on a daily basis. They often work in hospital ICUs but also can work in other areas of nursing. Becoming a critical care nurse is seen as one of the most coveted positions in nursing, as these nurses possess a very high level of critical thinking and nursing skills.
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Is It Hard To Become A Nurse
Becoming a nurse is a challenging endeavor. Just like the work you will actually do in this career, nursing education which includes plenty of practical clinical experience is not for the faint of heart.
Your courses will be challenging, and your clinical experiences will be demanding. That said, nursing school at the diploma through bachelors levels is nowhere near as difficult as medical school, which awards a doctoral degree, or even physician assistant school, which confers a masters degree. These nursing degrees are undergraduate degrees, so they dont require the highly advanced graduate-level coursework you would need to take while pursuing a masters or doctoral degree.
Nursing school is difficult but doable, especially if you have average or above-average proficiency in science studies. While nurses use some math in their careers, you dont need to take a lot of math-intensive courses to earn this degree. A statistics course and potentially a basic college-level math course should be sufficient to fulfill your general education classes at most schools, and its entirely possible that your major coursework wont add any extra mathematics classes to your workload. On the other hand, several of your courses in a nursing program are likely to be heavily based on science. If you find that you struggle in studying natural and physical sciences, you might have a harder time becoming a nurse.
IMAGE SOURCE: Pixabay, public domain
Adn Work Environments And Specialties
As of 2019, the BLS reports that around 60 percent of the 3.1 million registered nurses in the U.S. work in hospitals. The other top industries employing nurses include ambulatory health care services , nursing and residential care facilities , government agencies and educational services .
In each of these industries, nurses have a chance to specialize. According to Gwynedd Mercy University, some specialties require a master’s degree, such as a certified registered nurse anesthetist or a family nurse practitioner , or sometimes even a doctoral degree, such as a clinical nurse specialist or a nurse practitioner . However, some of the specialties you can pursue with an ADN include cardiac nurse, critical care nurse, ER nurse, geriatric nurse, surgical/OR nurse, nurse midwife, oncology nurse or pediatric nurse.
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What Is The Hardest Class In Nursing School
Depending on who you ask, the hardest classes in nursing school are probably either your science courses or your courses in specific areas of nursing practice. The science classes in nursing school that have a reputation for being tough include pathophysiology, pharmacology, chemistry, anatomy and physiology and statistics. Among the nursing specialty courses, which include clinical fieldwork, students often find classes most difficult when they have little interest in that specialty area. Different nursing students may view the same specialty course as difficult or easy depending on their level of interest in performing the work that the specialty entails.
There are multiple levels of nursing careers, and the more advanced the level of nursing career youre interested in, the harder it will be to attain this career.
How Do I Become A Nurse
Without nurses, the healthcare industry as we know it would crumble. Nurses work in virtually all healthcare environments hospitals, outpatient treatment facilities, generalist and specialist doctors offices, urgent care facilities, and clinics and in every medical specialty. Nurses need to develop a foundation of knowledge that includes everything from sciences such as anatomy and physiology to technical skills like inserting intravenous lines, giving injections and correctly administering medications in multiple formats and doses.
Although nurses need to have a temperament thats at once compassionate and emotionally stable and the physical stamina to withstand long shifts of demanding work, it takes more than the right personality to become a nurse. Qualifying for a nursing career requires you to take formal studies, pass licensing exams and satisfy other licensing requirements that apply in your state.
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Online Nursing Programs And Healthcare Degrees
95% of WGU alumni would choose to go to WGU again.*
In nearly 2,000 reviews on Trustpilot, students and graduates rate WGU 4.7 out of 5.
*2020 Harris Poll
Flexible.
go to school on your terms.
Because you can complete most coursework any time or place that works for you, you wont have to choose between your job and your education.
82% of WGU students work while earning their degrees.*
* 2020 WGU Annual Report
The Direct Entry Masters In Nursing
Some universities have MSN programs that are open to candidates with degrees in other fields. Sometimes they ago by the name direct entry masters. These programs are academically competitive. There is sometimes an option to do pre-licensure coursework and then continue to advanced practice.
No matter the route you take into Nursing, it will be challenging mentally, physically and financially. The rewards can be more gratifying than anything you imagine.
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Program Options For Going To Nursing School
You have two options for earning your nursing degree if you already hold a bachelors degree and they include:
- Associates degree program : This will take you two years to complete . However, please note that although an ADN and BSN nursing degree both allow you to work as a registered nurse there are some differences. See the differences between the ADN & BSN degree here.
- Second Degree/Accelerated Degree program: This is your best option! This program allows you to earn a bachelors degree in nursing in 1 ½ 2 years . These programs are being highly popular because of the demand of people who are pursuing nursing as a second career. The best way to find a second degree or accelerated degree program is to look at local nursing schools in your area and see if they have this type of program. Here is a list of nursing school by states.
The second degree/accelerated degree programs take approximately 5 semesters to complete, and sometimes a semester is during the summer. However, it is important to note that it could take an extra semester if you havent met the nursing programs pre-requisite course requirements. For example, say your bachelors degree is in English and you didnt take Anatomy & Physiology 1 & 2 or Microbiology while earning your English degree. You would have to complete these classes before you enter into the nursing program.
Other Requirements:
Change Lives As A Concordia Nurse
Whether youre ready to change paths or just have questions about how to get a BSN degree as soon as possible, give us a call today or fill out the form to have us contact you. When you do, youll be assigned a dedicated admissions counselor who can help you determine your best path to a life-changing career in nursing. Were ready to help you live out your purpose of making a difference.
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Associate Degree In Nursing
The in-depth nursing program at ECPI prepares students to provide quality patient care in a variety of health care settings. Our technology-based coursework applies the most current nursing trends, providing students with the education and credentials highly sought by health care providers.
Students can earn an Associate of Applied Science degree in Nursing in as little as 18 months. This program qualifies you to take the NCLEX-RN exam at a greatly reduced cost through the State Board of Nursing. Students who pass the NCLEX-RN will be licensed to practice as registered nurses.
ECPI Universitys goal is to equip students with the most current knowledge and skills needed to meet the prevention, health maintenance, health promotion, and restorative needs of the patient.
If the nursing profession is calling you, consider ECPI Universitys College of Nursing. Through our year-round program, you can earn an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Nursing in as little as 18 months.
ECPI Universitys College of Nursing’s skills-based laboratory environment provides students with a realistic setting in which to learn both the art and science of nursing with a focus on the application of theory to clinical practice. Core areas of instruction include:
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Maternal/Newborn Nursing
The Associate of Applied Science Degree in Nursing is designed to provide the entry-level nurse with knowledge and experience which will enable the graduate to:
The Adn: Another Option
An associate degree may be your best local option, especially if you live in an area where theres a lower population and less educational access. You may also opt for the associates if the second bachelors program is more intensive than what youre looking for. And your local college may well offer a better deal. A 2011 article in The Community College Times reported that the average cost of tuition and fees for an ADN offered at a public two year college was just $6,120.
On the downside, some community colleges do have a significant wait list for their programs. Others have a more selective process, and offer spots sooner.
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Your Nursing Career Begins At Uiw
Nurses are in exceptionally high demand, making now the right time to pursue your dream of becoming a nurse. Put your non-nursing bachelors degree to work and earn your nursing degree in as few 16 months with the University of the Incarnate Word Accelerated BSN track in San Antonio.
Our second-degree hybrid accelerated nursing track offers students:
- A blended curriculum of online coursework, hands-on labs and clinical rotations
- Diverse clinical experiences at some of the San Antonio areas top health systems
- A values-based education focused on treating the whole patient mind, body and spirit
- The academic rigor required to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination