Schools That Offer Associate’s Degree In Nursing

Practical Hours And Job Training

One of the most important aspects of becoming a nurse is practical hours or hands-on experience. The associate degree in nursing provides good theoretical knowledge as well as plenty of practical and clinical training. In fact, students complete more than 700 combined hours of labs, workshops, and community volunteering to gain an understanding of their future job responsibilities.

Adn Programs Cant Be 100% Online

Be Aware! Even programs that are advertised as online ADN programs arent 100% online, because state nursing boards require a set number of in-person clinical hours in order to become a Registered Nurse. The exact number of clinical hours varies by state, but is usually somewhere around 70 clinical hours. Clinical requirements are necessary because thats where you will learn the hands-on skills you need to perform as a nurse — everything from placing an IV to inserting a catheter to working with equipment and patients in person.

And, of course, after fulfilling your academic program and your clinical hours requirement, you still have to pass the NCLEX exam to be an official RN. All three components together — your academic courses, your clinical hours, and successfully passing the NCLEX — are needed to be granted a Registered Nurses license in your state.

How Much Do Adn Majors Make

Salaries vary depending on nurses’ credentials, position, and employer. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, RNs earn a median annual salary of $75,330. LPNs earn $48,820. Nurses earn more money as they gain experience. Nurses can also boost their salary by earning a bachelor’s or graduate degree.

ADN graduates may qualify for direct-care or coordinator jobs in many nursing fields. They can work in specialized nursing areas such as oncology or pediatrics. Possible careers include care coordinator, clinical associate, and clinical nurse liaison.

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Rankings: The Best Associates Degree In Nursing Programs In Texas

One of the fastest paths to licensure as a registered nurse is an associates degree in nursing, or ADN, program. Associates degree options vary by school and may include an associate of science and/or an associate of applied science track. These programs take approximately two years of fulltime study to complete, and they prepare graduates to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses .

ADN programs typically require approximately sixty credit hours of study. Some Texas schools offer evening and weekend schedules to accommodate working professionals. Many schools also offer advanced standing for licensed vocational nurses to complete the curriculum in an accelerated timeframe. Upon graduation, most ADN students will seek immediate nursing employment. However, many of these nurses return to school at a later date to pursue a bachelor of science in nursing degree. Texas has numerous campus-based RN-to-BSN programs, as well as a plethora of online options.

#1: Howard College – Big Spring1001 Birdwell Lane

What Are The Requirements For A Nursing Degree

Nursing program admission requirements vary by institution. Most associate degree programs request high school or college transcripts and relevant test scores. Nursing programs may ask applicants to take the Health Education Systems Inc. Admission Assessment exam.

Some programs require a minimum GPA and previous work experience in a health-related field. Nursing degrees generally request that applicants undergo a background check and drug test. Additional admission requirements include recommendation letters, a personal statement, and a current resume.

Once enrolled, online nursing degree students complete coursework in subjects such as biochemistry and nursing theory. Learners participate in hands-on clinical experiences. Courses combine theoretical study and laboratory work. Nursing programs prepare learners to take the NCLEX-RN, the exam that qualifies nurses for state licensure. The associate degree in nursing generally takes two years to compete.

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What To Look For In A School

You can find ADN programs at vo-tech schools, community colleges, some four-year colleges, and online. Overall, you want to ensure that your education will prepare you to meet your professional goals. Otherwise, it wont be worth your investment of time and money. Heres what to look for in a school.

Adn Program Admission Requirements

Admission requirements will vary by school. It is best to take time to review the admissions requirements and process for your desired ADN program. Some admissions processes will require interviews, and others wont. Requirements to gain admission into an ADN program may include:

• A high school diploma or GED. Many schools will require prospective students to have earned a minimum GPA for entry into their program.
• High school Chemistry and Biology
• SAT scores
• A personal essay
• HESI exam

This list was updated in January 2022, please be sure to check with your preferred university for the most current information.

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Best Online Nursing Associate Degree Programs 2021

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Where To Get An Adn

In addition, an individual may benefit from looking at reviews from all the options he or she has for ADN nursing programs near me. When a person is looking at those reviews of an associate degree in nursing programs, he or she should look at what students have to say. He or she should specifically focus on whether or not an associates degree in nursing programs from those schools was rewarding and how many felt like they had adequate support.

Finding where to get an associate degree in nursing may include a nursing school or community college or technical school. When considering where to get an associate degree in nursing, a person should also take into consideration if he or she has a license to practice nursing. An LPN can complete an ADN mostly online.

Once a person takes all of these factors into consideration, its possible to find the best schools for an associates degree in nursing. Specifically, a person will find the best schools for an associate degree in nursing for him or her.

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Key Differences Between Adn And Bsn Degrees

Graduates of a two-year ADN degree are Registered Nurses. Like those who complete the four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, they have all of the education and clinical training that they need to sit for and pass the NCLEX exam and to get their nursing license. However, there are significant and immediate differences between the two that need to be taken into consideration. These include:

• It takes substantially less time to complete an ADN degree than a BSN degree. An ADN degree can be obtained in just two years of full-time classwork, while a BSN takes twice that amount of time. Those two years can be spent earning valuable hands-on experience and becoming established and respected within the workplace, as well as earning a solid income.
• Depending upon the program that you choose, an ADN degree can represent a much smaller financial investment than a BSN degree. It is also possible to pursue an ADN degree on a part-time basis or through an online program: this means that students can continue to work full time and earn income while achieving their educational goals.

Learn More About Labours Nursing Program:

Labourés program is different than an associate program in a community college because:

• Our program includes a built-in pathway to a bachelor-level degree . The importance of a bachelor-level education in the nursing field can not be overstated. Labourés 2-program format allows for an easy transition into the bachelor program once you have completed your associate degree, passed your NCLEX-RN exam, and are working as a nurse.
• Labouré has specialized in Nursing education for over 125 years. Healthcare education is our expertise and only focus.

• In the Associate in Science degree program, all professional nursing courses are completed on-campus in Milton, or on-site at clinical locations in the Boston, North Shore, or South Shore areas. Most general education courses are offered in a variety of formats, including on-campus, hybrid, or online.
• In the RN-BSN program, the courses are 100% online.

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John Wood Community College

The Associate Degree in Nursing program at John Wood Community College prepares students to take the NCLEX-RN exam. The school also offers a one-year LPN-to-ADN for LPNs who are seeking to advance their careers. Students who earn their associate degree at John Wood Community College can opt to enter into a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree through an affiliation with Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Individuals who want to earn their LPN must complete all of the first-year semester and semester 2 courses, complete required general education classes, and earn 53 semester hours.

John Wood Community College is a public community college and is a two-year, open-admission school. It offers degree and certificate programs in communications, agriculture, business, emergency services, fine arts, and much more. The school has seven intercollegiate sports programs that compete in Division II of the National Junior College Athletic Association.

Program: ADN

Grand Rapids Community College

The Associate Degree Nursing program at Grand Rapids Community College trains students to become licensed registered nurses upon successful completion of the program. Entry into the program requires taking and passing high school chemistry and biology courses with a C or higher and demonstrating math competency through the SAT, ACT, MA, or ALEKS. Students who enter into the program learn the basic concepts of nursing, human anatomy and physiology, how to apply nursing skills, and how to handle common health issues in a local or given population.

Grand Rapids Community College is a public community college that serves around 16,000 students every academic year. It offers associate degrees and certificates in the arts, applied arts and sciences, business, nursing, fine arts, music, general studies, and an advanced certificate. Degree programs are designed to help students enter the workforce after two years of education or transfer their credits to a four-year institution and earn a bachelors degree.

Program: ADN

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Difference Of An Associate Degree In Nursing Vs Lpn Vs Bsn

In BSN programs, you learn similar material to an ADN associate degree in nursing in terms of general education, but it goes into more depth and you’ll receive added leadership training, which can help you beyond you becoming a registered nurse. You also get additional training in management and information technology management than you would receive in an ADN program. An LPN takes the same classes that an ADN graduate takes, but they choose to earn a certificate rather than a BSN degree or an ADN degree in nursing. There are bachelor’s degrees in nursing available 100% online, with only the clinical practice requiring that you participate in hands-on learning in order to gain experience. These online options provide a great deal of flexibility, whether you are just getting into nursing or looking to improve your education.

Your career goals will have a strong influence on the degree/nursing program you select. With a BSN, your nursing education may qualify you for a larger range of registered nurses positions such as nurse practitioner, case manager, or health educator – and you may therefore have an easier time gaining experience.

Employer preferences may also have an impact on your choice. Increasingly, employers are looking for BSN degree holders as candidates and those with higher degrees as well .

Getting Started With Associate Programs In Nursing

In most cases, students cannot just plunge directly into an associate nursing degree program without completing certain prerequisite classes first. What exactly those prerequisites are can vary from school to school, but they may include subjects such as microbiology, anatomy, physiology, chemistry, psychology, statistics and/or English.

These prerequisite classes can usually be taken in a high school or college setting, but its important to know what the program you are applying for accepts and what they dont. Confirm your programs prerequisites with your school, especially if you are a transfer student or a newly-graduated high school student.

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How Long Are Online Adn Programs

When calculating the length of an online associates degree nursing program, there are several factors to keep in mind. For example, how a school accepts transfer credits from other schools can make it easier to obtain advanced standing before enrollment. But one of the biggest variables is the academic path you choose. As you might imagine, a full-time path will take less time to complete than a part-time program. But exactly how different are these two options?

Full-time

A full-time course load will take two years to complete, with each semester comprised of about 15 credits . Before students dive into core nursing courses, they will need to complete the prerequisites. Some of these are general education classes that are often completed before enrollment into the nursing program others are nursing-related prerequisites that are taken during the first academic period. By the second academic period, students may begin taking core nursing courses and might even be gaining in-person training from laboratory courses and clinicals. For the rest of their time in the nursing program, students will usually take a mixture of courses that can be completed online and in-person.

Part-time

The length of the part-time track will vary based on the course load, but will usually add about another year to the associate degree pursuit. However, an extension of as many as 18 months is possible.

Transfer credits

Military training

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What Are The Admission Requirements

Admission requirements vary by school. Most of them require math, science, and liberal arts, which are part of the school’s core curriculum. Apart from that, typically a written test, interview, and a review of your prior school grades and ACT or SAT scores are general requirements. Sometimes passing exams like HESI, ATI TEAS, and NLN-PAX are also required.

Community College Of Philadelphia

The Nursing program at Community College of Philadelphia is an associate in applied science degree and is accredited by ACEN. The program is one of 15 in the U.S. thats been chosen as a Center of Excellence by the National League for Nursing and recognized for Enhancing the Professional Development of Students. Students attending the program are trained to work in the community, acute, and long-term care settings. Students who decide to take the traditional course sequence will attend during the fall/spring semesters for two years while students who decide to take the post-baccalaureate accelerated program will complete the degree in about 14 months time.

Community College of Philadelphia is part of the public college system and features four locations in the city of Philadelphia. The school offers associate degrees, and academic and proficiency certificates. Students can attend classes during the day, at night, on weekends, and online. It also features transfer agreements with four-year schools, giving students the option to earn a bachelors degree.

Program: ADN

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Best Schools Offering Associate Programs In Nursing

Aspiring nurses may be able to benefit from reviewing school rankings before deciding on a school. Here on NursingDegrees, our rankings take into consideration important factors such as acceptance rate, tuition cost and retention rate. Our goal is to help students find accredited schools that can offer them a quality nursing education.

Our ranking of the best schools for an associate degree in nursing was developed using data compiled by the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System . For more information on our methodology, see the bottom of this page.