Nursing is one of the most common health care professions around the world. According to a recent study, the number of job openings for registered nurses will be more than any other category in 2022.
There are many ways of becoming a nurse. It requires certifications, degrees, and licensing, and there are many ways to go about it, depending upon the goal of your career. Ranked as one of the best programs, the University of Texas Arlington offers a nursing degree online and has one of the state’s highest graduation rates.
This article will serve as a guide for nursing students who want to climb the career ladder in the nursing domain but are not sure which certification or degree will be most suitable for them. Below are some of the degrees and certifications students must know about:
- CNA Certification
A CNA certification lets individuals begin careers as certified nurses without getting a degree. CNAs are responsible for assisting mentally and physically disabled patients with their daily needs.
This certification requires an approved training program that takes a study time of 4 to 12 weeks with a specific amount of supervised clinical practice. In order to enroll in this certification, a high school diploma or equivalent qualification is needed.
- LVN/LPN Certification
This certification is for Licensed Nurses who work in patient care on the front lines or assist doctors and registered nurses.
In order to be eligible for this certification, nurses are required to complete training programs that offer courses in biology, nursing, and pharmacology with clinical experience. Once the program is completed, the National Council Licensure Examination can be taken to earn a license.
- Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)
This is one of the fastest ways to earn a registered nurse (RN) career. It takes a full-time course study at a university or college and qualifies students for the NCLEX-RN exam to attain licensure. Registered Nurses work with physicians and other healthcare staff in evaluating patients, administering treatments, devising treatment plans, and operating medical equipment.
Admission requires high school diplomas, SATs, and passing scores on HESI Admissions Assessment Exams.
- BSN or MSN
Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science in Nursing take four to six years of study and are divided between general education courses, nursing, clinical rotation coursework, and specialty care. BSN qualifies individuals to sit in NCLEX-RN exams like ADN. BSN requires students to have a high-school diploma, ACT, SAT scores, and interviews. MSN eligibility criteria give a higher preference to candidates who already have a BSN degree. However, some courses offer a bridge to students with RN or associate degrees. It also requires some clinical experience.
- Joint Master’s Degrees in Nursing (MPH, MHA, MBA)
These courses offer higher positions in healthcare fields. This program offers to complete two graduate degrees at once. Popular options of these programs include a combination of an MSN program with either Master of Public Health, Master of Business Administration, or Master of Health Care Administration.
- Doctoral Degrees in Nursing
Nursing students have two options at the doctoral level, which are Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) or Ph.D. Both of these take 3 to 5 years of study and research to complete.
Most of these programs require a Master’s degree from accredited nursing programs and enough nursing experience. DNP programs need APRN licensing, whereas Ph.D. programs may require only a valid RN license.
There are many career-growth and educational opportunities in the field of nursing. Students need to choose the field of their interest and pick an educational course keeping in mind the information given in the article above.