Become a Nurse - RN or LPN/LVN
Nursing is one of the few fields left in this economy where employer demand remains strong, and salaries are attractive. It requires serious study, but can be an exciting and rewarding profession, with many opportunities to continue learning, and to specialize in a specific aspect of medical care.
The paths to becoming a Registered Nurse, for people who already possess a Bachelors degree in a non-nursing subject, are called "second degree accelerated" BSN (Bachelors of Science in Nursing) programs, and "direct entry" MSN (Master of Science in Nursing) programs. If you don’t have a Bachelors degree yet, you can enroll in Four Year Bachelors in Nursing programs (traditional undergraduate nursing programs), Associate Degree Nursing programs (typically two year programs, offered by community colleges), or Practical/Vocational Nursing (LVN/LPN) programs (typically one year programs, that result in licensure as a Practical or Vocational Nurse, which is one step below a Registered Nurse).
If you start off as a Practical or Vocational Nurse, you can still become a Registered Nurse down the road, by going back to school for your ADN or BSN degree (there are hundreds of "LPN to RN" degree programs that allow you to do this).
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- Second Degree Bachelors in Nursing (BSN) Programs
- Direct Entry Masters in Nursing (MSN) Programs
- Four-Year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Programs
- Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) Programs
- Licensed Practical/Vocational Nursing (LVN/LPN) Programs
As a rule, you should try to contact multiple schools when you’re looking for a degree program. Like with many other things, the way to find the best nursing degree program is to spend some time shopping around. There are very meaningful differences between the programs in terms of cost, admissions requirements, and other characteristics.
Why should I become a Registered Nurse (RN)?
Nursing is one of the few fields where hiring remains strong and job security actually exists. The advanced practice nursing specializations (which require a Masters degree) offer excellent pay and benefits - annual salaries of $80,000+ are the norm. Even entry level Registered Nurses with BSN degrees often make $50,000-$60,000 per year.
There are over 2,500,000 Registered Nurses in the US, making it the largest component of the US healthcare field. The profession has evolved significantly in the last few decades. High-paying Masters degree-level specializations such as Nurse Practitioner, CRNA, and Nurse Midwife have gained prominence as the complexity of the care environment has increased.
Other market dynamics (such as rising insurance costs) have pushed the nursing field and the medical field closer together, which is to say that many functions that were previously performed by doctors are now performed, in many care settings, by nurses. This is especially true in settings that serve rural and/or low income populations, where, for instance, Nurse Anesthetists are often the primary anesthesia providers, and Nurse Practitioners function as Primary Care Physicians.
The country is currently in the throes of a widely publicized nursing shortage. The shortage is most severe at the staff nurse level (the nurses who perform the bulk of the most common day to day tasks); however, the job market remains extremely strong for nurses of all types.
