If you’ve decided to pursue a nursing career — and if so, good for you! — you’ll have plenty of nursing programs from which to choose. You’ll be attending your nursing training for 2-4 years, depending on what type of nursing school you choose. If you’re eager to get
nursing schools and programs
on the hospital floor quickly, a two- to three-year associate of science in nursing (ASN) degree will be right for you, as will attendance at one of the many nursing programs hospitals offer.
You also may earn a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree. These take four years, but you’ll need a bachelor’s degree if you want to pursue a master’s or doctorate degree in nursing, or if you ever wish to go for certification as a nurse practitioner.
You’ll also need to pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses, also known as the NCLEX-RN, in your state. You’ll then receive the RN designation.
Perhaps the most critical thing you should look for in a nursing school is to make sure it’s accredited by the National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC). The NLNAC accredits all level of nursing programs (ASN, hospital diploma, BSN, MSN, etc.). If you’re looking for nursing programs at just the bachelor‘s or master‘s level, check to see if the nursing school is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
Why is it important to attend an accredited nursing school? Nursing programs must pass a stringent set of requirements by accrediting bodies. Attending an accredited school means your education has been deemed by educational nursing leaders that your nursing school will give you a satisfactory education, one which will prepare you to sit and pass the NCLEX-RN.
Attending an accredited nursing school also means you’ll be able to apply for funds and financial aid programs available from the federal government and your state. A career as nurse can be very lucrative — salaries tend to run from $45,000 to $60,000 and up — but your education will not be inexpensive. Being eligible for these federal loan and grant programs is another important reason for you to make sure the nursing school of your choice is accredited.
e that will only get worse as the United States’ population ages.But Health Affairs: A Policy Journal of the Health Field, stated in its June issue online that “[r]registered nurse (RN emloyement has increased during the current recession, and we may soon see an end to the decade-long nurse shortage.” However, the authors, contend, “large shortages are still expected in the next decade. Until nursing education capacity is increased, future imbalances in the nurse labor market will be unavoidable.” Sounds like good news for those who wish to go to nursing school, doesn’t it. But, and this is a large but, interest in nursing careers is so, nursing schools can’t keep up with the demand. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), “U.S. nursing schools turned away 49,948 qualified applicants from baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs in 2008 due to an insufficient number of faculty, clinical sites, classroom space, clinical preceptors, and budget constraints. Almost two-thirds of the nursing schools responding to the survey pointed to faculty shortages as a reason for not accepting all qualified applicants into entry-level baccalaureate programs.” So interest is there, but there aren’t enough faculty or facilities to a) train the people who are interested in going to nursing schools which would b) alleviate the coming critical need for nurses. The United States Health Resources and Services Administration projects a shortage in 2010 of more than 213,000 nurses. So, yes, the recession probably is cutting down on the number of nursing positions open now. Nurses are delaying retirement; hospitals may not be filling vacant positions, etc. But the shortage? It is a comin’!
