If you have answered yes to some or all of these questions, nursing may indeed be for you, and you may one day be a great nurse.
Nursing is a profession with many career paths. So, nurses do many different things in many different settings.
Most nurses start their career in a hospital where they first apply what they learned in nursing school to help their patients get better. Hospital nurses provide direct patient care, administer medications, collaborate with the interprofessional healthcare team including physicians, technicians, therapists, and other nurses, and they advocate for their patients.
As they grow in knowledge and experience, many nurses continue to work in hospitals, and are often attracted by the work performed in one specialty area or another such as in the emergency department, or in surgery, oncology, critical care, orthopedics, labor & delivery, or pediatrics. Hospitals employ hundreds of nurses and also offer many leadership opportunities for nurses.
Nurses also work in clinics and community health centers, in nursing homes, at schools caring for students, in colleges and universities teaching future nurses and conducting research, in the military caring for wounded and sick service members, for insurance companies, in government, and in other settings.
Nursing is a profession founded on principles of compassion, empathy, patient-centered care, evidence-based practice, and the promotion of health and well-being. Nursing encompasses a commitment to holistic care, ethical practice, respect for diversity, continuous learning, and advocacy for individuals, families, and communities.
The role of the Registered Nurse is diverse and they work in many different settings, but they share one thing in common. People matter to them. Caring and compassion are central to nursing success. For nurses to care for patients, nurses have to care about their patients. As a nurse you can make a positive difference in the life of another person every day. How much do people matter to you?
Earn a high school diploma and do well in math and science
Select a pre-licensure nursing program PN, ADN, or BSN that has attained CCNE, ACEN, or CNEA-NLN accreditation, and graduates a high percentage of students that pass the licensing exam on the first attempt.
Pass the licensing exam
Community colleges and vocational schools offer licensed practical nurse programs that normally take about one year to complete. Students must meet prerequisites, such as English and health science, before entering an PN program, which can take one to two months. Becoming a registered nurse requires enrolling in an associate’s degree in nursing ADN program which typically takes two to three years to complete. It takes four years to earn a bachelor’s degree. Many colleges offer accelerated programs for earning a bachelor’s degree to registered nurses who already have an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree in another field.
When you’re choosing a nursing program, keep nursing school accreditation in mind. Nursing accreditation guarantees that a nursing school and nursing program meet the quality standards that ensure that graduates can safely practice as nurses. Acceptance into graduate programs in nursing depends on graduation from an accredited program. Accreditation requires nursing schools
Nursing school accreditation is a way to assess the quality of nursing s schools. Accrediting bodies have created a set of widely accepted standards that they use to assess nursing schools. In order to maintain accreditation, schools must meet those requirements and conduct periodic self-examination and self-improvement.
In addition to selecting a school that is accredited by the CCNE, ACEN, or CNEA-NLN, also be sure to select a nursing school that has been approved by the state board of nursing, and that has a high percentage of graduates passing the NCLEX exam on the first attempt. This will ensure that you are enrolling in a high quality nursing school.
Federal and state organizations that provide scholarships and loans to students want to make sure their money is being used wisely. For this reason, they typically require accreditation as a condition of receiving funds. So, if you attend an accredited nursing school, you have a better chance of receiving financial assistance at the federal and state level.
Accreditation is a key way that other schools gauge the quality of the coursework you’ve completed. If you’re looking to advance your education and earn a master’s or doctorate degree in nursing in the future, it’s vital to attend an accredited BSN program. Attending an accredited school of nursing will ensure your credits transfer when you apply for an advanced degree program, such as a nurse practitioner or nurse anesthetist program.
Please click on the following member institutions to learn about their nursing programs.
The Nursing Consortium of Florida is nursing’s community table where the profession’s leaders build on a long legacy of uncommon collaboration, to conduct effective youth outreach and develop and evolve programming that promotes careers in nursing.
©2024 Nursing Consortium of Florida. All rights reserved.
