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Starting Your Career With An Associate’s In Nursing

By Paul Mannet

“Online

An associates in nursing or “ADN” degree can be earned in two years at most schools. It’s the leading option for students who want become full fledged RN’s as quickly as possible. Although it doesn’t provide the broad humanities background that a bachelor’s degree will, it offers a solid foundation in nursing and health care management – the kind of skills needed for employment in larger, high quality hospitals and other medical facilities. It also provides the foundation you need to have in pace if you want to move on later to a BSN degree.

Nursing is one of the top growth careers in the U.S. today. And the job pays well — RNs have a median salary of about $64,000 per year in the U.S. (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Also, particularly in large hospitals, nursing jobs often provide excellent health insurance benefits as well. Salaries, however, run in a wide range depending on the medical facility and the RN’s particular job title.

Considering it’s benefits, the cost of an associates in nursing degree can be seen fairly reasonable. State schools and community colleges across the country offer nursing programs that can cost only a few thousand dollars in total. Because the American health care system keeps getting bigger and more complex, nursing graduates are needed. And because of growing restrictions on how many foreign RNs can come into the U.S., nurses with American citizenship and a degree from a U.S. nursing school are now particularly employable.

The Exam To Become An RN
Graduates of associates in nursing programs need to pass a NCLEX exam (given by state nursing boards) to get the registered nurse (RN) license. This credential is an important factor for those who want to get an an entry level position and start earning a good living. Be aware, however, that in order to qualify for the NCLEX the the RN license, you must attend an accredited nursing school. School accreditation can be checked with your state nursing board. Generally speaking, associates degrees in nursing are taught in a classroom and not an online learning setting.

There are basic prerequisite courses in almost all two year nursing programs, including math, writing, social studies or other humanities subjects. But the bulk of the study will be in more “technical” nursing topics like anatomy, obstetrical nursing, family health, community health, geriatrics, pharmacology, psychology and the like. More here in the courses you’ll take for an associate’s in nursing.

Jobs For Associates In Nursing Graduates
The graduate of an associates in nursing program is generally qualified to be licensed either as an RN or LPN (licensed practical nurse). A few things make the RN license more attractive. First, hospitals are generally cutting down on the number of LPNs (sometimes called “vocational nurses”) they employ, and hiring more RNs wherever possible. Most new LPN jobs are being created in nursing homes, which tend to pay less than hospitals. Second, and RN with an associates in nursing degree has more options to go into travel nursing, which can be a great way to see the world, or into specialized nursing areas that are more interesting and involve higher salaries. And finally, having an RN and ADN nursing degree puts the student in a better position to go back to school and pursue a bachelors nursing degree (sometimes called an rn to bsn “completion” degree) that can lead to management positions in nursing.

Filed Under: Nursing Tagged With: adn nursing, associates in nursing, nursing career, nursing jobs, nursing schools

Hourly Work: Experience That Wins Entry Level Nursing Jobs

By Paul Mannet

starting a nursing career

Young nurses who’ve just graduated and obtained an RN license often worry about getting that first nursing job. The problem is that employers – particularly the top hospitals and medical offices that pay the best – want to see real experience on a resume in addition to the nursing degree.

A good way to help break down the barrier to your first entry level nursing job is to put some time into hourly work. It probably won’t be the best paying work you ever do, but it can quickly give you hands-on experience that will make you more attractive to an employer.

Here are some jobs where new RNs can often find work on an hourly basis:

  • Certified Nursing Assistant
  • Home Health Aide
  • Resident counselor (group home)
  • Medical receptionist
  • Camp counselor
  • Nurse’s Aid

Hidden Benefits
While a nurse’s aid job may seem like the choice that offers the most directly transferrable experience, all of these kind of jobs can offer some benefit. Being a medical receptionist, for example, can give you experience who record keeping, insurance codes and other administrative work you will need to know about as a nurse. Depending on the size of the facility you work in, being a counselor either in a camp or a group home may give you organizational experience that can be seen as valuable. And working with kids in a summer camp environment could give you knowledge of particular conditions and treatments that would be frequently seen in a pediatrics ward or pediatrician’s office.

College students often do unpaid internships to add some real world experience to their resumes. Hourly nursing work can help you accomplish the same goal while allowing you to earn at least some money. Some nurses who work on several different hourly jobs in the months after they finish nursing school look to employer more like experienced professionals than “newbies” straight out of nursing school. A good place to start looking for hourly work is often the career center at the nursing school you attend.

Filed Under: Nursing Tagged With: certified nursing assistant, entry level nursing jobs, first nursing job, home health aid jobs, medical receptionist, nurse's aid jobs, nursing jobs, rn license

Salaries & Career Options for Nurses By Degree & Specialty

By Paul Mannet

“Online

April 23, 2012: Due to the current nursing shortage in the US, nurses are very much in demand, at least in most geographic region. Nurses are in a more enviable position than they have in some time of being able to command a decent wage upon graduation from an nursing program. But there are large salary discrepancies depending on where you practice, your level of education and how much experience you have.

Let’s take a look at some of the factors that determine starting salaries and what nurses can expect coming out of the starting gate.

Registered Nurses
The most popular route to becoming a registered nurse in the U.S. is to get an associate’s degree, and then take (and pass) the National Council Licensure Examination for registered nurses (NCLEX-RN). Alternatively, it’s possible to become an RN by taking a diploma program. These are generally given by hospitals rather than colleges, and take as long as an associates degree to complete (some actually take even longer – 3 years as opposed to the 2 that it typically takes to get an AS in nursing). Diploma programs are often specialized in cardiology, obstetrics or some other particular practice area. Again, you must pass the NCLEX-RN after getting your diploma to become licensed as an RN.

After obtaining their RN, many nurses who want to develop their careers further will move on to a RN to BSN completion degree program for a bachelor’s degree, to work in a more highly specialized role or become a nursing administrator or educator.

The median annual wage of registered nurses is $65,950, according to May 2011, numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Starting wages for RNs range from $20/hr to $25/hr. Nurses who accumulate more than 10 years experience can expect to earn closer to $35/hr. according to Payscale.

Advanced Practice Nurses
APNs earn a master’s degree in a specific area of focus. APNs work with patients one-on-one, similar to physicians. In some cases, they work under the direction of a physician, while in other circumstances they work under their own auspices. Some advanced practice areas include:

  • CRNA (certified nurse anesthetist): Starting salary $97,746-$140,801*
  • CNS (clinical nurse specialist): Starting salary $64,851-$84,394* NP or FNP (nurse practitioner, family nurse practitioner)-starting salary $68,500-$73,000*
  • Certified Nurse Midwife: Starting salary $77,000*
    (*figures from Payscale and Salary.com)

The annual median salaries for these specialties ranges from $87,867 (CNS) to $156,032 (CRNA) (May, 2010, Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Factors Affecting Salary
As can be seen, there is a wide range in salaries, even within the same focus area. Salaries vary depending on the following factors:
Nursing Level
Each level of nursing requires a specific amount of training, certification and licensure. The higher up you go, the more money you will earn. At the bottom in terms of wages are the NAs and CNAs (nurse assistants or aides and certified nurse assistants or aides), followed by LPNs (licensed practical nurses) and RNs (registered nurses). Nurses who go on to specialize by earning a master’s degree will earn the most pay, sometimes doubling the salaries of their RN colleagues.
Education Level
The number of years spent in an accredited nursing school program also influences wages. Nurses with master’s degrees almost always earn more than 4-year undergrad degree nurses, who will earn more than a nurse with a 2-year associate’s degree (on average).
Years of Experience
As in many other careers, years spent in a profession contribute towards a higher salary. Nurse’s wages often increase in increments. Typically, pay will increase after the first year, then will increase over regular intervals of time (i.e. 5 year increments).
Location/Setting
Where you are employed also influences salary. Nurses working in large cities often earn more than nurses working in rural areas. For example, nurses in California or New York may earn as much as $10/hr more than nurses working in Ohio, due to the higher cost of living in these areas. Nurses working for large corporations may earn more than nurses working in a private doctor’s office, and nurses working in a large hospital center may earn more than nurses working in a small rural hospital. Therefore, there can be large differences in salary depending on where a nurse chooses to practice.
Area of Specialty
Salaries can also vary according to the nursing area in which you practice. Nurses in highly technical areas, such as the ER, surgery and ICU, will earn more than nurses working on a geriatrics unit. Nursing is a field in which education truly pays off- the more education you have, the more you will generally earn. Many nurses start off earning a degree in nursing, gain some experience, and then continue their education while working. The ability to pursue a master’s degree online has made it far easier for nurses to advance their career than ever before.

More On Nursing Careers

  • Keys to getting into advanced specialties in nursing like critical care nursing, nurse anesthetist, informatics, oncology nursing, perioperative nursing and nurse practitioner.
  • Inspirational quotes about the career and the art of nursing.

Sources:
US Bureau of Labor Statistics
Salary.com
Payscale.com

Filed Under: Nursing Tagged With: nursing career, nursing experience, nursing jobs, nursing life, nursing salaries, nursing specialties, pay for nurses by specialty, what nurses earn

Learn About Nursing Degrees & Careers

By Paul Mannet

“Nursing

Nursing remains a career with fairly strong employment opportunities, in spite of the slow economy. A variety of jobs site are reporting not just a steady job market for nurses, but one that’s expected to rise to the point where a shortage of nurses is expected to arise in the next 5 – 8 years.

Your current qualifications and experience will determine the type of nursing degree you’ll want to consider. But the most popular online degree for nurses is the very widely accepted RN to BSN degree, for licensed RMs who want to take a step up to a more specialized position or work in a higher quality health facility. Nurses who already have a BA or BS look to the many specialized nursing master’s degrees, which can provide entree into management and, potentially, result in increased earnings.

A Graduate Nursing Degree
Nursing master’s degrees come in a variety of clinical and management specialties. Nurses who have a strong desire to stop working 100% in direct patient care often opt for a masters in nursing administration, which can result in a position managing staff shifts and overseeing treatment in a larger hospital, or a nursing education masters, which tends to focus more on preparing you to train new nurses or to help experienced nurses learn new techniques or even take new degree or certificate programs. A newer specialty that’s grown quickly is informatics, which involves organizing and understanding the huge volume of medical and insurance records generated today in all types of clinics and hospitals.

See a complete list of schools offering MASTER’S in nursing degrees

See a complete list of schools offering BACHELOR’S degrees in nursing

Filed Under: Nursing Tagged With: first nursing job, nurse earnings, nurse job market, nursing bachelors degree, nursing informatics, nursing jobs, nursing masters

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