How to Choose the Correct Education, Training, and Certification for Various Nursing Career Paths

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A prospective student may begin a nursing career by consulting various nursing schools. Typically, a prospective student considers some basic nursing programs, including a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), and a bridge to Registered Nurse (RN) program. The American Nurses Associations defines nursing as the act of protecting, promoting, and optimizing an individual's health, preventing sickness, disease and injuries, diagnosing and treating human ailments, and advocating patient care, including the patient's family, community, and others. Nursing careers offer a broad variety of roles with heavy responsibilities. Nurses work alongside physicians to address day-to-day patient situations within the health care system. The physician mainly makes the key decisions regarding the diagnosis, treatment, and medication per the patient's situation. Nurses ensure that the patient receives the prescribed treatment on an ongoing basis until establishing a full recovery.

Education, Training, and Certification for Several Nursing Career Paths:

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, there are three educational choices to become a nurse of various degrees, including obtaining a diploma from accredited nursing programs, an associates degree in nursing, or bachelor of science degree in nursing. Most prospective nursing students opt for an associates or bachelor's due to their availability as opposed to diploma or trade schools with extensive waiting lists. Prospective students must pass a pre-entrance exam that qualifies them for enrollment into the nursing program. Whether the student chooses an in-house training program or online nursing programs, he or she must conduct the proper research to ensur...

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... specialized role, including leadership and management positions. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average compensation for a nurse ranges between $43,000 to $63,000 with the top 10% of nurses making over $75,000.

The only pitfalls to a nursing career lies in the shortage of nurses, which can cause inevitable burn-out due to stressful hours and not having enough staff to complete each patient case. Nurses also work oddball hours, which makes it difficult to engage in family life. In fact, many nurses work nights and weekends. Nurses require a tough personality to deal with serious issues on an ongoing basis. In other words, nursing is a profession best suited for individuals who love to help others, and wish to make a difference in the lives of others. Nursing is viable option for those who have a keen sense of detail and love to analyze data.

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