Registered Nurses (RNs) collaborate with doctors in examining and treating patients, providing rehabilitation and administering medication. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts the employment of RNs to grow at a rate of 26% between 2010 and 2020. As of Jan 2016, median salary earned by the RNs is around $67,490 per year. Read on to know about the educational qualifications needed to become a registered nurse practitioner.

Registered nurse education requirements

Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) Program

This is the most popular program to enter into the field of nursing. In fact, 45% of US nurses earn their AND degree before pursuing a bachelor’s program. This program centers on the technical aspects of nursing while including some courses in the fields of liberal arts and science. The associate’s degree programs in nursing are provided at technical schools and community colleges nationwide. This program equips the students with the skills needed to take care of patients in a variety of settings.

Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program

A BSN program requires you take 4-5 years of college education, in a higher educational institution. Nurses with a BSN degree are typically given more responsibility and higher salaries as compared to those with associate’s degree. However, if you’ve already achieved Registered Nurse status through an associate’s degree, you may enroll in an RN-BSN program which awards you a bachelor’s degree in just two years. Students with a bachelor’s degree in a different discipline may enroll in the accelerated BSN program.Once a student completes one of the above programs, he or she will be eligible to take the NCLEX-RN exam that allows him to practice as a licensed RN in the US.

Work Environment of an RN

Around 60% of RNs work in hospitals, but many nurses work in community centers, nursing homes, and offices. The patients in hospitals and nursing homes need care around the clock, which means the RN have to work often at nights, holidays, and weekends. So, apart from fulfilling the registered nurse education requirements, on must also be passionate about serving the needy to excel as an RN.

If you are a responsible, caring and detail-oriented person capable of supervising or directing others, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t become a licensed RN. Due to the deficit of registered nurses in the country, this career has become highly lucrative in the recent years,