About Associate's Nursing Programs

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nursing offers the highest employment option with 2.6 million jobs annually. Hospitals hire 60% of the nurses in the U.S. and pay salaries over $60,000 per year. Nursing is expected to grow in demand 22% by 2018.

There are three paths to obtaining an RN. Many community colleges offer certificate and associate programs or you can go the university route and earn a BS in Nursing. Expect to spend two years on pre-requisites at the community college or undergraduate level  Have your SATs in place and all pre-requisites to enter college.

Examine the requirements of both university and community college nursing programs. Most programs will expect you to complete anatomy, physiology, microbiology, general chemistry, biochemistry and organic chemistry. You will need college algebra/trigonometry, sociology, English, critical thinking, psychology, biology, and botany, to name a few.

Grades are important for most nursing programs. Many require at least a "C" average to enter and a "C" minimum to graduate. Most schools explore nursing in modules. You may take medical/surgical nursing  in one quarter, cardiac nursing in another quarter. You should cover the above in addition to psychiatric, pediatric, geriatric, two rotations of medical surgical, emergency nursing and public health. Expect to rotate with actual hands on care of patients followed by the classroom.

Many nursing schools are rigorous, demanding, and high pressure in their approach. It's common to rotate eight hours in surgery, only to go home and read 1000 pages of text, and have to memorize 200 medications for an exam the next day. Most students study in teams to focus and efficiently utilize time to pass the courses. However, at the end when graduation arrives and you have passed nursing boards, you will be well prepared for a rewarding nursing career.