Nursing is being considered today as a high growth field. The requirement for nurses has increased phenomenally over the years and this is being seen as a good sign. Nursing education from a good college can do wonders to your career and the really good thing is that you can even opt for advanced courses anytime in your career.
What does nursing education really comprise of? It mainly consists of theoretical as well as practical training that a budding nurse has to undergo. This training will prepare you in a better way to handle the duties of a nursing care professional. Most of the education is provided by experienced medical professionals as well as nurses. Most colleges have staff from the nursing and medical background. One of the important aspects to consider is how you want your nursing career to shape. This will depend largely on the type of course you choose. You can opt for a general nursing course or you can opt for specialized nursing like pediatric nursing, mental health nursing, and post-operation nursing. An integral part of nurse education is creating a strong base for certain post-qualification courses, which are also known as specialist courses. If you choose a specialized field in nursing the opportunities for career growth will increase.
There are several pre-registration nursing degrees and nursing diploma programs offered by different nursing colleges and these programs deal with mainly four areas: children (pediatrics), adult, mental health, and learning disability. Some of the courses in nursing education combine the courses in mental health with social work or learning disability nursing with social work. First things first, when applying for nursing education, you will need to decide which of the four areas of nursing you would like to apply for.
The second important aspect of nursing education is the requirements that you will need to fulfill to obtain a nursing license. The requirements can vary from one state or another in the US but there is a set of minimum requirements defined by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. These minimum requirements are applicable for a registered nurse (RN) as well as licensed practical nurse (LPN) and they are:
– You have to be a graduate. You will need to provide verification or proof of completion of graduation from a state-approved nursing program/college.
– You should have passed the NCLEX examination.
– You will have to make a self-report of any criminal convictions, functional ability deficits, and chemical dependencies.
The nursing license applications are evaluated by State Boards of Nursing, which are basically governmental agencies. State Boards of Nursing are in charge of creating guidelines for nursing licensure as well as practice. The State Boards of Nursing is also responsible for administering the licensure exams, and have to ensure that the licensed nurse’s work on the basis of the ethical as well as legal guidelines set by them. The State Boards of Nursing have been set up by the Federal Government. Getting a nurse license is actually the first step in nursing education because it will open your doors to many more advanced courses and opportunities that come with them.
