Nursing is always in demand, but that’s ramped up in recent years. With older nurses retiring and the population living longer, nurses are in demand nationwide.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of registered nurses (RNs) is projected to continue to grow. With numerous healthcare specialties in need, nursing is a profession that offers variety and an opportunity to make a difference.
Nursing can be a challenging, and rewarding, field. If you’re considering becoming a nurse, here’s everything you need to know to prepare for your career — plus some tips on how Sophia can help.
Decide If Nursing Is a Good Fit
Becoming a nurse is different from other careers in many ways. The rigors of the work can lead to stress and burnout, as nurses have a lot of responsibility resting on their shoulders. But with that comes incredible reward in knowing that you’re truly helping people.
Still, it’s not a good fit for everyone. Do you enjoy interacting with people from all different walks of life? Can you provide a compassionate voice when patients are dealing with bad news or serious health conditions? Do you thrive in “crunch time” and maintain grace under pressure?
If so, nursing may be the right choice for you. It involves a lot of education, specifically in the science disciplines, as well as a lot of interaction with people. You’ll also stay on a specific educational track and must complete the NCLEX licensure exam to become licensed in your state.
Think About Your Education Options
Not all nurses earn an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), but it can be a big help in securing a license. This is a good choice if you want a four-year degree or plan on continuing your education with a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN).
This is the next step toward becoming an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). These programs offer more opportunities to work in specialized areas of nursing, such as Nurse Practitioners, Certified Nurse Midwives, and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists.
Understand the Costs
The cost for an ASN or BSN can vary significantly, but generally falls between $20,000 to over $100,000, according to Forbes. The total cost depends on factors like whether it’s a public or private university, whether you’re in or out of state, and more.
Fortunately, you can save money on your education several ways, including attending a public university, attending a university in your state, and completing your gen ed courses online with a platform like Sophia or at a local community college, which often comes with lower tuition costs. While nursing can be a lucrative career, make sure to weigh the costs vs. the benefits.
Plan for a Long Program
As mentioned, nursing has a fairly straightforward educational path with little room for variation. Most bachelor’s degrees take four or five years to complete, though you may be able to shorten the time frame with transfer credits, testing out of courses, or getting credits for work experience. For example, taking your nursing gen eds and prerequisites with Sophia can help you complete your required courses faster, shortening your path to your degree.
Another time consideration is the type of program you choose. There is some flexibility in how you finish your nursing degree program.
Full-time programs involve the full course and credit load, which is the shortest option but may be overwhelming. It may be difficult to balance full-time study with other responsibilities as well, such as work or family.
Part-time programs offer more flexibility if you have other responsibilities outside of school, such as a full-time job or a family. Your course load will be more manageable as well, which may be a benefit with some of the more demanding courses.
Choose Your School
Many schools offer nursing programs. You should narrow down the important factors you want to consider, such as the tuition costs, location, campus environment, and specialties. However, always look for programs with accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). This ensures the program meets quality standards to prepare you for your licensure exam.
You should consider traditional, online, and hybrid environments. Traditional, on-campus programs are in person and involve strict schedules for courses and labs. Online programs like Sophia are more flexible with time but match the rigor of traditional programs with both synchronous and asynchronous formats. Hybrid programs include both online and traditional courses.
If you have a clear path ahead of you and want to specialize, consider programs that offer concentration in those areas. You will also need to evaluate the admissions requirements and consider whether you have the prerequisite coursework and GPA to gain admission.
Get Real-World Experience with Job Shadowing
While clinics and hospitals typically offer job shadowing only to nursing students, this can be a valuable step in finding your passion and discovering which nursing specialty suits your skills. You can work in different settings and understand the day-to-day tasks involved in nursing, which is quite different from reading about nursing and learning theory.
If you want to get real-world experience before entering a nursing program to see if it’s the right fit, consider becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (CAN). This is an entry-level position that involves basic care, but you will be working under the supervision of licensed nurses or other medical professionals and getting a feel for the healthcare environment.
Think About Your Ideal Setting
A BSN is specific to nursing, but the field itself is broad. Nursing professionals have a wide variety of settings they can work in, such as home healthcare, hospitals, private physician’s offices, clinics, nursing care facilities, schools, and more.
You also have an opportunity to specialize in different departments or with different populations, such as surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, gerontology, and ambulatory care. Keep in mind that some specialties will require an APRN.
Pick a Nursing Specialty
Once you’ve completed your RN program and gained experience, you can work toward a specialty. Some master’s programs offer concentrations to help you prepare for your APRN career aspirations, such as psychiatric and mental health, family care, women’s health, midwifery, informatics, neuroscience, and intensive care.
Gain Licensure
There are several types of licenses and credentials nurses must have before they can work directly with patients. The requirements vary by state, so check into them for the state where you hope to work.
The NCLEX exam is required for all candidates who want to work as a practical nurse or registered nurse. If you choose to pursue an APRN, you may need to take additional exams to be eligible for the workforce.
Introducing Sophia's Nursing Pathways
With the demand for nurses rising nationwide, Sophia developed a program to help prospective nursing students get a jumpstart on their nursing education –the Sophia Nursing Pathway.
Though self-paced health and science courses have always been a part of Sophia’s offerings, the Nursing Pathways program elevates the experience by helping students determine which courses are most appropriate for the path to their degree. Now, students can plan which courses they need, in which order, to make the most of their time and investment before transferring to their school’s degree program.
Vital courses like Anatomy and Physiology, Microbiology, and Introduction to Nutrition are part of the course selection and subscription. But as always, students have full autonomy over their learning experience.
Sophia courses can help you save time and money on your degree, but always discuss your course plans with your academic advisor to ensure the courses will transfer for credit.
Get Started in Nursing
Nursing is a rewarding career, but it’s not for everyone. Get your feet wet with gen eds from Sophia to see if you find the courses required for your nursing degree interesting and engaging. Start a free trial and browse our nursing pathway courses today!
