subject: 5 Milestones In Nursing Education [print this page] If you are contemplating on becoming a nurse, or you are planning on study further to move ahead in your nursing career, you need to know the various milestones in the career path of a nurse. Nursing degrees can vary from diplomas and certifications to attaining the highest level of education, ie, Doctorate in Nursing. Listed below are the various degrees offered by the US Department of Education, associated with the line of nursing.
*Diploma in Nursing: The course extends for two years and provides the basic training required to become a nurse. A diploma is considered sufficient to become a Registered Nurse. However, due its short timeframe and the course covered, a nurse holding a diploma will not be able to become a specialty nurse. For the career to move ahead, one has to attain a degree in Nursing. Most hospitals have training schools which provide diplomas in nursing for interested students.
*Associate Degree in Nursing: Associate of Science in Nursing or the ASN is also a two year course which is very similar to Diploma in Nursing in terms of the course structure. Like the case with diploma, due to the lack of specialty courses, they cannot become specialty nurses. Many hospitals and colleges offer this course.
*Bachelor in Nursing: The Bachelor of Science in Nursing or the BSN is a very popular choice amongst nursing aspirants. It provides scientific, practical and specialty training to a certain degree. A nurse with BSN has better job prospects as compared to his or her diploma counterpart. Most ASN students pursue BSN which gives them a fast track to completion.
*Master's in Nursing: Further enhancing the career graph of a Registered nurse is the Masters degree or the MSN. This degree allows the nurse to specialize in a field of his or her choice. They are specially trained to handle jobs in different specialties. In the future, they may become a head nurse or a nurse manager. The teaching profession in nursing also prefers nurses with MSN.
*Doctorate in Nursing: The Doctorate of Nursing Practice or DNP is the highest level of education attained by a nurse. They have the highest level of practical training, scientific training and specialization. While their duties would be almost the same as general physicians, they are seen more in academics and research rather than conventional practice.
Nursing is a very tough profession with long working hours and dedicated service. The more the education, the more the responsibilities.
