What Will I Learn in a Nursing Degree Program?

A nursing degree program will give you the skills you need to help patients, communicate with other medical professionals and stay cool under pressure. Nurses can take on a wide range of specialties and there are a variety of degree levels available, making it a highly flexible and customizable choice for a career in health care. Students will take courses in communication, pathology, anatomy, nutrition, psychology, pharmacology and health care policy and history. Nursing degree programs don't stay in the classroom, however, and students can expect to spend time working in a clinical setting, developing real world skills. Graduates should emerge with competencies in both medical science and professional communication and demeanor.

Nursing Cert.	RN to BSN	MS in Nursing

What Can I Do With a Nursing Degree?

What you can do with a nursing degree depends largely on what kind you have earned. Graduates of LPN programs will be eligible for entry level positions in nursing, while those with a BSN or an RN will be able to more easily advance to higher level nursing work. Those who choose to undertake more education may find it possible to move into management positions as nurses or to teach at educational institutions. Nurses can find work in a wide range of settings, working in such diverse environments as cruise ships, schools and traditional medical facilities. Many nurses choose to work in specialized positions and assist doctors and patients in fields such as obstetrics and gynecology, oncology, surgery and anesthesiology.

What Is the Career Outlook for Nursing Degree Students?

Nursing degree grads will have a healthy job market waiting for them. Hospitals across the nation are in need of nurses as more retire or leave the profession and hospitals expand to meet the needs of a growing population. Those with additional training and education may have an easier time finding employment as will those who are willing to work in high need, but perhaps not high-tech, facilities in some of the more disadvantaged communities in the United States. Registered nurses make about $62,000 a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, while those with LPN degrees make on average $39,000.