Can You get a Job as a Nurse with an Associate Degree?
Nursing jobs aren’t easy. But their fast pace, established procedural nature and genuine potential to change lives make them appealing to many job-seekers. For obvious reasons, you can’t just walk into these jobs with no training or credentials.
However, that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to spend exorbitant amounts of time becoming job-ready in order to become a nurse. An associate degree in nursing could be enough to get you into the bottom rungs of the nursing profession. Subsequent studies and degrees will only help you to rise even further in this field.
Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)
An associate degree in nursing may be the lowest-level nursing credential, but it still qualifies you to take the necessary exams to become a Registered Nurse (or RN, for short). Once you pass and have earned this designation, you can officially call yourself a nurse.
RNs (along with CNAs, or Certified Nursing Assistants) handle a lot of the day-to-day logistics of caring for patients including feeding them, bathing them, and generally checking in on them. Beyond this, RNs are also qualified to dispense medications, update patient records, perform diagnostic tests, and help inform their patients (and their loved ones) of some of the nuances of their condition.
Perhaps most importantly, they regularly converse with the doctors attending to each of their patients to keep them informed of any new developments in the person’s case – in this way, they serve as the link between the doctor and the patient when the doctor cannot spare more time.
RNs can work in a huge variety of places from nursing homes and hospitals to doctors’ offices and schools – but be aware that some of these potential employers prefer RNs with bachelor’s-level credentials.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Degree
Bachelor’s programs in nursing cover all of the same material that associate degree nursing programs do, but also include some study of extra topics like community health, research standards, and technology guidelines. For this reason, RNs with a bachelor’s degree are seen as having a slightly more comprehensive background (and by extension, skill set) than associate-level graduates. Many ADNs return to school while working, to earn their BSN and pursue more responsibility in their medical workplace.
Master's in Nursing - Nurse Practitioner (NP) or Nursing Educator (NE) Degree
Workers with a bachelor’s degree in nursing are eligible to enroll in Master’s of Science in Nursing, or other nursing graduate programs. Nurses with this level of education are able to provide specialized care in areas such as pediatrics, oncology or midwifery (though they may sometimes also need an extra certification or two), and can even become a nurse educator to help train up the next generation of workers in this field.
They also have the option of becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), a high-level professional nurse that can do just about anything a doctor can, short of performing surgeries. FNPs can sometimes even serve as a patient’s primary care provider, so these positions can be an excellent fit for those looking for more authority and independent working ability.
How Do I Get Started Becoming a Nurse--FAST?
If you can't spare much time for training or education but still want to break into a skilled role where you can really make a difference, an associate degree in nursing is an excellent option for you. It's also easy to upgrade this credential through further education and transition to a higher nursing role if you have more time to invest later on.
Are you interested in a degree in nursing? If you want to earn an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing, ECPI University offers this course at an accelerated pace. For more information on classes and requirements, connect with a friendly admissions advisor today.
It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
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