The Road to Become A Nurse
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How to Become a Nurse
Is Nursing Right for You?
What nurses do… (http://www.bls.gov/ooh/Healthcare/Registered-nurses.htm#tab-2)
- Administer medication
- Monitor patients
- Record medical histories
- Check vital signs
- Explain home treatment
- Operate medical equipment
What makes a good nurse…(inference)
- Multitasking
- Caring
- Fast-learning
- Quick-thinking
- Patient
- Calm
- Motivated
- Organized
Education (Get a Degree)
Education distribution
(
http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/rnsurveys/rnsurveyinitial2008.pdf pg 8)
- Diploma of Nursing: 20.4%
- Associate's Degree in Nursing: 45.4%
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (or higher): 34.2%
Classes
(http://www.bls.gov/ooh/Healthcare/Registered-nurses.htm#tab-4)
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Microbiology
- Chemistry
- Nutrition
- Psychology
- Liberal Arts
Education Timeframes
- Diploma: 12-18 months
- Associate's: 2-3 years
- Bachelor's: 4 years
Clinical Hours
(
https://www.ncsbn.org/Educational_Programs_Entry_into_Practice.pdf pg 16-ish)
Clinical hours are required for all nursing degrees, but they vary greatly by state and by school. As much as 50% of a nurse's education may be spent in clinical classes, working hands-on with patients and experienced nurses.
Number of Nursing Degrees in US
(
http://www.nln.org/researchgrants/slides/pdf/AS1112_T02.pdf)
- Diploma: 59
- Certificate of Practical Nursing: 1297
- Associate's Degree in Nursing: 1084
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing: 696
- Bachelor of Science in Registered Nursing: 664
- Master of Science in Nursing: 504
- Doctorate of Nursing Practice: 447
States with Most Nursing Degrees
(
http://www.nln.org/researchgrants/slides/pdf/AS1112_T02.pdf)
- California: 366
- New York: 271
- Florida: 264
- Texas: 255
- Pennsylvania: 250
States with Cheapest Average Tuition
(for in state students in four year public colleges… http://trends.collegeboard.org/college-pricing/figures-tables/tuition-and-fees-sector-and-state-over-time)
- Wyoming: $4,404 a year
- Alaska: $5,885
- Utah: $5,906
- New Mexico: $5,987
- Montana: $6,211
Licensure (Get Licensed)
"To become licensed, nurses must graduate from an approved nursing program and pass the National Council Licensure Examination, or NCLEX-RN" (http://www.bls.gov/ooh/Healthcare/Registered-nurses.htm#tab-4)
NCLEX Pass Rates for RNs in 2014
(
https://www.ncsbn.org/Table_of_Pass_Rates_2014.pdf)
- Diploma: 87.88% passed out of 594 test takers
- Bachelor's Degree: 87.96% passed out of 16,370
- Associate's Degree: 82.09% passed out of 21,304
Active Nursing Licenses
(
https://www.ncsbn.org/14_2012_2013_NCLEXExamStats_vol61.pdf pg 21)
- RN: 4.2 million
- Newly licensed RNs: 281,063
Career (Get a Job)
Work Environment
(
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm#tab-3)
- Hospitals: 61%
- Nursing and Residential Care Facilities: 7%
- Doctor's Offices: 7%
- Home Health Care Services: 6%
- Government Agencies: 6%
Employment and Salary
(
http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291141.htm)
- 2,661,890 registered nurses in the U.S. (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291141.htm)
- Mean hourly wage: $33.13
- Mean annual wage: $68,910
- Top 10%: $46.31 an hour - $96,320 a year
- Bottom 10%: $21.94 an hour - $45,630 a year
Employment by Industry
(
http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291141.htm)
- General Hospitals: 1,553,080 (29.64% of the hospital workforce)
- Doctor's Offices: 178,810
- Home Health: 166,910
- Specialty Hospitals: 54,650 (22.84% of hospital workforce)
- Outpatient Care Centers: 102,410 (15.24% of workforce)
Highest Paying States
(
http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291141.htm)
- California: $46.62 an hour - $96,980 a year
- Hawaii: $41.05 an hour - $85,380 a year
- Massachusetts: $40.25 an hour - $83,720 a year
- Alaska: $40.21 an hour - $83,640 a year
- Oregon - $38.67 an hour - $80,440 a year
Lowest Paying States
(
http://data.bls.gov/oes/search.jsp?data_tool=OES, search one occupation for multiple geo areas…all data on
http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291141.htm#st but not easy to read)
- South Dakota: $25.51 an hour - $53,050 a year
- Iowa: $25.73 an hour - $53,520 a year
- West Virginia: $26.56 an hour - $55,240 a year
- Alabama: $26.86 an hour - $55,870 a year
- North Dakota: $26.94 an hour - $56,030 a year
States with Most Nurses
(
http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291141.htm)
- California: 252,940
- Texas: 190,090
- New York: 169,820
- Florida: 162,530
- Pennsylvania: 124,750
Job Outlook
(http://www.bls.gov/ooh/Healthcare/Registered-nurses.htm#tab-6)
"Employment of registered nurses is projected to grow 19 percent from 2012 to 2022, faster than the average for all occupations." - BLS link above
Reasons for growth:
- Aging population
- Patient education
- Increase in accessible healthcare
- Insurance reforms
"Growth is also expected to be faster than average in outpatient care centers where patients do not stay overnight" – BLS link above
IMPORTANT "Generally, registered nurses with at least a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) will have better job prospects than those without one." – BLS link above
Projected employment in 2022 (same link)
- 3,238,400 registered nurses
- 19% increase
- 526,800 new jobs