Nursing is one of the fields of the health care department. Nursing degrees range from certificates to doctoral programs. One can achieve any level of education depending on the professional aspirations to their career.
Least qualification necessary to acquire the status of a nurse include a diploma or bachelor in nursing or an associate degree level in nursing. Most of the nurses start their education with a bachelor’s degree or an associate degree, to pursue their career in nursing.
Levels of nursing programs
There are various levels of nursing degree programs. The level of degree chosen by a person relies on time required to complete the degree, the content taught during the whole course and personal aspirations to excel in their filed. Different level according to their degree value are listed as:
- Diploma in practical nursing
- Associate degree
- Bachelor’s degree
- Master’s degree
- Post-master’s certificate
- Diploma or certificate
A diploma or certificate is an easiest and fastest way to get yourself registered as a certified assistant of nursing. Assistant nurses work in close proximity with the physicians or healthcare experts to assist them in general activities. Their basic duty is to help the patients as per informed instructions provided by the physician or senior nurse. Their training let them perform efficiently in an emergency situation, personal health care and control of infectious diseases. Other duties of assistant nurses are:
- To Move the patients in and out of bed
- To Assist patients in having food and bath
- To note down vital readings
- To inform the family members about patient’s condition
- To replace beddings
Most of the diploma of certificate programs are completed in about four to twelve weeks. Usually, an assistant nurse can make an average earning of $30,000 per annual. They can enhance their skills and education level by specializing in the field.
- Associate degree in nursing [i]
ASN (associate of science in nursing) is a two-year degree program to become a registered nurse. They use to aid physicians in various surgeries and a number of other procedures of medical interest. They work in hospitals, healthcare facilities, pharmacies and so on. Their perform :
- Supervise assistant nurses
- Educate patient regarding medical care
- Dressing of the wounds, cuts, etc.
- Perform diagnostics tests of the patient
- Check the patient’s treatment history and progression of the disease
They are taught medical field related subjects like physiology, anatomy, biology, chemistry, etc. associate nursing degree is the short route to become registered nurse than a bachelor’s degree of four years. But it allows them to gain more technical knowledge by stepping forward to a bachelor’s nursing degree.
- Bachelor’s degree of nursing
Registered nurses can start their career by an associate nursing degree, but to gain more benefits (supervision role, high salary) and medical knowledge, they can pursue a four years bachelor’s program. It will let them to explore more opportunities for employment. Moral and legal ethics, research, medical science, anatomy, medical innovative technology, health computation, laboratory experimentations, organization and communication are all taught during the course. They:
- Keep record of the patient’s history, their medications,
- Monitor symptoms
- Perform laboratory testing
- communication, collaborations and organization
- establish a care plan
- collaborate with the doctors
Specialization in fields like neonatal, psychiatry, infections, intense care, pediatric, gynecology enhances the employment opportunities as well as monthly wages.
- Master’s degree [ii]
Master’s degree in nursing let the nurses to excel in their field by specializing to become registered advanced practice nurse. It is usually a two-year program that focuses on research, management, and clinical training. Thesis or project is the key requirement of the master’s nursing program with emphasis upon the latest research.
Advanced skills and degrees offer quick progress in the field of nursing as anesthetist, practitioner or midwife nurse. They are given a leadership role and can perform physical examination of the patients, prescribe medicines, treat different medical conditions and can also teach.
- Doctoral programs
There’s an increasing demand of nurses with a doctoral degree. With a doctoral degree, nurses can have a career as administrators, researchers and advanced medical practice. They can also have a career in education at university level.
It takes three to five years to complete doctoral in nursing program. There are three options for doctorate degree:
- DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice)
- PhD (in Nursing)
- DNS (Doctor of Nursing Science)
Online nursing programs
All of the regular degree programs are offered via online learning including certificates, diplomas, associate degree, bachelor’s, master’s and even the doctorate degree. These programs provide flexibility to the people alongwith their employment. Online learning does not disturb one’s own schedule and thus saves time involved with on campus physical learning.
Online programs are not restricted to a specific subject offered in a single campus; a person is free to choose any subject of his interest. They are also less expensive than on-campus study. But a person has to visit a physical location for research and clinical work to complete the degree requirements.
Salaries of nurses
A number of factors are considered which determine the monthly wages of the nurses such as the level of education, experience, designation at job, specialty in any of the medical field. A comparison of salaries of various degree programs are given in the table:
| Degree | Designation | Average salary |
| Diploma or certificate | Nursing assistant | $30,000 |
| Licensed vocational/practical nurse | Licensed Practical nurses | $45,600 |
| Associate degree | Registered nurse | $70,000 |
| Bachelor’s degree | Registered nurse | $86,000 |
| Master’s degree | Advanced practice nurse | $96,000 |
| Doctorate | Executive of healthcare department | $104,000 |
For an assistant nurse, average annual wages are $30,000 while the nurses that work in hospitals have slightly higher income.
Registered nurses earn an average of $77,000 per annum. Those employed in research centers, government hospitals and pharmacies make more than usual. While those with the bachelor’s degree have more monthly income than associate degrees.
These are the rules for average salaries of master’s degree holders:
- Practitioner nurse: $112,000
- Certified midwives nurse: $108,000
- Certified anesthetists nurse: $182,000
- Clinical nurse: $78,000
- Executives, managers and administrators: $115,160.
Professionals in schools, colleges and universities having doctoral degree earn an average of $83,240, per year.
[i] https://www.gmercyu.edu/academics/learn/nursing-degree-certification-types
[ii] https://nursejournal.org/degrees/types-of-nursing-degrees/
