What Degree is Needed to Become an RN
Registered nurses, or RNs, work in hospitals, clinics, long-term facilities, home health care, and more. RNs coordinate patient care, administer medications, and provide necessary care to patients. Becoming an RN requires meeting certain educational and training requirements and licensure by the state.
Associate鈥檚 degree
The minimum degree needed to become an RN is an associate鈥檚 degree. Choosing an associate鈥檚 degree nursing program that has been properly accredited and approved by the Florida Board of Nursing ensures that you receive all of the required training and knowledge needed to pass the National Council Licensing Exam (NCLEX) and get licensed as a registered nurse in Florida.
贬颁滨鈥檚 Associate of Science degree in Nursing provides 72 credit hours of instruction and hands-on learning. Students will learn about nursing theory, how to care for patients and how to handle various situations. The program goes beyond textbook studies, though.
Nursing students will get hands-on training in simulated labs and on-site hospital training. Working with both simulated and, later, real patients, the nursing student will acquire the manner needed to work in medical settings on different types of nursing assignments. A thorough education in nursing will prepare the student to enter the field as an RN.
An associate鈥檚 degree prepares nursing students to become registered nurses. With the combination of lectures, labs, and clinicals, the nursing student will become prepared to handle real-life situations as a registered nurse.
ASN and Licensure
The minimum degree required to become an RN is an associate degree in nursing, also known as an ASN. Nurses can also get a bachelor鈥檚 degree in nursing, or the BSN, before beginning their career, but an ASN is all that is needed to enter the field. Nurses can also get specializations in their field, such as geriatric or emergency room, which will benefit their choices when they are ready to begin looking for that first job.
Upon graduation from an ASN program, students would be ready to take the NCLEX for state licensure and begin a career as a registered nurse. Getting the educational and training requirements needed to become a registered nurse start with enrolling in an ASN program today!
