Start a Career in Nursing with an Associate Degree in Nursing!

Thinking of a Career in Nursing?
Well if you are, then you have made an excellent choice. Nursing has been one field that remained unaffected by the recession. There was no increase in the unemployment of nurses during this economic turmoil when all other sectors were hugely affected and many lost their jobs.

The reason is quite simple; no matter what the economic situation is there will always be sick people who need medical attention. Therefore, there will always be a need for doctors and nurses. Also, as the population of the U.S. ages, the number of older people has grown drastically. Which means there is more need for nurses to take care of older patients especially as the number of Old Age Homes increases.

Nurse’s work side by side with the doctors to treat the patients and make sure that the doctor’s prescribed treatment is properly followed by the patient. According to U.S. Department of Labor the job opportunities for nurses is expected to increase by 24% from 2008 to 2018. That is the fastest growth rate of any industry in the U.S. With a simple Associate Degree in Nursing you can also be a part of this industry and have a secure and well paying job.

Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)
An Associate Degree in Nursing is minimum level of education requirement to becoming a Registered Nurse. With an ADN you can sit for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) that will certify you to become a Registered Nurse. An Associate Degree is usually of two years at the end of which students sit for the NCLEX-RN exam and become RNs.
The ADN program will prepare you with the general skills and knowledge that is required to become a nurse in a number of work settings. You will be able to work as an RN in a hospital, in a private clinic, at an old age home and many more places.

The Associate Degree in Nursing Program consists of theoretical and clinical lab experience combined with clinical and hospital experience as well. In short it is a complete degree to becoming a generalist nurse. After becoming an RN many people do opt for a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing for further specialization. As an initial education an ADN is sufficient to start your career as an RN.

Career in Nursing with an ADN
With an Associate Degree in Nursing you can start your career as a nurse with an average starting salary of $45,400 per annum. And according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2008 the average salary of an RN is around $62,000 per annum.

A career in nursing suits a lot of people due to the flexible work schedules that are available from the employers. As you specialize and move up the ladder the working hours become longer and stretch into evening and weekends. However, as compared to other careers a nursing job provides much more benefits for its employees. There are childcare, educational and many other benefits of having a career as a nurse. Not to mention you are able to work closely with doctors and treat patient’s side by side.

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