Looking at the present scenario in the United States, registered nursing (RN) is one of the few professions that have gained immense popularity. Today, registered nurses fill 2.5 million jobs nationally that in turn makes it the largest occupation in US health care. To get their RN credential, most registered nurses focus an accredited two or three-year associate’s degree program at a professional nursing school or college. These programs are readily available, and versatile to meet the diverse needs of students. Apart from this, other RNs may also attend a four-year college to earn a Bachelor of Science in nursing degree (BSN), or may even pursue a diploma through a hospital program. Ultimately, it largely depends upon the training and education that you as a student may get or learn at nursing school.
Choosing a right RN school and program is very important because making a wrong selection might result in total waste of your valuable money and time. Your choice must take into account a wide range of practical and professional considerations. In fact, the more time you spend considering all your RN school options, the better the chance could be that you may get the correct training for your registered nursing career.
There are several factors that you can consider or know while making a selection among various RN schools. Here are few vital factors that might help you in making an accurate selection:
RN School Accreditation � Accreditation for any RN school is very important as it guarantees that the program offered by the nursing school actually meets the nationally established standards for nursing education. In United States, Independent national organizations accredit registered nursing schools through a rigorous application process, and accreditation must be renewed every 5 to 10 years. Most states in United States generally look for those students who have completed their RN program from accredited schools. As a result you must attend an accredited institution to be eligible for most financial aid programs. Not all schools have this accreditation. So, the best feasible way to find out whether a school qualifies or not is you can just give a call to the state nursing board and ask. Some State or Country nursing boards perhaps can give you comment on any complaints or problems the school has if any.
Tests Required for Admission – These days many nursing schools look for a pre-admission test given by the National League of Nursing (NLN). Apart from this, there may be other tests that you may be expected to pass before admission. Ultimately, you need to be sure of and know what these tests are and must be prepared to take them.
Tuition and Financial Assistance � Generally the cost to attend RN program can vary from different schools. As a result, it is important to decide whether you would be able to afford the tuition fee or not. If not, you can probably apply for financial assistance. But, you must also keep in mind that financial aid availability can vary greatly between large and smaller institutions. Thus, make sure you find out about these before getting admission in any RN school.
Clinical Practice� You must consider the different kinds and levels of clinical experience offered by each program in RN school. This is important because the kind of clinical training or practice offered by the school may help you in relating to specific career goals. You can get this information best from current students. You must remember that required clinical hours or should be substantial.
School Pass Rates for the NCLEX Exam- When you finish your degree, you are generally required to take the NCLEX exam in order to attain a license in the state where you want to practice your nursing. The next best thing that you can do is � you can ask for the pass rates of this exam for the last five to ten years. The percentage of students passing this exam can act as a good parameter to decide how well the school is preparing its students. It actually helps you in getting an idea about how well the prospectus and teaching methods of the school train students to pass that exam.
There are few vital factors that you may need to consider when choosing a nursing school. Though you may prioritize these factors depending upon your current career goals and financial status.
