Nursing programs are getting more and more popular these days, and for good reason. With jobs in other sectors being eliminated or sent offshore, the health care field stands out as an area that is actually growing, and will be for many years to come. So if you want to become a nurse, the next step is choosing the right Allied Nursing School to fit your needs.
Generally, there are three ways you can approach getting into the nursing field. Here is a summary of each.
CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant)
A CNA is not an actual nurse, but rather a nurse's assistant. For those interested in becoming a full-fledged nurse, the CNA program is only a stepping stone. However, it does have its benefits. The biggest one being it only takes literally a few weeks to get through the training. Then, all you need to do is pass your certifications and you're ready to get started working. For those who need immediate income of just want to get their feet wet in the medical field to see if this is for them, becoming a CNA may be a great first step. The pay is decent-around $15 an hour, and the experience is very relevant to what you'd be doing if you go on to become a nurse.
LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse)
The bulk of people that pursue a nursing career end up in an LPN program. The reason is that LPN training can be completed in only a year or two, and graduates can work as an actual nurse. When you examine the benefits of LPN school verses a conventional four year college, it's easy to see why more people are choosing this option. Consider that with just a couple years of training, you can come out and enter a career with an abundance of jobs paying somewhere in the mid five figures, while your peers come out of a four year college and are lucky to get any kind of job at all. And if you become an LPN, there's nothing stopping you from continuing your education and going all the way to RN.
RN (Registered Nurse)
The highest position in the nursing field is an RN. They are the supervisors and the ones with the most responsibility and highest pay. It does take longer to complete the training (usually about two years longer than an LPN program), but the reward is being able to command a higher salary and earning greater qualifications. Students who are willing to put in the extra schooling will find RN to be a good choice, but if you'd rather be working sooner, then LPN training may be best for you. And as previously stated, LPNs often make the leap to RN by going to school part-time while working as a nurse.
These are the three options for students interested in pursuing a nursing career. A CNA is pretty much just a stepping stone to greater things, LPN is where most people end up, and RN is for those who are ambitious and want to reach the highest nursing position possible.
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