Nursing students today come from a wide variety of backgrounds and there is a growing number of men in their ranks.
Opening the doors successfully towards a fine nursing career has become so much easier thanks to online education and also the number of male nurses has seen a steady upward climb over the past 20 years.
Today, it has become a rather common occurrence instead of a novelty of sorts. These days, male nursing students no longer have to feel outside of their element.
Not only have they become accepted, but they are respected and very welcome additions to the career field. Over the last few decades, nursing has truly become an equal opportunity career field.
In the 60s and 70s, men taking up the role of nursing students was extremely rare. This rarity began to change during the early to mid-80s as more men began to enter what could be called the elite ranks of nursing.
The public concept of a nurse changed
The diversity of many of these individuals in nursing roles had begun to help change the public concept of what a nurse was.
Not only are there more men in this sector or group today, but you will also find a great many older nursing students.
People tend to think of the word student as being synonymous with younger people in their late teens to their early twenties, but with nursing students, you will find a surprisingly large number of people in their 30s, 40s, and 50s.
These are people looking to change careers as well as those who are looking to begin school after an absence of many years.
This group of older students is comprised of those people who have discovered how much opportunity there is today in the field of nursing, especially due to technological developments that enabled online learning.
With online nursing opportunities being created regularly and flexible scheduling for individuals, many of the older nursing students are able to attend classes at their own pace and there are so many professional options for nurses these days as the healthcare industry has become highly specialized.
This is very helpful for those who have been away from a school setting for more than a few years. In more traditional college settings, you will not find as many older students in attendance.
The online nursing programs have been able to provide a solid platform that is able to open the doors of nursing for people who could not have attended arranged to attend more traditional school settings. This has meant that they have been able to add more nursing students to the field.
Nursing – the difference(s) between RN and BSN
Many high school graduates and GED recipients want to go on to become nurses. The most frequently asked questions on social sites and at face-to-face meetings are about the difference between an RN and a BSN.
In short, a BSN is a degree, and an RN is a registration license. Nurses who have completed a nursing diploma program, an associate degree (ADN) program, or a bachelor’s degree (BSN) program can become Registered Nurses by taking the NCLEX-RN exam (National Council Licensure Examination).
RN (Registered Nurse) applies to those individuals who have passed a test, called the NCLEX-RN. This test is given by the state government. After passing this test you will be given the license to perform the tasks of a registered nurse.
In order to get qualified to take the NCLEX-RN test, you need to complete educational programs offered by accredited institutions.
All academic programs provide the basic courses that graduates need to take the NCLEX-RN exam, although there will be minor differences. Graduating from an educational program doesn’t give you a nursing license.
All these education programs provide you with the qualifications that you will need to take the NCLEX test. After you pass the test, you will get a nursing license. This allows you to call yourself an RN.
Bear in mind that if you hold a BSN degree, this does not automatically mean you are an RN. If you don’t take, or don’t pass, the NCLEX exam after graduating from a BSN program, you will always have BSN but you’ll never be an RN.
ADN or BSN, what should I go after?
Now, we’ve come to the point where you should decide about getting an associate’s or a bachelor’s degree. When you don’t have much money to spend on your training, a community college is typically a great value for an associate degree. Obtaining an ADN takes less time than getting a BSN, and you also don’t need to be as highly prepared.
Yet, you’ll find many employers who will prefer or demand nurses holding a Bachelor’s Degree, so going after a BSN, if possible, could prove to be more sensible after all.
MSN (Master of Science in Nursing)
Well-trained nurses who wish to continue their professional education can choose to take a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program. After you have earned your BSN, this will take two years at a university or college. MSN qualifies you and is often a prerequisite to acquiring your Ph.D.
This program educates nurses in advanced general practice and management. They will be trained to become leaders in their professional fields of nursing practice, as well as team leaders in healthcare where the patient is centralized.
One of the objectives of this program is to broaden the perspective of students by demanding of them that, in order to resolve various health care problems, they provide more room for innovative actions and show broader approaches by applying more interdisciplinary practices.
The nursing profession is based on science and theory.
MSN graduates are educated to become experts in an environment of various disciplines that need to be integrated in order to embrace the contextual practice-nature by researching, reflecting, analytical thinking, and intuition. MSN students will become experts in providing healthcare within an environment where several of these disciplines come together.
Thanks to these educational processes, MSN graduates will be the visionary leaders of the future. These nurses will be responsible for advancing the nursing profession into wider and more integrated perspectives. They will be influencing and reshaping the future of healthcare.
Both as nurses and as leaders, these MSN program graduates are well-equipped and prepared to provide, integrate, and improve healthcare. They will be prepared to educate nurses, lead complex healthcare systems, and provide the best of care to patients and their families.
Prerequisites fоr MSN
Thіѕ level іѕ achieved іf уоu аlrеаdу meet thе Registered Nurse requirements if уоu hаvе obtained the bachelor’s degree, аnd if уоu hаvе letters оf recommendation tо bе accepted tо thе program. Nurses саn opt fоr а specialization іn a Master’s degree program. Thеу саn specialize in fields ѕuсh as:
- Nurse practitioner
- Nurse-midwife
- Clinical nurse
- Nurse anesthetist
Yоu mау wаnt tо continue tо thіѕ degree іf уоu would like tо work іn research, оr teach nursing classes tо others.