So you want to be a nurse, but don’t know how to choose a nursing program. No worries here! We will help you find a program to jumpstart your nursing career and help you reach your career goals.
How to Choose a Nursing Program
When choosing a nursing program, there are 8 factors you should consider before enrolling in a Bachelor of Science, associate, or graduate degree nursing program.
Explore the field of nursing
There are various types of nurses and they may require different degrees. Prospective students may be interested in working as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) which does not require a college degree but training, a certificate, and a CNA certification exam.
On the other end of the spectrum are Nurse Practitioners (NP) which require a Master’s degree. Keep in mind there are several career options in nursing and requirements can vary from state to state. I recommend the first step is to start your research on the Bureau of Labor Statistics website under the Occupational Outlook Handbook for Healthcare Occupations and then continue your nursing career research on the different nursing association websites.
There are several professional nursing associations and some specific to a certain nursing field, but you can learn about the different types of nurses, education requirements, salary, and career outlook.
Determine your career goals in nursing
After you have completed your research, you need to decide what type of nurse you want to be and your long-term career goals. This is one of the most important steps in choosing a nursing program because different nurse specialties have different job duties and education requirements.
If you want to pursue a career as a Licensed Nurse Practitioner (LPN) you will need to attend a technical school or community college, pass the certification and it may take a year to obtain a certificate. If you choose to work as a Registered Nurse (RN) you may attain an Associate or Bachelor’s degree program, which may take 2-4 years to complete, and pass certification.
In order to save time and money, you should know what type of nursing degree you want to pursue and your long-term career goals.
Related Post: Top 5 HBCU Nursing Programs of 2026
What type of facility do you want to work in?
LPNs typically work in nursing homes and long-term care facilities while Labor and Delivery Nurse works at hospitals and private care facilities. Nurses are employed in a variety of settings, some of the common places are physician offices, hospitals, nursing homes, surgical centers, and patients’ homes.
Nurses also are employed in correctional facilities, children camps, military bases, mental health facilities, and fortune 500 companies. Different settings may hire certain nurse specialties.
Where do you want to live after college?
After you have determined your nurse specialty and work setting, you may want to think about where you want to reside. Remember each state has its own licensing board and requirements can vary from state to state.
As you may know, there is a shortage of nurses so you have chosen a great career field and probably can get a job in any state. You will have to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) to receive your license in most areas of nursing. However, individual states may require additional tasks to complete your certification.
Now it’s time to create a list of potential colleges
There are several Historically Black Colleges and Universities(HBCUs) that have nursing programs. I would suggest you make a list of your favorite HBCUs and add some HBCUs that you may not be familiar with.
See which schools have nursing programs and what type of nursing degrees they offer. Some schools may offer certificates, Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctoral degrees. At this point, you know there are several specialties in the nursing field and you should know if you want to work as a licensed practical nurse, a nurse anesthetist, a nurse educator, etc…
To enter the nursing profession you will have to find an accredited nursing program, some employers will not employ students from unaccredited programs. Your list of potential colleges should include the type of degree you are pursuing. If you know you need a BSN degree or want to attend online programs only, then find schools that offer these options.
Peruse various school websites
Create a simple spreadsheet with the colleges on your list. Create columns on your spreadsheet of things that are important when it comes to your future college. Do you hate cold weather and want to attend college outside of a large metropolitan area?
You can have a column for location, metropolitan or rural, weather climate, cost, class size, etc…Reviewing college websites will give you insight into your future college home. You will be able to determine the size of the university, the student population, and other important facts about the college. So check out the school’s website and social pages.
Double check school’s accreditation and NCLEX pass rate
Go to the nursing state board for each college on your list. So if you want to attend college in Texas then you would search for Texas Nursing State Board, they have loads of information on the state’s licensing and NCLEX information. Also, check out different nurse associations where you find out the ranking of nursing schools in each state their accreditations, and NCLEX pass rate information.
Create your final list of nursing programs
Now it’s time to dig even deeper into your potential nursing program. So you have done your research on various school websites and now it’s time to reach out to individual schools.
Remember, that college list you created a few steps ago? Well, it’s time to call each nursing department on your list and ask to speak to the chair. Why do need to speak to the Chair of Nursing? For several reasons! You need answers and want to meet the head honcho.
This is the time to find out about professors in the department and their experience. You want to know what changes will take place within the next couple of years and how this could impact you and the program.
This is a great time to ask about the scholarships, clinical settings, and expectations. Also, let the department chair know that you would love to talk to a current student in the nursing program and alumni so you can get additional perspectives on the program.
The Return Value of the program
Do your potential schools offer financial aid and scholarships for prospective nurses and are they affiliated with any nursing loan forgiveness programs? Do they have an accelerated nursing program? What is the graduate rate for the nursing program?
If most students don’t graduate within 4 years, they could incur additional expenses that they didn’t budget for. Do most of the students pass the NCLEX exam on their first try and how soon do the graduates land nursing jobs?
You want to make sure are enrolling in the right program that will be the best choice for your career path. If you follow the steps above you will be enrolling in the best nursing program for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there an entrance exam for nursing programs?
Yes, there are various exams nursing schools may use such as the National League for Nursing Pre-Admission Exam (PAX), Test of Essential Academic Skills Exam (TEAS), and Nursing Entrance Test (NET) just to name a few. Most of these exams are testing your reading, math, science, and critical thinking skills.
What is the entry-level and average salary for nurses in the US?
- CNA entry-level salary is $23,880 (bls.gov)
- CNA median salary is $30,310 (bls.gov)
- LPN entry-level salary is $37,150 (bls.gov)
- LPN median salary is $48,070 (bls.gov)
- RN entry-level salary is $59,450 (bls.gov)
- RN medical salary is $77,600 (bls.gov)
Which nursing roles require a master’s degree?
- Nurse Anesthetist
- Nurse Midwife
- Nurse Practitioner
- Nurse Educator
- Nurse Administrator
What field in nursing is currently trending? A popular and high-paying field of nursing is a traveling nurse, who may travel to different states or internationally to work in various hospitals. Traveling nurses’ licenses may or may not be valid in another state, so regardless of your desired nurse specialty check out your future state licensing requirements.
Are there online nursing programs?
Yes, there are several online nursing programs. These programs allow you to take online classes but most will require in-person clinicals there are some online programs that don’t require in-person clinicals.
When and how do you initiate the nursing license process?
In some states, you can start the licensing prior to graduation while in other states you must complete an accredited nursing program before starting the licensing process. Typically you will get fingerprinted, complete a background check, and take the NCLEX exam.
What are the best nursing organizations for scholarships, career searches, and networking?
National Student Nurses Association https://www.nsna.org/
National Black Nurses Association Inc https://www.nbna.org/
National Organization of Associate Degree Nurses https://oadn.org/
Minority Nurse https://minoritynurse.com/
National Nurses in Business Association https://nursesbusiness.com/
American Holistic Nurses Association https://www.ahna.org/
Leave a Reply