Nursing

 

Career and Major Information
Earnings
Related Occupations
Related Web Sites

 

Career and Major Information:

Walters State's two-year concentration in Nursing is designed to prepare successful graduates to take the National Council Licensing Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) given by the TN Board of Nursing and become licensed as registered nurses.  Registered nurses strive to promote health, prevent disease, and help patients cope with illness and injury. They are advocates and health educators for patients, families, and communities. Registered nurses provide direct bedside care to patients; observe progress, condition, and reactions of patients; and administer prescribed medications.  Other duties may include assisting physicians with examinations, treatments or surgeries; participating in treatment teams to develop nursing care plans; educating patients, families and communities; and supervising other healthcare personnel such as LPNs and nursing aides.

Nurses may be found in very diverse areas of healthcare.  A few of these settings include schools, hospitals, clinics, private offices, nursing homes, or even private homes. 

The minimum degree requirement for this field is a diploma usually obtained through a hospital-based program.  These programs are currently few and declining quickly.  There are about 700 associate degree nursing programs, and slightly fewer bachelor degree nursing programs.  Although any of the three types of educational programs are adequate for qualifying the graduate for entry-level positions as staff nurses, the bachelor degree opens up more future opportunities.  Better than average growth is expected through the year 2012.  The nursing field is expected to have more new job openings than any other field.

 

Earnings:

The Tennessee Career Information Delivery System website lists the salary range for a beginning-level position in this field in Tennessee as $34,900 to $41,200 annually.  With experience, the range increases to $44,075 to $63,940.  The national average is higher by about $3,000 per year.  Salary figures quoted are based on national figures. Local or regional salaries may be lower.

 

Related Occupations:

Emergency Medical Technician

Paramedic

Occupational Therapist

Physical Therapist

Physician Assistant

Respiratory Therapist

Social Worker

 

Related Web Sites:

National League for Nursing

            http://www.nln.org

American Association of Colleges of Nursing

            http://www.aacn.nche.edu

American Nurses Association

            http://www.nursingworld.org

National Organization for Associate Degree Nursing

            http://www.noadn.org/

Tennessee Nurses Association

            http://www.tnaonline.org/

 

Much of the above information was collected from the 2004-2005 Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the U.S. Department of Labor.  For additional information on these and many other careers, please visit the following web sites:

 

Occupational Outlook Handbook - U.S. Department of Labor

www.bls.gov/oco/

 

Tennessee Career Information Delivery System (TCIDS)

http://tcids.tbr.edu/.

 

 

For information regarding specific degree program requirements, curriculum, or faculty, please see the department website at http://www.ws.edu/health/default.asp.