What Is Needed to Hold a Career in Nursing?

Anyone who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing, associate degree in nursing or a nursing diploma qualifies for entry-level nursing positions, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nurses must also pass a national licensing examination before working as a nurse. Every nursing education program provides supervised clinical experience in areas like pediatrics and surgery.

Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing

• The Bachelor of Science degree in nursing takes approximately four years to complete, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. Candidates who hold this degree will have more job opportunities than those who have an associate or nursing diploma. This is because individuals with a bachelor's degree receive more training in areas like leadership, critical thinking and communication. Bachelor degrees also give students more clinical experience in nonhospital settings. Administrative, research, consulting and teaching nursing positions require a bachelor's degree or higher.

Associate's Degree in Nursing

• Associate degrees in nursing take between two and three years to complete and are offered by junior and community colleges, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. In some cases, nurses who get an associate degree in nursing will enter a bachelor's degree program later in their career after getting clinical experience. Many employers provide nurses with tuition reimbursement that helps them obtain a bachelor's degree. Accelerated master's degree programs are also available for individuals with an associate degree; this type of program awards both a master's degree and bachelor's degree in nursing, and typically lasts three to four years.

Nursing Diploma

• Nursing diplomas are usually administered by hospitals and take three years to complete, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. There are a very limited number of nursing diploma programs in the United States.

Licensure

• All states and U.S. territories require nurses to be graduates of an approved nursing program and pass a national licensing examination that's called the National Council Licensure Examination to obtain a nursing license, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Specialties

• Some nurses choose to pursue degrees in specialties like gerontology, ambulatory care and pediatrics, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. Credentialing for nurses is available from the American Nursing Credentialing Center but is not required. However, credentialing can help nurses get jobs.