To become a registered nurse, there are several different degree paths you can choose. You can enroll in a three-year diploma program at a hospital, a two-year associate degree program at a community or junior college, or a four-year bachelor's degree program at a college or university. Once you graduate with one of these degrees and pass the National Council Licensure Examination, you'll be ready to practice as a registered nurse.
Because associate degree, diploma and bachelor's degree programs are all at the introductory level, they require lots of hands-on training and lab work and are, therefore, campus-based.
If you continue your schooling after you have some experience as a registered nurse, you can earn your master's degree through an online program, as you'll already have much of the hands-on knowledge you will need. Those who earn an associate degree or diploma, and want to earn a bachelor's degree in nursing may also do so through online RN-BSN programs.
Nurses who want to become advanced practice nurses will need to earn a master's degree in nursing at either a campus or online location. These nurses will be able to advance their careers and work as certified nurse midwives, clinical nurse specialists, or certified nurse anesthetists. In addition to having new career opportunities, these advanced practice nurses make more money. Some, such as certified nurse anesthetists, make six figures or more.
For those nurses who want to reach the highest levels of the field, there is the doctor of nursing degree, which is divided into two types. The doctor of nursing practice is for those who want to continue to work in the health care field, improving clinics and hospitals through research, evaluation, and innovation. The doctor of philosophy in nursing is for those nurses who are interested in high-level research for universities or the government.