Students can complete a two-year associate degree in nursing through an evening nursing program in which they learn about measuring vital signs, caring for patients and medical diagnoses. They take courses on topics including pediatric care, nursing ethics, pharmacology, community health education and human anatomy/physiology.
Program applicants usually do not have to have previous health care experience but generally must have a high school diploma or GED. However, at schools such as Columbia College in Missouri, aspiring evening students must have at least a year of documented clinical experience in a health care setting. Students also must successfully complete an academic skills test and a criminal background check in addition to having current cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification. Submission of a professional resume, essay and recommendation letters also is a required part of the admissions process at Harcum College in Pennsylvania.
Evening RN-to-BSN programs exist for registered nurses who want to earn a four-year bachelor's degree in nursing. In these degree programs, students take classes on health assessment, nursing management, pathophysiology and professional nursing development and typically complete hands-on simulations. To get into this type of program, students must be strong in communication, the physical sciences and math.
RN-to-MSN programs in the evening also allow registered nurses who have their bachelor's degree in nursing to complete a master's degree in nursing while staying employed. Applicants to a two-year master's degree program typically must submit their college transcripts, proof of full-time registered nursing work and recommendation letters. They also might have to submit scores from the Graduate Record Exam, or GRE. Classes in an evening nursing master's degree program cover topics such as nursing statistics, health care politics, health care policy, research methodology in nursing and nursing leadership.
Through an evening nursing program, students can choose to complete supervised clinical experiences in various settings according to their schedules. For example, they can work in ambulatory clinics, home health agencies, nursing care facilities or hospital departments such as maternity or psychiatry. Following these experiences, students can land positions such as pediatric nurse, critical care nurse, surgical nurse, school nurse or emergency room nurse.
Registered nurses who earn their master's degree can advance to positions such as nurse educator, nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist. Training in an evening nursing program also prepares students to pass the mandatory National Council Licensure Examination, or the NCLEX-RN, given by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.