Research nursing programs to determine which one best meets your needs as a nursing student. Things to consider when choosing a nursing degree program are cost, length of the program and delivery of the courses. Some schools offer both day and night classes, some offer online classes and others the more traditionally scheduled classes. Some also offer accelerated programs. Find a program that best suits your needs.
Apply to the programs that best meet your needs. In New York, there are 60 different associate degree programs in the field of nursing. In the western region, Niagara County Community College and Jamestown Community College offer associate's degrees. Jefferson Community College and SUNY College of Technology at Canton offer programs in the Northern region of the state. In the northeast region, Excelsior College, Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC) and Adirondack Community College (ACC) offer the associate degree.
Excelsior College is well-known for its online courses and both HVCC and ACC offer convenient evening courses. The same is true of Dutchess Community College and The Dorothea Hopfer School of Nursing-Mount Vernon Hospital in the Mid-Hudson region.
In the Metropolitan region, 14 different programs offer associate degrees, including Medgar Evers College. Other programs are offered in the Long Island, Genesee Valley and central regions of the state.
Complete your general education requirements. These are the courses you take in conjunction with your nursing courses that are required in all associate's and bachelor's degree programs.
Courses often include areas of study like psychology, history, English, math and science. Nursing degree programs typically require more courses in the science field than other. Science courses usually include studies in organic chemistry, anatomy and physiology, chemistry and microbiology.
Excelsior college offers many of its general education courses in a CD-ROM format, as well as online. Other schools offer them in a more traditional format.
Complete your nursing degree courses and finish your degree program. Some nursing programs, like the one at Onondaga Community College, do not automatically admit students to the nursing program. Instead, you must complete your general education requirements, take pre-admission tests and compete with other nursing applicants based on criteria such as grade point average and previous certifications in the health care industry. Courses of study include areas like the nursing process and concepts, the needs of psychiatric patients and nutrition.