Some RN's earn a two-year degree, an associate degree in nursing (ADN). Courses include medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, psychology, pharmacology and nursing theory and practice.
Other RN's earn a four-year degree, a bachelor's degree in the science of nursing (BSN). Courses include all those attended by student's earning associate degrees plus others, including sociology, nutrition, gerontological nursing, pediatric nursing and mental health nursing.
Some RN's have master's degrees in the science of nursing (MSN). Nurses earning a master's degree usually pick an area in which to specialize, such as pediatrics, family health, psychiatric nursing, or women's health. The required curriculum depends on the specialty.
The required curriculum for RN's includes practical nursing skills like taking vital signs, starting intravenous lines, dressing changes and administering injections. Students often practice these skills on each other before trying them on real patients.
The education process for RN's includes some clinical work experience as well as classroom study. Student nurses work in hospitals or other health care facilities getting hands-on experience treating patients under the supervision of nursing instructors.