Many vocational schools and community colleges with nursing schools offer programs for licensed vocational or practical nurses (LVNs/LPNs) who wish to upgrade. The programs provide a one-year course of instruction, leading to an associate degree and the registered nurse (RN) credential. This is a popular option, given that RNs enjoy greater responsibility and higher pay than LVNs, and many workplaces offer some form of tuition reimbursement for nurses wishing to upgrade.
Bachelor degrees in nursing are similar to other science degrees. In each case, the curriculum lays a foundation of science and humanities courses in the first two years, then builds the nursing major on that foundation. In most cases, students who already holds a bachelor degree in either arts or sciences will have earned credit in a similar range of course material. Many schools offer accelerated nursing degrees for those who already hold a baccalaureate in another discipline. These programs are intensive in nature and generally require two years or less.
A third approach to creating nurses in less time is the accelerated baccalaureate, which delivers the full course load of a traditional bachelor degree in a compressed time frame. These courses can take as little as 32 months, and are exceptionally demanding. A relatively small percentage of students are able to flourish under this sort of pressure, so admission requirements are stringent, and schools interview potential students very carefully. Those who successfully complete the course save a significant amount in tuition, and the demonstrated ability to perform under pressure is appealing to potential employers.
As large numbers of new nurses enter the system, there is a corresponding need for experienced leadership and mentoring. Earning a graduate degree is one of the acknowledged paths to advancement for experienced nurses, and schools offer a variety of programs to capitalize on the demand. Accelerated MBAs, or master's degrees, in nursing are available in many formats for working professionals. Programs may require as little as one year to complete, or as much as three. Another option is the combined bachelor/master's degree program offered in some schools, which allows a new student to graduate with both degrees after five years.