The first year of a nursing degree is similar to the curriculum for a one-year licensed practical/vocational nurse program. The curriculum provides a basic understanding of nursing, and also includes courses in writing and/or business communications. Those pursuing a degree will be expected to round out their course selection with suitable electives. Typical courses include introductions to nursing, pharmacology, nutrition, physiology or anatomy and psychology. At this point licensed vocational/practical students graduate and proceed to write their nursing exams, while future registered nurses continue to the second year.
Students wishing to become registered nurses will complete a two-year associate degree or a four-year bachelor's degree. The second year of schooling is similar in each case. Non-medical courses in the second year might include a more advanced communications class, as well as discussion of the nurse's role in the health care system and society as a whole. Medically-oriented classes may include introductions to specialized fields such as gerontology, pediatrics or obstetrics, or career paths like community health nursing. The second year completes the requirements for an associate degree, and many students at this point test to become registered nurses.
The third and fourth years mark the difference between an associate degree and a bachelor's degree in nursing. These years equip the future nurse with more advanced medical courses, while also providing additional instruction in the administrative and management areas. Medical courses might include epidemiology, research or microbiology, and discussion of career paths in surgery, clinical research or mental health practice. Non-medical courses might focus on the duties of the nurse in educating patients, managing other health care professionals or the importance of being sensitive to the patient's religious beliefs. These two years also include additional clinical experience.
Ambitious and motivated nurses frequently pursue graduate degrees as a path to advancement, either to more senior management positions or to more challenging clinical specializations. Master's degrees and doctorates both prepare a nurse for the highest positions in the field. Graduate programs introduce a strong degree of specialization, so the courses required will vary widely according to the specialty chosen. Nurse anesthetists, for example, will not take the same courses as psychiatric nurse practitioners. In general though, the courses in graduate programs could be summarized as advanced practical courses combined with additional management and humanities courses.