Nurses 6

⚡ ALL INFORMATION CLICK HERE 👈🏻👈🏻👈🏻

Nurses 6

Sign up to receive the latest nursing news and exclusive offers.
Subscribe


By: Sarah Jividen

RN, BSN




Jump to section...
Levels of Nursing Credentials (Ranked From Lowest to Highest) Levels of Nursing Degrees (Ranked from Lowest to Highest) Opportunities for Career Advancement in Nursing Nursing Levels FAQs
Find Nursing Programs



Current Degree

Current Degree
No Degree/License
ADN (RN)
BSN (RN)
MSN (RN)
LPN/LVN
Medical Assistant
CNA
Paramedic
Other




About Nurse.org
Contact Us
Press
Advertise
Join our network
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Cookie Settings
Do Not Sell My Personal Information



Get All The Nursing Information You Need In Your Inbox




License/Degree
CNA
LPN
RN (Diploma)
RN (ADN)
RN (BSN)
MSN
DNP
None
Other


Whether you are interested in becoming a nurse, or you're an APRN who already has many years under your belt, it is essential to understand the nurse levels and hierarchy so that you know what options you have in your career. Generally speaking, the higher the degree level a nurse has, the more education and experience they have received.  
Between starting as a novice nurse and the highest ranks of nursing, there is a wide range of positions. Read on to understand the ranks and levels of nursing.
A certified nursing assistant, or CNA , helps patients with activities of daily living and other healthcare needs under the direct supervision of a Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). 
Certified nursing assistants must complete a state-approved training program. These programs are generally found at local community colleges, high school, vocational or technical schools, or local hospitals.
LVNs and LPNs are interchangeable titles depending on where you work in the US. California and Texas use the title LVN, and the rest of the US uses LPN.
LPNs and LVNs work in hospitals, nursing homes, and other medical facilities and are typically responsible for more basic kinds of patient care and comfort measures. Usually, they work under the guidance of an RN or MD.
To become an LVN/LPN, you need a high school diploma or GED and to graduate from an accredited LVN/LPN program and pass the National Council Licensure Exam. LPN programs typically include one year of coursework and training at a hospital, community college, or technical school. There are also LPN to RN programs where LPNs can go back to school to become either an ADN RN or a BSN RN through accelerated programs.
A registered nurse administers hands-on patient care in a variety of settings including hospitals, medical offices, nursing homes, and other facilities.
RNs work with physicians and other members of the health care team to provide the best course of treatment possible. They also help to educate patients and their families about health issues.
To become an RN you'll need to complete either an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, followed by your NCLEX-RN. 
An APRN is a master’s degree prepared RN with a post-master's certificate, or a DNP in one of the following four roles:
APRN’s are licensed through the state board of nursing in which they practice. In many states, APRNs can prescribe medication and practice independently, while in other states, they do so under the oversight of a Medical Doctor (MD).
Many nurses who are APRNs also have a DNP, but you can have one without the other. An APRN with a DNP is considered a practicing doctorate.
Nurses can increase their earning potential and advance their careers away from the bedside by pursuing a non-clinical advanced nursing career. 
An RN diploma is another route to becoming a registered nurse. Like the ADN, these programs typically take around two years to complete and they both prepare students to take the NCLEX-RN. The main difference is that the ADN is a college degree while the diploma is not. Diploma programs are typically offered at hospitals, but may also be available at technical or vocational schools. 
An ADN is a 2-year degree and is the minimum amount of education required to obtain a license to work as an RN, other than an RN diploma (See next section).  
Most RN’s begin their careers working at the bedside performing direct patient care. This experience is usually preferred for nurses who wish to advance their careers and eventually earn a BSN, MSN, APRN, or DNP. However, there are also many career paths that an RN can take outside of the hospital setting, including case management, or aesthetic nursing.
A BSN is a 4-year nursing degree for students who want to be a registered nurse (RN), or for RNs who currently only have an associates degree in nursing (ADN). Many nurses who start their careers with an ADN eventually advance their careers by achieving a BSN. 
Bachelor’s trained nurses work in nursing specialties throughout the hospital setting. For example, cardiac, neuro, pediatrics, labor & delivery, emergency room, and ICU, to name a few.
Nurses are encouraged to become certified within their chosen specialty after they have gained at least one or more years of direct nursing experience. For example, a nurse on an ICU neuro/trauma can study and sit for the Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurses Certification (CNRN). Achieving certification within your chosen specialty shows that you are an expert nurse in a particular nursing field. In addition, many institutions will pay nurses more when they are certified within their specialty.
Both ADN and BSN graduates must pass the NCLEX-RN examination to become licensed to work as an RN.
There are several types of master's degrees in nursing . Advanced practice registered nurse degrees prepare a registered nurse for an advanced clinical role. Other types of MSN degrees focus on preparing nurses for non-clinical roles such as public health or nursing informatics.
It takes about 2-3 years to earn a master’s in nursing but online options are available.
A Doctorate Of Nursing Practice (DNP) is the highest level of nursing education and expertise within the nursing profession. DNP’s work in nursing administration or direct patient care as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN). As thought leaders, DNP’s also implement health policy and influence healthcare outcomes.  
In the healthcare setting, DNP’s work in:
Education to obtain a DNP requires three to six years of study, depending on what level of nursing education you currently have. Most DNP programs require that you have a master’s degree in nursing, although some will start at the BSN level and require more years of study.
There will be more opportunities than ever for nursing career advancement in the coming years. Nationwide employment of RNs is projected to grow 9 percent from 2020 to 2030 . This is partially due to an increased emphasis on preventative care, higher rates of chronic conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, and an aging baby boomer population.  
Advancing your education has never been more attainable, especially with the rise of online learning . A few educational opportunities you may want to consider are RN to BSN , BSN to MSN, and MSN to DNP programs.  
Subscribe for the latest nursing news, offers, education resources and so much more!


Accessibility links
Skip to main content
Keyboard shortcuts for audio player


NPR 24 Hour Program Stream On Air Now

News
Expand/collapse submenu for News


Culture
Expand/collapse submenu for Culture


Music
Expand/collapse submenu for Music


Podcasts & Shows
Expand/collapse submenu for Podcasts & Shows



About NPR
Diversity
Organization
Support
Careers
Connect
Press
Ethics



Nurses are waiting 6 months or more for licenses despite hospitals' need for nurses Staffing shortages at hospitals across the U.S. are worsened by state boards taking months to process nursing licenses. It's resulted in a huge backlog in nurses waiting for jobs during the pandemic.


Nurses are waiting 6 months or more for licenses despite hospitals' need for nurses






Facebook
Twitter
Flipboard
Email



Heard on All Things Considered

Listen · 6:04 6-Minute Listen Add to Playlist




Embed




< iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1085544625/1085544626" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">





Facebook
Twitter
Flipboard
Email



Read & Listen


Home
News
Culture
Music
Podcasts & Shows



Connect


Newsletters
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Press
Contact & Help



About NPR


Overview
Diversity
Ethics
Finances
Public Editor
Corrections



Get Involved


Support Public Radio
Sponsor NPR
NPR Careers
NPR Shop
NPR Events
NPR Extra




Terms of Use
Privacy
Your Privacy Choices
Text Only
© 2022 npr


Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies
Staffing shortages at hospitals across the U.S. are worsened by state boards taking months to process nursing licenses. It's resulted in a huge backlog in nurses waiting for jobs during the pandemic.
Thousands of new nurses want to help during this pandemic, but state bureaucracies are keeping them on the sidelines. That's at a time when one of every five hospitals is critically short-staffed. Those are the findings of a new NPR investigation. NPR's Austin Fast requested records from every state nursing board in the country and has this report.
AUSTIN FAST, BYLINE: For most nurses, getting licensed is pretty straightforward. You send in documents, like school transcripts, pay some fees, get your license. For many, it takes just a few weeks.
FAST: But for others, those weeks turn into months.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Thank you for contacting the California Board of Registered Nursing. All agents are currently assisting other callers.
COURTNEY GRAMM: It was definitely over an hour every single time.
FAST: That's nurse practitioner Courtney Gramm. At the end of 2020, during a surge of COVID-19 cases, she should have been treating patients at her new hospital job in Monterey, Calif., but Gramm was waiting on the Board of Registered Nursing. She had moved to the state six months earlier, but couldn't work without a California license.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Thank you for waiting. Your position in the queue is...
FAST: Pick a state anywhere in the country, and you'll find similar stories. Kaede Fujiwara is a brand-new nursing graduate in Northern Virginia.
KAEDE FUJIWARA: It's frustrating. It's disappointing. It's exhausting.
FAST: She lost a job offer at a local hospital because the Virginia Board of Nursing took five months to approve her license.
FUJIWARA: I'm embarrassed, you know? I'm a nurse, and I'm unemployed in the pandemic. Like, what kind of an excuse is that?
FAST: We asked every state nursing board for licensing records; 32 handed them over. From these states, we found over a third of last year's new licenses took longer than three months to process. That's 80,000 nurses waiting. Almost one in 10 nurses waited half a year or longer. All this as hospitals can't hire enough nurses. The most recent data shows California, alone, is 40,000 nurses short, and that was before omicron hit.
GRAMM: Processing more licenses would have put more hands on the deck in a time when we really needed all hands on deck.
FAST: That's Courtney Gramm again. The nurse practitioner in California.
GRAMM: The staff at the hospital were required to work overtime, and no one was allowed to take any paid time off. And this went on for months.
FAST: The processing time for a license varies because each state has its own rules. Generally, boards have to check a nurse's education, run a criminal background check and wait for new graduates to pass a national exam. This all does take time. Georgia promises to review applications within 15 business days. In Florida, it's 30 days - in California, 90.
But NPR found states can take far longer to actually issue licenses. California's times have gotten slower through the pandemic. The registered nursing board blames an increase in applications. At a public meeting late last year, the board's leader, Lori Melby, acknowledged they're getting lots of complaints.
LORI MELBY: We do not, as a California board, want to be a hindrance to having other people be assisted.
FAST: Many boards say they're short-staffed and overworked. California's got almost a half million registered nurses, but just a few dozen people to license them.
MELBY: We serve in a role of constantly kind of putting out fires within our licensing unit.
FAST: Any little hiccup with a nurse's application will freeze up the process - maybe a nurse forgot a transcript or a signature or the board's made a mistake. That's what Courtney Gramm says happened with her application.
GRAMM: My transcripts were always sitting in some email in-box, and no one took the time to just go in, fish them out, attach them to my application and then process my application.
FAST: She tried almost seven months to tell the board they already had her transcripts. They finally got the message when Gramm asked her state assembly member to step in. When anything's missing, processing times can double, according to California's records. And it happens a lot.
Last year, three-fourths of nurses licensed after moving to California had their applications flagged as incomplete. Nurses across several states describe getting stuck in this purgatory. When Brenda McNeely moved to Pennsylvania, she needed written verification from all the states where she'd been licensed before.
BRENDA MCNEELY: California says, we sent it. Pennsylvania's saying, we never got it.
FAST: McNeely emailed and called Pennsylvania's board over and over, but they never responded.
MCNEELY: So I called Governor Wolf's office.
FAST: That'd be Pennsylvania's governor, Tom Wolf.
MCNEELY: Next thing I know, I got the license in the mail.
FAST: Pennsylvania also has some of the slowest times from the states NPR looked at, and that's as hospital leaders there are fretting over nursing shortages. They say up to 40% of their nurse jobs are unfilled.
BETSY SNOOK: This impacts patient care.
FAST: Betsy Snook leads the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association.
SNOOK: Your mother, your father, your grandmother, your grandfather are not going to get the level of care that they should have if staffing were appropriate.
FAST: Pennsylvania's board declined to speak with NPR, but they gave us a statement saying the board has been very transparent about its processing times. They created application tip sheets, and they meet with hospitals and nurses' unions to help nurses apply.
California's boards also declined to speak on tape. They say they tried to streamline things by accepting digital documents and creating a new online portal.
FAST: Plus, they invested in a new phone system.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: Instead of waiting on hold, would you like to be called back? To receive a callback, press 1.
FAST: Here's what happened, repeatedly, when I tried getting a callback this week.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: The callback queue is currently full. Please call back at a later date.
(SOUNDBITE OF COOPER SAMS' "WHITE WAVES")
Copyright © 2022 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
Get the latest stories on the science of healthy living.
By subscribing, you agree to NPR's terms of use and privacy policy . NPR may share your name and email address with your NPR station. See Details . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies” or continuing, you agree to the use of cookies, similar tracking and storage technologies, and information about your device to enhance your viewing, listening and user experience, personalize content, personalize messages from NPR’s sponsors, provide social media features, and analyze NPR’s traffic. This information is shared with social media, sponsorship, analytics, and other vendors or service providers. You may customize which cookies you accept in "Cookie Settings."

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the 2020 nurse drama. For the 1981 nurse drama, see Nurse (American TV series) . For the 1991 sitcom, see Nurses (American TV series) .

Tiera Skovbye
Natasha Calis
Jordan Johnson-Hinds
Sandy Sidhu
Donald Maclean Jr.


Ilana Frank
Linda Pope
Vanessa Piazza
Adam Pettle
Jocelyn Hamilton
Tassie Cameron
Julie Puckrin


Big Brother Canada (since 2015)
Departure (since 2020)
Driving Television (since 2003)
Entertainment Tonight Canada (since 2005)
Family Law (since 2021)
American Milf Sex Game
Handjob Dp
Baby Born Mommy Make Me