Associate Degree In Nursing Nc?
Q: Just wondering if someone could explain the options for nursing education in
the States. Namely, what is an Associate degree? Can you still get a diploma
in nursing in the USA?
A:Associate degree is a two year degree. Diploma is available in some
places. I am really not to sure what the legal diferences are, since you can
get diplomas in other fields, too not JUST nursing.
Steve, as Associate degree is typically a 2-year degree taught at a
community college, which is a 2-year college as opposed to the 4-year
university. But many 4-year universities also offer the two-year associate
degree programs in nursing. In an associate degree program, students
typically take 4 semesters, or 4 semesters and a summer, of science, liberal
arts, and nursing courses. If you check the web site for Indiana
University-Purdue University at Indianapolis
(http://www.iupui.edu/home/nurs.html), you'll see descriptions of their
2-year associate degree program and their 4-year BSN (Bachelor of Science in
Nursing) program.
There are still 3 or 4 dozen hospital-based diploma programs in the US.
These programs are usually either 2 years or 3 years in length. The
two-year programs normally require that applicants finish a year of
prerequisite science and liberal arts courses before beginning the 2 years
of full-time nursing study. The three-year diploma programs require
essentially the same science and liberal arts courses, but the courses are
taken during the first 2 semesters and summer session at the same time as
the introductory nursing courses.
To the best of my knowledge there are no more diploma schools of nursing
in the states. These were hospital based programs, usually 3 years in
length. Several years ago when the Amr. Nurses Association created the
"Entry into Practice" for nursing, it included only 2 entry levels (RN)
2 year or Associate Degree and 4