NURSING

ACADEMY DESCRIPTION: The Nursing Program gives students an opportunity to learn and apply care skills such as taking vital signs, transferring patients, feeding patients, and patient personal care.

CERTIFICATIONS- Students develop the core competencies required by the MN Nursing Competency Exam and are eligible to take the exam upon the completion of the course to earn Nursing Assistant Registered Certification. This certification allows students to work as active nursing assistants in care facilities throughout the state.

COLLEGE CREDITS- Many of the courses in this academy are college level material. Students can earn articulated college credits when they earn a B or better in these courses. Articulated courses include:

Exploring Health Careers, Medical Terminology, Nursing Assistant, Anatomy & Physiology

CAREER FIELD- Nursing is one of the largest segments of the healthcare workforce. The nursing field is as varied and complex as it is large, and it is always evolving with the ever-changing healthcare environment.

• There are more than four million nurses active in the US workforce.
• Nursing Growth outpaced US population growth
• Some nurses earn almost as much as doctors

The requirements are constantly evolving for some professions, but currently, the workforce includes some nurses who have just a high school diploma and a certification as a Licensed Practical Nurse (or Licensed Vocational Nurse (LPN/LVN). However, many employers are starting to require more college coursework for all nurses, even LVN/LPNs. Registered nurses have at least a two-year associate's degree, and most have a four-year bachelor's degree. Additionally, advanced practice nurses such as Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists, and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) must have a master's degree. Still, some nurses go on to complete a doctorate degree in nursing and become a doctor of nursing practice (DNP).

(Facts About Nursing Careers and Pay, Andrea Clement Santiago, February 2018)