Nursing Curriculum, Graduate Studies in Nursing, Graduate School Curriculum Articles

Info.GradSchools.com »» Curriculum Overview »» Nursing

Curriculum Overview: Nursing

Studying In the Field
One of the most important jobs on the planet, one of the most altruistic careers that bring joy to the workers and respect to all others, is nursing. Because of the very real impact that the work of nurses has on people in their daily lives, it makes sense that the training required of them is rigorous.

Indeed, in much the same way that doctors impact the lives of their patients, nurses are inextricably tied to the success or failure of the medical endeavor on a case-by-case basis. So to the end, they not only have to understand the basics of their profession, but they also must be able to convey their knowledge and understanding in often difficult real-world situations. In that regard, nursing is just as much an art as it is a science.

And even beyond that, there are a great many areas of nursing in which professionals may specialize. That is one of the purposes of graduate programs in nursing: The early years are spent not only learning the basics of the field, but also narrowing down the choices to what you like most, and ultimately deciding on a specific area of the field to go into.

To that end, studying to be a nurse is composed of two basic parts: The academic and the practical. The academic aspect of it involves classroom work, studying and creating a solid foundation of knowledge that will help you become a successful practitioner once you graduate with your degree. Classes will vary depending upon what area you choose to go into, but they are likely to include the following: "Pharmacotherapeutics in Primary Care...Physiologic Concepts for Advanced Practice Nursing...Sociocultural Influences on Health...Health Promotion for Special Populations," and many more ( www.nursing.purdue.edu ). And as this brief sampling makes clear, there is much more to nursing than taking blood and giving shots, measuring height and weight and the other more common tasks most people see nurses do when they are at the doctor's office. There is an element of community education, of promotion of healthy lifestyles, and other, even more esoteric aspects of the job that may be unfamiliar to most people who have not explored the field in greater depth.

And there are also many directions in which you can travel in the nursing field. For example, the University of Virginia, which has a highly respected nursing program, offers the following avenues: "Acute and Specialty Care Clinical Nurse Specialist, Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Community and Public Health Leadership Program, Community and Public Health Leadership with FNP/PNP/GNP Program, Family Nurse Practitioner Program, Geriatric Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program, Psychiatric-Mental Health Advanced Practice Program, Psychiatric-Mental Health MSN / FNP Program, Health Systems Management Track" ( www.nursing.virginia.edu ). And that's just one university's programs at the master's level!

Aside from the academic aspect of the nursing degree, there's also the practical one: Real-world experience in the form of on-the-job training in hospitals and doctors' offices (under strict supervision, of course). So in a very real sense, a graduate degree in nursing provides you with all the tools you will need for a successful, rewarding career in the field.

Job Opportunities In the Field
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Job opportunities for RNs in all specialties are expected to be excellent. Employment of registered nurses is expected to grow much faster than average for all occupations through 2014, and, because the occupation is very large, many new jobs will result. In fact, registered nurses are projected to create the second largest number of new jobs among all occupations. Thousands of job openings also will result from the need to replace experienced nurses who leave the occupation, especially as the median age of the registered nurse population continues to rise.

"Much faster-than-average growth will be driven by technological advances in patient care, which permit a greater number of medical problems to be treated, and by an increasing emphasis on preventive care. In addition, the number of older people, who are much more likely than younger people to need nursing care, is projected to grow rapidly. Employers in some parts of the country and in certain employment settings are reporting difficulty in attracting and retaining an adequate number of RNs, primarily because of an aging RN workforce and a lack of younger workers to fill positions. Enrollments in nursing programs at all levels have increased more rapidly in the past couple of years as students seek jobs with stable employment. However, many qualified applicants are being turned away because of a shortage of nursing faculty to teach classes. The need for nursing faculty will only increase as a large number of instructors nears retirement. Many employers also are relying on foreign-educated nurses to fill open positions" ( www.bls.gov ).

And as for earnings, nurses make good, comfortable livings. On average, nurses can expect to earn anywhere between $33,500 and $65,000 ( www.allied-physicians.com ).

No matter what you make and no matter what aspect of the field you choose to go into, however, nursing is an important career in which you have the opportunity to have a positive impact on the lives of people every day. And there's nothing more rewarding than that.

IM This Article

Check out Programs on Nursing
Return to Article Library