The Nature of Higher Education in Nursing

Nursing training has evolved and changed in the United States over the years in consideration to the dynamic health aspects, which it seeks to address. This is due to the increase of population that brings along the higher demand for professional training. A significant percentage of the parties interested in the nursing career start their training at a different level and later advance to the higher educational level to become registered nurses.

In higher education, a nurse undergoes training with respect to different skills and responsibilities depending on their level. These courses continue usually 2 years in the case of associate nurse and involve course work in general education and nursing, 4-5 years on a bachelors program, and 2-3 years on a master’s program. The courses become complex as students advance to different levels. Another nature of these courses is that they involve lengthy sessions of not less than 2 years and they are expensive to undertake.

Access course to nursing was designed for those students, who have interest in the course yet they did not meet the required qualifications. The entry requirements vary from one institution to another. In most instances, such students start from practical nursing, which is usually offered in hospital setting, community colleges and vocational centers. On completion, the students become licensed nurses, but have to work under the supervision of a registered nurse.

The main difference between undertaking higher education nursing courses and undertaking an access course is the skills that the nurses obtain. Those nurses with higher education qualifications qualify for registration and perform supervisory duties as well as direct attendance to patients. Those nurses, who have undertaken access course face several restrictions and can only perform basic medical procedures such as taking blood pressure of patients and keeping records while undertaking tasks under the supervision of a registered nurse.