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UCLA Career Center
What
is Nursing?
Nursing professionals provide preventative and restorative health care to patients
in a variety of settings. Nurses work to promote health, prevent disease, and
help patients cope with illnesses. Nursing is a science that requires in-depth
knowledge, skills and understanding. Nursing deals not only with a person's
biological needs, but their psychosocial and cultural needs as well.
Areas of Speciality
There are many areas open to nursing graduates, including the traditional
hospital nurse who may work in pediatrics, maternity, the operating room, medical/surgical
units, critical care, trauma, or the ER. Also found in hospitals are nursing
educators, quality assurance nurses, nurse managers, nurse epidemiologists,
and nursing supervisors. At the masters degree level the various specialties
available to graduates include: nursing administration, certified nurse-midwifery,
clinical specialist, nurse anesthetist, and nurse practitioner (most of the
clinicians in our Women's Health Clinic in Student Health Services are nurse
practitioners). Nurses holding doctoral degrees often take positions in research
or academic settings.
Desired Skills
Nurses must be able to accept responsibility, direct or supervise others,
follow orders precisely, and determine when consultation is necessary. As nurses
are advocates for patients, families and communities, they should be caring
and sympathetic.
Degree Options and Compensation
There are several levels of career choices including:
the Licensed Vocational Nurse (L.V.N.), Registered Nurse (R.N.), and advance
practice nurses who generally have a masters degree and/or a doctoral degree
in nursing. The demand for nurses is overwhelming and the salaries are increasing
accordingly. A bachelors degree in nursing (B.S.N.) is strongly recommended
over the two year nursing program (L.V.N.). While both may lead to licensure
as an R.N., a B.S.N. affords the opportunity to continue the nurse's education
to the masters, Ph.D., or D.N.Sc (Doctor of Nursing Science) levels, whereas
the L.V.N. is a terminal degree. Salaries for nurses with bachelors degrees
range from around $28,500 to $41,000, varying greatly with geographical region.
In administration, salaries range from $45,000 to $70,000. Generally, the more
education a nurse has the greater pay and the greater number of options s/he
will have.
Nursing Trends
Changes in health care trends, as well as an aging RN workforce—the average
age is 44—are increasing the demand for more nurses in the workforce than ever
before. These changes in health care trends are also making it even more important
for nurses to be educated at the minimum level of baccalaureate degree. An article
published by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing in February 1998
addresses this importance with their statement, "Unlike associate-degree and
diploma graduates who are prepared primarily for hospital and nursing home practice,
BSN nurses have broad education in the physical and behavioral sciences, management
concepts, and community health and have the flexibility to practice across a
range of settings...critical thinking and leadership skills give BSN nurses
an edge. ."
Employment Outlook
Employment of registered nurses is expected to grow faster than average
Related Occupations
Workers in other health care fields with responsibilities related to
those of nursing include occupational therapists, emergency medical technicians,
physical therapists, physician assistants, and respiratory therapists.
UCLA School of Nursing
Accelerated
BSN Programs
The UCLA
School of Nursing no longer offers an entry-level B.S.N. degree, but offers
instead an ADN-BSN-MSN degree program designed for Associate Degree or Diploma
RN's who wish to further their studies and prepare for advanced practice. Students
wishing to obtain a B.S.N. degree may follow one of two routes. The first option
is to complete the pre-nursing requirements listed on this sheet in preparation
for transfer to a bachelors program at another school. The second option would
be to complete the undergraduate degree at UCLA and apply to an accelerated
BSN program, which allows students to earn the BSN in 12 months. These accelerated
BSN programs are designed for students who have a Bachelors degree in a non-nursing
discipline and can be completed as part of a 3 year MSN program. (Mount St.
Mary's College in LA, Johns Hopkins University, Yale, and Creighton University
are a few programs offering the Accelerated BSN). There are a handful of
programs that do admit students to masters degree programs who have a bachelors
in a field other than nursing including: UCSF, Samuel Merritt and San Francisco
State. Admission requirements for these programs vary greatly, therefore
contacting the schools directly is highly recommended.
Application
Timeline and Acceptance Information
Applications to
schools of nursing are generally submitted one year prior to the fall you intend
to enter. Competition for these programs is strong due to the fact that a majority
of them are on impacted status.
Pre-Professional
Nursing Preparation and Required Courses
Chemistry
Life science or non-science
majors: Chemistry 14A, 14B/BL, 14C/CL, 14D.
Physical, life or non-science majors: Chemistry 20A, 20B/L, 30A/AL,
30B/BL, 30C.
Requirements vary per program. Biochemistry is recommended for all pre-health
professions (i.e. Chemistry 153A/153L)
Microbiology
MIMG 101/101L. One quarter with lab. MIMG 6
is the lower division microbiology class, but does not have a lab component.
One course from a community college with lab may also be acceptable.
Human Anatomy
Phy Sci 13 or 107 (upper division PS courses are generally
restricted to PS majors). Phy Sci 13 through UCLA Extension is another good
option.
Human Physiology
Phy Sci 3* or 5 or 111A-C (upper division PS courses are generally
restricted to PS majors). *PS 3 does not have a lab component. One course from
a community college with lab may also be acceptable.
Anthropology
Any lower division introductory class (e.g. Anthro 7 or 9)
Psychology
Any lower division introductory class (e.g. Psych 10 or 15)
Sociology
Any lower division introductory class (e.g. Soc 1, 2, or 3)
Nutrition
Phy Sci 5 or 167 (upper division Phy Sci classes are generally
restricted to Phy Sci majors). This can also be taken at any community college.
English
One year of college level literature and composition. Writing
I and Writing II courses, select general education literature courses, and any
upper division English literature or English Composition courses will satisfy
this requirement. Please see the “English requirement for health professions
schools” sheet for a complete list of suggested courses.
Other recommended
courses
Other Humanities and Social
Science courses are strongly recommended. The non-science GPA is an important
component to your overall academic record, and liberal arts education. Courses
in the following can enhance your communication skills and overall understanding
of the world: Anthropology, Communication Studies, Economics, any ethnic
studies area (e.g. Women’s Studies, LGBT Studies, Afro-American Studies,
Chicana/Chicano Studies, Near Eastern Studies), Philosophy, Political Science,
Psychology, Sociology, and Speech to name a few.
Computer skills are strongly
recommended. Many programs have incorporated computers and electronic media
into their curriculum. Several programs are strongly recommending that a student
owns a computer.
UCLA is not
responsible for coursework being accepted by recipient schools. Students should
contact the individual schools directly.
Additional
Information and Resources
How Can the UCLA Career Center Help?
The Career Center offers a wide range of workshops to assist
you in preparing for graduate and professional school. Workshop topics range
from Graduate School Planning to Resume Writing and Mock Interviewing. In addition,
a number of special programs and panels related to the healthcare/nursing field
are planned for Career Week to be held in January. A list of workshops and special
programs can be found on the Career Center's web site: http://career.ucla.edu
.
Health Care Related Internships
Experiential educational and volunteer programs are an excellent
way to expand your knowledge of the health professions beyond the classroom.
Participation in health related internships will strengthen your application
to professional schools and provide exposure experiences that can be highlighted
in the personal statement. A select number of health care internships focusing
on research, legislation and public policy are available through the Career
Center's internship office on a local, national and international basis. A sampling
of internship opportunities include (but are not limited to) the National Institute
of Health, the Surgeon General's Office, Cedar Sinai, AIDS Action, the U.S.
Dept. of Health and Human Services and the American Heart Association. Visit
the Career Center's Internship and Study Abroad Services Office for a resource
sheet handout providing an overview of health related internships. Please visit
career.ucla.edu for more information.
Publications
(Available in the Career Resources Lab, UCLA Career Center)
Caring Careers:
From Nursing Assistant to Professional Nurse, Greseth, Anabel & Judson,
Karen (Glencoe Publishing Company)
Exploring Careers in Nursing,
rev. ed., Heron, Jackie (Rosen Publishing Group)
Opportunities in Nursing
Careers, Frederickson, Keville (VGM Career Horizons)
Peterson's Guide to Nursing
Programs, 4th ed., Peterson's and the American Association of Colleges
of Nursing (Peterson's)
Nursing
Related Web Sites
The UCLA Career Center is not responsible for the content of external Web
site links. The appearance of a site on this list does not imply the endorsement
of the site.
Program Information
Students can obtain more information and academic program lists by visiting
the web site address for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing at
www.aacn.nche.edu,or
writing to the following address:
American
Association of Colleges of Nursing
One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 463-6930
Fax: (202) 785-8320
General Information
National League
for Nursing, www.nln.org, 61
Broadway, New York, NY 10006
American Nurses Association,
www.nursingworld.org,
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 400, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3492
NursingNet.Org www.nursingnet.org
Includes information about
mentoring programs including a Nursing Chatroom and Information Forum
NursingCenter.com www.nursingcenter.com
An interactive web community
and portal created by nurses for nurses as a source of nursing information and
content that is comprehensive, convenient, and current. It provides a forum
to share ideas, access reference materials, advance their careers and education,
order products and services, and read about the social, ethical and political
topics affecting the nursing profession
Pre-Professional
Student Nurse Forum http://kcsun3.tripod.com/
Provides support and encouragement
for those called to the diverse and rewarding field of nursing.
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