HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO STUDY NURSING IN USA?

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO STUDY NURSING IN USA?

The average cost of studying for a nursing degree program in USA is around $30000 annually. Therefore for a four-year program this will cost you approximately $120,000. However, this is inclusive of tuition and other living expenses.

The table below shows the cost of nursing school depending on the degree of nursing:

How Much Does it Cost to Become a Registered Nurse in USA?

For you to become a registered nurse you have sit for an exam known as NCLEX (National Council Licensure Exam). This exam is done after you are through with your nursing school studies. This is the exam that gives you a license to practice in the field.

The cost of registering for this exam is $200 per person. If you fail the exam you can repeat it as many times as possible but you will pay $200 each time.

What are the Different Career Paths a Nurse can take?

These are the various nursing specialties you go into after graduating from nursing school:

1. Travel nurse. Just as the name suggest these are registered nurses who travel all the country filling up nursing vacancies. The job pays around $80000 annually.
2. Dialysis Nurse. This is a nurse who operates dialysis machines. A dialysis nurse earns am average salary of $77,000 per year.
3. Nurse Case Manager. For you to become a nurse case manager you have to take a nursing case management board certification. Your main job will be coming up with care plans for an individual patient.
4. Infection Control Nurse. The work of this type of nurse involves reducing and preventing transmission of infections.
5. Critical care nurse. This type of nurse manages patients ailing from life threatening conditions.
6. Nurse Researcher. This nurse is involved in analysis and conducting research that is aimed to improve nursing as a career.
7. Military nurse. This is nurse who has been drafted into the military to give care to members of the armed forces.
8. Neonatal Nurse. This nurse is involved in the care for the premature and newborn babies.
9. Geriatric Nurse. This is a professional nurse who take care of the elderly and manages conditions that mostly affects the elderly.
10. Psychiatric Nurse. You will mostly these nurses in a psychiatric ward. They are involved in the management of mental health conditions.
11. Nurse advocate. This is a nurse who is a pro at championing for the rights of the patients and other nurses too.
12. Orthopedic Nurse. This nurse provides care for patients with fractures or other musculoskeletal issues.
13. Public Health Nurse. The main domain for these nurses is preventive health.
14. Pediatric nurse. This is a nurse who is directly involved in care for children.
15. Medical-Surgical Nurse. This nurse is involved in management of patients prior to, during and after a surgical procedure is performed on them.
16. School nurse. This nurse is based in a school is involved in formulating a school health programme.
17. Cosmetic nurse. This is a registered nurse who has specialized in aesthetics. They take care of patients who have undergone a plastic surgery procedure.
18. Chief Nursing Officer. These nurses serve at the highest management levels of health care organizations.

Nurse Anesthetist. These highly paid specialty nurses work in operation theatres and their jobs involves administering anesthesia. In addition to that these nurses also do assessments and monitoring patients who are about to receive anesthesia.

Where is the cheapest to study nursing?

The cheapest country to study nursing in the world is Norway. This is because universities in Norway do not charge any tuition fee. It is absolutely free of charge to study for any degree in Norway.

However, one thing you should be cautious about is the high cost of living in the Nordic countries. For you to live comfortably in Norway as student you need approximately $1500 per month.

Some of the most expensive cities to live in in Norway are:

1. Oslo
2. Stavanger
3. Trondheim
4. Bergen

Types of Nursing Specialties in the USA and their salary ranges

The table below shows the salary ranges of various specialty nurses in the United States of America:

Frequently Asked Questions

How many years does it take to study nursing in USA?

A licensed practical nurse and a licensed vocational nurse programs usually take a year.

An associate degree in nursing takes 15 months to 2 years.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing takes four years to complete.

Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing takes 12-18 months to complete.

Master of Science in nursing usually take 12-18 months to complete.