Question about RNs

[chbare]

zippyRN,

I could not give you an exact number. Your best bet is to check out the NLNAC's (National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission) web page. The address is http://www.nlnac.org/. The Department of Education recognizes the NLNAC as the national accrediting body for nursing programs in the USA.

I hope this helps.

Take care,

chbare.

[scott33]

It will differ from state to state, but I would guesstimate around 600 clinical hours. Way less than the UK / EU in any case. I would also guess that contrary to the UK 50/50 theory and practice ratio, my RN program has been around 80/20 (in favor of theory). Again, this may differ, depending where you are in the US.

Half of my nursing classes (full semester) have been in the general liberal arts and sciences. Proficiency in 1st year-level A&P, Mathematics, Microbiology, Chemistry, Psychology, Sociology, and a couple of electives, has to be shown before you step foot in a hospital. I believe this is different with the 4-year BSN programs.

As we work by GPA (grade point average) in the US, anything lower than 75% in the above courses will usually not get you into a nursing program these days; anything less than 75% on your core nursing classes is a failure, and will get you binned from the program (70% in some Universities).

I was once told by one of my Profs, that the whole idea of nursing school is to get you to pass your boards; the real learning doesn't even start until you are working as an RN. Something I have to agree with to an extent.

The RN program here is similar to the old pre-project 2000 RGN programme in the UK, in that it allows you to work anywhere upon graduation (peds, OB, Psych, adult etc).

As a new-grad, if you are employed in one of the more specialized RN positions (OR, ER, ICU etc) you can expect to be on mentored orientation for up to 1 year (depending on the facility) which is another ~ 2000 hours of hands-on. Difference being, you get paid for it.