Nurses are the healthcare professionals who are always at the patient’s bedside. They are the ones who provide their patients the attention and care that sometimes family members cannot give. Nurses are valuable. That is why the national shortage of nurses in the United States is very alarming. It is true that there has been a shortage of nurses through the years, but it was always in varying degrees. Recently, because of the limited capacity of various nursing schools and the aging nurses in the workforce, the shortage is starting to feel like a crisis. This is not a good thing for healthcare providers and their patients.

As the population continues to age, the demand for good healthcare services rises as well. Those who need constant care because of their chronic illness also need nurses by their side. Like the aging patients, nurses are also reaching their retirement age. At least a million of them are approaching the retirement age already. By the year 2024, it is projected that about 700,000 nurses will retire.

The shortages in nursing in the United States must be met. New registered nurses should fill the positions left by those who are retiring. The only way to make this happen sooner is to hire those who finish ADN, ASN, or AAS programs. These are the quickest paths to becoming a Registered Nurse in the United States.

An Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) is also known as an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) or as an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Nursing. This is known to be one of the fastest educational paths toward becoming a Registered Nurse (RN). This degree is often finished in just two to three years. These programs include clinical rotations, internships, and formal lessons in classrooms. Nursing schools, community colleges, and technical schools in the Unites States, offer associate in nursing programs. Some hospitals and four-year colleges also offer programs in which students can finish an associate degree. After finishing an ADN, you are already qualified to take the NCLEX-RN and to apply to be a licensed RN (Registered Nurse).

Many students prefer taking an ADN or an ASN than taking a BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) because with an associate degree, they enter the nursing workforce much quicker. If you have an ADN and the institution that hired you tells you to finish your BSN, you can go to nursing schools that offer accelerated BSN programs or bridge programs. These programs allow you to complete a BSN in just a couple years.

Healthcare institutions should hire fresh ADN, AAS, or ASN graduates and then work with them on finishing their BSN as they work. By doing so, these new nurses acquire practical skills that they can hone on their own as they go forward in their career as a registered nurse. By hiring new nurses with associate degrees, the demand for nurses is met more quickly and the crisis is mitigated. In addition, many graduates are able to learn as rapidly from other nurses as they are in school.  

Article provided by, Advocate Search Group – a recruiting firm focused exclusively on filling academic nursing program positions throughout the USA

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