Did you know that by the year 2020, there will be an estimated shortage of 800,000 nurses in the USA alone? The life expectancy of mankind increases day by day. This results a growth in the aging population who need more care. This suggests that the nurses are going to be high in demand in the future. The signs of this future demand are already visible with average annual earnings of a nurse reaching $49,840 almost next to accountants. In the light of such a situation, I would say there are plenty of opportunities for those who wish to pursue higher educational qualifications in nursing.

An associate degree in Nursing is an ideal stepping stone for someone who wishes to become a nurse one day. The main advantage of an associate degree over a bachelor’s one, is the lower amount of time required in the associate degree to become a registered nurse. The courses run for two years, at the end of which, a graduate becomes a registered nurse, so the student has the option of starting work immediately. While she is working as a registered nurse, she could study for a bachelor’s degree, which makes it even more lucrative than the conventional bachelor’s degree, which only lets you start working after four years.

Other advantages include lesser financial requirement due to comparatively shorter duration and higher degree of flexibility. Read More