Nurse education has undergone significant changes in most of the countries. Today emphasis is laid on the practical aspect of nursing rather than the conventional theoretical approach. Today the role of nurses is not restricted to mere taking proper care of the patient, but they are also members of the doctors’ core team, assisting doctors in discharging their duties smoothly and efficiently.     

Nurse education courses are being planned in such a way that the students do not face difficulty to cope up with the challenges involved in the profession and moreover pick up both the theory and practice of nursing in an effective way. Nursing students, therefore, are trained by experienced nurses and educators.

Brief History of Nurse Education 

‘The Lady with the Lamp’ Florence Nightingale is credited with bringing about this change in nurse education. She set up the first nurse training school at St Thomas' Hospital in London in 1860. Nursing practice was the main theme of Nightingale's curriculum, which highlighted the significance of task ability and sanitation. Ethel Bedford-Fenwick, noted nurse at that time, echoed that the formal nursing courses must not be restricted to hospitals.

In the United States, nurse education courses have solely been proffered by the university schools. In the year 1923, the Yale School of Nursing became the first autonomous school of nursing in the United States. The first European institution to provide a nursing degree was the University of Edinburgh, but that was as late as 1972. 

Different Nurse Education Courses 

Nursing schools offer education courses like the Registered Nursing degree (RN) to Bachelor of Sciences in Nursing (BSN), MSN programs and even impart CAN training as well as Parish nursing. Students aspiring to make a career in nursing must choose courses according to the kind of nursing job he/she wishes to take up.

There are also advanced courses meant for registered nurses who want to improve their skill. Almost every nursing school offers clinical training to ensure that the students get much-needed practical exposure. (Aspirants are advised to make sure that whichever nursing school they choose, it must be NLN accredited).

If your hectic schedule or some other reason prevents you from attending regular classes, opt for California College for Health Sciences. The online nursing school offers online diploma courses for both bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, with specializations in Nursing, Respiratory therapy, early childhood education, public health and health care management and others.

Distance Nursing Education programs take the aid of technical support and methods to impart students with quality nurse education. These technical support comprise a different content-delivery methods, like audio conference by telephone, audio cassette tape, videotaped instruction, courier service, electronic mail, faxing, fixed computer media (CD-ROM and floppy disk), Internet list-serves, room-based video conference (interactive television), desktop video conference and World Wide Web.

Future Prospects Of Higher Nurse Education Courses

Master’s program in nursing enables students to apply for higher post in clinic. In addition, students can specialize in areas like community health, adult health, family nurse practitioner and nursing administration. Students having Bachelor of Science in Nursing or Master of Science in Nursing, willing to become educational leaders in academic and clinical establishments can pursue the Graduate Certificate in Nursing Education.

The demand of nursing school graduates has increased considerably. The United States is facing an acute crisis of nurses and if the trend continues, the country will face dearth of 400,000 professional nurses by the year 2020, posing a huge challenge for the country. To counter this challenge and encourage nurse education, the national government is offering financial aid as well as job placement assistance to nursing students.