Wisconsin Nursing Schools

The demand for Registered Nurses (RNs) is consistently rising all across the US, including Wisconsin. O*Net Online has predicted an employment growth of 8% for Registered Nurses (RNs) in Wisconsin in the years from 2018 to 2028. This growth is higher than the national average for all occupations, 7%. In addition to high growth, Registered Nurses in Wisconsin also made a good salary of $74,760 in 2020, as per the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

If this high growth and salary interests you, then you might want to spend some time learning more about nursing schools in Wisconsin. The following guide provides a quick look at everything you need to know about nursing education in Wisconsin.

Students who want to enroll in a nursing degree need to have at least a high school diploma to get started. The quickest way to get into the nursing field would be a 2-year long Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN). This would cover the basic concepts of nursing and give students an overview of the field.

However, it must be noted that most employers now prefer to hire nursing graduates with at least a 4-year long Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. A bachelor’s degree would expose students to more advanced coursework, enabling them to take on more complicated roles in the future.

Students can also go for more advanced degrees such as a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. Both these degrees would lead to higher paying jobs that carry a greater degree of responsibility.

The admission requirements for nursing schools in Wisconsin would vary according to the level of education you plan to go for. For instance, if you are applying to an ADN program, you will be required to have at least a high school diploma. On the other hand, if you are applying to an MSN program, you will be required to have a bachelor’s degree with a minimum GPA requirement, multiple letters of recommendation, official transcripts, completed prerequisite courses and GRE scores.

The coursework in a nursing degree would depend on the level of education involved. For instance, an ADN would have a relatively basic course structure, while an MSN would explore the same topics in a lot more complexity and detail. However, on a general note, most nursing degree would cover certain subject areas, regardless of the education level. These include the likes of fundamental psychology, pharmacology, population health, mental health, gerontology, microbiology, medical ethics, community and environmental nursing and healthcare administration.

After completing an ADN or a BSN degree, aspiring nurses must pass the NCLEX-RN exam to get the registered nurse credential. The Wisconsin Board of Nursing requires all candidates to clear this exam before they can earn a Wisconsin nursing license. A Wisconsin RN license must be renewed every 2 years, though the renewal does not require continuing education credits in most cases.

Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) are healthcare professionals required to provide basic healthcare and nursing facilities to patients. Becoming an LPN is one of the quickest ways of entering the field of nursing in the US. If you want to learn about how to become an LPN in the US, the following information would be of great use to you.

To become an LPN, individuals will first have to make a decision about the credential they want – diploma, certificate, degree. The fastest route to become a nurse would be a diploma. This would be followed by the completion of a nursing program and clearing of the NCLEX-PN Exam. The National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN) is a mandatory requirement for all LPN’s across the country. Following this, students can go for a professional certification as well, before eventually looking for a job in local hospitals, outpatient care centers or clinics.

(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a “year-round, full-time” hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.