ADN/ASN – Associate Degree in Nursing/Associate of Science in Nursing: Associate degrees in nursing generally involve a two-year program at a community college. Graduates can take the NCLEX-RN exam to become Registered Nurses.1
BSN – Bachelor of Science in Nursing: A baccalaureate degree is awarded by a college or university and generally lasts four years. Graduates can take the NCLEX-RN exam to become Registered Nurses.2
CRNA – Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist: Certified registered nurse anesthetists provide anesthesia to a variety of patients in a variety of settings and account for 65% of anesthesia care in the United States. There are six nursing anesthesia schools in North Carolina. Applicants must have a BSN or MSN degree.3
DNP/PhD – Doctor of Nursing Practice: Offered only at some universities.4
LPN – Licensed Practical Nurse: Licensed practical nurses receive a diploma from a community college where they generally complete three semesters of classroom and clinical work. LPNs work under the supervision of a Registered Nurse or other qualified health-care provider, often in an assisted-living or long-term care facility.5
MSN – Master of Science in Nursing: Generally offered by a college or university.6
NP – Nurse Practitioner: The most common type of advanced-practice nurse. Nurse practitioners can act as primary-care providers.7 A Nurse Practitioner must have at least a master’s degree and a collaborative practice agreement with a supervising physician to practice in North Carolina.8
RN – Registered Nurse: Graduates with a BSN or ADN/ASN can take the NCLEX-RN exam to become Registered Nurses, who typically work in hospital settings.
RN-to-BSN – Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing: Programs that allow an RN to earn a baccalaureate degree, sometimes in accelerated or online programs that last just three semesters.9
1 https://www.ncbon.com/education-programs-in-north-carolina-approved-pre-licensure-nursing-programs-associate-degree.
2 https://www.ncbon.com/education-programs-in-north-carolina-approved-pre-licensure-nursing-programs-baccalaureate-degree.
3 https://nursing.uncg.edu/academics/graduate/dnp/post-bsn-dnp-na/.
4 https://www.ncbon.com/education-programs-in-north-carolina-doctorate.
5 https://www.ncbon.com/education-programs-in-north-carolina-approved-pre-licensure-nursing-programs-diploma-in-practical-nursing.
6 https://www.ncbon.com/education-programs-in-north-carolina-msn.
7 https://www.nursinglicensure.org/np-education/north-carolina-np-programs/.
8 https://www.ncbon.com/news-publications-statistics-frequently-asked-questions-nurse-practitioner.
9 https://www.ncbon.com/education-programs-in-north-carolina-rn-to-bsn.