• RNs must complete general education requirements as well as classes in nursing.nursing duties image by Pix by Marti from Fotolia.com
  
  Registered nurses can obtain either associate or bachelor's degrees in nursing. College requirements differ slightly for each degree, but generally prospective RNs must complete general education requirements, classroom nursing instruction and a clinical experience program to practice as RNs.
  
  

General Education Credits

• Associate and bachelor's degrees in nursing require students to take general education credits, defined as credits that do not deal directly with nursing. Because associate degree programs take just two to three years to complete, these students take fewer general education credits than do students in four-year bachelor's programs. Associate degree students generally take courses in English, the natural sciences (especially biology) and math. Bachelor's degree students take those courses plus anatomy, physiology and perhaps introductory courses in psychology or sociology. Bachelor's degree students might also take more classes on the health care profession, professionalism or research.
  
  

Nursing Classroom Credits

• Associate and bachelor's degree students both take a significant number of classroom credits within the nursing program, called "major" credits. For both degrees these might include classes in family nursing, adult nursing or elderly nursing. Bachelor's degree students also take nursing research classes or additional nursing seminars in professionalism or other subjects. These classes give students a foundation of nursing knowledge before they begin their clinical experience programs.
  
  

Clinical Experience

• While clinical experience is important to both degree programs, it is particularly emphasized in the associate degree program, which leads to a more "technical" degree. Bachelor's degree students typically begin their clinical programs in their final two years. These programs, which might take place in hospitals, doctor's offices or nursing homes, provide students with supervised experience in direct patient care. Some state boards of nursing require clinical experience as a prerequisite to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), which prospective RNs must pass to work as a nurses.