Entry-Into-Nursing

Rewarding. Practical. Flexible.

The bottom line is that you’ll help people. As a nurse, you can make a difference — that’s an incredibly rewarding feeling that isn’t found in every career.

In addition to being rewarding, nursing is practical. It’s an in-demand career choice that offers a competitive salary.

And you won't find "boring" in a nurses' vocabulary: Each day is different, your options for practice setting, area of specialty, and work hours are flexible, and there are countless opportunities for career advancement and additional education.

Nursing is the perfect path if you:

• are compassionate and understanding
• want to do work that helps people
• are a problem-solver who is calm under stress
• enjoy facing new challenges each day.

As a nurse, you'll apply your best skills, abilities, and interests in one of the most ethical, valued, and trusted professions. (For more than 20 years, nursing has been ranked the most trusted profession, according to the annual Gallup poll on honesty and ethics).

Founded in 1889, UMSON is one of the oldest and largest nursing schools in the nation, consistently ranked among the top 10 nursing schools nationwide by U.S. News & World Report. Each year, we develop more than 2,000 students (across our undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs) into top-tier nurse leaders who shape the nursing profession and health care in general.

UMSON students are driven to be empathetic advocates who deliver the outstanding care and support patients and communities need. Our students benefit from a curriculum that includes everything from appreciating the history of nursing and the importance of using evidence-based strategies to navigating the research process and evaluating the outcomes of investigation and exploration.

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As an UMSON student, you’ll learn from experienced faculty and clinical instructors in the classroom, in our simulation labs, and across multiple clinical sites under the direction of our preceptors. You will:

• build your nursing competencies in state-of-the-art simulation facilities
• take part in engaging clinical experiences that challenge you to succeed in real-life situations and teach you clinical decision-making

In these environments, nursing isn’t simply learned; here, knowledge is created and shared, and compassion and empathy are amplified. A passion for discovery permeates every corner of UMSON — driving exploration and fueling the use of evidence throughout your nursing practice.

You’ll learn from:

• faculty who are leaders in their fields
• scientists on the cutting edge of nursing research
• expert clinicians with decades of experience.

While they're a diverse group, they have one main goal: To help you become an exceptional registered nurse.

Additionally, as part of a student body that’s diverse in thought, life experiences, and cultural background, you’ll learn from each other in and out of the classroom, and you’ll work together to ensure you have the understanding necessary to deliver effective care to diverse populations.

UMSON is committed to becoming an anti-oppression organization. Read In UniSON: Together We Commit, Together We Act, our anti-oppression position statement.

Once you've completed your degree, you will:

• be eligible to take the NCLEX-RN licensure exam, qualifying you to practice as a Registered Nurse (RN)
• be prepared to succeed in a wide range of health care environments.

Your UMSON nursing degree can prepare you to excel in:

• hospitals
• schools
• clinics
• community settings
• research Institutions
• nursing and residential care facilities
• private practice
• business and entrepreneurship.

In nursing school, you may discover a topic or area of specialty that you want to pursue further. 

Your UMSON nursing degree can also help you qualify for advanced nursing programs such as:

• Master of Science in Nursing
• Doctor of Nursing Practice
• Doctor of Philosophy

You must complete at least 59 prerequisite credits before beginning an entry-into-nursing program at UMSON. To help you on that path, consider these options.