Choosing the Appropriate Nursing Schools in Illinois for Your Career Goals

Nursing schools in Illinois are among the best institutions of higher education in the US from which you can earn your nursing qualifications. Several Illinois nursing schools have landed in rankings of the top nursing schools in the country such as those created by the US News and World Report and the National Institutes of Health.

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There are many job prospects for nursing graduates in the state as it is estimated that there will be an average of 2,303 new job openings annually for registered nurses and another 1,935 openings due to replacements for a total 4,238 job openings a year from base year 2008 to 2018.

Enrolling in nursing schools in Illinois will allow you to earn Associate degrees, Bachelor’s degrees and advanced Masters’ and Doctorate degrees, as well as nursing programs that allow nurses already working in the field as Licensed Vocational Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses and Registered Nurses to earn advanced degrees through methods ranging from home-based self-study and online continuing education. For example, an LPN can take a program to become an RN while an RN can earn a Bachelor’s or Master’s in Nursing.

When choosing which nursing school to enroll in, the first consideration is that it should be accredited by an accreditation agency recognized by the US Department of Education. There are two agencies that accredit Illinois nursing schools – the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), which is an autonomous arm of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC). Although accreditation is a voluntary process and not being accredited does not mean the school does not offer a quality education, a degree earned from an accredited institution ensures not only that the program that you have completed conforms to specified standards for quality education but also means that you will be qualified to attend another accredited nursing school.

Other considerations when choosing nursing schools in Illinois are their entry and degree requirements, licensing requirements for the state board of nursing, the availability of financial aid programs such as state and federal scholarships, the availability of online and part-time programs and the cost of enrollment. You can research this information by visiting the school’s official site as well as nursing career sites that offer links to the sites of these schools.

Two of the best nursing schools in Illinois include:

The University of Illinois in Chicago. Nursing programs of the UIC are offered through the College of Nursing, whose programs of study includes a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a Master of Science, a Doctor of Nursing Practice, a Doctor of Philosophy as well as a Graduate Entry Program for individuals who already have a degree in another field which culminates in a Master’s degree and RN licensure.

Rush University. Rush’s College of Nursing offers degrees such as Master of Science in Nursing, DNP and PhD doctoral programs as well as post-graduate non-degree certificate programs that allow nurses who have already earned a certification in a particular clinical specialization to earn certification in another clinical area.

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