Nursing is one of a very few professions that has multiple routes to entry level practice. There are three pathways to becoming a registered nurse: a 3-year diploma (administered in hospitals), a 3-year associate’s degree, or a 4-year baccalaureate degree. All graduates are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN licensing examination, start at the same entry-level salary, and do the same job, but a growing body of evidence suggests that nurses with a BSN degree or higher help to improve patient … Read the rest