Nursing Schools in Ohio

If you're compassionate, driven, and enjoy helping others, a career as a registered nurse may be for you. Nationwide, registered nurses make up one of the fastest-growing occupations in health care, and Ohio is no exception. An education from one of the Ohio nursing schools can help you get the training you need for this rewarding position.

In 2009, Ohio registered nurses made a mean annual wage of $90,740, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). That's less than the national mean of $66,530 but still significantly above the mean for all occupations in Ohio of $40,300. Ohio's cost of living was the 14th lowest in the nation, according to 2010 data from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, so your wages go far in the state.

Nursing Careers Expected to See Major Growth

As of 2009, more than 2.5 million registered nurses were employed in the U.S., according to the BLS, and 83,060 of those nurses worked in Ohio. The nursing field is expected to grow by 22 percent nationally between 2008 and 2018, much faster than other occupations, the BLS reports. That rapid growth means new nursing school graduates should face a strong job market.

Ohio Nursing Schools Open Doors

Nursing schools in Ohio generally offer two types of programs for registered nurses: a two-year associate's degree in nursing (ADN) or a four-year bachelor's of science in nursing. An ADN gets your foot in the door, but doesn't provide for many advancement opportunities. A BSN, however, provides more clinical work in non-hospital settings and is often required for advancement opportunities. Some advanced positions in nursing or nursing administration require a master's in nursing, or MSN. With a BSN and some experience, you could go straight into a master's program.

Students attending Ohio nursing schools may take coursework in:

• Anatomy
• Physiology
• Nutrition
• Psychology

Hands-on experience is a large part of any nursing school curriculum as well, and many nursing students spend a good deal of time in a hospital setting doing clinicals. Once you graduate from an approved program and pass the NCLEX-RN exam, you can start working as a registered nurse.