Registered Nurse

Field of Study — Nursing

Registered nurses care for patients, providing them with treatment, counseling and education. RNs work closely with a patient’s physicians and other health professionals, as part of the health care team. Depending on their area of specialization and work setting, RNs perform some or all of the following:

Registered nurses are sought in a wide variety of work settings: hospitals, physicians’ offices, industrial and corporate sites, clinics, government or community health agencies, nursing homes, hospices or patients’ homes. RNs also may choose to pursue careers in health administration, teaching, utilization review, consulting, research and many other specialities.

Educational Requirements

Students intending to pursue a career as a registered nurse should take challenging courses in science, math and English, including advanced placement courses.

Educational preparation to be a registered nurse is offered in three different types of programs in Virginia: four-year colleges offering baccalaureate degrees; community and junior colleges offering associate degrees; and hospital-based schools offering diplomas. Graduates of all three programs are eligible to take the national licensure exam to become a registered nurse.

A baccalaureate degree is required to enter graduate programs in nursing, which prepare advanced practice nurses, nursing administrators and nurse educators.

return to top

Educational Institutions

Virginia Colleges and Universities

Christopher Newport University
Eastern Mennonite University
George Mason University
Hampton University College of Health, College of Health
James Madison University
Jefferson College of Health Sciences
Liberty University
Marymount University
Norfolk State University
Old Dominion University College of Health Sciences
Radford University
Shenandoah University
University of Virginia, Charlottesville
University of Virginia at Wise
Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Community Colleges

Blue Ridge Community College
Dabney S. Lancaster Community College
Danville Community College
Eastern Shore Community College
Germanna Community College, Locust Grove Campus
Germanna Community College, Fredericksburg Campus
J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College
John Tyler Community College
Lord Fairfax Community College, Middleton Campus
Lord Fairfax Community College, Fauquier Campus
Mountain Empire Community College
New River Community College
Northern Virginia Community College, Medical Education Center
Patrick Henry Community College
Piedmont Virginia Community College
Rappahannock Community College, Glenns Campus
Rappahannock Community College, Warsaw Campus
Southside Virginia Community College, John H. Daniel Campus
Southside Virginia Community College, Christianna Campus
Southwest Virginia Community College
Thomas Nelson Community College
Tidewater Community College, Portsmouth Campus
Tidewater Community College, Virginia Beach Campus
Virginia Highlands Community College
Virginia Western Community College
Wytheville Community College

Virginia Hospitals and Health Care Facilities

Bon Secours Memorial School of Nursing
Centra Health
Danville Regional Medical Center, DRMC School of Nursing
INOVA Fairfax Hospital
Medicorp Health System
Obici Hospital
Riverside School of Health Careers
Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, School of Health Professions
Shore Memorial Hospital, LPN School of Nursing
Southside Regional Medical Center, School of Nursing
University of Virginia Health Sciences Center
Warren Memorial Hospital



return to top

Professional Associations


return to top