Nursing Colleges in Florida
Angley College (DeLand) - Medical Assisting, Medical Office Administration, Dental Assisting, Nursing Assistant, Patient Care Technician, Phlebotomy Technician, Therapeutic Massage
Keiser College* (Daytona Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Kendall, Lakeland, Melbourne, Orlando, Pembroke Pines, Port St. Lucie, Sarasota, Tallahassee, Tampa, West Palm Beach) - Allied Health, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Health Service Administration, Health Services, Massage Therapy, Medical Assisting, Medical Laboratory Technician, Nuclear Medicine Technology, Nursing, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Paramedic Science, Pharmacy Technology, Physical Therapist Assistant, Radiologic Technology, Radiology, Surgical Technology, Ultrasound Technologist
MedVance - (Miami , FL, West Palm Beach, FL) - Practical Nursing
MedVance Institute - Stuart (Stuart , FL) - Practical Nursing
University of Phoenix* (Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa) - Health Administration, Nursing, MBA Health Care Management
Virginia College (Pensacola) - Medical Assistant, Medical Billing and Coding, Pharmacy Technician, Practical Nursing, Surgical Technology

There are three major educational paths to registered nursing: a bachelor’s of science degree in nursing (BSN), an associate degree in Nursing (ADN), and a diploma. BSN programs, offered by colleges and universities, take about 4 years to complete. In 2002, 678 nursing programs offered degrees at the bachelor’s level. ADN programs, offered by community and junior colleges, take about 2 to 3 years to complete. About 700 RN programs in 2002 were at the ADN level. Diploma programs, administered in hospitals, last about 3 years. Only a small and declining number of programs offer diplomas. Generally, licensed graduates of any of the three types of educational programs qualify for entry-level positions as staff nurses. We have a list of nursing schools with programs available to you in Florida below. Also please use the Nursing Career Guide as a resource if you are looking for additional information on nursing careers, training, job outlook etc.

Online Nursing Colleges

Jacksonville University
RNs with an accredited AA degree may be well on their way towards their BSN degree. Jacksonville University will award up to 32 credit hours for students with an RN license and a maximum of 64 transfer credits from other regionally accredited universities and institutions of higher learning. JU also accepts up to 32 hours through CLEP exams. Programs: RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Location: Online.

University of Phoenix Campus - Campuses Nationwide
Since 1976, University of Phoenix has been a recognized leader in adult education. Their commitment to high educational standards and exceptional student service has made them the largest private accredited university in the United States. With campuses in over 140 locations, University of Phoenix has helped thousands of working professionals achieve their academic and career goals every year. Programs Browse all Programs. Campus Locations: Find a campus near you.

Liberty University
Programs: - Arts in Religion (M.A.R.) - Business - Business (MBA) - Counseling - Divinity (M.Div.) - Doctor of Education - Doctor of Ministry (D.Min) - Ed.D – Doctor of Education - Ed.S – Education Specialist - Education (M.Ed.) - General Studies - Nursing Degree Completion Program - Ph.D. Counseling - Psychology (BS) - Religion - Theology Degree (T h.M.)
Locations: New York NY.

Kaplan University (Online)
Kaplan University helps students looking to either change or advance their careers by offering online flexibility, reduced costs, financial aid assistance, and a fast path to a degree. The instructors at Kaplan have the academic background and professional experience that allows them to pass on real-world knowledge to their students. The degree programs have a curriculum that is focused on career goals, and they feature various areas of emphasis. Programs: Accounting - Alternative Dispute Resolution - Branding and Visual Communications - Business - Business Administration/Accounting - Business Administration/Management - Business and Communications Entrepreneur - Computer Information Systems - Corrections - Criminal Justice - Database - E-Business - Elementary - Finance - Health Care Management - Information Technology - Law Enforcement - Management - Management of Information Systems - Management/Health Care Management - Multimedia and Animation - Networking - Paralegal Studies - Private Security - Programming - Sales and Marketing - Secondary - Teaching and Learning - Teaching Literacy and Language - Teaching Students With Special Needs - Teaching With Technology - Web Development - Web Optimization and Integration.

CAREER SPOTLIGHT:ORTHOPAEDIC NURSE

Background:

Orthopaedic nursing has its roots in Victorian England. The specialty’s matriarch, Dame Agnes Hunt, was crippled from septic arthritis of her hip. She devoted her entire nursing career to bettering the lives of crippled children and those injured by the ravages of war. In our more recent past, orthopaedic nurses have practiced in hospital settings in either dedicated orthopaedic units or in the operating room. Within the past few years, many orthopaedic units have evolved into mixed units caring for a diverse patient population. With this shift you will now find orthopaedic nurses in an endless array of practice settings. These settings encompass the entire continuum of care from birth until death, illness to prevention, acute to rehab to care in patients’ homes. Nurses who care for patients with musculoskeletal injuries and conditions need to have the appropriate knowledge and skills specific to the orthopaedic specialty.

Roles:

The role of the orthopaedic nurse is to advance musculoskeletal health care by promoting excellence in orthopaedic research, education, and nursing practice. You will find orthopaedic nurses in a variety of organizations as:

Staff nurses
Head nurses
Clinical Specialists
Supervisors/Coordinators
Nurse Managers
Directors
Nursing Instructors
Administrators
RN First Assistants
Case Managers
Nurse Practitioners
Office Managers
Researchers
Educators
Practice Settings:

Orthopaedic nurses have a wide variety of settings from which to choose. You may find the orthopaedic nurse in the hospital, in a physician practice, in a nursing home, in industry, in academia, or in home health. Their areas of practice include but are not limited to:

Emergency Departments
Operating Rooms
Adult Orthopaedic Units
Pediatric Orthopaedic Units
Adult Medical/Surgical Units
Pediatric Medical/Surgical Units
Trauma Units
Gerontology Units
Rehabilitation Units
Oncology Units
Home Health Agencies
Universities/Colleges of Nursing

Education:

Orthopaedic nurses are professional nurses who have successfully passed their Boards for RN or LPN/LVN. Many orthopaedic nurses go on to complete graduate degrees, including master’s and doctorates. The National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses has a certification exam that many nurses take. This credential indicates proficiency within the specialty and is the only credential that documents expertise in the practice of orthopaedic nursing.

Associations:

National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses
P.O. Box 56
Pitman, NJ 08071-0056
1-800-289-NAON (6266)
Fax: (609)-589-7463
e-mail: naon@mail.ajj.com
Website: http://www.orthonurse.org