Do nurses typically have to go to nursing school after college? If you do go to nursing school or don't, do you have a higher starting salary or a lower one?

You have a few options (in order of complexity):

1) If you know you want to pursue nursing now, you can apply to colleges that have a nursing program and offer a bachelors in nursing. That way, you'll be taking your general education classes along with your nursing classes and have a bachelors of science in nursing (BSN) when you graduate college.

2) OR, if you don't know for sure, or if you go to a college that doesn't offer a BSN, you can always get a bachelors in something else (preferably in the physical sciences) and, after graduating, you can go to a nursing school that has programs for people with bachelors degrees to get BSNs. This might take anywhere from 2-3 years, depending on how many classes you take per semester and how many pre-requisites you've already completed. You will be better prepared if you already had plenty of biology, anatomy, psych, etc. Look up the pre-requisites for these programs when you're still in undergrad so you can do as much as possible and it will take less time.

3) What I did: I majored in psych, took lots of extra science classes in undergrad, then went to nursing school (RN program) at my community college to get my RN (associate degree) after getting my bachelors in psych. This only took me 1.5 years, part-time, because I had so many pre-requisites already done. This was a quick way to get a nursing degree and my first nursing job was identical in scope and pay to first-year nurses with BSNs. However, I knew I had to get my BSN eventually. It's important to get a bachelors in nursing (even if you have a bachelors in something else) if you ever want to get a masters in nursing. Also, it's easier to get certain nursing jobs with a BSN. Many universities now offer an RN to BSN program that is relatively quick and painless. I got my BSN ONLINE while working full time and it only took 1.5 years. Now, I have 2 bachelors degrees, but so what? ;).

4) Not something I recommend is to just get an RN associate degree instead of a bachelors. This is a 2-year program offered at many community colleges. I did this myself, but only after getting my bachelors in psych. Already having a bachelors made me marketable to get my first nursing job and allowed me to have the same pay as those with BSNs. I don't think someone with only an RN would be very marketable or well paid. Also, I hear rumors all the time that they're going to get rid of the RN degree altogether and require everyone to have bachelors degrees, preferably in nursing. That's why these RN to BSN and bachelors to BSN "bridge" programs exist.

**Just to clarify (because I've heard this question before) you can't tell what degree someone has if they are an "RN" and graduating from any nursing program doesn't make you an RN . RN means you're a registered nurse because you passed the NCLEX (national nursing exam boards). Anyone who gets an associates OR bachelors in nursing is eligible for taking the NCLEX and then receiving an RN when they pass. All nurses can sign their name with RN at the end. People who have BSNs sometimes write "RN, BSN", but they're all RNs.

Bottom line is, there are many paths to becoming a nurse but I just recommend you eventually get a BSN for better mobility.

Hope that helps! Good luck!