[hen-ui-text variant=”b4″ style=”font-style:italic;”]In our [hen-ui-link href=”/ask-a-nurse/”]Ask a Nurse[/hen-ui-link] series, experienced nurses provide an insider look at the nursing profession by answering your questions about nursing careers, degrees, and resources.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-separator /][hen-ui-card variant=”background-gray”] [hen-ui-card-content] [hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Question: Would it be wiser to go to college or a technical school for nursing? Would going to a technical school interfere with the ability to find a job or affect compensation?[/hen-ui-text] [/hen-ui-card-content][/hen-ui-card][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Answer:[/hen-ui-text] A successful nursing career begins with education, and prospective nurses can choose from a variety of schooling opportunities. Which option best prepares candidates for nursing practice?[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Jenna Liphart Rhoads, Ph.D., a nurse educator, says that earning an associate degree in nursing (ADN) from a technical school should not affect your job security or pay. However, some hospitals prefer to hire registered nurses (RNs) with a bachelor’s degree.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Amanda Guarniere, a nurse practitioner (NP) and career counselor, also notes that your career goals should influence your program choice. “While there are some employers that favor bachelor-prepared nurses (Magnet hospitals, for example),” Guarniere says, “for the most part, those who go to a technical school should not face adversity when retaining a job or in regards to compensation.”[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]You should consider factors like [hen-ui-link href=”/resources//how-much-does-nursing-school-cost/”]cost[/hen-ui-link], program length, and accreditation for any nursing program. When comparing technical school and college programs, however, the most important consideration is the type of degree you intend to earn. “Trade/technical/vocational schools more commonly offer practical nursing programs (for LPN/LVN certification) and will occasionally offer [hen-ui-link href=”/degrees/nursing-bridge-programs/”]a bridge program[/hen-ui-link] for LPNs to become RNs,” Guarniere says.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Below, Rhoads and Guarniere offer some additional advice to help you select the ideal nurse education program.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]What Is the Difference Between Technical, Trade, and Vocational School vs. a Community or Four-Year College?[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]”Trade, technical, and vocational are generally used synonymously when describing schools that train students in a specific trade or skill that is directly applicable to a job upon graduation,” Rhoads explains.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Most technical schools provide hands-on, career-specific training in a variety of fields, including health professions. Trade, technical, and vocational institutions most commonly offer licensed vocational or practical nursing (LVN/LPN) and [hen-ui-link href=”/cna/”]certified nursing assistant[/hen-ui-link] (CNA) certificate programs. Most of these programs can be completed within 18 months.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Community colleges offer associate degree programs. Nurses who [hen-ui-link href=”/degrees/adn/”]earn an ADN[/hen-ui-link] from a two-year degree program can take the National Council Licensure Exam for RNs (NCLEX-RN) and obtain an RN license. Four-year college and university programs award [hen-ui-link href=”/degrees/bsn/”]bachelor of science in nursing degrees[/hen-ui-link] (BSN), and some also offer graduate programs that confer master’s and doctoral degrees.[/hen-ui-text]