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RN Nursing Programs in South Carolina, SC

How to Become a Registered Nurse/RN in South Carolina

A two year, hospital-based diploma program is the quickest route to RN licensure in North Carolina, but these are not widely available. The far more common routes take place in a college of nursing, where students choose between a two year Associate Degree, Nursing (ADN) program, or a four year Bachelor’s Degree, Nursing (BSN). Both college-based degrees require an additional year of prerequisite course work, which focuses upon baseline skills in general studies and cover both communication and psychological learning through English, psychology and the like, and science courses like biology, physiology, math and more.

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Most of the classes in both a BSN and an ADN focus upon practice and concepts of nursing, but a BSN takes these concepts further. In addition, a BSN offers more opportunities to pursue areas of special interest through elective courses and two years of additional study. Thus, RNs with a BSN graduate with a breadth of knowledge that allows them to apply nursing practice to a wider variety of situations and occupations than those with an ADN.

Regardless of the program, licensure is achieved via the NCLEX-RN examination. It is given by Pearson Vue and costs $200 and requires application and payment of a $97 fee to the South Carolina Board of Nursing. It is an intensive, comprehensive exam, and students who pass the test—as is the case for 90 percent of graduating nursing students—emerge well-prepared to enter a career in health care as a South Carolina Registered Nurse.

RN Salary and Jobs in South Carolina

In South Carolina, the average salary for a full-time Registered Nurse is just under $60,000 per year (according to BLS.gov), before extensive benefits. While the majority of Registered Nurses in South Carolina are employed by hospitals, opportunities abound in doctor’s offices, retirement homes, public health departments, the education system, and beyond. With a diverse range of workplaces, nurses can be responsible for a wide range of duties. But, their normal day to day pursuits include analyzing patient health and devising a plan of action in conjunction with doctors and nursing assistants, whatever the setting.