Nursing

Nursing offers a wide variety of professional placements ranging from direct patient care in a hospital to doctoral-trained research positions to work with international public health agencies. 

Resources for learning more about the nursing profession include:

• “Career Profiles ” - a career and job search guide
• “Nursing Fact Sheet” - info about employment demand, the range of work settings, nurses’ scope of practice, specialty areas, and more

Since Hamilton College does not award a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, students interested in nursing may pursue one of two paths following graduation from Hamilton:

1. Earn a second Bachelor’s degree through an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program which leads to obtaining a license as a registered nurse (RN).

2. Pursue a direct-entry Master’s degree program leading to a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN). This degree leads to first obtaining a license as an RN, followed by a license to become a nurse practitioner (NP). 

Nurse practitioners are trained to take medical histories, diagnose and manage diseases, order X-rays and diagnostic tests, write prescriptions, and order referrals. Depending on the kind of work they enjoy, nurse practitioners can specialize in areas such as family medicine, adult health, pediatrics, acute care, women’s health, oncology, surgery, etc. Nurse practitioners can set up their own offices and are not required to work under the supervision of a physician.

For information and a directory of accelerated Baccalaureate and Master’s degrees in nursing, see the American Association of Colleges of Nursing webpage on accelerated programs.