How to Become a Registered Nurse in Kentucky
The Kentucky Board of Nursing (KBON) regulates the field of nursing in the state. The board manages nursing licenses including renewals and makes health care policies to assure patients nursing care is the best it can possibly be. The policies of the KBON keep nurses up to date with the latest techniques and methods and provide refresher courses for skills that may not be used on a regular basis. Kentucky is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact.
Nursing candidates are required to complete an approved nursing program and receive a minimum of an Associate’s degree, which typically takes 2 years to complete, to qualify to take the National Council for Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Graduates are now required to take and pass the jurisprudence examination, as well.
Students must complete an application for licensing prior to taking the jurisprudence exam. Once the nursing board receives the exam application, along with the fingerprint card and criminal background check information, the applicant will be allowed to take the NCLEX exam and then the jurisprudence exam. The nursing programs include class work and clinical training, as well as prepare the student to take the NCLEX-RN and the jurisprudence exam.
Pearson VUE is the exam administrators and applicants must register with them at the same time as submitting an application to test to the KBON. When the application is approved, the Board will notify Pearson VUE and Pearson VUE will issue the applicant an authorization to test (ATT). Once the applicant has the ATT, they have the ability to schedule a date to take the exam. The applicant will be notified with 10 days of taking the exam of pass or fail.
Kentucky RNs are required to renew their license every two years, and the renewal period is 15 September and 31 October. RNs must submit a renewal application and documented proof of taking 14 continuing education hours approved by the KBON or 7 continuing education hours in addition to an employment evaluation that covers at least six months of the earning period.
The average salary for an RN in Kentucky is $65,500 annually. Entry level RNs recently graduated from nursing school can expect a beginning salary of $42,000. Nurses will earn higher salaries near major cities and in larger facilities. Nurses who rise to positions of responsibility such as director of nurses or unit managers, command higher salaries and may top out about $115,000.
RNs find employment in a variety of facilities including private duty and home care, hospitals, nursing homes and assisted care facilities, visiting nurse and hospice organizations, public health clinics and occupational healthcare facilities. RN duties continue 24 hours a day and nurses work one of three daily shifts. Nurses who work the night shift typically earn a slightly higher hourly rate than nurses who work the day or evening shift.
RNs perform a variety of tasks including leading the patient care team, performing in depth assessments, dispense medication including injections, monitor vital signs, perform emergency procedures, dress wounds and change dressings, assist doctors in surgical procedures and supervise the nursing staff, including the nursing assistants.
RN Nursing Schools in Kentucky
- Purdue University Global
- Experience world-class education online: Purdue Global offers 180 programs at associate's, bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels.
Programs:
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate
- Bachelors of Science in Nursing - RN to BSN
- Accelerated BSN to MSN
- Nursing Degree Programs from Grand Canyon University's College of Nursing & Health Care Professions
- Degree Variety: GCU offers a full-spectrum of nursing programs including bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, as well as post-master’s certificates.
- The baccalaureate degree in nursing and master's degree in nursing at Grand Canyon University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.aacn.nche.edu-accreditation).
- GCU provides a Christian environment that provides an opportunity for you to embrace a holistic approach to caring for patients: physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
- Depending on the degree you choose, you could take online, evening, or on-campus classes. Speak with an enrollment counselor to discuss your options!
Programs:
- Doctor of Nursing Practice with an Emphasis in Educational Leadership
- M.S. in Nursing with an Emphasis in Leadership in Health Care Systems (Bridge)
- Doctor of Nursing Practice
- And more...
100% Online & No Standardized Testing
We are committed to helping you achieve your goals and complete your degree as quickly as possible.
Programs:
- Master of Science in Nursing: Nursing Administration
- Master of Science in Nursing: Nurse Educator
CTU can help you connect to what matters most: a powerful professional network, faculty who are real-world professionals and innovative technology. And now several CTU degree programs are ranked by U.S. News Best Online Programs for 2015. Are you in?
Programs:
- Master of Science in Nursing - Nursing Administration
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For 80 years, we’ve been preparing students for career success. We’ve led the wayso that our students can too.
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Purdue University, one of the nation's most respected universities, will acquire Kaplan University and create a new, nonprofit, public institution within the Purdue system. Pending regulatory approvals, this exciting transition is expected to take place later this year. This change will be seamless—during the transition, you will still be able to enroll at Kaplan University, earn a high-quality education, and meet your educational and career goals.
Programs:
- MS in Nursing
- Executive Leader Graduate Certificate
- Master of Science - DNP Path (Doctor of Nursing Practice)
- And more...
- Northcentral University was founded in 1996 to provide working professionals around the world with unprecedented access to richly engaging, professionally relevant, and academically-rigorous education from a U.S. university.
- As a regionally accredited, private, online and graduate-focused university, NCU offers doctoral, master’s and bachelor’s degrees in business, technology management, education, and psychology, as well as doctoral and master’s degrees in marriage and family therapy.
Programs:
- Doctor of Education - Nursing Education
Programs:
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
At South College we welcome students from all different stages of life and career. Whether you are pursing a degree for the first time, going back to school as an adult learner, or furthering your career with an advanced degree, our faculty and staff will partner with you to give your dreams direction.
Programs:
- MS Nursing w/Con Nurse Executive
As few as 20 months
Nursing@Simmons enables Registered Nurses to earn an MSN online from Simmons College and prepare to pursue certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner in as few as 20 months.
Programs:
- MSN - Family Nurse Practitioner
- RN to MSN - Family Nurse Practitioner
Recognized by the U.S. News and World Report for: Best Online Programs, Bachelor’s 2017, Best Online Programs, Grad Education 2017 and Best Online Programs, Bachelor’s for Veterans 2017
Programs:
- MSN Nursing Administration & Leadership (Master of Science) - Online
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