Choosing a career in nursing is incredibly rewarding and marked with distinct milestones. Still, it’s no secret that the path can feel a bit overwhelming with what seems like an endless number of titles and credentials to learn and understand. These, in addition to complex medical terminology, can feel like you are learning a completely new language.
Clearing up that confusion early is the best way to start your educational journey with confidence. When you know exactly how to distinguish between each type of nursing degree, license, and certification, you can create a direct educational path that fits your personal and professional goals.
Here are the top things you should know about how nursing credentials fit together:
Nursing Degree: This is your academic credential and educational foundation. It is awarded after you successfully complete the required coursework, clinical experiences, and graduation requirements of a nursing program, such as a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Earning your degree prepares you with the knowledge and clinical competencies needed for entry into professional nursing practice and, for prelicensure programs, qualifies you to apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN®).
Nursing License: A nursing license gives legal authority to practice as a healthcare professional and deliver hands-on patient care. Once you have your degree, you must sit and pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). After passing the NCLEX, your State Board of Nursing reviews your application and officially grants your state nursing license.
Nursing Certification: A nursing certification is a voluntary credential that demonstrates additional knowledge or expertise in a specific area of nursing practice. While many specialty certifications require RN licensure and clinical experience before becoming eligible, others can be earned earlier in a nurse’s career depending on the certification requirements. Certification requirements vary by credential and certifying organization.
Types of Nursing Degrees
Your academic degree can serve as an entry point into practice as well as can help you climb into leadership or specialized roles down the road.
ADN/ASN: An associate degree with a nursing concentration is a two- or three-year degree that prepares you for the RN exam.
BSN: A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is the standard for entry-level management and specialized hospital units. Arizona College of Nursing (AZCN) offers a BSN program that allows you to complete your degree in 3 years instead of the traditional 4, getting you into the workforce with a bachelor’s degree faster.
MSN: A Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is a graduate degree for specific career paths in nursing, like nurse practitioner, clinical specialist, or nurse educator. Program lengths vary depending on your enrollment status, track, and prior educational achievements.
DNP: A Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a practice-focused doctoral degree that prepares nurses for advanced clinical practice, leadership, healthcare innovation, and systems improvement. Depending on the program, students may enter with either a BSN or an MSN.
PhD/EdD: A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or Doctor of Education with a focus in nursing (EdD) is a research and academia-focused degree for nurses who want to become university professors or policy developers. On average, these degrees take about three to seven years to complete and require a dissertation.
Nursing Practice Levels
While nurses must hold an active credential to practice, each role is unique and the type defines your clinical scope and level of autonomy in your job.
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA): Also called nursing aides, CNAs provide hands-on patient care under the direct supervision of an RN or doctor. Some high schools, vocational schools, and community or junior colleges can provide a place to start and depending on where you work, you do not need certification. Places that require certification typically involve 75 or more hours of training and successful completion of a competency exam. Some states have additional requirements.
Licensed Practical Nurse/Licensed Vocational Nurse (LPN/LVN): LPN and LVN’s offer basic clinical care to patients, such as administering medication or wound care. The title depends on where you live (California and Texas use LVN, while most other states use LPN), and these clinicians get great experience on the hospital floor.
Registered Nurse (RN): RNs are the clinicians who make most clinical nursing decisions. Other roles include managing care teams and advocating for patients and their families. An RN license gives you the flexibility you need to work in a variety of healthcare settings.
Types of Certifications
Once you are licensed and working, professional certifications are a way to prove you have expertise in a specifical area of medicine. These generally fall into two categories:
Entry-Level Certifications: Nursing certifications are important, especially for new nursing school graduates as they provide a standardized, consistent way to prove their fundamental and clinical skills to future employers. These certifications do not always require prior experience on a hospital floor and obtaining them early in your career shows your initiative and ambition as a new nurse. Some examples of entry-level certifications include Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), and so much more!
Specialty Certifications: These are voluntary credentials where, if you want to add specialty letters onto your badge, like CCRN (Critical Care Registered Nurse), you must first put in the hours of real-world work on the floor in the specialty unit you are working on getting. Once you have the experience and pass a separate exam to prove you have mastered a specific, complex clinical environment, then you can add the letters to your name.
Advanced Practice Certifications: Unlike specialty certifications that validate one’s expertise in a specific area of nursing, advanced practice certifications are mandatory credentials that qualify a nurse to become an APRN. There are four types of APRN roles, including Nurse Practitioner (NP), Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), and Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM). To acquire these credentials, you must obtain graduate-level education, national certification, state licensure, and expansive knowledge of a nurse’s clinical responsibilities.
Employers value these certifications, and they often directly lead to pay raises, promotions, and leadership opportunities.
Getting Your BSN at Arizona College of Nursing
If you want to open many doors in modern healthcare, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is the degree to work toward. Graduates of BSN programs have a wide range of employment opportunities as a BSN qualifies you for direct patient care in hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities. A BSN also expands your access as a nurse to specialized and leadership roles.
At Arizona College of Nursing (AZCN), our three-year BSN program is structured to fit each individual student and their timeline. AZCN aims to support students’ every step of the way and fit their busy life. Our program focuses on teaching students’ foundational concepts, as well as advanced clinical nursing skills. AZCN’s mission is to make sure that our students are ready to pursue a career as a registered nurse after graduation.
AZCN offers a unique blend of classroom instruction, simulation labs, and clinical experiences to help students develop essential skills for their nursing career. With flexible class schedules, including evening classes to help balance your existing life and work commitments, AZCN is focused on helping you achieve your professional goals in a way that works best for you.
In addition, you don’t have to worry about waitlists competing for a spot in the nursing major after finishing your General Education courses. At AZCN, students are admitted directly into the BSN program from day one, giving them a clear and predictable roadmap all the way up to graduation.
Takeaways
You do not have to navigate everything at once. Finding an educational pathway that fits you and your goals is the best way to get started. As Carla Huntsman, Dean of Nursing at Arizona College of Nursing’s Salt Lake City Campus said, “[m]y tip for continuing education is to be open-minded and give yourself a chance to explore. Keep your brain open to opportunities you may not have thought about.”
Take the time you need to figure out your goals. Review and understand how each piece of the nursing puzzle fits together so that you can confidently move forward in your future in nursing.
Start Your Future in Nursing Today
If you’re considering a career as a registered nurse (RN), Arizona College of Nursing is here to help you pursue your dream. Our BSN program enables you to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in just 3 years or less with qualifying transfer credits. We’ve helped hundreds of students to earn a BSN degree and enter the nursing profession – and we’re ready to support you on your path to becoming an RN.
Why Choose Arizona College of Nursing?
- Earn a BSN degree in 3 years or less with eligible transfer credits
- Campus locations throughout the US
- Night classes for general education courses
- Hybrid Online/In-Person format for general education classes
- Nursing education is all we do
- CCNE-Accredited Program*
- NCLEX-RN success coaches and exam preparation class
- Financial aid available to those who qualify
Discover Your Path to a Career in Nursing
Information in this post is accurate as of August 17, 2026.
*The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program at Arizona College of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (https://www.aacnnursing.org/). All Arizona College of Nursing and Arizona College campuses are institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (https://www.abhes.org/), a U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting agency.