Nursing diploma certificate

Nursing diploma programs are part of a dying breed. Once upon a time this degree level was perhaps as popular as the Associates in Nursing degree is now. But over the last couple of decades diploma programs have been overwhelmingly phased out and entry-level nurses with at least an Associates degree are preferred in a professional setting.

This does not mean all gloom and doom for students that think they’d prefer a nursing diploma program. There are still some programs that work for diploma candidates. Diploma programs are provided by host hospitals, often in conjunction with an on-site nursing school or in partnership with a local community college. Programs are designed to teach and train nursing students at the same time they work as nurses’ aides within the hospital. Diploma programs do not present the fastest track to licensure—most take up to 3 years to complete.