There are many different paths that a professional nurse can follow. Education requirements range from high school diploma to bachelor's degree. Diploma programs last three years. The associate's degree takes two or three years depending on whether one is a full-time student. You can earn an associate's degree from a community college. Diploma programs and associate degree programs provide graduates with the knowledge for an entry-level nursing position. Nurses who have only a diploma or associate degree will later earn their bachelor's degree. A bachelor's degree is a four- to five-year program and is offered at colleges and universities. Nurses with a bachelor's degree will do more extensive work. To become a military nurse you must have a bachelor's degree. Registered nurses (RNs) with a bachelor's degree are able to work in community health promotion. Some classes you will need to take to get a registered nursing degree are anatomy, physiology, microbiology, chemistry, nutrition, and psychology. Registered nurses are also required to gain clinical experience. Nurses work in different departments of hospitals such as intensive care, emergency services, acute pediatric medical and surgical care, neonatal intensive care, hematology-oncology and perioperative services. They will spend a week in each department interning with registered nurses. Before a registered nurse can get a job at a hospital, he or she must obtain a nursing license and a background check. The nursing license is called the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN). This is a nationally registered nursing test that you must take in every state. The background is both state and federal. You can become licensed or certified by passing D...... middle of paper......tate and federal level courses. Neonatal nurses also need to go a step further than a registered nurse and verify their education. Nurses must have a license to be a registered nurse. Neonatal nurses must pass the NCLEX, pass classes, and work many clinical hours. Neonatal nurses must also have active experience. Continuing your education is a must because new things always surface. Neonatal nurses have a registered nursing license, which allows them to move to another state and find work. According to the South Dakota Board of Nursing, you must have 140 hours of practice during a 12-month period in the last six years or 480 total hours of practice in the last six years. If you don't have one, you must take refresher courses before your licenses are renewed. Your registered nursing license must be renewed in two years.