What is an associate of applied science in vocational nursing?

Answer 1

Answer 1: There are, in most states, three kinds of nurses (actually four, if you count a "Nurse Practitioner")...

Registered Nurse (RN)

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN)

In most states, a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is required to become an RN.

In most states, a two-year associates degree -- often an "applied" associates degree -- is required to become either an LPN or an LVN.

As long as we're covering it: A "Nurse Practitioner" (NP), in most states, must have a BSN (so that s/he may be licensed as an RN, and then a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) that is specifically geared toward turning him/her into a Nurse Practitioner...

...and that type of MSN is both long and rigorous; and there are many thousands of hours of practica, as well. A Nurse Practitioner, remember, is just one notch below a physician; and may both diagnose and prescribe. No other kind of nurse may do that.

An "applied science" associates degree is a two-year, sixty (60) semester credit hour undergraduate degree, just like any other associates degree...

...except that it's a "career" degree, and not really an "academic" one.

A career "Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree will tend not to contain as much of what's called "lower division general education" (LDGE) as would a regular academic "Associate of Arts" (AA) or "Associate of Science" (AS) degree.

LDGE is coursework in a broadly-based and disparate group of subjects which, by intention and design, have nothing to do with whatever is the degree's major. LDGE includes courses in, for example, English composition, communications, social and natural Sciences, the humanities, math, computer and library skills, study skills, etc.

A 60 semester credit hour academic AA or AS degree will tend to contain as many as 45 semester credit hours of LDGE. A 60 semester credit hour career AAS will tend to contain as little as 18 semester credit hours of LDGE (typically more like 24, give or take).

The hours of an AAS degree that would be LDGE in an AA or AS degree are devoted to courses in the degree's major. So, then, if the AAS degree's major is "vocational nursing," then it will have far more courses in it that deal with vocational nursing than would an AA or AS degree with the same major.

Since vocational nurses -- actually any kind of nurse -- should have as much training as possible in the kind of nursing that s/he is going to practice in the workplace, an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Vocational Nursing is a very good associates degree, indeed, for vocational nurses... far more useful than if the associates degree were an AA or AS in Vocational Nursing.

The downside, though, is that if the LVN ever wanted to apply his/her AAS degree to a bachelors degree, said AAS would have a lot of LDGE deficits; and so additional LDGE courses would need to be taken in order to get caught-up to the level of LDGE that a bachelors degree requires. An AA or AS degree, on the other hand, tends to contain exactly the same amount of LDGE as any bachelors degree; and so no additional LDGE courses would need to be taken by a person with an AA or AS who transfers same into a bachelors degree.

In any case, I suspect that what the questioner really wants to know is what an AAS in "vocational nursing" covers; what that subject is all about.

Both LPNs and LVNs do approximately the same thing, and get approximately the same training. They provide basic nursing care, just like any other nurse, except that they are usually under the direct supervision of a registered nurse (RN). In some states, an LPN may be allowed to give injections and start IVs, but in most states only an RN (or an NP, of course) can do such things. LVNs and LPNs, in any case, do the basic nursing tasks... taking vital signs, taking patient histories, checking on patients, etc. Sadly, in some hospital settings, the LPNs and LVNs do what the RNs don't want to do... like clean bedpans and whatnot. Some states have both LPNs and LVNs, and others have one or the other, but not both. All states have RNs, and most states have NPs.

An AAS covers how to do all the basic nursing tasks. Just like physicians, NPs, and RNs, they must learn medical terminologyy, gross anatomy and all manner of other medical subjects. The depth to which they're taught them, though, tends to not be as great as with RNs.

LVNs and LPNs don't make as much money as RNs, but their pay isn't bad. It's a good and proud profession...

...and the acquisition of an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Vocational Nursing (or Practical Nursing) is one of the degrees that, depending on the state, will allow a person to sit for the state LVN (or LPN) exam, and become licensed.

Nursing, in all states, is a regulated profession, requiring a state license. Each state has different educational requirements for their nurses. Please consult the website of the nursing board (or whatever is the name of the licensing entity in your state) and learn what are the educational requirements to become the kind of nurse you want to become.