Nurse in 1854: Nightingale at Scutari

How long does it take to become a nurse? Typically three to four years. A bachelor of nursing takes three years in the UK and Australia and four in the US and much of Asia; Germany runs a three-year paid apprenticeship instead. After the degree comes a licensing or registration step — an exam in some countries, credential checks in others — and most new nurses then complete a supervised first year on the wards.

What is the difference between an RN, an LPN and a nurse practitioner? It varies enormously by country. The US median for registered nurses was about $86,000 in 2023 (BLS), with nurse anesthetists above $200,000; Australian RNs average roughly A$90,000; UK staff nurses start near £30,000 on the NHS scale; a Philippine government nurse starts around ₱36,000 a month. The gap is a major reason nurses migrate between countries.

Do you need a university degree to become a nurse? Increasingly yes, but not everywhere. The UK, Australia, Canada and most of Europe now require a degree for registration. The US still licenses both associate-degree (two-year) and bachelor's graduates through the same NCLEX exam, though hospitals increasingly prefer the bachelor's. Germany trains most nurses through a paid three-year apprenticeship rather than a university course.