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Registered Nurse PRN Education Requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an registered nurse prn. Registered nurse prns usually study nursing, nursing science, or business. 44% of registered nurse prns hold a associate degree, and 42% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 5,154 real registered nurse prn resumes to see exactly what registered nurse prn education sections show.

The most common colleges for registered nurse prns are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online registered nurse prn courses to help get the education required to be an registered nurse prn.

There are certain registered nurse prn certifications that you should consider. These registered nurse prn certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC).

What education do you need to become an registered nurse prn?

What degree do you need to be an registered nurse prn?

The most common degree for registered nurse prns is associate degree, with 44% of registered nurse prns earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 42% and bachelor's degree degree at 7%.
  • Associate, 44%
  • Bachelor's, 42%
  • Master's, 7%
  • Diploma, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become an registered nurse prn?

You should major in nursing to become an registered nurse prn. 84% of registered nurse prns major in nursing. Other common majors for an registered nurse prn include nursing science and business.

Most common colleges for registered nurse prns

Registered nurse prns often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Excelsior College, and The University of Texas at Arlington. Here are the most common colleges for registered nurse prns in the US based on their resumes.
Registered Nurse PRN Common CollegePercentages
University of Phoenix11.62%
Excelsior College8.47%
The University of Texas at Arlington7.26%
Tennessee State University5.57%
Jacksonville University5.57%

Best majors for registered nurse prns

Best colleges for registered nurse prns

The best colleges for registered nurse prns are University of Rochester, University of Tulsa, and Vanderbilt University.

An registered nurse prn with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for registered nurse prns. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become registered nurse prns.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-State Tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-State Tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

5. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-State Tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

6. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

7. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-State Tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

10. Chamberlain College of Nursing - Arlington

Arlington, VA • Private

In-State Tuition

$19,375

Enrollment

506

20 best online courses for registered nurse prns

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1. Introduction to Integrative Nursing

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This course is designed for nurses who are drawn to practice in a different way – nurses who value whole-person care and know that the essence of nursing practice is truly caring and healing. You will learn about the principles and practices of Integrative Nursing and how you can be a healing presence to all you serve. Then, you will do an integrative assessment and apply the principles of Integrative Nursing to improve symptom management and overall patient outcomes. Finally, you will explore...

2. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care

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This course presents basic principles of cancer survivorship to primary-care physicians. Developed by a team of experts in caring for cancer survivors, and narrated by a primary-care physician, this course provides practical tips and tools that can be easily integrated into medical practice. You will learn about the complex physical and psychosocial needs and concerns of the growing number of cancer survivors, along with the key role that primary care physicians have in guiding these patients...

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4. Dosage Calculations Mastery for Nursing & Pharmacy Students

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Master Dosage Calculations in 5 Hours Without Memorizing Any Formulas and Pass the NCLEX or PTCB Exam...

5. Health for All Through Primary Health Care

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This course explores why primary health care is central for achieving Health for All. It provides examples of how primary health care has been instrumental in approaching this goal in selected populations and how the principles of primary health care can guide future policies and actions. Two of the most inspiring, least understood, and most often derided terms in global health discourse are “Health for All” and “Primary Health Care.” In this course, we will explore these terms in the context...

6. Value-Based Care: Managing Processes to Improve Outcomes

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COURSE 3 of 7. This course is designed to introduce you to critical office-based processes that a value-based practice must manage in the drive towards improved patient outcomes. In Module 2, we’ll focus on office-based and clinical patient-based supporting functions. At every level in healthcare, guidelines, processes, and functions exist to improve outcomes, and following a consistent process will return the best effect. Refine your understanding of value and learn strategies to provide real...

7. Providing Trauma-Informed Care

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Exploring psychological trauma and how to provide care and compassion to trauma survivors...

8. Nursing Informatics Leadership Theory and Practice

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“By the end of this Course, you will be able to…” • Evaluate effective leadership styles for leadership in nursing informatics in clinical or academic contexts to improve leadership success. • Discover core values that support effective nursing informatics leadership in academic and clinical contexts to inform development of a personal leadership mission statement. • Discover competing values and polarities related to knowledge leadership and management to promote successful leadership...

9. Prehospital care of acute stroke and patient selection for endovascular treatment using the RACE scale

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Acute stroke is a time-dependent medical emergency. In acute ischemic stroke, the first objective is to restore brain flow using sistemic thrombolytic treatment and, in patients with large vessel occlusion, by endovascular treatment. In hemorrhagic stroke there are also specific treatments that can improve the clinical outcome. The sooner the initiation of all these therapies the higher the clinical benefit. Thus, the organization of Stroke Code systems coordinated between emergency medical...

10. COVID-19 Training for Healthcare Workers

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COVID-19 is rapidly spreading across the globe and all providers must be prepared to recognize, stabilize and treat patients with novel coronavirus infection. Following completion of this short course physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals will have a unified, evidenced-based approach to saving the lives of patients with COVID-19, including those who are critically ill. Learning modules are broken into short videos presented in a richly illustrated and compelling manner. The...

11. Nursing Informatics Leaders

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In this course, we explore the AMIA Nursing Informatics History Project. By the end of the module, you will understand the resources available that will be used in this course to learn about the first hand experiences, future vision, and lessons learned in becoming a nursing informatics pioneer. Course Objectives: • Explore the history of technology and its relationship to the beginning of nursing informatics to understand historical context and evolution of the specialty • Discover the AMIA...

12. Palliative Care Always Capstone Course

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The Palliative Care Always Capstone course is designed to let you test your knowledge about palliative and help others understand the value of palliative care, while showing your creative side. In this course, you will impact community awareness about palliative care, promote self-care and wellness, show-off your communication skills in a virtual environment, and finish the course off by proving your thoughts on ways to offer psychosocial support to a patient and family...

13. Trauma Emergencies and Care

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Welcome to Trauma Emergencies and Care. In this course, you will learn about some of the mechanics and physics of trauma on the human body, and how this can cause injury. You will continue to expand your new vocabulary with medical terminology, and learn how to describe the different injuries you may see. You will also learn about the trauma system itself- and when it is important to transport patients to a trauma center. Then we will dive into specific injuries based on what part of the body...

14. Addiction Treatment: Clinical Skills for Healthcare Providers

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This course is designed with a singular goal: to improve the care you provide to your patients with substance use disorders. By delving into a model case performed by actors, seven Yale instructors from various fields provide techniques to screen your patients for substance use disorder risk, diagnose patients to gauge the severity of their use, directly manage treatment plans, refer out to treatment services, and navigate the various conditions that may limit your patient’s access to treatment...

15. Traditional herbal medicine in supportive cancer care: From alternative to integrative

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Please join us for an exciting and innovative journey, examining one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of the oncology setting: Traditional Herbal Medicine in Supportive Cancer Care. This course is presented with short lectures offering a wide range of issues related to the principles and practice of herbal medicine in cancer care. The course includes interviews with leading world experts from the field of Integrative Oncology, from the U.S. and Canada, as well as Europe, the...

16. Emergency Care: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children

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17. Health Care Delivery in Healthcare Organizations

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18. Health Care IT: Challenges and Opportunities

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19. Pain Management: Easing Pain in Palliative Care

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In this course, you will be able to develop a systems view for assessing and managing pain in the palliative care setting. By the end of the course, you will be able to: 1) Describe the pain problem in the palliative care setting; 2) Assess a person’s pain, 3) Explain the benefits of integrative therapies and pharmacologic strategies to manage pain...

20. The Critical Role of IT Support Staff in Healthcare

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Top 10 most affordable universities for registered nurse prns

The most affordable schools for registered nurse prns are SUNY Farmingdale, brigham young university, and hunter college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for registered nurse prns are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for registered nurse prns.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,306

Cost of Attendance

16,091

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,620

Cost of Attendance

18,136

3. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,182

Cost of Attendance

13,998

4. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,419

Cost of Attendance

17,697

5. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,992

Cost of Attendance

22,430

6. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,064

Cost of Attendance

15,576

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,556

Cost of Attendance

19,434

8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-State Tuition

$4,094

Cost of Attendance

14,302

9. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,238

Cost of Attendance

21,567

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,656

Cost of Attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for registered nurse prns

The hardest universities for registered nurse prns to get into are University of Rochester, University of Tulsa, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for registered nurse prns are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for registered nurse prns based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

29%

SAT Average

1,422

2. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions Rate

41%

SAT Average

1,321

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions Rate

10%

SAT Average

1,514

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

40%

SAT Average

1,376

5. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

Admissions Rate

47%

SAT Average

1,337

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions Rate

11%

SAT Average

1,513

7. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

28%

SAT Average

1,429

8. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

Admissions Rate

58%

SAT Average

1,309

9. Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions Rate

58%

SAT Average

1,304

10. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

42%

SAT Average

1,326

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for registered nurse prns

The easiest schools for registered nurse prns to get into are AdventHealth University, nyack college, and d'youville college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an registered nurse prn without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for registered nurse prns.

1. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions Rate

87%

SAT Average

1,016

2. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

98%

SAT Average

999

3. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

100%

SAT Average

1,072

4. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions Rate

99%

SAT Average

1,008

5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions Rate

84%

SAT Average

1,069

6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions Rate

68%

SAT Average

964

7. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions Rate

92%

SAT Average

1,031

8. Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Canton, OH • Private

Admissions Rate

75%

SAT Average

1,085

9. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions Rate

96%

SAT Average

1,111

10. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

84%

SAT Average

1,031

Average registered nurse prn salary by education level

According to our data, registered nurse prns with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $100,597 annually. Registered nurse prns with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $91,595.
Registered Nurse PRN education levelRegistered Nurse PRN salary
Master's Degree$100,597
Bachelor's Degree$87,782
Doctorate Degree$91,595
Some College/ Associate Degree$73,580

Registered Nurse PRN Education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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