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Day 2: Climbing the Nursing Ladder

Lesson Overview
Time 50 minutes
Objectives Complete the RN and NP rows of the Nursing Career Ladder; analyze the relationship between education time and salary; compare three nursing salaries
TEKS d(2)(A), d(2)(B), d(5)(E)
Deliverable Completed Nursing Career Ladder worksheet (all 4 rows) + 2-sentence salary analysis answer
Materials Chromebooks, H&L accounts, BLS RN and NP pages, Nursing Career Ladder worksheet from Day 1, calculator (optional)

Warm-Up (5 min)

WARM-UP: If you could earn money faster with less school (CNA in 12 weeks) OR earn more money with more school (NP in 8 years), which would you choose? Why?

Take 3-4 responses. Some students will say "more money, more school," some will say "start working now." Bridge: there is no wrong answer, but today students get the actual data to make an informed choice.

Activity 1: Complete the RN Row (15 min)

Source: H&L Workbook Ch 9 + BLS Registered Nurses page

Students return to the Nursing Career Ladder worksheet from Day 1. They complete the RN row using H&L Hat Finder + BLS data.

The RN row has a complication: there are TWO entry paths to RN. Walk students through both options on the projector:

  • ADN Path: Associate Degree in Nursing, 2 years at a community college (Dallas College, Tarrant County College)
  • BSN Path: Bachelor of Science in Nursing, 4 years at a university (UT Arlington, Texas Woman's University)

Both paths lead to the same RN license (the NCLEX exam). The BSN often pays more long-term and is required for some hospital systems. Students should record BOTH paths in the Education column.

[H&L PLATFORM] In the H&L app, click the Registered Nurse Hat, scroll to the education section. The H&L data shows DFW-localized salary information. Students record the salary in their worksheet.

DFW RN Salary (BLS): ~$80K median.

Facilitation Tip

The two-path RN is a great teaching moment for d(2)(B). Most students think there is one "right" way to become an RN. The reality: both ADN and BSN graduates take the same NCLEX exam. The choice is about cost, time, and long-term plans.

Activity 2: Complete the NP Row (12 min)

Students complete the NP row independently. Key data points:

  • Education: RN license + Master's degree in Nursing (MSN) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
  • Time to Complete: 6-8 years total after high school (4 years BSN + 2-4 years MSN/DNP)
  • DFW Salary: ~$120K median (BLS)
  • One Daily Task: Diagnose patients, prescribe medications, manage chronic conditions

Students then look at the FULL completed worksheet (CNA → LVN → RN → NP) and circle the salary differences between adjacent levels.

Activity 3: Salary Analysis (15 min)

Source: Completed Nursing Career Ladder worksheet

Project the discussion question and let students work individually or in pairs to answer:

DOK 3: What conclusions can you draw about the relationship between education level and salary in nursing? Is more education ALWAYS worth the investment? Use specific salary numbers from your worksheet to support your answer.

Students write a 2-sentence answer below the worksheet. Strong answers will:

  • Cite specific DFW salaries (CNA ~$32K, NP ~$120K)
  • Acknowledge that the answer depends on the student's life situation (family obligations, financial resources)
  • Identify the "biggest jump", typically LVN → RN, where ~1 year of additional education yields ~$30K salary increase

After 10 minutes, run a quick whole-class share. Take 3-4 student answers and highlight the diversity of reasoning.

DOK 3: Compare the salaries of three nursing careers (CNA, RN, NP) and explain which offers the BEST balance of education time and salary.

Facilitation Tip

Watch for students who say "More school = always better." Push back: "What if you have to work full-time to support your family while in school?" Real career decisions involve tradeoffs, not just the highest number.

Exit Ticket (3 min)

EXIT TICKET (Ranked Justification) · Printable PDF:

Rank all four nursing levels from BEST BALANCE of education time to salary (1) to WORST (4) FOR YOU personally. Use your completed Nursing Career Ladder worksheet.

  • CNA: rank ____
  • LVN: rank ____
  • RN: rank ____
  • NP: rank ____

For EACH rank, write ONE data point (time, cost, or salary) from your worksheet that backs up the rank.

  • Rank 1 (best balance for me): _____________

  • Rank 4 (worst balance for me): _____________

Bottom line: The factor that matters MOST in my rank is (circle one): years of training / cost of school / starting salary / long-term salary. In one sentence, why does this factor matter most to me? (d(2)(B), d(5)(E))

Differentiation

  • Support: Pre-fill the LVN and RN rows; students complete only NP. Provide a "best balance" sentence stem: "I would pick _ because it takes years and pays __."
  • Extension: Students calculate the 5-year and 10-year earnings for a CNA vs. an RN, including 2 years of "lost income" while in nursing school. Where is the break-even point?
  • ELL: Bilingual worksheet column headers. Pre-teach: Salary = Salario, Education = Educación, Degree = Título, Bachelor's = Licenciatura, Master's = Maestría.