A Diploma in Nursing or Nursing Diploma is an entry-level tertiary education nursing credential.
In the United States, this diploma is usually awarded by hospital-based nursing schools. Students awarded a Diploma in Nursing are qualified to sit for the NCLEX-RN and apply for licensure as a Registered Nurse.
At one time, all nurses in the United States were diploma-prepared. The Cherry Ames series of children's books was created to encourage girls to go into the nursing profession during World War II. She was a "hospital diploma" nurse.
Although the number of hospital-based nursing schools continues to decrease, many still exist. Some require that non-nursing prerequisite courses be completed at another school prior to admission or coordinate their program with classes at a nearby school, though many are still self-contained.
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—Frank Pittman (20th century)
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—Edith Wharton (1862–1937)
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—Patrick Buchanan (b. 1938)