What is the difference between a diploma in registered nursing and recieving a associate degree in nursing?

There is no difference, honestly

IN the "olden days" there used to be 3 ways to become a RN: 1. a 2 year AA RN program from a community college; where you had to do other classes for the AA degree besides the nursing core ones (associate degree). 2. A 4 year, Bachelors RN where you get a BSRN and have to take all the requirements of a bachelors degree. 3. A certificate program.(3 years). This is a very old program when hospitals (a lot of them catholic) had their own nursing programs and you lived in the hospital dorms etc. You learned only at that hospital & did not do any other general knowledge classes for a degree. This was also how many of the European nursing schools were run. Los Angeles County Hospital had a certificate program in the 80's, as did Queen of Angels, as I recall. Now most programs have closed due to money and college and universities have taken over. A LVN/LPN program is different from a 2 year RN program

I have heard of those programs before. I've heard of some hospitals having their own diploma program and training their staff (LPN/LVN's or sometimes CNA's) to become RN's. Those who go through this training can get their license as a registered nurse, but do not have an actual degree in the field. Having a degree in the field can give you better career opportunities. If you want to stop at being an RN without any more growth in the nursing field, then the diploma would be just fine to take. But if you want to go further, take the associate's degree program.

Actually to become a Registered Nurse, you will be in school for 4 years. The other programs allow you to become an LPN (or LVN depending on the state). I think the 18 month program is the one you want in order to be the LPN/LVN, and the 2 yr program is the basis for the 4 year RN program.