What Is The Education Requirements For A Registered Nurse

how to become a registered nurse

Becoming a nurse may seem daunting when you have other things on your plate. Between working, family commitments and the demands of other life priorities, it might seem hard to finally make the determination to become back to school and become a registered nurse (RN).

That's undoubtedly a big commitment that comes with a lot of unknowns that may be holding yous back. Fortunately, those unknowns are something we tin help you with! In this article, nosotros'll break the procedure of becoming a registered nurse downward into four steps. While each of these steps is certainly significant on their own, y'all tin can move forward with conviction as you'll know the path alee.

Read on for a simple, footstep-by-step guide to becoming a registered nurse.

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4 Simple steps to become a registered nurse

The 4 steps to condign a registered nurse are:

Picking which kind of RN-qualifying nursing degree you want to end up with—an Associate's Degree in Nursing or a Bachelor of Scientific discipline in Nursing
Gaining admission into a nursing program
Completing nursing coursework and clinicals
Passing the NCLEX-RN® exam and coming together state licensure requirements

Of form, a bullet point doesn't do any of these steps justice. We'll get into much further detail for each beneath.

1. Inquiry nursing degree options

Earlier committing to a nursing school, you lot will want to retrieve well-nigh your overall career goals. Since there are 2 major pedagogy paths you tin can take to become an RN, you lot'll need to decide what the all-time fit is for your schedule and long-term plans.

For those who would prefer to get out into the working world every bit soon as possible, there's the Associate'due south Degree in Nursing (ADN) route. At Rasmussen Academy, you tin earn an ADN in equally few as 18 months.^one

All the same, while this route may seem like an appealing option right now, you lot may eventually accept to go back to school to acquire a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) if you are planning on working in some hospitals or specialized nursing roles.

While that may seem similar a deterrent, some employers may assist pay for their ADN nurses to become baccalaureate qualified. Working ADN-RNs have the opportunity to pursue their Bachelor's degree via a fully online RN to BSN plan. The RN to BSN program at Rasmussen University can be completed in as few as 12-eighteen months.¹

The other option for becoming a registered nurse is to complete a four-yr Bachelor'south degree program. RNs who hold their BSN credential are qualified for more jobs than nurses with ADNs, including jobs in research, consulting or administrative positions.

In the end, both degrees can lead to a career every bit an RN—your decision simply depends on what's all-time for you based on how much time you want to spend in school and what your personal career goals are. It'southward important to remember that nursing is a profession with a wide range of opportunities, then you lot always have the choice of going back to school to advance your career.

2. Enroll in nursing schoolhouse

In one case you've decided which caste path you'd like to pursue, it'due south time to notice a nursing school that aligns with your goals and enroll in a nursing plan. Nosotros've covered how to get into nursing school before, but here'southward a brief summary.

Subsequently graduating loftier schoolhouse, you'll demand to enquiry different nursing programs and then complete an application—typically requiring you to circular upwardly some letters of recommendation, write the requisite essays and more than. You'll also likely need to take the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) exam and set for your archway interview.

Information technology may audio like a lot is required of you right from the get-become, but when you lot break each step downwardly and tackle it ane piece at a time, you'll offset to see your path toward nursing success take shape. The fourth dimension and endeavour put into each phase of your process are important factors that can help yous become into the schoolhouse you've set your sights on.

3. Complete nursing coursework and clinicals

After you've been accepted into nursing schoolhouse, it may seem like all of the hard piece of work is behind you lot. Just the next stretch of your life will exist spent edifice and strengthening the foundational knowledge and skills required of successful nurses. Y'all tin can await to run into coursework relating to chemistry, biology, beefcake, diet and more than.

You lot volition also be expected to complete a serial of nursing clinicals to assist proceeds hands-on experience and witness what it's really like to piece of work as an RN. Clinicals provide students with an opportunity to use what they've learned in a real-life healthcare setting, serving every bit a critical capstone to your teaching every bit you larn how to gain your footing in the world of nursing.

four. Laissez passer the NCLEX-RN examination and encounter licensure requirements

Once you've come this far, you're almost done on your journeying to becoming a nurse. Things will starting time looking up as you cross the finish line yous've been chasing afterwards, degree in mitt. The but thing separating you lot from a rewarding career as an RN once you've walked across that graduation phase is passing the NCLEX-RN and ensuring you meet all state licensure requirements.

The NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) is a required exam for any prospective nurse. With either an ADN or BSN, you would be qualified to sit for the NCLEX-RN. No thing the state y'all plan to piece of work in, passing the NCLEX-RN is a required footstep for obtaining state licensure.

The NCLEX-RN contains 75-145 questions that estimate your knowledge of all areas of nursing—and as yous might wait, critical thinking and memorization will exist cardinal to your success. Await to spend some time preparing and prepping for this exam, as it's one of the more of import tests you'll accept. Don't panic, though—you will learn everything you need to in your caste program. Once you've passed the NCLEX-RN, you've cleared the biggest hurdles. That said, in some states there may be additional administrative requirements for earning licensure, like completing a criminal background bank check.

After obtaining licensure, you'll be ready to detect employment every bit a registered nurse—and so go your resume ready and prepare to help fill the nursing shortage.

Which nursing path will you cull?

At present that y'all know the various steps you'll need to take to become an RN, it's fourth dimension to decide how you'll get there. Whether you're hoping to go into your scrubs faster by earning an ADN or you lot're gear up to put in the extra time now to ensure some career advancement later on with a BSN, time is of the essence.

With that in mind, you'll want to leap right into the inquiry phase of your journey toward nursing school. Once you pinpoint the specific nursing degree y'all want to pursue, you lot're that much closer to finding the right college. Gain the insight you need well-nigh earning your nursing degree and dig into the host of ways Rasmussen University can help you achieve your goal by checking out our commodity "10 Facts You Didn't Know About the Rasmussen University Nursing Program."

¹Completion time is dependent on the number of transfer credits accepted and the number of courses completed each term.

EDITOR'Due south Note: This article was originally published in April 2015. Information technology has since been updated to include data relevant to 2021.

NCLEX-RN is a registered trademark of the National Council of Country Boards of Nursing, Inc.