How to Become a Registered Nurse
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Registered nurses (RNs) provide essential patient care in various healthcare settings. Their scope of practice is broad, depending on where they work, and the field is experiencing faster-than-average job growth. In addition, most RNs command comfortable salaries with the option of overtime.
Explore the RN profession, including the steps and requirements necessary for entering the field.
Are you ready to earn your online nursing degree?
Steps to Become a Registered Nurse
All RNs follow similar steps to get their licenses, but the specific requirements vary by state. Certain states, such as New York, require RNs to hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN). Learn how to become a registered nurse with this step-by-step process.
- 1
Complete the Prerequisites for an ADN or a BSN
Whether you choose an associate degree in nursing (ADN) or a BSN degree, you must complete liberal arts, math, and science prerequisites. Common prerequisites for nursing school include basic anatomy, physiology, biology, psychology, and statistics. Nursing schools often require that incoming students earn a minimum C grade in these courses.
- 2
Earn a BSN or an ADN Degree
You can start your nursing career with an ADN or a BSN degree. A four-year BSN degree offers in-depth education and training in leadership, interpersonal communication, and clinical nursing. A two-year ADN program covers nursing fundamentals and offers the fastest track to becoming a registered nurse.
If you start your nursing career with an ADN, you can earn a BSN later with an RN-to-BSN program. If you have a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field, an accelerated BSN program lets you graduate in as little as one year.
- 3
Pass the NCLEX
You can apply for licensure six weeks before graduating and then register for the NCLEX-RN. This computerized test includes a minimum of 75 questions and tests your skills in four areas: safe and effective care environment, health promotion and maintenance, psychosocial integrity, and physiological integrity. You have up to six hours to finish the exam.
- 4
Find Employment
No matter your degree path, be proactive in your nursing career search. That could mean contacting your college network and gathering job resources before graduating. It is also important to make a good impression during clinical rotations with potential healthcare employers.
- 5
Become Certified in Your Specialty
If you want greater recognition, more career opportunities, and higher salary potential, consider becoming certified in your nursing specialty. To qualify, you often need two or more years of full-time clinical RN experience in your specialty and a passing score on an exam.
What Is a Registered Nurse?
Registered nurses provide nursing care to patients across the lifespan. They have many responsibilities, including administering medication and treatment, assessing patients, maintaining medical records, and educating patients and their families.
An RN career is both flexible and diverse. As licensed medical professionals, RNs can work in a wide range of practice settings, such as hospitals, outpatient clinics, patients’ homes, and even medical spas. RNs can work as leaders, inventors, and entrepreneurs, making this career path full of potential and growth.
Registered Nurse Schooling
Expect to spend 2-4 years completing the required education to become an RN. The exact timeline varies depending on whether you choose a two-year ADN or a four-year BSN. Having prior college credits can speed up your completion time.
Discover the differences between an ADN and a BSN degree.
ADN Degree
An ADN provides a quicker path to becoming an RN. However, some employers require or prefer to hire nurses with a BSN. RNs also need a BSN to apply for advanced nursing programs that allow them to become advanced practice nurses, such as clinical nurse specialists, certified registered nurse anesthetists, or nurse practitioners.
- Admission Requirements: Applicants need a high school diploma or GED certificate to enroll in an ADN program. Schools may require a minimum GPA between 2.0 and 3.0. Required application materials may include personal essays, SAT or ACT scores, and transcripts.
- Program Curriculum: ADN courses include nursing fundamentals, pharmacology, nutrition, health system concepts, growth, development, and aging. Programs also require clinical hours.
- Time to Complete: The length of an ADN program depends on full- or part-time enrollment and how many college credits are transferred to the program. Most students complete an ADN program in 2-4 years.
- Skills Learned: ADN courses provide learners with the nursing skills necessary to work in a clinical setting. ADN graduates can deliver nursing care across diverse populations, such as older adults, children, and infants.
ADN-to-BSN Degree
An ADN-to-BSN degree allows RNs with an ADN degree to complete a BSN in roughly half the time of a traditional program. Many schools offer this bridge program entirely online. Students are required to complete clinical hours, which they can arrange in their local area.
- Admission Requirements: Prospective RNs need an ADN degree from an accredited program, an unencumbered and active RN license, and the required application materials, which may include a personal essay and an official transcript. Most programs require a minimum GPA of 2.3 to 3.0.
- Program Curriculum: Students who have not completed general education courses must complete those before beginning the program. Nursing courses include leadership, informatics, working with vulnerable populations, evidence-based practice, and a capstone experience.
- Time to Complete: Full-time students can complete an ADN-to-BSN program in nine months. Part-time students may take up to two years to complete the coursework.
- Skills Learned: Students learn leadership and management skills and problem-solving to lead change. Graduates have sharpened professional, clinical reasoning, analytical, and critical thinking skills.
BSN Degree
While a BSN takes longer to earn, the program provides a broader education in leadership, critical thinking, coordinating patient care with doctors and other healthcare professionals, and specialized knowledge of medical conditions.
- Admission Requirements: Students enter a BSN program straight from high school or after completing an ADN program. BSN admissions requirements often include SAT or ACT scores, a minimum 3.0 GPA, and three letters of recommendation.
- Program Curriculum: A BSN degree teaches students leadership and management in nursing, cultural awareness, evidence-based nursing practice, and contemporary issues in healthcare.
- Time to Complete: Traditionally, a BSN degree takes four years to complete. However, transferring in general education credits can shorten the completion time to three years. It may take up to six years to graduate at a part-time pace.
- Skills Learned: BSN students gain fundamental nursing skills in leadership, research, and public health. Students can also develop specialized knowledge in areas like psychiatric nursing and community health nursing.
ABSN Degree
Those with a bachelor’s degree in another field can earn an accelerated bachelor of science in nursing degree (ABSN) and graduate in 12-18 months. This route may appeal to those who want to switch careers quickly to become registered nurses. However, the program’s rapid pace can be challenging, and the admissions process can be rigorous.
- Admission Requirements: Eligible applicants need a bachelor’s degree from an accredited school and a 3.0 GPA. Prospective students must also complete all prerequisites with a minimum C grade. Online applications typically must include personal essays, letters of recommendation, and resumes.
- Program Curriculum: ABSN degrees cover research methods, assessments and interventions, healthcare ethics, and leadership and management. Labs and clinical rotations allow students to apply nursing theories and gain experience in areas, such as pediatrics, mental and behavioral health, and acute and critical care.
- Time to Complete: The programs are typically challenging and can be completed online or in person in 1-2 years. These programs are fast-paced, and working full-time while in school may be challenging.
- Skills Learned: Students learn nursing skills like assessment, medication administration, treatment, and counseling. They also learn cultural competency, communication, critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and problem-solving skills.
Registered Nurse Credentials
After completing your nursing education, you must pass the NCLEX-RN to become a registered nurse. Nurses who meet the educational, clinical, and exam qualifications can get licensed in their state.
While not required for employment, certifications acknowledge an RN’s expertise in specialized areas, such as pediatric acute critical care or cardiac nursing. It can also boost an RN’s career in terms of pay and responsibility.
Licensure
Earning licensure is the last step to becoming a registered nurse. Prospective RNs can get licensed by their state board of nursing after earning their degree, completing clinical hours, and passing the NCLEX-RN.
Each state board sets different standards and may require additional training courses to qualify for a license. RNs must typically renew their license every two years. Individuals must complete training courses and continuing education hours to renew their RN license.
Certification
Registered nursing does not require certifications, but getting these optional credentials can provide greater opportunities for professional development. Having a credential demonstrates your skills in a specialized area to potential employers.
The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and other nursing organizations offer certifications for RNs. Qualifying RNs must complete a specific number of clinical hours and pass an exam. Nurses can become certified in specialties, such as emergency care, pediatrics, and intensive care.
Where Do Registered Nurses Work?
Nursing students find positions through their schools, hospitals, medical offices, or popular job boards. The American Nurses Association also offers career centers where members can find open positions.
RN salaries vary depending on degree, specialization, and the workplace. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data from May 2023, RNs earn a median salary of $86,070.
Many RNs work in hospitals, physician offices, nursing facilities, and outpatient care centers. RNs in outpatient care centers earn a mean salary of $102,640, which is higher than the average salaries for nurses in hospitals and skilled nursing facilities.
Hospitals (State, Local, and Private)
RNs work in every hospital unit. Depending on their interests, RNs might work in the operating room, intensive care unit, or neonatal unit. They administer medication, complete patient assessments, establish patient care priorities, and intervene in emergencies to save lives.
Nursing and Residential Care Facilities
In nursing and residential care facilities, RNs work day and night shifts. They advise patients and their families, implement infection-control policies, administer medication and treatments, coordinate care plans, and monitor residents.
Outpatient Care Centers
Sometimes called ambulatory care nursing, RNs work mostly the day shift and assess a patient’s overall health, monitor vital signs, administer medications, educate patients and their families, and help manage pain.
Becoming a Registered Nurse: FAQ
Yes, you can become an RN in two years if you complete a two-year ADN program. If you have a degree in another field, you can complete an accelerated BSN program in 1-2 years, depending on the number of transfer credits. Both programs allow you to sit for the NCLEX-RN and get your nursing license.
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Page last reviewed on June 21, 2024