The Fastest Ways to Become a Nurse

Program Length: One year

A licensed practical nurse (LPN) or licensed vocational nurse (LVN) program is the fastest way to become a nurse. (California and Texas use “LVN,”” while the rest of the U.S. uses “LPN.””) LPNs and LVNs monitor patient vital signs, change bandages, insert catheters, provide basic care, and assist with tests, often in collaboration or under the supervision of a registered nurse (RN).

An LPN program is the fastest way to become a nurse, even though the scope of practice is more limited than that of an RN. In these one-year programs, you’ll strengthen clinical and patient care skills. After graduating, graduates must pass a licensing exam to earn their LPN or LVN license.

Once you’re working, you may advance your education and become an RN — a license that gives you more autonomy and a wider scope of practice.

Program Length: 2-3 years

This is an increasingly uncommon option, but nurse diploma programs do prepare you for an RN license. However, in 2024, nurse diploma programs accounted for just 8.6% of RNs entering the profession, according to the 2024 National Nursing Workforce Survey.

Compared to LPNs, RNs have more clinical responsibilities and professional autonomy. RNs often specialize in urgent care, pediatrics, cardiology, or emergency care. With a nurse diploma, you can take the NCLEX-RN exam.

Program Length: 2-3 years

ADN programs take as little as two years, making them a good option if you want to become an RN quickly. Offered online and in-person or as a hybrid program, ADNs are among the most popular options for licensure.

The typical ADN curriculum includes courses in nursing principles, immunology, behavioral health, pharmacology, pediatrics, and geriatrics. Students also complete an average of 700 clinical hours. Graduates are eligible to take the NCLEX and become an RN.

ADN nurses work in hospitals, physicians’ offices, or other healthcare facilities. Career options include travel nurses, home health nurses, or community health nurses.

When ADN-prepared nurses want more responsibility and earning potential, they can enroll in a shortened RN-to-BSN program for additional training to increase their clinical skills and learn about nursing informatics, leadership, and research.

Program Length: 18-48 months

Traditional BSN programs take four years. Accelerated BSN (ABSN) programs are pre-licensure programs that allow students to earn their BSN in less time than a traditional program.

ABSN programs are for individuals with a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field who want to earn a second degree in nursing. This option is the fastest way to become an RN for career-change nurses.

Students complete rigorous courses, labs, and clinical placements that train them to become RNs. Due to the program’s intensity, it is often not possible for students to work full time while enrolled.

However, online accelerated BSN programs can provide students with some flexibility. These programs allow you to complete your lectures and coursework online, with in-person clinical requirements and lab classes.

Program Length: 2-3 years

prepare LPNs for greater responsibilities and more autonomy. Graduates can earn their RN license and qualify for BSN roles. These programs are offered online, in-person, and in a hybrid format, allowing students to continue to work as LPNs as they earn their BSN.

Becoming an RN by earning a BSN qualifies nurses to work in clinical settings, administer medications, provide treatment, and educate patients. Some RNs can also fulfill nonclinical roles for research labs, pharmaceutical companies, and government agencies.

Unlike a traditional BSN program, a bridge program allows nurses to earn their degrees faster because of their previous nursing experience. For example, LPNs receive credit for their prior nursing classes before taking courses in biology, chemistry, anatomy and physiology, ethics, and statistics.

Program Length: 1-2 years

RNs-to-BSN bridge programs are designed for current RNs, helping nurses advance their education and specialize their careers. While traditional BSN programs take four years, RNs who enroll in a bridge program can earn a BSN in half the time.

Graduates of an can qualify for positions in management, community health, research and informatics. They also have a shorter path to obtaining a or degree and working as advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs).

These registered nurse programs incorporate courses on pharmacology, ethics, leadership, and management. Upper-division classes develop the skills and knowledge to handle more complex responsibilities.

These programs offer online, in-person, or hybrid enrollment, and many offer part-time options. Many employers offer RNs tuition reimbursement or remission to help pay for their nursing degrees if they work for that employer for a certain amount of time.