Become Nurse In Kansas + Requirements & Licensing
Kansas has a huge requirement for nurses, making it an interesting state to work in. Salary, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics was $56,410 per year on average in 2013, which is a 1.1% rise from the previous...

Kansas has a huge requirement for nurses, making it an interesting state to work in. Salary, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics was $56,410 per year on average in 2013, which is a 1.1% rise from the previous year. Naturally, being a nurse is about having a passion to make things better for others, and not about the salary. So how do you become a nurse in Kansas?
ENTRY LEVEL PRACTICE NURSES
Entry level nursing is a three stage process: STAGE 1. YOU NEED TO DECIDE ON THE TYPE OF EDUCATION THAT YOU WANT TO OBTAIN. You can become a licensed practical nurse (LPN) by completing a one year diploma program. Although the shortness of this option makes it interesting, it is not that popular due to the low availability of jobs and the relatively lower pay. Instead, most students choose the RN (registered nurse) option, which can be achieved through a 2 year associate’s degree (ADN) or a 4 year bachelor’s degree (BSN), which provides the greatest amount of knowledge and skills and leads to the best (paid) jobs. STAGE 2. MEET THE PREREQUISITES. No matter which option you choose, you will need to have completed your high school or GED diploma. If you choose the ADN or BSN, you may also have to complete a number of undergraduate courses, usually in subjects such as statistics and English. You can expect this to take between three and six months to complete. STAGE 3. BECOME LICENSED BY PASSING THE NCLEX EXAM. The LPN will take the NCLEX-PN examination while the RN will have to take the NCLEX-RN examination.ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSES
To become an APRN (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse), the Kansas State Board of Nursing has outlined the following four stages. STAGE 1. EARN A GRADUATE DEGREE AT MASTER’S LEVEL (MSN). This should be from a program that is approved by the Board or meets their standards. Additionally, standards have been set for the roles they want to take up. As such:- An NP (Nurse Practitioner) must hold an MSN with a clinical specialization.
- A NMW(Nurse Midwife) must hold an MSN with specialization, or a Master’s in Nurse Midwifery.
- A CNS (Clinical Nurse Specialist) must hold an MSN with a clinical specialization.
- An RNA (Registered Nurse Anesthetist) must hold a Master’s in Nurse Anesthesia.
- Role alignment between the RN and APRN roles
- Theoretical instruction in your chosen APRN category
- Health care delivery system
- Ethical and legal implications of advanced nursing practice
- 3 hours in advanced pharmacology
- 3 hours in advanced pathophysiology
- 3 hours in advanced health assessment
- Clinical instruction that includes:
- Performing or ordering diagnostic procedures
- Evaluating diagnostic and assessment findings
- Prescribing medication and other treatments for patients
- 500 hours of learning in each clinical track
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