Becoming a Registered Nurse
To become a registered nurse, you have to receive the proper instruction and supervised practice, and be awarded the appropriate diploma or degree. You then have to take an exam called the NCLEX-RN. This is the common end of all the journeys to become a registered nurse. You must pass the exam to receive a license.
Once you decide you want to be a registered nurse, there are a number of routes you can take to get there. Which one you choose depends on your personal situation.
The quickest way to become a registered nurse, and possibly the least expensive, is to get an associate degree in nursing, an ADN. Many junior or community colleges offer this program, as do a lot of career colleges. Most students finish in two to three years, although there are career colleges with programs where you can finish in less time.
A second way to become a registered nurse is to go to nursing college to get a bachelor of science degree in nursing. You would be picking a four-year college to attend, and you would have the opportunity to enjoy the four-year college experience. You then take the NCLEX-RN. If you pick this way to get your RN, you will have more job choices as you enter the workforce. There are many positions only available to RNs with B.S. degrees, and there is more room for advancement.
The third route to becoming an RN used to be the most common, but now it is the least frequently used. It involves training at a hospital, and is called a diploma program. There are only around 100 diploma schools still granting diplomas across the United States. These programs usually take three years to finish. Again, at the end of this training, you still have to take the NCLEX-RN.
There are other paths which may be attracting more prospective nurses. If you have bachelor's degree, you can apply to an accelerated nursing program. You can get a BSN in 12 to 18 months. These programs are very fast paced and not for everyone.
If you have a bachelor's degree and would prefer to get a master's degree in nursing, you can do that. In this accelerated program, you will be training to get a master's degree in nursing as well as your RN. An example of the path is as follows: You spend your first year learning nursing, and you take the NCLEX-RN at the end of that year. Your next two years earn you the master's degree, and you have to decide when you apply what you want to study for your master's. You can become an advanced practice nurse or a subspecialty nurse.
There is another way to become an RN that is relatively new, but may be used by more nurses as time goes on. If you are already an LPN (a licensed practical nurse), you can take LPN-to-RN training. This assumes that since you have already been trained and licensed as a nurse, there are many things you don't need to repeat. You can even do this training online in some cases.
The NCLEX-RN exam, the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses is given by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), in order to make sure that new registered nurses are ready to work in entry-level jobs. There is a very similar rate of passing the exam no matter how you get your RN. In 2009 through June, almost 90% of the candidates who took the examination for the first time passed. Almost 92% of those who were trained in a diploma program passed. Almost 91% of those who trained in a baccalaureate program (bachelor's degree) passed. Finally, almost 89% of those who received an associate degree passed the NCLEX-RN when taking it the first time. The only group that may do a little better includes students with degrees who take accelerated programs.
Since you will probably learn enough to pass the exam and become an RN no matter where you train, there are other things you should consider as you decide what route to take. Do you already have any training or college credits? How much time do you have? Will you need to work while you go to school? Take a look at all your options, and make the choice that will work best for you.
Published: 2009-10-14
