What Education Is Required to Become a RN?

Registered nurses treat patients in a variety of healthcare settings, such as hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, private physician offices, outpatient treatment centers and schools. However, there are some important steps that you must complete to become a RN.

Things You'll Need

• Appropriate degree or diploma
• Supervised clinical training
• Vaid nursing license

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Instructions

• 1

  Decide which type of educational path you want to pursue. There are three main types of nursing programs that can prepare you for a career as a RN: the bachelor’s of science degree in nursing (BSN), associate’s degree in nursing (ADN) and diploma in nursing. The BSN takes approximately four years to complete, the ADN program takes two to three years to finish, and the nursing diploma (which is administered in hospitals), takes about three years to complete. Please note that registered nurses with a bachelor’s degree receive higher paying jobs and have more career options.

• 2

  Enroll in an appropriate nursing program. Before you can start taking classes towards your nursing degree or diploma, you must apply for admissions and be accepted into that particular program. Every school and program has its own specific requirements, but the admissions committee may review things such as your current grade point average, references, test scores and high school and/or college science and math course scores. Be sure to verify that the nursing program is approved by your state’s board of nursing.

• 3

  Take the proper courses for that program. To become a RN, you must successfully pass all of the required courses for that nursing program. You will take classes such as anatomy and physiology, chemistry, microbiology, psychology and nutrition, along with a variety of nursing courses.

• 4

  Complete the required clinical training. In addition to taking classes, you must also complete the supervised clinical training portion of the program. This gives you hands-on experience working with patients in an approved healthcare setting, such as a hospital or nursing care facility.

• 5

  Pass the national nursing examination and receive your state license. Once you have taken and passed all of your courses and completed your training, you can sit for the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN), which is a comprehensive nursing test designed to verify that you have the proper knowledge and skills needed to become a licensed RN. For more information about the NCLEX-RN, contact the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). See Resources below.