After careful consideration of what you want to do with your life, you’ve decided the colorful scrubs, nursing shoes, and late-night shifts of a nurse will suit you well. But more importantly, you did your research of what it means to be a nurse. You may have gone deep into your research to understand what registered nurses earn, and the projected growth of the profession. There’s more to pursuing a career than knowing the job growth and expected salary range; you will learn how to become a registered nurse at Arizona College. We give you a healthy balance of hands-on training and theoretical knowledge so you can get certified and begin a career in an exciting, rewarding field.
Let’s take a look at how to become a registered nurse:
Research Schooling Routes
Approximately 60% of registered nurses are working in healthcare institutions with associates degrees. Those who choose to obtain their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) may find themselves better prepared to pass their licensing exam, not to they may mention having an easier time finding a job once they’re licensed. Once you’ve decided the type of degree you’d like to work towards, you should then research a list of desired schools and their minimum education requirements. For example, here’s Arizona College’s Bachelors of Science in Nursing requirements.
Complete a Program
An Associate Degree in Nursing typically takes two years to finish while a BSN degree will take three to four years of dedicated coursework, clinical rotations and laboratory experience. At Arizona College, our graduates are required to complete nine semesters or 120 credits consisting of 50 lower division credits and 70 upper division credits. As part of the program students complete 877 hours.
Pass Licensing Exam
After a few short years of rewarding hard work, you’ll have a degree in hand and will be eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RX) exam to validate your dedicated studying. It’s important to remember that each of our 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia have their own specific requirements to getting licensed. If you plan to work in a state you did not attend nursing school in, take the time to research any additional steps or information that may be applicable to your situation.
Get Employed
You’ve passed your licensing exam and are ready to start helping people on a daily basis. Nurses work in a variety of environments like hospitals, doctor’s offices, schools, nursing homes, home healthcare, military bases, correctional facilities and mental homes. Learn what a day in the life of a registered nurse is like here.
The first and biggest step to become a registered nurse is to find a program that’s best for you. Fill out the Request Information form to learn how Arizona College can help you realize your dreams today!
Information in this blog post is accurate as of March 29, 2016.