How to Become a Nurse

Anyone wishing to attend nursing school must have a high school diploma (or GED). If you are reading this and you are still in high school, you will want to take some courses that will maximize your chances of acceptance into and success at nursing school. These include algebra, biology, chemistry and physics, in addition to the standard high school English classes. Of course, every program is a little bit different, so youll want to check with any nursing schools that you are considering attending to get their exact requirements in order to be prepared to apply. And youll need to make the best grades you can, in order to demonstrate your capacity to handle the intensive level of academic study needed to get through a nursing degree program, which is fairly rigorous. Besides the required classes and grade point average, nursing programs are looking for people with temperaments suited to nursing. Personality traits like compassion, common sense, ability to think for yourself, ability to handle stress and maintain composure under difficult circumstances, a pleasant and affable personality are all part of the skills needed in a nursing career. And most nursing schools will require you to successfully pass an entrance exam that measures your aptitudes and likelihood of success in a nursing program and career.

Becoming A Registered Nurse

There are three different ways of getting a registered nurse degree, although the first two are by far the most popular. The first one is the traditional four year Bachelor of Science in Nursing, which is just like any other bachelors degree, and is offered at traditional and community colleges. The second one is the Associates Degree in Nursing, which takes two or three years to complete, and is usually offered at community and technical colleges. The third option, which is much less common than it used to be, is the hospital diploma plan, where you actually study nursing for several years by working right in a hospital with other nurses, and with educators. This is sometimes supplemented with college classes in non nursing courses at a local community college. Of course, for LPNs, the requirements are different, as it usually only takes a year of study, and is rarely offered at hospitals or traditional colleges. Youll generally acquire an LPN certification at a community or technical college.