Registered Nurse - How To Become An RN
Why become a registered nurse? Are you taking on the challenge to fill the shortage in this group of professionals? Does service in the field of health care appeal to you? A nurse's job is far from being easy. And it takes more than knowledge and skills to excel as a practitioner. It requires compassion, patience and grit to truly earn the title “nurse.”
In spite the estimated 2.5 million RNs already serving around the country, there is still a demand for nursing professionals. Based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it is among the fastest growing health care careers and the number of jobs will continue to rise until 2018. Even with licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and certified nursing assistants (CNAs) on hand in a number of health care facilities, a registered nurse remains a crucial member of the frontline medical team.
Do you have what it takes to be a nurse? What are registered nurses and what kind of training do you need to become one?
What's The Best Route To Becoming A Registered Nurse?
When there weren't many schools offering nursing degrees, hospitals trained new nurses through a diploma program. Some of these programs were in partnership with community colleges. This took three years, and truly produced dedicated and skilled professionals who were given as much clinical experience as possible.
The diploma programs are slowly being phased out. In its place are associate and bachelor degree programs that were completed in two and four years, respectively. They are offered in universities and colleges. When you graduate from either, you will be eligible to sit for the National Council for Licensure Examinations (NCLEX) for registered nurses. Successful passage will grant you the license to practice your profession.
Once you become an RN, you qualify for entry level nursing jobs, which usually involve bedside care of patients. Here is the opportunity to put to use all that you learned in nursing school to gain much needed experience.
So, in deciding what registered nurse training to pursue, which is the better option. Basically, the two-year programs focus on the delivery of direct patient care, especially those needing acute care and in community settings. Due to the short-term training, the most basic – patient care – is given emphasis.
A BSN degree also trains you in patient care, but with added focus on management not only of clients, but health care staff as well. There are additional courses in leadership, research and community health. If your ultimate goal is a management position, this is the program for you.
Yes, it will take longer and will be more costly. But eventually, you will be equipped with the skills and the knowledge not just to provide health care for patients, but also be able to run operations in a medical setting. An RN holding an associate degree may also decide on administrative or management positions and can pursue further studies, either completing a transition RN to BSN program or take up a master's degree in nursing.
Is Specialization Necessary For Rns?
When you earn the RN title, you basically practice general nursing. Entry level work is usually at a hospital or other health care facilities that require the delivery of patient care services. The bigger the facility, the more likely the assignments will be on rotation enabling you to experience all areas of health care, from emergency care to acute care to pediatrics and trauma centers.
This varied experience will open doors for dedicated nurses, maybe enough to want to go into specialty practice. Since training to specialize is very rigorous and intensive, you have to be sure this is what you want to get into, and not just for the salary you expect to make later.
One advice for those thinking of going into specialty nursing is to determine their ability to handle stress. Nursing by itself is stressful, but there are people who thrive in these situations and perform their best. Are you that kind of person? Will you grow as a professional with a working environment such as the emergency room or critical care units? Or are you better suited in pediatrics or for hospice care?
Exposure is one way to gauge your capabilities. Learning as much about the field you wish to specialize in is another. Talk to someone in that specialty. And find out the educational or training requirements to become a specialty nurse.
Is a registered nurse required to specialize? To maintain your professional license, you are required to take up continuing studies just to keep abreast of advances in the field of medicine, and be made aware of new research and studies aimed at improving delivery of health care services. But if working as a general nurse is where your passion lies, then stick to it and just become the best RN you can be.
How Can I Prepare Myself For A Nursing Program?
A high school diploma or its GED equivalent is the most basic requirement if you wish to apply for a nursing program. If this is a career you are eyeing even before graduating from high school, then give yourself an advantage by taking up advance science courses like biology and health science.
Advance English and mathematics subjects will also do you good when you eventually apply with nursing schools. Remember, communication skills are important for a registered nurse because patients come in all shapes, sizes and temperaments. If you can volunteer at a health care facility, do so before heading to nursing school. It can be an eye opener and will either fuel your enthusiasm for the profession or dampen it. Either way, it won't be a waste of your time or resources.
Others who already have work experience in health care also desire to grow more as professionals and become registered nurses. And their experience as LPN or CNAs come in pretty handy when they apply for RN programs so much so they can abbreviate their studies and become RNs faster.
Grades, a GPA of at least 2.7 is usually necessary to be admitted to nursing programs. If your grade is not exceptional but you are serious about pursuing this career path, colleges and universities offer testing in subject areas necessary as prerequisites. Study hard. Learn as much as you can. And always do your best, even while still in school.
Be sure you have a good grasp of anatomy, physiology and microbiology plus background in intermediate algebra because these are the usual prerequisite courses for most nursing programs.
Are There Additional Costs To Prepare For?
A college education is an investment. So anyone studying to prepare for a career like nursing will have to be practical and hope his chosen profession will help him recover the cost of training once he begins working.
College expenses go beyond tuition, although this forms the bulk of it. Your choice to attend a public or private college or university will have a bearing on your costs. Public educational institutions usually charge a fourth of private schools. It also makes a difference whether you are a resident of the state where the college or university is located.
In 2010, tuition cost around $25,000 for a four-year bachelor program in nursing. Out-of-state tuition ranged from $37,000 to more than $100,000, also for a bachelor's program. Associate degrees were $3,000 for a semester or $12,000 for two years.
But tuition fees aren't the only expenses if you want to become a registered nurse. Expect an additional $1,500 or so to cover supplies like uniforms and a lab coat, as well as stethoscope, pen light, nursing scissors and protective eyewear, plus textbooks. The cost of textbooks will vary depending on whether they are used or brand new.
Is A Nursing Career Confined To Patient Care?
After graduation, entry-level positions will necessarily be in the area of patient care. This is earning your stripes and putting to use all that you learned in school. The theoretical classes, skills lab activities and clinical applications that you went through during training will be tested and improved and the experience will hopefully develop your confidence as a professional.
Over time, RNs may opt to become clinical nurse specialists, go on to become a nurse practitioner, become an administrator or take interest in teaching and research. Or you can share your expertise in other fields like law enforcement, who need assistance from nurse consultants.
Eventually, you may find your calling as a nurse is not necessarily confined to serving hospitals or health care facilities. Opportunities for nurses are also available in schools, government health agencies, corporations, non-profit organizations and whatever enterprise may require the expertise of a registered nurse. You may eventually decide to pursue this track of your nursing career, make good use of your training by serving the public in a different capacity as well as get better rewarded for your efforts.
Nursing school is no walk in the park. What you choose to do with your education and training – to concentrate on patient care or take on more challenging work as emergency care or trauma nurse, among others – or help educate people about health care will all depend on your goals, interests and passion. It's a big world out there for a registered nurse.
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