Don't understand Steps to become nurse?

maddiem · Feb 27, 2013

You will not be a transfer student. You will do your prerequisite courses at you community college and then apply to your school's nursing program. If you are accepted you will spend 2 years in the program and graduate with your associates degree in nursing (ADN) and be eligible to sit for the NCLEX. When you pass the NCLEX you will be an RN. RN's who earned an ADN can then choose to move on and earn their bachelors of science in nursing (BSN) by taking an RN to BSN program. These programs can be completed online or on a campus in a little over a year. You don't 'have' to do the RN to BSN program, but it will help you get a better job later on and earn you higher wages. Hope this helps!

Somekid5000 · Feb 27, 2013

Thank you! very informative! I have another question. If I am an RN & want to take the RN TO BSN program, would I need to apply to a university and go back to community college to meet the requirements to get into a university with a BSN program?

SaraFutureNurse? · Feb 27, 2013

It kind of depends where you live.....for instance, where I am (Washington State), if you have received your ARN you can apply to an accelerated BSN program for working nurses. HOWEVER, typically your math and science requirements will be expanded if you go this route. The best suggestion I can give is to meet with your advisor, and discuss your long-term plans. Figure out what 4-year schools will require in addition to the pre-reqs for the nursing program. Map it all out. Sometimes it may mean just taking one or two more classes, but for myself I had to have a foreign language requirement fulfilled, take various humanities and public speech classes, and advanced English classes.

Good luck!

ArrowRN, BSN, RN · Feb 28, 2013

Thank you! very informative! I have another question. If I am an RN & want to take the RN TO BSN program, would I need to apply to a university and go back to community college to meet the requirements to get into a university with a BSN program?

First of all did you check aread hospitals to see if they still hire ADN nurses? this is important the paln you are taking will add an extra year to get your BSN, just a thought.

For the ADN/AS or ASN your community college you would enroll in the AS Nursing program as your major.I think this is where you getting confused cause I was too...

When you enroll in community college they will enroll you in BOTH AA AND AS.

This is because the AS or ADN program is limited access and you have to start the prerequisites under the AA. Another reason for they do this is because you will be able to get financial aid to do your prereqs under the AA degree.f

NOTE: You are not completing all the AA degree steps.

After you complete the prereqs then you become eligible to apply to the AS/ADN program and they will move your credit to that program when you are accepted.when you finish the ADN program you take the NCLEX to become an RN.

After you become an RN, you will have to go back either to community college and at the university and complete additional prereqs then apply to their RN to BSN program.

I took the other route. I completed my AA degree first which already includes all the BSN prereqs and then I got accepted to university transferred into the BSN program as a junior. So I will be getting my BSN first then I have to take the NCLEX to become an RN.

The route you take depands on your circumstances