How long does it take to be a nurse from start to finish?

Nursing Students ADN/BSN

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Is it true it take 3-4 years just to earn your associates??

How soon will you be able to work as a student nurse?

Also, does it really take a year of testing? I'm excited and ready to get started.

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Specializes in Public Health.

1. It depends on what school you go to.

2. You don't work as a student nurse unless you get a job as a nurse intern which is basically a CNA plus some nursing skills as you progress in your program.

3. After you graduate, you must take the NCLEX before you can call yourself a nurse. It's a computer adaptive test that ranges between 75 and 265 questions. It proves you are able to practice nursing safely with minimal competence.

Go ahead and try to get your BSN if that is what you want. This is not an easy job, you are not guaranteed employment and you must take your responsibilities seriously.

That said, I LOVE it! Good luck!

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@slinkyhead, I'm already a CNA now. So are you saying that you can't work a student nurse? An RN at my job told me I could. Because Its going to be hard going to school for years on a CNA's salary. Do you mind me asking how long did it take you? I want to do the associates to BSN. I love nursing and I want it bad. How long have you been an RN and do you have a specialty. Please let me know if I'm getting to personal. Thanks.

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Hello there,

1.How long completing your ASN takes depends on the school. In my particular case it took me 3 years once I was "inside" the nursing program, I had to complete my prerequisites before considering applying to my nursing program. I find most schools ask for a entrance exam for example;the TEAS, Kaplan, NLN etc. However I would suggest that you first look for schools in your area that offer nursing programs and then research what are their requirements for entrance.

2. I am not sure if you can work as a Student Nurse . What you can do is while in your perspective nursing program, apply to hospitals that offer internships;they will often have requirements, a certain GPA, recommendations, essays etc. Most of the internships I have seen in my area only offer them in the summer, so you cannot not live off what you earn in those months(if you get paid). Again I do not know about other areas of the US.

3.I'm not sure I understand what you mean.Some schools will require you to purchase a review course before taking the NCLEX, other will integrate the program throughout you nursing school career or only the last couple of semesters, and others will recommend a course but won't make you take one. All schools have their own plan. In the end you will sit for your NCLEX and if you pass you are now an RN,if you fail you must pay to take it again and see if you pass the next time. There are whole threads of students nurses who swear by different methods, reviews, books,etc. However you shouldn't really worry about this until you cross that bridge.

If you can I would also suggest to go straight to your BSN,not specifically because it is better, but because in increasing areas of the country it is now a requirement before applying for a job.

Good luck on your journey to becoming a nurse!:geek:

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Hello there,

1.How long completing your ASN takes depends on the school. In my particular case it took me 3 years once I was "inside" the nursing program, I had to complete my prerequisites before considering applying to my nursing program. I find most schools ask for a entrance exam for example;the TEAS, Kaplan, NLN etc. However I would suggest that you first look for schools in your area that offer nursing programs and then research what are their requirements for entrance.

2. I am not sure if you can work as a Student Nurse . What you can do is while in your perspective nursing program, apply to hospitals that offer internships;they will often have requirements, a certain GPA, recommendations, essays etc. Most of the internships I have seen in my area only offer them in the summer, so you cannot not live off what you earn in those months(if you get paid). Again I do not know about other areas of the US.

3.I'm not sure I understand what you mean.Some schools will require you to purchase a review course before taking the NCLEX, other will integrate the program throughout you nursing school career or only the last couple of semesters, and others will recommend a course but won't make you take one. All schools have their own plan. In the end you will sit for your NCLEX and if you pass you are now an RN,if you fail you must pay to take it again and see if you pass the next time. There are whole threads of students nurses who swear by different methods, reviews, books,etc. However you shouldn't really worry about this until you cross that bridge.

If you can I would also suggest to go straight to your BSN,not specifically because it is better, but because in increasing areas of the country it is now a requirement before applying for a job.

Good luck on your journey to becoming a nurse!:geek:

@DITZYNCONFUSED Thanks you gave me a bunch of great information.

That what I was hoping, is that I can work as a student nurse because alot of my nurses at my facility say that you can until you finish school. I guess time - is big thing for me. I wanted to do LPN, but don't want to because I don't want to get stuck. I'm 23 turning 24. I was a massage therapist and cna, but now I know that a nurse is where I want to be and passionate about it.

I called colleges in my area, they say it can take 1-2 just to get into nursing school! Time is a challenge for me. But thanks !

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

Well you can work as a student nurse in a CNA position.You cannot do nursing skills at work until you have a nursing license.

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Yeah, the time frame to get into nursing school sounds about right. It took me 1.5 years to get into a nursing program, three years to finish.As a CNA you are already ahead of me,a recent grad, because you have experience.

Just be careful when you finally decide on your program, there a lot of trade schools out there that promise you will have your license in 18months or 2 years and are not accredited. (This means that when you graduate with your degree and you want to continue your education be it BSN or MSN, no credited school will take your credits earned in those trade school programs; english, bio; and you will have to start bottom if they allow you in)

I am glad you are passionate, don't let the hurdles get to you!!

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2 years of prereq's (but I had to re-take a few due to classes expiring).

3 months on wait list

16 month accelerated program for ADN

Not sure if I'm going for my BSN yet

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Thanks for being encouraging ditsynconfused. I was thinking about going to ecpi. I'm going to continue, its just hard supporting yourself on CNA salary.

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Anon456 was it easy finding a job with your associates??? how's the pay? I was thinking about specializing in stepdown as well.

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Specializes in Public Health.
@slinkyhead I'm already a CNA now. So are you saying that you can't work a student nurse? An RN at my job told me I could. Because Its going to be hard going to school for years on a CNA's salary. Do you mind me asking how long did it take you? I want to do the associates to BSN. I love nursing and I want it bad. How long have you been an RN and do you have a specialty. Please let me know if I'm getting to personal. Thanks.[/quote']

I'm not saying you can't but working as a nurse intern is basically working as a CNA although some places will let you pass meds and etc.

It took me almost 2 yrs of PREreqs and then 2 years of NS. I am a new grad in med surg but I'm hoping to transfer to women's health. I've been a CNA for almost five years and been at my hospital for a year and a half

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Thanks for being encouraging ditsynconfused. I was thinking about going to ecpi. I'm going to continue, its just hard supporting yourself on CNA salary.

Is ECPI a trade school? Just curious.

Becoming a RN may undergo many paths; doing your research, honing your study skills and finding out any learning challenges will determine how well your will be able to succeed in nursing school.

As someone who supported myself on a CNA salary; went to an ADN program; didn't succeed (test anxiety that was not diagnosed at the time), went through an PN program, worked in PEDS, rehab hospital, specialty clinic (including being a cast technician) and in LTC, I wasn't "stuck" in being a LPN; but that was due to the market in my area. I went back into a part time BSN program that was accelerated in to two years of nursing; but before I entered the program I had all my prereq's for the programs I was interested in, as well as my associates before I went to my PN program which helped me NOT have to repeat any classes; and got into the program with my grades and high entrance exam percentage. The program fit for me and I succeeded, passed the NCLEX and pounded the pavement for a job for almost a year; then had to find my niche to get to my own goals; I'm working and gaining experience, and that's what matters.

I received my PN license one month before my 25th birthday; received my RN license at 31-I started at 18.

I'll be 33 in May, and I feel great.

Building a career takes a while; there's no right way to do it, but do it the right way for YOU-go to a state-approved school as well as an accredited national school(ACEN or CCNE) and DON'T fall into the trap of a for profit school; be flexible to the market; call area recruiters of hospitals and facilities and find out what their hiring practices are.

Go interview schools; go to a CC for your pre req's and aim high in your classes , especially the sciences. Learn what entrance exams they use, grab those review books to be prepared.

Time is NOT and issue, IMHO...building a career takes WORK; at least do it the right way in this business. :yes:

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