Doing pre-requisites for Nursing

Hi Alicia - congratulations on wanting to become a nurse .... we need you in the ranks. As far as getting into school, you should make application to your nursing program at your earliest opportunity. When you get close to finishing your pre-reqs, make application to the program. I had 2 classes left to finish and made application. Glad I did because they held my application active until they reviewed my grades from the last 2 classes I took. Talk with the nursing advisor at the college you will be attending and ask them when you should apply. Most often, they will be able to give you a reasonable timeframe.

If you do not get in the first round, you will have a chance after the semester begins. They ususally have a pretty high drop rate during the first 2-3 weeks of class. The program will most likely hold the final registration period open for new students who get accepted after the drops take place.

You asked about several questions about other ancillary positions in nursing and about being an LPN. An LPN is a vocational nurse that assists the RN on the nursing unit. Most often the LPN, under their practice act, can perform certain activities that an unlicensed person can not. This activity would include passing medications, doing treatments, performing basic care as well as a host of other tasks as determined by their State and facility. The LPN takes generally about 12 months to complete. In some areas it takes less, other areas it takes longer. But, it is a fair bet that becoing an LPN takes about 12 months. In addition, once you graduate from LPN school, you will be eligible to sit for the NCLEX-PN exam - which is the licensing exam to come licensed as a practice nurse (LPN).

I would recommend that you visit the American Nurses Association web page to learn a little more about nursing and the role of each discipline within the profession of nursing. Another good source of information about nursing is http://www.discovernursing.com

This is the Johnson & Johnson site and it will answer many of your questions. In addition, you can learn a lot about educational standards as well as options that are available to you as a Registered Nurse.

Good luck with your educational endeavors and I wish you success getting into the nursing school of your choice. Patrick :)

Thanks a lot Patrick for all your answers to my questions. And thanks for referring me to http://www.discovernursing.com this will help me a lot.

I had another questin you say that you are an RN, so how long did it take you to become an RN? What is a BSN student? I guesss I never stop asking questions, huh?

Thanks,

Alicia

I had another question, What is an ADN program? Why do most people choose to go the ADN route instead of MSN? What is the difference?

ADN is a degree obtained at a 2-year community college. BSN is a degree obtained at a 4-year college or university. Diploma programs offered directly through hospitals is another option, though rare these days. You don't get a degree, but a diploma.

Graduates of all three routes take the same licensing exam and have the same title (RN) and job responsibilities.

Choosing which eduational route to take is very much a matter of personal preference, financial situation, and proximity to the schools.

Good luck in your pursuit of nursing. We need you in the ranks. :)