Dont know where to start! Please help

SDboyy · Oct 7, 2017

So there are basically two pathways to become an RN. One is to get an Associate's Degree in Nursing (or ADN, for short) and the other is to get a Bachelor's in nursing, or BSN. Since you have your GED, both routes are available to you, but to go the BSN route, you will need to take the ACT/SAT for college entry.

The BSN is a 4 year college degree in Nursing. Most BSN programs are quite competitive, so with a GED, you will most likely need to score highly on the ACT/SAT. This can be a challenge. Often, you will apply to the college as a pre-nursing major, and then once the science pre-reqs are completed you are re-evaluated for the nursing program, almost like a secondary admission process.

The ADN is offered often at the community college level as a 2 year degree, but there will be an application process for this program as well, in addition to several science prerequisites for program entry. The prerequisite courses are also usually taken at the community college prior to the formal ADN program.

While the paths are different, both will allow you to qualify for the NCLEX test, which is the RN licensing -- so both allow you to become an RN. BUT....in some parts of the country, there is a nursing saturation, and so the healthcare employment is highly selective -- meaning that most if not all new hires have BSN's rather than an ADN, so an ADN may not get you the job, even with an RN degree.

Since you just recently got your GED, I would recommend you looking into a local community college to see what is available. Many community college courses can transfer over to other colleges and the community college is great exposure to college-level coursework. Regardless of which path you take, the pre-requisites are *fairly* standard: anatomy, physiology, general and/or organic chemistry, microbiology are the big sciences. There are also other requirements which vary somewhat: psychology of lifespan development, cultural anthropology, and communications.

You can get a sense by googling college (BSN) programs in your area and then looking up the core pre-requisite requirements.

I would also recommend speaking to a community college counselor about your options. They should know about the programs in your area and the different pathways to get you to where you want to go.

Hope this helps.

Zumayaende · Oct 7, 2017

This is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you so much for your help.