Published Dec 17, 2005
confusedone
1 Post
ok heres the deal. I just got my GED and would love to be a nurse. i would like to know how long the whole school process takes. from the begining(pre-reqs) all the way to the end (taking the final exam to be a RN) please helppp
missninaRN
505 Posts
It depends on the school you attend and the program. ADN degrees generally take two years, BSN takes more, but any program can be taken over a longer period by getting all of the pre- and co-requisites done first. Both ADN (associate's) and BSN (bachelor's) graduates are eligible to take the NCLEX-the test in order to obtain a Registered Nurse license.
My advice? Talk to someone at the college(s) you hope to attend. They will be able to give you specific information. You might also check their websites. My community college has it's nursing program requirements online.
RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN
8,498 Posts
It depends where you go to school (each school has it's own requirements), what program are you planning to attend? (diploma, ADN, BSN)
Are you planning on going full-time or part-time? Do you have a previous degree or any credits from another college?
As you can see you need to provide more information.
Another option is going to discovernursing.com, choose a prospective school and call them for more info, or visit their website.
My program is ADN and full-time it takes 10 semesters from start to finish. 5 pre-nursing and 5 nursing. It takes about 3 years (my program) from start to finish.
Good luck :)
stpauligirl
2,327 Posts
It also depends on how many courses you are able to take per semester. Some of these classes are hard and in order to do well you might not be able too many at once. I started with a GED, and i do better than many who have High School diplomas, don't let that discourage you. Good luck
Daytonite, BSN, RN
1 Article; 14,604 Posts
I know it would be nice to package it all into a statement of how many years or months it will take, but that's not always possible. A lot depends on how good a student you are, how many credit units you are able to handle at one time and your finances. The ADN programs are, generally, supposed to last 2 years. However, most won't allow you to register in the actual nursing classes until you've finished up most of your other college work, so you're talking about 3 years at the best if you go to school full time. Another monkey wrench in the works here is that many schools have a waiting list to get into the actual nursing classes, some of them as long as 2 or 3 years wait.
A BSN is going to take longer because there are more requirements to get that degree. Traditionally, it takes 4 years, but it's more realistic to plan on 5. This, again, is assuming you take classes full time.
Your nursing school assists you in filling out the application to take the NCLEX licensing exam to become an RN. The norm is to take this exam within a few short months of finishing nursing school.
It helps in planning if you know the specific nursing school(s) you want to go to because you can look at their requirements for the degree. Every school has different requirements to graduate.