Hey Y'all!! Please help! Tia

[Poshie1]

Hey there!!

I graduated from University in 2001 w/a BA in Communications and have been terribly unhappy in my career field.

I think that I would love to go into nursing. I've been researching and researching schools (community colleges) locally to find programs and to look at what field I would go into.

I have in narrowed down to

RN and X-ray tech.

Here's what I need to know:

If I get my ADN do I become a registered nurse after I take the test?

Is that what most people do? After you get the ADN, are you automatically an LPN?

Do most people become RN's? Is that pretty difficult or pretty common after completing the ADN?

As you can tell, my heart is in nursing and becoming an RN!

I've been told X-ray tech's make lots of money, but its just not connecting with me the way nursing seems to!

Any one have any advice or tips for me?

Anything would help at this point. My mind is made up, I WANT to be an RN!! Im just not sure exactly how to go about doing it!

Thanks everyone!:blushkiss

[sddlnscp]

Hi and welcome! I am currently a nursing student and here is how our school does it: First you have to complete a series of pre-reqs (i.e. A&P I, A&P II, Microbiology/Pathophysiology, Human Growth & Development, etc.). Sometimes you have to complete the pre-reqs before you can apply to an ADN/BSN program, other times you can apply right away. Once you have completed the pre-reqs, you are usually placed on a waiting list which varies in length depending upon the school you are applying to (check with several if possible, they can be very lengthy). You will also probably have to complete some type of entrance exam before you can be admitted to the program as well as pass a criminal background check and become CPR certified. Our school required us to pass the NET prior to admissions. You can talk to your school as well about what type of immunizations you will need and start some of those if you want to.

I am going the associate's route, so after I have completed my first year, I will have the education to sit for the LPN boards and become an LPN if I choose to. I then continue on with the second year. After the second year, I will graduate with an ASN/ADN (associate's of science in nursing/associate's degree in nursing depending on what the school you go to calls it) and can sit for the boards to become an RN. The boards are the NCLEX and you will see that reference multiple times.

I'm not sure if there are different options for you since you already have a bachelor's, but I'm sure that someone with more information on those will probably come along soon to help.

If you are doing the BSN route, the nursing courses are pretty much the same (from what I hear), however you also complete many gen-ed requirements pertinent to a bachelor's as well as more nursing theory.

Hopefully this is helpful to you, best of luck in your pursuits!!!

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Associate Degree's in Nursing qualify you to take the NCLEX-RN and become an RN.

There are a few routes to becoming and RN. One is the ADN and the other is the BSN. Both graduate and take the NCLEX and both start out on pretty equal footing salary wise. The advantage of the BSN is later on in other job opporutnities in nursing.

Another way is to take the LPN program which is about a year and become an LPN. Then you finish up another year in an LPN to RN program.

Finnally for those with Bachelor's degrees in another field there are accellerated BSN programs, which are full time accellearated courses that last a year and you graduate with a BSN. There are pre-reqs for these types of programs.

We all have our routes to the RN which fits us and our lifestyles, budget and time frame.

Good luck.

Please feel free to ask any questions.

[sddlnscp]

Thanks Tweety, that's what I was trying to get at but you said it much more eloquently.

I would also suggest contacting the school you want to attend because every school is a little bit different and meet with their academic advisor for the nursing program to find out more about their specific requirements.

Again, good luck!