Question about becoming an RN

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jul 2, 2008

lots of questions. let's see if we can help.

well hello everyone.. i am 17 years old male and i will be a senior in highschool in a few months. i have a couple of questions about becoming an rn. i am aware that you can become an rn from a cummunity college or a 4 year university. what is better, like when you appply for jobs. and are these the only schooling that i need?

both the community college rn, which awards an associates degree, and the 4 year college rn which is a bachelor's degree, both start out on equal footing as rns with the same entry-level skills. depending on your individual situtation, such as finances, etc. you might consider getting the 4-year degree when you graduate, as you are young and going straight to college from high school. this will also give you the "university experience" which so many people appreciate.

do i need to do something before i go to college.

you should go ahead and take high school chemistry, biology and algerbra if you haven't already.

what about after i do college. any test that i need to take that my college wont offer me and such to become a rn.

yes, there is an examine given by the state called "nclex". the good thing is that you only take it once and it's a national exam recognized by all states.

i want to be a rn at a school or at a hospital. and what type of work do rn's do at hosiptials(not really sure)? do they fix broken fingers/treat burns?

that's a bit much to answer in a post. rns manage just about every aspect of patient care from injuries, burns to extreme critical illnesses such as respiratory failure.

oh and i am from new york. so i was wondering if their alot of jobs available for registered nurses or are the jobs all taken?

i'm not from new york, so i can't answer that. hopefully someone in the know will follow me with a answer. the future looks bright for rns in most states and areas though, so don't worry.

feel free to answer any questions that you might have!

good luck!

Jelet · Jul 3, 2008

Thanks alot tweety! You answered my questions very well

Although i asked a question on Yahoo.com and someone said i need to take some preequeisite program

Just remember that you need to take your nursing prerequisite classes before you'll be accepted into the program

Do i need what this person is talking about? or will i get all the stuff i need at a university

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jul 3, 2008

Thanks alot tweety! You answered my questions very well
Although i asked a question on Yahoo.com and someone said i need to take some preequeisite program
Do i need what this person is talking about? or will i get all the stuff i need at a university

Most schools nowadays have pre-reqs, indluding the community college level. These are taken at your community college and include classes such as Microbiology, Anatomy and Phisiology I & II, Pyschology, etc. and when those are done you apply to the nursing program. The pre-requisites differ from school to school. If you don't get Algerbra and Chemistry in high school, then those are pre-reqs you'd have to take at your community college as well.

The pre-requisites for a 4-year degree, include the first two years of General Education classes (English, Math, Science, Humanities, etc.) and then you apply for nursing school your last two years.

It's a pleasure to help and answer questions. Please feel free to come back and ask more.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jul 3, 2008

Also, many programs require and entrance exam to show where you place in math and English and reading, and if you need some remedial courses.

It can be a rough road, but we've all done it and you can too!

Jelet · Jul 3, 2008

Alright, so i should ask the college that i will apply to if they offer the pre-reqs class'es before the nurseing program? Also, so the first 2 years of college at a university, i will take the pre-reqs then after that i will take the 2 year program nurseing at the same college?

What about for cummunity college, how would that work out since its only 2 years. I would just go go to a cummunity college for 4 years ? o.o a little confused

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jul 3, 2008

If the community college has a nursing program, then they also have the pre-req classes you need to take there as well.

It does get a little confusing. Becoming an RN at a community college usually takes more than two years. You take about one year of pre-reqs and then 2 years of nursing school and graduate with an Associates Degree in Nursing and become a Registered nurse when you pass NCLEX. What's even more confusing is the pre-reqs have pre-reqs such as Biology, Chemistry, and Algerbra which you can take at a high school level, but if you haven't then you take those first and then start the pre-reqs.

The four-year degree, the Bachelors of Science in Nursing is 2 years of pre-reqs and general education following by the two years of nursing school, after which you take NCLEX and become an RN.

To make it even more confusing, you can take the ADN route, and later do a bridge that is called RN to BSN or ADN to BSN and get a bachelor's degree that way.

Good luck! Please keep asking questions if it's not clear to you.

Jelet · Jul 3, 2008

Thanks alot !! :yeah:I'm not really confused anymore

My last question would be, when people are hireing rn's if someone has a 4 year degree and i have a 2 year degree, would they take the 4 year degree over me? or will they look at it the same?

Also, i can earn $60,000 a year with a cummunity college degree and even more (not at start. but over time..) right?

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jul 3, 2008

Good question. Most of the time, if there's plenty of openings then the degree really doesn't matter and you can easily find a job. However, if you're applying at a place with only one opening and they can pick and choose, then the BSN might be picked. Then again many old school nurses still think ADNs have been clinical skills and pick them over the "book smart" BSNs. So there's a lot of variables.

$60,000 a year working 3 12-hour shifts is $32.00 an hour. Certainly you can make this kind of money in New York with an ADN.

Nights and weekends pay more, so if you're willing to do that, and work some overtime here and there making $60,000 a year isn't that difficult at all with an ADN.

Jelet · Jul 4, 2008

alright cool. thanks alot. Before coming to this forum i was thinking about becoming a CPA Accountant and if i didnt get accpeted into a 4 year college for that i was planning on becoming an rn at a cummunity college. but now i am debating to be an accountant or an rn lol. thanks for your help tweety. you really cleared alot of stuff on my mind:yeah:

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jul 4, 2008

Good luck to you. At least you have time and don't have to make up your mind right away.

By you taking the time to register and ask, I'm sure you helped others who had the same questions.

labcat01, BSN, RN · Jul 6, 2008

Since you've got some time before you have to apply to nursing school, may I recommend that you try "shadowing" or following a nurse around for a few hours of a shift. Some people are drawn to nursing because of the money or the schedule without REALLY knowing what it is that a nurse does. I think it would help you a lot if you could see for yourself what a nurse does every day.

Good luck with your career :)