Wanna be nurse, need advice.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Mar 5, 2007

I live in the upstate area of New York and I'm working hard to become an RN when I get out of college. But I have to make it through high school first. My questions are:Are there anything you can suggest to me to help make this a little bit easier?(the journey to college and such) What's the annual salary between being an RN and a BSN? And any other comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated by anyone!

Well, let's start with the basics: An RN license, a Registered Nurse, is awarded after successfully passing the national licensing exam--the NCLEX-RN. Eligibility to sit for the NCLEX-RN is achieved after successfully completing an associates degree (ADN or ASN), a bachelor's degree (BSN) or an accredited diploma program (no degree, hospital diploma awarded after what's typically a 3-year program. Sometimes 2-years).

An RN is an RN whether it's gotten after an ADN, BSN or Diploma education. You'll find that salaries for a BSN-prepared nurse and an ADN or Diploma-prepared nurse are either identical, or a few cents more an hour for BSN. THAT debate rages on and on in another forum here on this site. You can visit those boards and get an idea of what's out there, opinion-wise, on that.

Salaries also range drastically. In parts of California, where the cost of living is some of the highest in the country, the pay is also equally high. In NY, the salaries have some pretty wide ranges, too, with NYC paying the highest typically, but then again, so is the cost of living in the State. New RN grads, on average, start out in the low to mid-$20s as a range. Have seen everything from $21 to $28 basic rates, and that will vary on your location and the need in your area. But that's a ballpark, and night and weekend differentials, as well as differences in the types of facilities (LTC, hospital, clinics, home health) vary too.

What will make the journey from high school graduate to nursing school student easier? Get excellent grades in high school, for starters. The competition into nursing programs is incredible, and those with less than wonderful grades may not be of much interest to those schools. Maturity and the ability to multi-task and prioritize is essential: if you're the type who puts off studying until the day before the exam, you might want to re-think your choice now. Clinical assignments (rotations in hospitals) are to be attended whether or not your car broke down or you have an English assignment due. Expect the excuses you may have been able to use in high school to have absolutely no weight in college nursing courses. Imagine boot camp for nurses, and you've got an idea of what to expect in college nursing programs :) That doesn't mean that diploma programs are easier: there happens to be only one left in NYS, in Elmira, but that's not because it's easy but rather because of the overall push toward making nursing education degrees and not diplomas.

I don't want to scare you off, I want you to join But I want you to have a clue of what to expect.....actually, why don't you go to the General Nursing Discussion board, and poke around? Also, the Pre-Nursing Student and General Nursing Student boards here....You'll definitely get a feel for the pre-college requirements, the admission testing, etc.

Best of luck to you!!