If you want to pursue a career that allows you to help others, nursing is a wise idea. Whether you choose to work as a registered nurse (RN), licensed practical nurse (LPN), or specialized RN, the first step in your journey will be to attend nursing school.
There are plenty of accredited nursing programs out there, and they’ll provide you with the skills and experience needed to become a nurse, and a successful one at that.
So, how do you get into nursing school? Read on to learn about the steps involved.
How to Get Into Nursing School
There are six primary steps involved in getting into nursing school. Arguably, the most important step is finding the school that fits your budget, scheduling, and needs. However, you’ll find that each step is integral to achieving your initial goal. Read on to learn what you need to do.
1. Graduate High School or Get Your GED
The first prerequisite for getting into nursing school is earning either your high school diploma or a General Equivalency Diploma (GED). Of course, many nursing schools often have a minimum grade point average (GPA) requirement and several other prerequisites.
If your GPA isn’t cutting it, you can also start with an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) to get your grades up. From there, you can further your education and obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) — which is the preferred credential for higher-level nursing careers.
Here’s an overview of the prerequisites you’ll need:
- One year of high school biology
- One year of high school chemistry
- Two years of college-preparatory math
- A GPA of 2.75 or higher for an ADN program
- A GPA of 3.0 or higher for a BSN program
- Completion of SATs or TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills)
You should also note that you need a passing grade of C or higher for your required high school courses.
2. Determine Which Nursing Career Path Is Right for You
Before applying to nursing school, you want to first ensure that becoming a nurse is right for you. From there, you’ll need to think about which type of nurse you want to become.
Generally speaking, a career in nursing involves:
- Caring about and for others
- Helping others become healthy and manage their conditions
- Continuing education to advance your skills and learn new technologies and medical methods
- Working side-by-side with doctors and medical teams to improve patient outcomes
- Working long hours
There is also a long list of specialties you can enter into as a nurse, ranging from residential care to oncology. If you aren’t sure whether you want to specialize in a specific area of medicine as an RN, there will still be some time to figure that out. You can also advance your career by becoming a general nurse practitioner and go back for specialized credentials later.
3. Choose A Nursing Degree to Go For
One of the most important decisions you’ll make throughout this entire process is finding the best nursing school for you. Fortunately, there are a lot of excellent programs out there, but you’ll first need to decide which degree you want to go for:
- Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) certificate or diploma: This certification provides student training under the supervision of working RNs, It’s entry-level nursing with some more extensive responsibilities.
- Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN): This degree requires two years of schooling and can put you on the fast track to becoming an RN with more critical responsibilities.
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN): This degree requires four years of schooling and is the most preferred credential for RNs. Depending on the state you live in, it may be a requirement for becoming an RN.
- Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN): This degree is for those who want to become Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs). APRNs take nursing a step further by taking on the roles of nurse midwives, nurse anesthetics, and other leadership and administrative roles.
- Doctoral degree in nursing: Becoming a Ph.D. in nursing will allow you to teach nursing at the university level, take part in nursing research, and take on more executive-level roles.
4. Determine Which Nursing Program Is Right for You
As for choosing a nursing program to apply to, you’ll want to consider the following for each school of interest:
- Is the nursing program accredited?
- Will this program provide the resources I need for success?
- Does the school offer career placement assistance?
- What specialties are offered?
- How much time is allotted to clinical rotations?
- How long does this program take to complete?
- What are the costs?
- Is the program online or on-campus?
Remember, you want to choose the program that best fits your needs and schedule. If you’re a working parent, you may prefer an online program whereas if you’re just out of high school, you may want to apply for a four-year university somewhere with a well-known hospital for clinical rotations.
5. Complete All Your Prerequisites
Nursing schools will differ in the prerequisites they require. The degree you intend to pursue will also determine the prerequisites you’ll need to complete.
Lower-level nursing degree programs usually require general education courses with additional science courses like biology and anatomy. More advanced degree programs have more specific prerequisites, including microbiology and physiology. So, if you don’t already have these credits, you’ll need to earn them before applying to nursing school.
6. Fill Out Your Application
Once you know where you want to attend nursing school and have all the criteria covered, you’ll need to fill out the application within due time. It’s a good idea to speak with an admissions advisor to make sure you know exactly what you need to include and what the deadlines are.
If the program you’re applying to offers early acceptance, consider going that route as it will demonstrate your interest and increase your chance of being accepted.
Nursing is an incredibly fulfilling career, no matter when you decide to get started. Of course, the earlier you get started the better as a BSN degree takes at least four years to obtain. However you decide to move forward, you’ll be on your way to working in an industry you can be proud of.