How to become a nurse

There are many girls all over India, who have a childhood dream of becoming a nurse. It is one of those career choices that give people an opportunity to serve and nurse the needful. Just like doctors, nurses are a crucial asset of hospitals, nursing homes etc. A good nurse is responsible for taking good care of her patient and can heal him / her with her affection and warmth. Besides that, a good nurse is never short of job opportunities. In fact, even in this era of recession medicine and healthcare industry is still booming and have a plethora of job opportunities for good and educated nurses.

Another crucial benefit of being a nurse is that with their nursing knowledge they can immediately give the first aid to the needy patient. They are, undoubtedly, a great help to the world as they can assist people not only in hospitals but in general life as well.

If you want to pursue nursing as a career, you have to start really soon. First of all, research the various nursing specialties (emergency nursing, pediatric nursing, etc.) and narrow your list of choices. You don’t have to make a final decision initially, just get an idea of a few areas you are interested in.

It is very important to note that, no matter what nursing specialty you choose, basic education in subjects like math, science and good communication skills will be required. Also, make sure that you keep in close contact with your school counselor to ensure that you are taking the right classes and doing the right things. Nursing education programs have particular requirements; you just need to make sure that you meet them in order to get accepted.

Different nursing specialty has different education requirements and some are required before you gain admission to other nursing programs.

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

It is a one year program offered by vocational-technical schools, community colleges, and some hospital-based nursing education programs. LPNs wishing to become Registered Nurses (RN) can obtain advanced placement in hospital-based education programs or in Associate Degree in nursing programs that allows them to complete the RN requirements in a lesser amount of time.

Once students complete the necessary nursing courses, they must pass a licensing exam to practice as a practical nurse and use the title Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN).

Registered nurses can choose from four different paths:

Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)

This course is offered by junior and community colleges and some universities. The duration of this course is 2-3 years. College credits earned in an associate degree program are generally accepted by most of the nursing colleges and universities that provide a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing. In some of the cases, all credits received at this level will be transferable depending on arrangements made between two-year and four-year schools.

Diploma in Nursing (DN)

Under this, courses of study are completed at a hospital-based program. The duration of this program is 2-3 years. The basic eligibility of this program is that it requires completion of college level science and art courses either as a requirement for entry into the program or taken with the nursing courses

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

This program is of four-year duration. It is often entered by nurses with ADN or diplomas to prepare for a broader scope of nursing. This course is important for administrative positions. To appear for this course, it is required to be a graduate in nursing programs in research, clinical practice, education or administration.

Nurses with Associate Degree in Nursing (AND) or diplomas can often find positions within a health care organization which offer student aid for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).

Accelerated Nursing Programs – Both Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Masters of Science in Nursing (BSN & MSN)

These programs are built on previous learning experience and transition individuals with undergraduate degrees in other disciplines into nursing. This program has been designed for degree-holding, career-changers.

Graduates of all these programs are eligible to take the registered nurse licensure examination. After they pass this exam, it will allow them to practice Nursing as a registered nurse and allows them to use the title of Registered Nurse (RN).